Iam I being to harsh here

[funkymike]

What do you think of this,

I done a karaoke disco in a pub, the pub is known to me, as the landlord does his own karaoke, and the locals wanted me that night, cus iam good and they wanted a change from the landlord singing all night.

Anyway as I knew the pub/customers I didnt take much notice of when I get paid, i guess end the night stuff. Anyway I find out the pub is doing a charity day to raise money for MS, which is fair enough, so iam told anyone that sings costs them 50p, so the night goes really well and I do my thing winding them all up and getting people to pay silly money for customers not to sing and so forth, must have raised 100 quid easy, so it gets to the end of the night, iam tyied as been 3rd night in a row gigging and the assistant manager, grabs and I maen grabs the mic (bearing in mind he a complete **** and has been all night) and them starts to haggle me in front of the customers of how much I earned for the night and I should do it for free!!!! No warning nothing just started going on and on, he got right up my nose, so I turned all the gear off. Then he goes off big time, even getting the landlord involed to haggle with me, by this time I was seeing red (anger and just dead embarassed) so i started to pack my gear up very quickly, and they still went on, I said Iam not doing it for free, its my living, but I will put 20 quid in the kitty to shut them up, oh no, they went into overdrive at this point and went on and on, even the customer could see it was getting very out of hand, got the gear in the car, the landlord said at the top of his voice he was very upset that I said no iam not doing it for free. well to top it all he paid me 50 quid less than he should have done, saying that what karaoke pays, huh, so I took it and walked out. I have a few other bookings in this pub, but Iam going to write a letter and cancel them, I have never been so embarassed in my life, infront of people I know.

Now I dont mind doing the odd charity gig each year and helping people out, but in my veiw to throw this in at the end of the night, i think is way out of order, so now all bookings are going to be writing, iam not getting caught out again, or was i being selfish and should have done it for free?

I since found out, when the assisant manager got married he did it to the dj that night, and all his guests using a bucket.

[abyssdjhire]

i'd have told him/them to **** off, personally. we do our share of charity work too, and we're not obliged to do it at all, nevermind for free...

end of the day its up to you what you do and how much you charge... but a lesson to be learned - thats why you get paid BEFORE you start!

[Corabar Entertainment]

Not too harsh at all! I don't blame you being angry.... I'd be bloody furious! :mad: :mad:
- thats why you get paid BEFORE you start!... and ALWAYS have a contract! :omg:

[Jiggles]

http://mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/forums/images/smilies/angry.gif http://mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/forums/images/smilies/angry.gif there would have been steam comming out of my ears if that was me http://mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/forums/images/smilies/mad.gif http://mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/forums/images/smilies/mad.gif

[CRAZY K]

Written signed contract every time---or else dont turn up--unless its someone you can trust--not many of those!

Publican should be ashamed of himself--does he work for nothing then?

CRAZY K

[funkymike]

Because I knew the lanlord I assumed he could be trusted. guess not, and that was last night, and Iam still bloody upset. In 8 yrs of dj ing its never happened, well to me anyway.

[mg ents]

He should not have put you in that position, if he was expecting a discount he should have spoken to you before the gig...not in front of everyone at the end of the night...well out of order. Don't blame you for cancelling all other gigs there, I would do the same, friend or no friend.

While were talking about charity events, we have stated on our website for all charity events to get in touch, what kinda discount or deals do you think are good for this kinda thing?? Do many of you get charities contacting you for discounts etc???

[Keri]

He should not have put you in that position, if he was expecting a discount he should have spoken to you before the gig...not in front of everyone at the end of the night...well out of order. Don't blame you for cancelling all other gigs there, I would do the same, friend or no friend.

While were talking about charity events, we have stated on our website for all charity events to get in touch, what kinda discount or deals do you think are good for this kinda thing?? Do many of you get charities contacting you for discounts etc???

I think it depends on the charity, i mean if its for something you fully support your more likely to give more of a discount. Where as if its just "a charity" then your less likely to. At least thats what i find anyway. But at the end of the day their the charity not you.

[DJ Spinko]

I really feel for you, the landlord and his assistant acted completely out of order putting you in a difficult and embarrassing position.

Agree fully with Crazy K Roadshow on the written contract response and it will be a good learning point for any new dj's to bear this in mind when reading this post.

In my experience, the written contract is particularly relevant to pubs.
Whilst I appreciate that some pubs are okay and that they treat their dj's very well, in my experience over the years I have generally found that:

Most of them always seem to want something for nothing.
Will haggle over the price when quoted using the phrase, I will only pay £xx for a disco
Generally expect you to work miracles during the evening.

Thankfully I do not have to rely on them for much work during the year, but always treat them with caution when they call

Cris
DJ Spinko

[Shaun]

Sorry to hear of your trouble mate. It's already been said...always use a contract. As an extra security measure I always insist on payment upfront in cash before I start. No Pay, No Play..NO EXCEPTIONS!.

