This happens a couple of times a year. I came back from a break and this lady was adjusting a music stand. She had placed music on it and on my keyboard. she had taken my mic out of the holder and placed it on the stool in front of the music stand.

She basically told me, "my son is going to do XYZ" for our family and friends here". She didn't ask, just assumed that, since she is a dues paying member of the club, the "hired help"
(that includes me) would do anything they're told. It (the song) was a damn show tune, completely inappropriate at that time for a quiet dining room with 100 people in it. When I said the tune wasn't appropriate at that time, but that we'd try it later, she got in a huff and went to call the manager.

Another thing that happens even more often; someone will walk up with a little case of some kind (guitar, trumpet, sax, flute....whatever), begin to take the instrument out and start to play at will, without any idea of the key, lead line; whatever. Then, they want to call tunes, which means that they want to play the few they know in the damn country key they learned it (them) in.

You can guess what I do. How would you handle the situation?


Russ (hard-a**) Lay

That's when I would change my position on gun laws .

chas

Hey, man, how are you? Wish I'd listened to you....the Citycom is OK, but WAY under powered.

Let's talk soon!

R.

Russ, we definitely play in different circles - that has never happened to me in all the years I've been on stage.

Good Luck,

Gary

Russ
I hear you, been there. I've done my share of private clubs and at some you ARE just the help. They feel they can tell you what to do at any time and your equipment is property of the club.
I always try to be polite and explain that if something were pre-arranged perhaps we could do it. If they insist ( 3 martini rule ) I let them make an ass of themselves.
My rule always was the nicer the place the worse you will be treated. Go in, do the job, get paid, get out.
Since your a regular and pretty respected ther perhaps a talk with the manager and defer those people to him. He could polielty explain its not club policy to have "cold" sit ins.

Gary, that isn't a surprise. From what I've heard, your material is for entertaining; not the kind that would encourage "sit-in's" and encourage extended, extemporaneous solos, trading fours, etc.

Different, for sure. My audience is 25% other musicians most nights. If they can really play, "come on"! If they can't "don't waste my time and embarrass yourself"!

Pretty old school, but I worked too hard to learn what I do, and not showing respect for the material and art form in general is an absolute "NO NO"!

Sorry, but this one hit my "hot" button.

Russ

I’ve had a few cases of folks wanting to sit-in in the middle of the gig. Usually, it’s singers, not other players. In my case, often the boss’ daughter (with a graduate degree in vocal music) will walk up to the keyboard in the middle of an instrumental tune and start singing along. No problem, here, since it’s for one or two songs, not the entire night.

Never thought of that before...but yeah...come to think of it now, it was pretty much the case when I was doing some of the Palm Beachy type country clubs and hotels.
Eddie

Just tell the uninvited performer you're in the Musicians Union,and you will be fined if you perform with non union people.

Russ it happens too me all the time , I have a strict rule to say no unless i know the person , i do have support of management on this once in a while i will let someone come up but got to know tthem and the got to have good chops or no go .

it take a while to build room to where i want it and it always when i got it at it peek last saturday it happened some guy in a tux walked up to me and requested a song and I said i can do it for you he says no I want too he had a $5 in his hand when i said not at this time he got a bit huffy with me i told him to out the 5 back in his pocket and sit down .

all i need is some hack killing my room .

in their mind it's KARAOKE TIME when ever they see music done on a stage....that's where the worlds mindset is at right now,....
what your doing up there means squat.
It's a freakin drunkfest
sad stat of affairs...

$100. is a good number to overcome my resistance.
What I have happen quite a bit lately is little kids coming up and asking for "dance" songs. They want to do the Nae-Nae while their doting grandparents marvel at their talent.
Again, $100. helps soften the blow.

oh yeah!!

Sometimes people will come up with their phone in hand, with a song or kareoke track cued up wanting you to stop your show so they can have their moment.

How do you deal with that?

My own generic solution is "always compliment them before you push them off the deck."

phone in hand wonder boy: Can you play this song for me so I can sing it to my girl friend? I have it ready to go on my I-phone?"

me: Wow....I know that song.......it's a really great tune. I can see why you want to do it. It will knock the sox off your girl friend. She'll probably drop down on one knee and ask you to marry her before you even finish it. But....look around. The audience is filled with a bunch of stuffed shirts. THEY would never understand that kind of really great music. I'll try and sneak it in for you LATER (after you are so drunk you'll forget about trying to be an America's Got Talent finalist).

I'm not kidding. I go through that whole routine. The trick being.....you have to believe what you're saying yourself or it doesn't work.

Then again....they're so rude and demanding nowadays, they either throw a temper tantrum on the spot, or go crying to the "host" who usually totally destroys the party by allowing it.

