Who would you fire?

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 13 Apr 2001 11:43 pm

It would be that or saying, "Guys, we are all taking a cut in pay."

NO,NO,NO!! There lies the problem!! If you agree to take a cut in pay,then the club owner will find someone to work cheaper. That's the problem in NashVILE right now! No one will "stick to their guns",& say,"We won't work that cheap". This is the main reason club owners in NashVILE won't pay more than $20.00 a man. It's the "BR5-49 Syndrome"!! "O.K. guys,we'll work for $20.00,& maybe,we'll get discovered." BULL$H¡†!! IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN! It was a "fluke"! The union won't do anything. The Nashville local is a P.O.S.! 32 yrs. in that union, they did NOTHING for me,except take my money! The musicians have to do it. They have to REFUSE to play for those "wages"! If everybody would get together,& stick together,it could happen. But it won't. There'll always be some "Luther" or "Loretta Local" that'll be satisfied working for "table scraps". The club owners are charging $3.00 & $3.50 a beer,& their excuse is,they have live entertainment. GREAT! How 'bout sharin' the wealth?? Some of the clubs aren't paying ANYTHING!! The band works for TIPS ONLY!! That's why I call it,"NashVILE"!

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mm vita brevis
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Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 14 Apr 2001 4:21 am

Smiley...ditto on the union.I carried a card for many years because I had to have a number for "contract" jobs...but I never could tell that it ever helped me get paid more than I could negotiate on my own. Also they never failed to send out duns for road-tax after you had toured through their local jurisdiction!

I can't count the number of times I received notices that I owed road-tax from somewhere I had never been, because someone had put my card-number on a contract to cover a musician who didn't have a card.

On an amusing note...I also remember back in the dark ages when I would hold out for $20 for a "bar" job when the bar owner was paying $10. I had one tell me confidentially once that he would pay me $12.50 if I would promise not to tell any of the other band members! www.genejones.com

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 14 Apr 2001 4:44 am

It's not just the "locals" that will pick for basically nothing. When I was there, some road pickers would do the same thing. They could care less how much they were getting, they just wanted someplace to pick so they could keep in practice while the singer took off on a vacation. Lower Broadway was an ideal place to do it since there were some outstanding pickers working down there.

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 14 Apr 2001 1:29 pm

Better pre-buy your gas while you can still get it at $1.50 a gallon.

It's already at $1.55 here.

Gasoline inventories are VERY low (lower than last year).

Predictions are for $2.00 - $3.00 gasoline this summer.

And now back to the original posting!

Surely somebody besides me would fire the drummer before the steel player? No drum machines allowed, but I'll let ya have something to provide a basic click-track (like a metronome) piped into each musicians' ear if it's really that necessary.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 14 Apr 2001 2:45 pm

NashVILE's,"Lower Broadway" has changed it's name to,"Lowest Broadway"!!

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©¿© ars longa,
mm vita brevis
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John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 15 Apr 2001 4:05 am

I've seen the clubs on Lowest Broad packed to the doors and Standing room only and the pickers still got $15 a night. Smiley is right, Somebody was making some money, but it damn sure wasn't the pickers.
ON the original subject, If the singer played open chords on his guitar and had it plugged in, I would fire his a$$ first. Just did that.

Tell the rest of the guys in the band to start singing or look for work.

Boomer, I own the PA in my band

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JCF (The Picker formerly known as Sleepy John)[This message was edited by John Floyd on 15 April 2001 at 05:11 AM.]

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 15 Apr 2001 5:26 am

Actually It is probably best to do what Porter once did. Fire half the group and replace them with female musicians.How much playing would be played depends on if Sleepy John ,Smiley were in the band.And how much money made and Music would be played now that is another story, But surely they wouldn't care.

on second thought niether would I

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CJC

[This message was edited by Joe Casey on 15 April 2001 at 06:28 AM.]

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 15 Apr 2001 9:29 am

Hey, now! No hiring/firing based on looks.

Maybe to be less controversial, I should've worded this from the other side:

Given those instrumnts, which would you choose (in order) to be in the band. Assume you've got a singer, who can't play a darned thing.