[DMX Will]

No. Canceling your future events with the pub, should kick him back into line. Sorry to hear about it. But yeah contracts :)

[Shaun]

Since you don't have a written contract with the pub for the upcoming gigs why even send a letter to him cancelling. Play him at his own game and give him no warning. Not exactly professional but neither was he. (I'm not being entirely serious...but it would serve him right)

Alternatively call him up on the afternoon of the gig and tell him that before you turn up for the gig you expect to be paid the balance for the last event...PLUS the fee for the current event which will be £50 extra on top of the agreed price...payment upfront. You've nothing to lose as you would have been cancelling anyway.

In future...CONTRACTS!!! (just incase anyone hasn't mentioned it :D )

[Shaun]

Disregard all of my postings tonight. I'm feeling unusually sarcastic. I forgot to take my medication today :)

[funkymike]

Disregard all of my postings tonight. I'm feeling unusually sarcastic. I forgot to take my medication today :)


stay off the meds mate, its been very funny, I just been posting to get a remark back :teeth: :teeth:

[Murrough]

Not sure its all about contracts, payment up front or any of that. The golden rule of charity work is to agree the fee up front, and then make the gesture up front if you are going to make one (even allow a bit more). And make sure you publicise the fact quite forthright at the right time. As soon as you realised, I would have got it agreed then and announced it on the microphone.

At the end of the night, the baying dog pack is after blood, once someone like a **** of bar manager leads them on, and you are in a no win situation.

Not sure about cancelling the gigs, for the same reason, its your living, and the next job is the next job. But I doubt you will get 'bitten' by this again somehow.

[Shaun]

Not sure its all about contracts, payment up front or any of that.

Both of those stipulations would have avoided the situation altogether though.

[funkymike]

Not sure its all about contracts, payment up front or any of that. The golden rule of charity work is to agree the fee up front, and then make the gesture up front if you are going to make one (even allow a bit more). And make sure you publicise the fact quite forthright at the right time. As soon as you realised, I would have got it agreed then and announced it on the microphone.

At the end of the night, the baying dog pack is after blood, once someone like a **** of bar manager leads them on, and you are in a no win situation.

Not sure about cancelling the gigs, for the same reason, its your living, and the next job is the next job. But I doubt you will get 'bitten' by this again somehow.


I assumed the fee was and also agreed the same as the other dj who had been working there before, but I didnt know it was charity until the night i got there, and baying dog pack it was, hence no point arguing the toss in front off them all, and I dont want to sound big headed but I dont need gigs in pubs like that, and i heard the othe dj refuded to do anymore more gigs (just disco) because he also said that landlord was a knob. :teeth:

[Murrough]

Do you think so?, Im not so sure. The contract would not be worth the paper its written on, and that bar manager, may have symbolically torn it up with the dog pack as an approach. Payment up front, yes I agree would, after all you have your money. But after a scene like this, your name would be mud, and you do need repeat bookings and not 'dont use him, he's a **** DJ' comments.

I still say take hold of the situation as early as possible, and control it on your terms with a pro-active approach, irrespective of cash up front or contract.

I say this because I got caught out about 7 years back. Turned up for what I thought was a 200 quid job, only for the event organiser to say no it was a charity, the told the agency la la la, and they would cover 'expenses' up to 30 quid for fuel. Without letting on, I thought '****' I cant win this, so I said one sec, I'll go and get me folder (my get out line). I then cam back with an empty envelope and said' Yes thats right, we agreed our fee of 200 and said we would waive it so you could donate it to the cause, and we would take 25 for expenses (i cut it by fiver, no big deal now), could you announce this on the mike for us. SHe agreed, and thanked me and everyone cheered, loadsa people came up thanking me, very nice gesture and I did pick up work afterwards for higher rates than I normally charge.

[Candybeatdiscos]

alternativly nip round to the pub at closing time and give hima doing....

forget that might be a bit harsh...

[Shaun]

alternativly nip round to the pub at closing time and give hima doing....

forget that might be a bit harsh...

Good old Scottish Payment Terms eh? :D

[Candybeatdiscos]

lol....

[Have a disco]

contract contract contract you must have one for any job. It might mean less work but it helps you have the upper hand.

I have dealt with small and large pub groups and have taken them both to CCJ stage both backed down at last calling, as judge told them to do so as they were in the wrong.

charity in my book begins at home with my kid, then there school which I do school disco's and there PA @ fetes, I avoid fundraisers as everyone expects something for nothing & as I am one disco, I leave it too the bigger disco's around here. Any I have done were tied down by contracted paperwork that stated that my name gets mentioned in local rags and that I am photographed. Nothing like a free advert?

I also sell glowsticks regularly for children in need and all local ferret rescue centres at all my disco's or karaoke nights.

If anyone needs an Iron clad agency/disco styled contract I will gladly email a copy for a small donation for children in need you may need to adjust it accordingly for your company

[dj andy allwood]

that is disgusting mate yes cancel all gigs there and as said a million times already get it up front and have a signed contract.