Cannot believe it

[discojohnno]

Good Evening Guys,

Just thought i would share my experience of a Sunday afternoon disco i did yesterday at a pub I have DJ'ed regular at and also hosted a quiz night regular too

I was asked at short notice last week to do a Sunday afternoon 4pm till 7pm for x amount at a regular pub i drink in and also DJ in I took the gig as saving for a wedding and also has to have a few hours of my real job to do this.

I got there at 3 to set up and got started about 4.05 gig went OK and finished at 7pm then once i had nearly packed up the gaffer comes over to me throws the money at me and says when i ask you to DJ till 4 till 7 i expect 4 till 7 ,then says i didn't start till half 4 i was fuming at in shock at how he spoke to me in front of a packed pub he states i only do 3 hours so the money he pays is good obvious don't take in the hour to set up then the hour to take down

I was fuming and i am not the kind of person who likes confrontation so i texted him when i got home to say he is out of order and should of pulled me to one side if that's how he felt also he ended up paying me short im in total shock at how i was treated and he has since texted saying sorry but he fed up of people taking the :Censored: and works really hard to very rare take a weekly wage i dont see how this warrants how he spoke to me

i was just wondering how you guys would have dealt with this

[Corabar Entertainment]

There's never any excuse to treat people like dirt, but out of curiosity, why did you end up starting late, and would going on past 7pm to make up for the 'lost' time have been an option?

[Dynamic Entertainment]

Other than what angela has said, I would have pulled him to one side and had it out with him there and then.

[discojohnno]

the only reason starting 5 mins late as some old men wanted to finish watching some horse racing usually i would have stayed the 5 mins over but had to rush to get back to main job and on other occasions for him when he asked me to do overtime i have done so without extra pay it just feels like one thing after another with him last year kept complaining about the sound of my system then cancelling nights at short notice i am a very laid back person and can usually get over things but i have come to a point where i have just had enough

[CRAZY K]

Unless there is a very good reason I never start late--so you have left yourself open to criticism.

This is not a good idea---if you were late starting you may have to accept the lost money as YOU are in breach of Contract.

If the Landlord was lying I would have told him so to his face.

Trying to prove this in the small claims court would be difficult.:daft:

I ask for payment in cash BEFORE starting the music--no pay--no play.

Be aware a large number of traders on here get paid in advance--although im not one of them usually.;)

Hopefully some best practice pointers are coming out of this for you.;)

[discojohnno]

Thanks Crazy K, The problem here is not the money i have no problem with that the issue is they way i was spoken to and in in front of the whole pub and also not realising at what time i did start as the proof is on the playlist i started at 4.05 and not 4.30 as he stated its very out of characture for him to be like this as we have a good friendship usually and very relaxed about things i guess im just dissapointed at the way he handled it (maybe the stresses of being a landloard in these hard times )

[Corabar Entertainment]

Be aware a large number of traders on here get paid in advance--although im not one of them usually.;) I doubt you'll find anyone doing that for a pub gig, Alan.

Johnno: Although I think you left yourself open to criticism by taking it upon yourself to start late (If it were me, I would have spoken to the Landlord to ask if he wanted me to start prompt at 4pm, or if I should wait until the racing was over to save upsetting his loyal customers), it sounds from the additional background information you've given, that no matter what you do, you're going to get grief from this particular landlord.

I think it's time to make up your mind whether or not the gigs are worth the hassle..... because I'm guessing you'll always get some there!

EDIT: Posted the above whilst you were typing your last post... which somewhat seems to contradict your previous post, to my mind!

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Unless there is a very good reason I never start late--so you have left yourself open to criticism.

This is not a good idea---if you were late starting you may have to accept the lost money as YOU are in breach of Contract.



Did you actually read the thread before rushing in with your size 13s Alan?

He started 5 minutes late as a man was watching horse racing...

[Excalibur]

Did you actually read the thread before rushing in with your size 13s Alan?

He started 5 minutes late as a man was watching horse racing...

Pah, that's nothing! In one of Twinspin's erstwhile venues, if the Rugby League was on, then starting two hours late was not at all unusual. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[DazzyD]

As has been said, I wouldn't have started late without clearing it first with the landlord. He's the one paying the piper so he's the one calling the tunes. I've been known to start on time at gigs in pubs even when the match isn't finished. Mind you, it's usually just when the Magpies are playing!! :D

But, the one thing I wouldn't have done is texted him my grievance. I much prefer to get things out in the open verbally, without turning things in to a heated argument. If such a conversation starts to get heated then I walk away until all parties have calmed down and can discuss things rationally. It's only business and it's not worth getting that confrontational. And people tend to see things much clearer, and are much more pliable ;) when they have a calm mind!!


Did you actually read the thread before rushing in with your size 13s Alan?

He started 5 minutes late as a man was watching horse racing...