And if somebody picks the drums first, I'm gonna scream.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 15 Apr 2001 1:15 pm

Yee-Haaaaaaw. The bongo player.

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 16 Apr 2001 6:23 am

If the singer played open chords on his guitar and had it plugged in, I would fire his a$$ first.

Didn't you just fire George Strait and Alan Jackson with that statement?

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 17 Apr 2001 4:52 am

Fire the singer? Come on retcop do you think the people would come out to see you fronting a band?

What you smoking down there in Pasco?

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CJC

Tony Orth · Post by **Tony Orth** » 17 Apr 2001 9:19 am

Keyboard
Fiddle
Steel Guitar
Drums
Bass
Guitar

Dave,
Right now my band is very successful doing Classic Country/Classic Rock with Lead Guitar, Bass, Drums, and Rhythm Guitar.
Eventually I want to switch from bass to steel and pick up a replacement bassist.
While the other members agreed they would like the sound of it, it would cause some initial problems with stage space and the reduction of per-member income.

If you're a dance band, I think the drums are important. If you're not, I'd drop the drummer first.

Good luck with your decision.

DennyFast · Post by **DennyFast** » 21 Apr 2001 9:56 pm

Thanks Smiley for not jumping on the keyboard bandwagon, I usually don't say much being a former keyboardplayer and piano picker..I had to stop pickin' because of a disability.This topic just shows what I've been saying for years and why pianoplayers don't get hired most of the time, but that's ok, all I wanted to say was..good country piano and yes!! even keyboards if done right are just as much a part of country music as any other instrument! I used to love this forum even though I'm not a steelguitar player but now I have no place here either so I've spoke my peace and leave your forum to just steel pickers!!

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 22 Apr 2001 4:37 am

Denny please don't take to heart any mis directed punning. Keyboard players are among the most vesitile musicians and can fit in any situation needed...I think the question was put in a way that small venues cannot carry large country groups and who would have to go. I tried to answer with tongue in cheek replies as I am sure no one meant any put down.

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CJC

John P. Phillips · Post by **John P. Phillips** » 22 Apr 2001 6:54 am

OH NO! NOT AGAIN!!!!!!!!

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If it feels good. do it.
If it feels Country,
DO IT TWICE
JPP

John P. Phillips · Post by **John P. Phillips** » 22 Apr 2001 6:58 am

OH NO! NOT AGAIN! COME ON GUYS< IT'S ALL IN FUN!!

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If it feels good. do it.
If it feels Country,
DO IT TWICE
JPP

John P. Phillips · Post by **John P. Phillips** » 22 Apr 2001 7:02 am

OH NO, NOT AGAIN!!! COME ON GUYE IT'S ALL IN FUN. PAY ATTENTION TO THE SLANT OF THE COMMENTS. PUH LEEZE!!!!!!

Brandin · Post by **Brandin** » 22 Apr 2001 8:10 am

At this point in the thread I'd fire the "Photographer"! =;^)

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Dennis Manuel · Post by **Dennis Manuel** » 24 Apr 2001 6:39 am

Smiley, do musicians actually play for $20.00/night in Nashville?
Currently, here in Canada we get about $100.00/night which equates to $55.00 American. I have never been a road musician only a weekend player because of family committments. However, I do remember when we would make at least $150.00 to $200.00/night but things were a lot cheaper 20 years ago!!!
My opinion of the Union is the night clubs probably operate them and no one knows the affiliation. Why else would they stand for someone making $20.00/night? $^%$&%$$&(

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 24 Apr 2001 9:44 am

At this point in the thread I'd fire the "Photographer"!

But I pay for my tickets! Honest!

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Brandin · Post by **Brandin** » 24 Apr 2001 3:40 pm

Okay, you can stay.

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 25 Apr 2001 9:24 am

Dennis,
Yes,they do. Some nights,tips are GREAT. They may make $75/$100 bucks apiece. Other nights,....$20. It's a chance you take. It's like Tommy Overstreet told me one time,"One day,it's chicken. Next day,it's feathers"! Every time I've worked down there,it's been "feathers". I won't do it anymore.

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©¿© ars longa,
mm vita brevis
-=sr€=-</pre>