What a night!

[Shaun]

What a night!!

Great gig, lousy venue (and staff).

I arrived to setup at a local venue and started bringing equipment through the fire exit next to the stage. Mr "jobsworth" caretaker comes over and closes the door. I politely ask him if I can keep the door open for a few minutes to get the rest of the gear inside.
I was told "The heat is escaping, keep all doors closed.".
I smile and politely ask him how I'm meant to get the equipment inside if the doors are to remain closed? He grumbled and walked off. I open the doors again to get the rest of the gear in and he comes running across the floor shouting "KEEP THOSE DOORS CLOSED!".
Incredulously, I reply "Won't be long now, Sir. As soon as I've got the last of the equipment in I'll close them as soon as is possible".

Now, at this point he's he's going ballistic moaning about the heat escaping and I'm trying to figure out what's got him wound up so much. I can't bring in equipment any other way except through the doors..lol. I remained polite and professional throughout his tantrum.

Anyways, got everything in and set up. His wife comes over to me SHOUTING! "NO SMOKE MACHINES..DO YOU HEAR ME!!!!". I didn't have a smoke machine with me.
I replied..."Excuse, do you mind not shouting at me".
"NO SMOKE MACHINES, SMOKE IS NOT ALLOWED, You've been warned".
I informed her I wasn't using a smoke machine, and didn't have one with me. I asked her again (politely) to stop swearing and raising her voice at me.
I said "Am I swearing at you?. Am I raising my voice to you? I expect the same courtesy. If you can't speak to me in a civil manner then please go away".
At that point her husband (the caretaker) runs across the hall and tells me that if I say one more word he'll throw me out the premises. I laughed and told him he could try if he liked. He walked off grumbling.

I still don't have a clue what brought on the couple's tantrum. I've never experienced anything quite like it.

Fast forward onto the end of the night. Finish at 11.30 as scheduled, I took an hour to pack up just out of spite (it usually takes around 20 mins). The stood over me with the arms folded telling me to " HURRY UP". I smiles and carried the gear out slowly to the van. Payback is sweet sometimes.

Like I said at the beginning of this thread....GREAT GIG, outrageous venue staff. Very strange.

[Penfold42]

How bizarre.....I take it, it's the first time at said venue...

[Paul James Promotions]

*venue added to blacklist

[Jiggles]

jobsworths....

[Dragonfly]

handled with professionalism and dignity well done shaun , don't think i would have been able to resist alot more sarcasm...... something like "if you'd like to throw me out that's fine at the end of the day i'll still get paid, and i'm not sure you're paying customer will like the new silent low lighting entertainment on tonight , so in short ...... no you won't so off and let me do my job properly ....... please"

that said , however , I think in this day and age swear words sadly seem to have become an acceptable part of language , here in the midlands we have what i call "the midlands dictionary "

which goes :

A

aardvark

ant

armadillo

armour



as i said very well done for being so professional.

[Shaun]

Tony, I've been at the venue once, years ago. This couple weren't there last time I was.

Cheers, Dave.

Jamie, venue is definitely added to the blacklist.

[Corabar Steve]

As a contrast, the staff at the venue I worked at last night (Sir Christopher Wren's House Hotel, Windsor) souldn't have been more helpful if they'd tried. Even getting a wheelchair ramp out for me so I could load the micromax straight off of the van & just wheel it into place.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

As a contrast, the staff at the venue I worked at last night (Sir Christopher Wren's House Hotel, Windsor) souldn't have been more helpful if they'd tried. Even getting a wheelchair ramp out for me so I could load the micromax straight off of the van & just wheel it into place.

I've worked there a few times.

Loads of parking space there, isn't there Steve!

Not the easiest place to manoeuvre in either....

[Corabar Steve]

You'll be OK now you've got rid of the trailer.

I ended up going out backwards at the end of the night.

[Tom]

Shaun, corr you have logna long fuse. I know if I was in your position I would be giving it some myself. We are here to do a job, not get shouted at for no reason.

So far for me I have never had this problem, yet. Mst of the venues I work at are quite nice. Might just be the south???