TromboneChat

I've been playing big band gigs since the 70s. Last night I experienced a first.

Our big band was playing a society gala in town. Tons of high rollers in attendance. On our first break I went out to my car (in a handicapped spot in accordance with my Disabled Vet tag) but some idiot parked in the blue striped area for van egress/entrance. There was about 2 inches between the car's passenger side door and my driver's side door. I was able to get in on my passenger side, but the whole situation really pissed me off.

This group is a community band. Some are retired pros and some are, well, not nor have ever been pros. That's the way it goes. Anyway, our leader booked the job at a REALLY low price (we don't get paid. The money goes in the kitty to buy charts, stands, lights, etc) but told us "They're going to feed us". So far - so good.

During the second set they start rolling out the catered meal and it looks and smells GREAT. As we finish the second set, the leader says for us to go back stage to the loading area to eat. Now this wasn't the first time musicians were treated like second class citizens. You wouldn't want the scummy horn players rubbing elbows with the upper class folks, right? No big deal. When we get to the loading area we're usured into the hallway between the stage and the kitchen. There we find a couple of plastic GP tables adorned with several boxes of Little Ceasar's pizza and doughnuts. Thankfully we were also supplied with bottles of lukewarm water to wash down our sumptuous meal.

Had they not told us we were going to be fed and then we were surprised with the pizzas, it would have been cool, but that's not how it played out.

I've played in many other groups over the years and in every type of venue you can think of, but I never saw what happened last night. Funny part is that when you add up the cost of all the instruments, sound equipment, charts, etc, we had more money on the stage than all the jewelery adorned broads in the audience. I've worked with big name stars of the music and movie world, and they usually are the nicest folks you'd want to meet. I guess the local high rollers think they're something else.

Been there, done that.
We've told our band manager to be sure it's worth it (in every way) before he books any gigs.
We don't need to get rich - that will never happen - but we do need to be treated with respect.

officermayo wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 7:54 pm...our leader booked the job at a REALLY low price...

That may well be the root of the problem...

I've developed a galloping aversion to working for cheap - and I'm not good enough player to get paying gigs that aren't cheap. If it's for a good cause, I'd rather play for free. That makes you a "donor" rather than part of "the help". If it's a paying gig, I know a lot of people who are better players than me and who need the money more than I do.

Bummer. It must be because big bands are kind of low class to begin with . Any time I've played a catered event, it's been with a BQ playing wedding music or some variety of classical/baroque crap for the fancy people to listen to while they scarf down high tea.

I've always had to eat in a side room, but it's always been the same stuff the fancy people paid to eat, albeit usually off a paper plate.

I don't actually think I'd be sad about little Caesars though. Sometimes baked fish just ain't what you want. Plus, Little Caesars is a banned item for me -- it's all about perspective!!

The only big band stuff I do is of the Army variety, and at least in Japan or Korea we usually get some sort of bento action to eat. Probably on par with little Caesars, but the audience is never eating during our shows so we're even better off than them. I heard they get schnitzel and beer over in Europe lol.

Our quintet in Louisville booked a Derby party that took place at a house on the banks of the Ohio River. We played from an open second story porch, sort of a tower music experience for the guests on the lawn. Afterwards we were let loose on the buffet that was served. I believe bourbon was involved as well. My fondest memory of food served after a gig.

I have seen both extremes of dining on gigs. My quintet has been invited to sit at a wedding reception table after we provided dinner music. I guess they had some guests that didn’t show up!?! They encouraged us to drink from the open bar and served us the finest meal. They even invited us to dance when the next band played and fed us wedding cake.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I remember a gig where we played for a corporate banquet. Just like the OP, they told us in advance that they would provide dinner. Considering it was a financial company and they probably had plenty of funds, we were surprised when they handed us Burger King bags with Whopper combo meals and asked us to eat on the loading dock with the large trash canisters.

Sounds pretty luxurious compared to some gigs I've done. That's why I always eat before the event.

JohnL wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 1:06 am

officermayo wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 7:54 pm...our leader booked the job at a REALLY low price...

That may well be the root of the problem...

Agreed, that is a problem. For some reason, the less musicians get paid (at least for some clients) the less respect they get. It's basically a variation of the Endowment Effect, in psychological terms.

Had a couple of those in the past back home in the UK, a sad-looking plastic carrier bag with one round of supermarket packet sandwiches per head and lukewarm lemonade. The parking is a real kick in the teeth though.

Around here in Baden-Württemberg, even the small events organised by village bands often have electronic cash tills and printed food/drink coupons. German efficiency and bureaucracy at its best. The least generous hosts might only cough up for one sausage and two beer tokens and their usage is carefully tracked. To be fair, the musicians from the hosting band get the same and the purpose of the event is to raise funds for youth music and running the band so I don’t mind too much about paying for a couple of rounds of drinks for a good cause. One exception was a fancy do in a castle with a chamber orchestra, we got access to the same buffet as the guests and it went down very well with the musicians.

