Karaoke Forums

My outside neighborhood bar gig went very well yesterday/last night. Weather was decent, about 85 til dark. A bit of problem seeing monitors and my laptop display until a few minor adjustments. I had to set up on a grassy hill and took some planning to get a decent set up that was not going to fall or be damaged. I heard a lot of "I had a great time" comments and 6 requests for business cards. Only one problem.

I was hired by the bar manager. There was a poker run to start out and most patrons arrived at the destination around 4ish. I was scheduled to begin at 5 but I started an hour early.

I was scheduled until 9 but I told the manager I would stay as long as they wanted, and as long as the police allowed it (outdoor in a neighborhood but with a one day pass for the event).
Things went well, I set my light tree up around 8 once she told me she would like me to play past 9. As we got close to 10 I began to announce that no more songs could be requested since we had been full for a while. Then I let them know a few minutes before 10 that the next song would be the last. As the song started, the manager came to me and said I could keep playing and beer would be free the rest of the night. Well I had already drank my limit of 4 beers so I decline the beers but told her I would keep playing as long as it was ok.

I announced that we would keep going until I was told to stop. A girl came up and requested to sing Build Me Up Buttercup for the first "bonus" song. As she began, all of a sudden everything shut down. I knew it was either a circuit issue or someone pulled the plug.

The owner had pulled the plug. Apparently he was pizzed that the manager allowed the show to continue past 10.

To say the least I wasn't a happy camper. However I counted to 10 and began to tear my rig down in the dark.


I had offers to help ( thanks but no thanks unless you want to stick around to help carry to the trailer) and offers for more beer which I again declined.

When I was finished I went inside but the owner was gone. The manager and the guy she was with hinted around to hiring me again. I did not mention my discontent.

So my plan is to let this go for now but if they ask me to work for them again, I will let them know I will work for them again but under NO circumstances is the owner (or anyone) to pull the plug! I have a method to shutting my equipment off (PA's first, accessories and then laptop) and I don't want somebody else screwing around with my expensive set up!

Thoughts?

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Lesson learned...Deal with owners, not managers, when ever possible. Managers can promise the world, but unless the owner approves, your world gets craped on.

Is it possible that the owner thought he was paying you extra and didn't want to. Pulling the plug itself was the wrong way to handle it, I would have come up to you and tell you that I didn't want you playing anything else that night.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

The owner was mad because the music was still going after 10. All he had to do was let me know to shut it down, I would have done so. If the manager calls me, hires me, pays me, and the owner is only around at the very end, I deal with the manager. However, if asked back, there will definitely be a conversation between he and me.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Sorry you got treated in such idiotic fashion by the owner. If you aren't already running your equipment through a power conditioner, I'd highly recommend you get one for just such incidents...

I bought a Furman RP-8 on sale when I started out and still consider it an excellent investment...

Here's one on E-Bay if you'd like this model, or you may find something even better nowadays... You can protect a lot of expensive equipment for a very small outlay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Furman-RP-8-Rackmount-Power-Conditioner-MINT-/270606390731?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f0165d5cb

Why you would start your show an hour early(for free) seems a mystery. Perhaps it was advantageous for you to do so. On the same token, why would you go well over your agreed time for nothing more than "free beer"?
You were providing entertainment and should be compensated accordingly. Going over fifteen minutes or so is one thing, but giving away your services for hours at a time for free is crazy. You are worth more and even if you think you're setting the table for future business, there are better ways to do it.
While the owner was definitely in the wrong, I feel as if your business savvy let you down on this particular gig.

Well, the plug being pulled should not really cause problems to modern equipment, just like a circuit breaker trip or similar. However, it was very disrespectful. I'd just grin and bear it. Maybe charge a little more next time.

When I do one-off events, I make sure the customer understands how much extra time will cost. Usually this is $50-$150/hr depending on the job and what all I have out, and if I have any crew with me. It is in the agreement that customers sign when they book me, and I remind them a while before time runs out that I am happy to play later if they want, as long as they pay for the extra time.