And, although Johnno hasn't actually stated it as fact, I would doubt whether a legally binding contract was in place for this particular gig anyway. :zip:

[discojohnno]

i think its time to quit the venue its would be a shame as they guy is ok but has a few moments like this (not with me though) besides cancelling things etc as previously mentioned and i like the pub but the way i was spoken to maybe shows how i am thought of

i do admit i left myself open for critism by starting 5 mins late i didnt approach the landlord as he himself was playing cards at the back of the pub and in future will make sure this type of situation will never happen again

[funkymook]

i do admit i left myself open for critism by starting 5 mins late i didnt approach the landlord as he himself was playing cards at the back of the pub and in future will make sure this type of situation will never happen again

Five minutes shouldn't have made any difference - but I bet he went by the pub clock for your start, and they're usually a good 10-15 minutes fast!

[lazersounds]

i think its time to quit the venue its would be a shame as they guy is ok but has a few moments like this (not with me though) besides cancelling things etc as previously mentioned and i like the pub but the way i was spoken to maybe shows how i am thought of

i do admit i left myself open for critism by starting 5 mins late i didnt approach the landlord as he himself was playing cards at the back of the pub and in future will make sure this type of situation will never happen again

He sound like a bit of a :Censored: to be honest lol, if it was me i would have just told him to get stuffed and don't bother asking me to do anything for you again. Theres no reason for people to have that kind of attutide in this day and age!

[CRAZY K]

I doubt you'll find anyone doing that for a pub gig, Alan.

Johnno: Although I think you left yourself open to criticism by taking it upon yourself to start late (If it were me, I would have spoken to the Landlord to ask if he wanted me to start prompt at 4pm, or if I should wait until the racing was over to save upsetting his loyal customers), it sounds from the additional background information you've given, that no matter what you do, you're going to get grief from this particular landlord.

I think it's time to make up your mind whether or not the gigs are worth the hassle..... because I'm guessing you'll always get some there!



Perfect advice there Angela--I wasnt intending to suggest Pubs specifically should be advance payments---just generalising.

We tend to be cagey about pubs although demanded 7 days in advance for a big event near Reading last year and got it--I cant be suing Pubs--we had one a few years ago that went bust owing a Caller money--:daft:


Did you actually read the thread before rushing in with your size 13s Alan?

He started 5 minutes late as a man was watching horse racing...

Bad day here--got hammered at the Dentist today both mouth and pocket:daft:

Size 11

[NKR]

I would not work for him again. You go back there and you are his puppet. Time to move on and tell him where to get off.

[Cowlinn]

I would not work for him again. You go back there and you are his puppet. Time to move on and tell him where to get off.

:agree:

[Gary]

I think that you did the right thing by contacting the landlord later, rather than there & then... After all, if he's angry at 7pm, he'll be angry at 7:05pm too - so, contacting him later was a good move. Making that contact by non-verbal communication was good too (IMO and I doubt everyone would agree with that). I think that whether you'd phoned him later, or gone back in later for a face-to-face chat, would have been too personal and too confrontational. non-verbal (text/email/letter) gives him time to read and re-read, and re-re-read (you get the idea) exactly what you're saying and he doesnt have to think on his feet quickly on how to act or reply.

OK, we're trying to "read" him "cold" from what is probably a fairly good description that you gave, but I suspect that he wasnt solely, totally, and uniquely angry at you alone. Perhaps something else had got him grumpy and you just happened to be in the wrong place/wrong time. Maybe his game of cards wasnt going too well for him...

As for the "late because" - ok...its easy to say this with hindsight, but I'd have asked the landlord, or any of his staff about the 3 guys watching the TV, delaying your start time (you have a staff witness then who knows you asked whether you should switch the horse racing off, or start 5 mins late).

I'd rather have 3 blokes who are not the paying punter having a grumble, than the one bloke that has booked me, and might have booked me again - ok the 3 blokes could have been the pubs oldest regulars and the 3 the landlord wanted upset the least, but again, if you seek guidance from the staff, and "go" with their suggestion - the blame is off of you - and you've showed professionalismmm (even if I cant spell it).

[JAMdisco]

And, although Johnno hasn't actually stated it as fact, I would doubt whether a legally binding contract was in place for this particular gig anyway. :zip:

I reckon you're probably correct in this assumption, I used to do a residency at a local(ish) pub and there was never a contract involved - this was in my 'early' DJ days and have learnt a lot since then :D


He sound like a bit of a :Censored: to be honest lol, if it was me i would have just told him to get stuffed and don't bother asking me to do anything for you again. Theres no reason for people to have that kind of attutide in this day and age!


I would not work for him again. You go back there and you are his puppet. Time to move on and tell him where to get off.

Regarding the above 2 posts, sometimes people can't be picky or choosy about where and when they play. Also, by being verbally nasty could have bad repercussions down the line (karma and all that). I make sure I never burn my bridges, if you do decide to stop playing there, do it on amicable terms.

By the way - I would have approached him at some point during the gig and said "as I started 5 minutes late do you want me to play 5 minutes over?".

As has been said though, hindsight is a wonderful thing but just try to ALWAYS cover yourself in these situations.