My experience in the neighbouring state of Bavaria was that the tradition of providing for guest musicians was a lot more generous, even hours after finishing the set the drinks kept coming. Don’t think I’ve left a gig in Bavaria feeing hungry or thirsty.

I don't know where the coolness toward musicians came from, but I have been experiencing it since my high school days many (many) years ago. "You play in the band ? Ugh"
We seem to be regarded by many as a somewhat sordid genre that is to be socially avoided.
That attitude is not all-inclusive, but it's definitely quite prevalent.

you're just the hired help.

When we hired a band for my wedding, the contract stated that they got the same meal as the guests (as did the photographer).

I've played gigs where we were served the same dinner as the paying folks, and others where we were given a "bandwich" (cold cuts on a platter for the band to dig into). Bandwiches were usually served wherever we were storing our cases (usually an unused room in the hall).

One memorably good gig was a charity doing a lobster fest. At the end of the occasion, we were given bags with 2 to 4 boiled lobsters since they had extras. Only problem was the bags were mesh and my car stank for a month.

MrHCinDE wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 10:01 am My experience in the neighbouring state of Bavaria was that the tradition of providing for guest musicians was a lot more generous, even hours after finishing the set the drinks kept coming. Don’t think I’ve left a gig in Bavaria feeing hungry or thirsty.

What were you doing drinking water? You should have left feeling extremely thirsty. Especially by the next day.

harrisonreed wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 3:17 pm

MrHCinDE wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 10:01 am My experience in the neighbouring state of Bavaria was that the tradition of providing for guest musicians was a lot more generous, even hours after finishing the set the drinks kept coming. Don’t think I’ve left a gig in Bavaria feeing hungry or thirsty.

What were you doing drinking water? You should have left feeling extremely thirsty. Especially by the next day.

I didn’t say anything about the hydration of the musicians on the next day! In that part of the world all tastes were well catered for. I saw some sights: someone slitting open a raw sausage (non-cured) and eating the meat off their hunting knife mid-set or another carrying a tray of Weißbier on the stage, which I thought was for his section mates, but it turned out were to satisfy one person’s thirst. It was an education but for sure the hosts were always very welcoming and looked after the band very well.

On the other hand, when we played for events in Salt Lake City, all we were given was Hawaiian Punch!

CharlieB wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 11:08 am I don't know where the coolness toward musicians came from, but I have been experiencing it since my high school days many (many) years ago. "You play in the band ? Ugh"

I think that may be generational. That was certainly true in my high school days (late 60s early 70); musicians and the AV squad were nerds, athletes were big men on campus.

But when my own children were in high school things had changed a bit. I attended one of their talent shows and the crowd was very appreciative of a wide variety of talents. Some kid played the Czardas on euphonium to a great reception. The audience in general was much more inclusive than in my day.

Perhaps a lot depends upon geographical location.

Played an event gig years ago with a banquet table. When were were done playing, the staff took us to the table, which had by then be closed down to the guests and was behind a curtain, and told us to eat as much as we wanted and take home as much as we could carry. A local bar/restaurant has an agreement with amateur big bands with good followings of friends and family - no cover, band plays for free, but band members get free drinks and half price food. My band plays every other month.

timothy42b wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 5:59 am

CharlieB wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 11:08 am I don't know where the coolness toward musicians came from, but I have been experiencing it since my high school days many (many) years ago. "You play in the band ? Ugh"

I think that may be generational. That was certainly true in my high school days (late 60s early 70); musicians and the AV squad were nerds, athletes were big men on campus.

Appreciation of "non-guitar band" live music may vary from region to region. I found Midwesterners very appreciative of most any live music.
When I was in HS band in VT (All-State, grades 10-12, first chair orch senior year) I made a silent pact freshman year. I would attend a HS basketball or football game (they had no track or soccer then) if I ever saw even ONE varsity athlete in the audience for one of my band concerts. Never happened.

Maybe it's a demographical thing.

Just a bit more geezing............
When he was in high school, my father was a super athlete.
Baseball, football, basketball; he did it all exceptionally well.
Unfortunately, those genes didn't transfer to me. He was a jock, and I was a "band nerd."
Sometime during my high school days, I told my father that fate had been cruel not to endow me with some of his athletic ability. He replied that I was the fortunate one. The athletics only lasted him into his early twenties, but music would enrich me for a lifetime. Time has proven him right.
Some people who have no talent assuage their egos by disdaining those who do. They are to be pitied for their bad fortune.

The rule of thumb after more than 40 years of gigging is ……. The more the client pays, the better you get looked after!