I'm almost glad I was a performing musician...in my other life...before the great transformation. No money coming in, but no dramas either.

I politely tell ANYONE that asks for a request (that they provide) that I will not play anything I haven't heard first. The audience is my client, and in my care, and I will not allow the possibility of offending anyone by language or content in a song that's strange to me. I also pride myself on the pacing of an evening ... even when I'm on break - the songs follow a pace that I decide on to keep the flow in the room. It's a science, not emotional. Tell your sonic phoners to come back on Karaoke night.

That's the simplest and best response.

I had (still have) a TC Helicon unit that had a preset (can't remember the name of the preset) that completely destroyed your vocals; made everything completely out of tune. We would turn it on whenever an unwanted 'guest vocalist' popped up on stage. The embarrassment and humiliation was usually enough discourage future 'guest appearances' but on at least several occasions, nearly started a fight when the 'guest' figured out what was going on. We did it once (as a joke) to our own vocalist in the middle of his favorite ballad. He didn't think it was funny and quit the band immediately after the gig. Oh well.

chas

Since the majority of my jobs have been weddings, anniversaries, parties ECT --- When asked if they could sing my answer was always the same: “If you would like to sing I must ask the people who hired me first. If they say it is OK it will be fine with me.”

I would tell the people who hired me that their party was going well ; the people are having a good time – and that I would not like to have someone perform that would change the mood in the room; but if you want them to sing I will tell them that you said it was OK.

When I visited the people who wanted to hire my band I always added this subject in my presentation.

Rarely did I get a Yes, let them sing. I’d go back to the person and tell them that the host said that they would rather that would not sing.

I’m enjoy my life, John C.

PS, Just a thought. This is not to edify myself or brag in any manner but I would like to share what I did when I booked a party for my band.

Playing Rules for parties. The Music Union set them. (That’s about the only thing they did that was good. Ooops, there was one more. Each room had a required number of musicians that must play the job without getting special permission.

Play 45 on and 15 off.
Continuous music – 55 minutes on the hour.
Price per man and double for the leader.

My presentation:
1-Using $125 per man: Three men and a leader $500. Got an OK.
2-If you wish the band could play Continuous; 55 minutes on the hour. This will keep your guests alive and moving.
3-The cocktail hour – the hour proceeding the party; normally in a different smaller room, will set a mood of eating, talking, and laughing before entering the catering hall. Having music at the cocktail hour will set the mood for what you have prepared for them in the main hall.
$125.00 four hours
50.00 Continuous music
65.00 Cocktail hour (Two men)
$240.00 for the two men who also played the cocktail hour
$175.00 for the other two men.
The charge for overtime was $65.00 per man.

Hmmmmm, I'm doing it again -- us old guys just love telling our stories. (smile)

John C.




.

in todays world better watch what you say to drunks you could end up shot in the parking lot just over Karaoke

I just tell them my contract is just for me to play the management do not want any people other then contracted pros that works if not NO works as well.

That never stops them from grabbing the manager slippin' him a $20 and next thing you know your a DUO!!

Generally, I only work where I control everything that goes on on the bandstand.


That being said, I worked for 20 years with the highest paying dude who ever worked a mike in Lexington. It was sit-ins and sing -along's all night. The guy made 4 times more than I did, and he earned it. I played behind him on strings and opposite him (30 minute breaks for him) on keyboards, guitar, etc.

That's when I knew I would never be an entertainer.

It was a 365 day a year party.


Russ

Donny, that's why pop-pop carries a gun.

Gary

I must apologize; my point of view is not based on playing in bars but in catering halls and places like the Elks club.

My bar career ended when chairs and tables started to fly. My drummer said, don’t stop playing, keep it going John. I said, you keep playing as I lifted my amp and put my guitar in the case – out I went.

Please – I am not putting down playing in bars, this is just about me and my experience.

John C.

animal clubs were just as bad a bars & many times even worse cheap drinks always fuel the crowd after a few hours in these places..

I've played Elks, Moose, VFW clubs and the like since the mid 60's. Only once in all those years have I seen an alcohol fueled brawl.
Their members and patrons today don't buy nearly the amount of liquor as in days past....at least in my observation.
Eddie

They are older now and perhaps wiser ? ... and there is a lot more emphasis on not drinking and driving ...

With the bar drink prices thru the roof...and losing memberships
the only reason people join animal clubs is to get cheap drinks at the bar....

http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/cr...elks-lod/nn2mD/

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=19981123&id=cK5fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1-YFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3262,2018691&hl=en

Eddie, Elks, Moose, VFW clubs = Family people most of the time.

John C.

Ditto!