Hopefully you've learned from this and can now react differently if the situation ever arises again (same pub or different venue).

[edit] Some punctuation wouldn't go amiss in your posts Johnno ;)

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Firstly, NKR - We know you have a problem with working in pubs so I, for one was expecting that reply.

With regards to this scenario - Personally, I would have literally spoken to the landlord before I started. If it was obvious that people were watching the racing, I would've said "Do you want me to start when they've finished watching?" then you would have given him the choice rather than letting the punters dictate to you and then end up getting grief from the landlord.
I agree that it was probably best to leave him to it on the night itself and calling him afterwards was a good idea. He obviously needed calling and had the decency to apologise so he can't be all bad....can he?

With reference to the money and your decision as to whether to go back or not...Well, that's obviously up to you.
Do you enjoy doing the place?
Do you usually have problems?
Do the punters like you?
I'd maybe give them another chance and see how it goes but that's just me.
I can only comment on what you've posted as obviously I don't know the situation or the landlord.
Apologies if what I've said is totally rubbish.

[Excalibur]

Top and bottom of this seems to be a breakdown in communications. Often a lot of problems can be avoided by a two minute chat.

[Pink Elephant]

As you also drink in the pub, why not go in on a quite time and have a little calm chat.
It will clear the air, and if you are still not happy just say you would rather not work for him but be a customer putting money in his till.
That way you haven't burnt all your bridges and left a chance at a later date to try again with him.

It could be with a chat that you will carry on, and hey the money will come in handy. :D

[Jem]

People can always have a bad day for Many reasons. I figure that this was probably not personal to you, you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe he'd just had a dressing down from the Brewery for insufficient takings, maybe he'd just received news that a close relative was terminally ill. Maybe he'd bumped his car reversing it into the garage. People make odd decisions and exhibit irrational behaviour for many different reasons. He just needed someone to vent his frustrations on, that happened to be you.

I do my very best to always try to look at things from different points of view. Quite often there is a justifiable reason for the anger.... But then again some people are just ignorant :Censored: . Learning to differentiate between the two is an art in itself :)

Communication is the key. Arrange for a quiet chat at a mutually convenient time and try to clear the waters in a non-confrontational manner. These are the times you need to be a good listener rather than a speaker ;)

[DazzyD]

Top and bottom of this seems to be a breakdown in communications. Often a lot of problems can be avoided by a two minute chat.

Nail meet head meet hit!


People can always have a bad day for Many reasons. I figure that this was probably not personal to you, you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe he'd just had a dressing down from the Brewery for insufficient takings, maybe he'd just received news that a close relative was terminally ill. Maybe he'd bumped his car reversing it into the garage. People make odd decisions and exhibit irrational behaviour for many different reasons. He just needed someone to vent his frustrations on, that happened to be you.

I do my very best to always try to look at things from different points of view. Quite often there is a justifiable reason for the anger.... But then again some people are just ignorant :Censored: . Learning to differentiate between the two is an art in itself :)

Communication is the key. Arrange for a quiet chat at a mutually convenient time and try to clear the waters in a non-confrontational manner. These are the times you need to be a good listener rather than a speaker ;)

Crikey! :eek: Does nothing good ever happen to this guy???? :D

[WWDJ]

! :eek: Does nothing good ever happen to this guy???? :D

It was always going to end in tears with a landlord called Mr Bean :D :D

[discojohnno]

Having spoken to the landlord today, he has apologised for Sunday and has admitted I took the brunt of a very bad day for him. Explaining that he has only seen his week old daughter for a few hours because of work.

So I will put all this down as a learning curve and in future make sure this type of thing does not happen again.

PS. Apologies for the extremely poor punctuation in my post !!!

[NKR]

I




Regarding the above 2 posts, sometimes people can't be picky or choosy about where and when they play. Also, by being verbally nasty could have bad repercussions down the line (karma and all that). I make sure I never burn my bridges, if you do decide to stop playing there, do it on amicable terms.



Underpaid and spoken down to in front of people. If you want to take that then by all means do, but I certainly wouldn't. You don't need to be nasty. I would have said 'sir your attitude is not very becoming and I will not be working for you again." Not rude or verbally nasty.


Firstly, NKR - We know you have a problem with working in pubs so I, for one was expecting that reply.


No I have a problem with being paid short and treated like :Censored:, so I would expect my reply for that reason.

[DazzyD]

Underpaid and spoken down to in front of people. If you want to take that then by all means do, but I certainly wouldn't. You don't need to be nasty. I would have said 'sir your attitude is not very becoming and I will not be working for you again." Not rude or verbally nasty.



No I have a problem with being paid short and treated like :Censored:, so I would expect my reply for that reason.

Apart from your misuse of ' and " , have you been spending a lot of time with Peter Excalibur, Neil???? :D

[funkymook]

I would have said 'sir your attitude is not very becoming and I will not be working for you again."

That's duelling talk where I come from - well it was about 300 years ago!