Sometimes I do play later for free if a customer is having a really good day and they or their guests do not have enough money to do fun things very often (low budget weddings, etc.) but I try not to go over.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

It's a good idea to also require CASH in hand BEFORE you play over. Hubby and I have both been stiffed this way. When they ask if I will go over time, I make sure I tell them I must have CASH in hand BEFORE I play over, otherwise, it's tear down time.
There's nothing like spending an extra hour or two going over, thinking you're getting extra only to be told you won't be getting paid for it, due to whatever excuse they shove at you.
The worst happened to hubby. He was told straight out by one guy at the end of the night after agreeing to play 2 hours overtime that he knew he was screwing hubby over, but tough luck... not paying. The same guy wanted to hire hubby again about a year later. Hubby told him fine as long as he paid in cash IN FULL up front. He also charged him MORE to make up the loss from the year before. There was even a little extra as a "penalty". If t he guy hadn't done that to him, he would have got a much better deal, but you get what you pay for!

That happened to me once as well. I was filling in for a DJ friend who was in the hospital the weekend of a wedding gig he had booked. It was way too little money for me to do the job but a sick friend is a sick friend.

Well, when they asked for extra time, I said sure, it will be $100 per hour. I didn't have a contract with this customer since it was my friend's gig. We played for another 35 minutes and then a thunderstorm came in. We were inside, but somehow this was an excuse for the customer to decide to end the event before that hour was up. He offered me a bottle of wine and refused to pay the $100. I was very aggravated by this, but it was the father of the bride who was paying, not the actual bride or groom, so I finished the last song and encouraged everyone to pack up and get home safe since a storm was coming, and left professionally. I didn't want to cause a scene or do anything to make their reception unpleasant, but I sure was pissed ESPECIALLY because playing that extra 35 minutes meant that by the time I was done loading out my gear, I was soaked from the thunderstorm!

Now I require cash before going over, just like you said.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

Already running thru a furman. Thanks though.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Thanks but I disagree. I did it for exactly the reason of future business. I was already there, set up was complete so I played early and stayed late. Not something I do very often but a lasting impression as left. If that's bad business savvy, so be it. I do have a BA in business and in the same situation, I would do it again.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Thanks Jeff. I do have my prices posted, the manager is aware of them but I also dropped the hint that I would be willing to put a little extra time in. It was my call and I knew what I was getting in to.

This isn't really the issue and I'm not looking for feedback regarding my decision for "free extra time". Just how to handle the owner if there is a call back.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Thanks! I will remember this. I was paid up front in cash for this gig. Any future gigs I do and agree to OT for a cash amount will be paid for at that time or I'm done.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

If it's a club that hires me regularly, i'll stay over (within reason) without any extra pay.

I'm already there and set up.. what's another half hour or so? Most good clubs make it up to you in additional bookings and referrals. Besides.. tell the crowd you're off the clock and pass the tip jar around.

Good management will see that you stayed over a half hour without pulling some Union act demanding more money up front, and choose you or recommend you the next time your services are needed.

Don't forget you're playing for a crowd, and a crowd full of happy people is a great place to get new work referrals and build a following.. and a happy drunken patron tells 100 people how awesome their night was.. but a pissed off drunken patron tells 1000 how bad you suck.

Don't forget.. especially with drunk people.. it's not about right or wrong.. it's all about perception.

You pull a Mr. Square act and start yanking plugs promptly at X o' clock with the crowd cheering and saying, "Come on, man.. one more!" you're going to cease being the awesome KJ they want to book for their next party, and begin being the watch tapping dick who ruined their night.

Investing a few hours of 'free overtime' at shows each month has always payed big dividends in my experience, both with DJ/KJ as well as when I was in a band.

Now in 'one off' kind of events like a wedding or something, i'll give 'em a little overage, but if they're talking hours more, i'll shoot 'em a deal price that is always lower than my 'standard' hourly rate, simply because i'm already there and set up.