Anyone play on New Year's Eve?

[RayL]

A trombone player and an accordianist get a New Years Eve gig as a duo. At the end of the evening the social secretary of the club rolls up, drunk, and says "Lads, can we book you now for next New Years Eve?" The two musos go into a huddle and then reply "Yes, but have you got somewhere we could leave our gear until then?"

On a serious note, about 25 years ago when I was doing a solo act I was booked by an agent to do a club for NYE. The Social Secretary disappeared before the end of the evening and when I went to get paid the barman handed me the money, but only half of what was on the contract - "That's what he left for you". I made the barman sign a piece of paper that stated what had actually been paid to me. In the weeks afterwards, the SS didn't respond to polite requests, so I took him to the Small Claims Court. He paid, in cash, the day before the case was due to be heard in court. I refused to play that club again. I reckon he''d tried the same trick on other acts in the past but they hadn't been as persistant as I was prepared to be.

Ray

[cockroach]

The general trend here where I am is that pay has gone backwards over the years!

I used to get $100AUS a gig in a trio or four piece in the mid '70's/early '80's period....we only get that same amount these days, and that money was worth far more 30 years ago.

I made $200 AUS (about 130 quid stg) doing 5 hours on NYE last Monday evening, which is double what we usually get each for gigs.

I think that one thing that killed a lot of live gig work in recent years, apart from gaming machines, DJs, and economic conditions etc, was that many groups etc went completely stupid for millenium NYE gigs- asking 4, or 5 times their usual fee- they got too greedy and the market said 'forget it'....and a lot of bands didn't get a job that night.

Anyway, I still love playing and I hope to continue until they prise the guitar from my 'cold dead hands' ! It may be that the only places where we can get jobs in coming years as we all age, may be retirement homes etc!!