Forum friends and KISS fans... I Need some opinons...

[VCURamFan]

Originally Posted by J.B.

Well, I had a chance to meet with the group's leader today.We had a very nice discussion about all of the details of this gig and I also took the time to sit down and talk about it with my girlfriend Melissa this past week. She is totally cool with it, and it's really not as many weeks on the road at a time as I had expected him to say it was. However, that's where the shade of gray comes in, as is always expected in this business.

He then tells me that they are hoping to almost double their amount of shows over the next year, most of which would be on the road, based on exposure from a certain television program, which I am not going to name just yet. In fact, then he also says, "hey, we need you to be ready to hit the road on Tuesday".

Why so soon ,you ask? Because they are taping for the previously mentioned TV show on Wednesday....

Actually, they wouldn't really need me for the trip next week, but I think he wants to give me exposure to the rest of people around the group because the band actually lives in different places all over the country. I also think he was just trying to test me to see if I would be ready to hit the road at a moments notice.

Regardless, I told him I was ready.

Now I just wait for him to call me back after speaking with the rest of the group and we seal the deal.

Dude, that's awesome!! Congrats on landing this!!!

[MattHughesRocks]

Oh my gosh! I'm ready! When you meet "Gene Simmons" ask him to stick his tongue out very first thing

Bring a video camera.I'll want to see some footage!

Originally Posted by J.B.

Well, I had a chance to meet with the group's leader today.We had a very nice discussion about all of the details of this gig and I also took the time to sit down and talk about it with my girlfriend Melissa this past week. She is totally cool with it, and it's really not as many weeks on the road at a time as I had expected him to say it was. However, that's where the shade of gray comes in, as is always expected in this business.

He then tells me that they are hoping to almost double their amount of shows over the next year, most of which would be on the road, based on exposure from a certain television program, which I am not going to name just yet. In fact, then he also says, "hey, we need you to be ready to hit the road on Tuesday".

Why so soon ,you ask? Because they are taping for the previously mentioned TV show on Wednesday....

Actually, they wouldn't really need me for the trip next week, but I think he wants to give me exposure to the rest of people around the group because the band actually lives in different places all over the country. I also think he was just trying to test me to see if I would be ready to hit the road at a moments notice.

Regardless, I told him I was ready.

Now I just wait for him to call me back after speaking with the rest of the group and we seal the deal.

[VCURamFan]

Originally Posted by MattHughesRocks

Oh my gosh! I'm ready! When you meet "Gene Simmons" ask him to stick his tongue out very first thing

Bring a video camera.I'll want to see some footage!

Do we want to know why you're so excited about that footage?

[MattHughesRocks]

It just sounds like so much fun I want to be a part!

Originally Posted by VCURamFan

Do we want to know why you're so excited about that footage?

[Bonnie]

I totally missed this thread when you posted it, JB. Whatever happened with this (if you don't mind me asking)?

Btw, I forgot to ask at the time and don't remember if you mentioned it, but are you the one who did/does the web site for your band, High Underground?

Originally Posted by Bonnie

I totally missed this thread when you posted it, JB. Whatever happened with this (if you don't mind me asking)?

Btw, I forgot to ask at the time and don't remember if you mentioned it, but are you the one who did/does the web site for your band, High Underground?

I totally missed it too and now I'M curious!!!!!!!!

[flo]

Yes, I'm curious too...sounds like a great opportunity but it's so hard to weigh the pros and cons. Are you going to do it, JB?

[J.B.]

I guess I should have updated this thread, a few people have asked me privately about it since then and I just kept forgetting to update it.

Yes, I did hook up with them a few times for local gigs, and they are really cool guys, but ultimately, it turned out to be vastly less money than they originally promised, and a little bit too much inner-dysfunction for me to involve myself with. The last thing I need to be is the Dr. Phil/mediator for a bunch of old drunks arguing about who got the bigger cut out of their show in some tiny town in Oklahoma.

Not only that, but they expected me to be on call for them and not book any other work. Sorry, but unless you pay me a fixed salary that is more than what I'm making every year now, I'm not committing to any group like that. Oh yeah, did I mention that I need that in writing? Anytime I DJ an event, I require the customer to sign a contract to protect my ass, and if I were to have agreed to their terms, I could have been sitting around with no work just waiting on them to call. That's not secure enough for me. I know they are doing a ton of shows, but I need more assurance that a fixed amount of money is going to be there or it's not worth it for me to change my situation.

I told them I would be willing to help them out at local gigs when they need it, but I wasn't interested in being their full time guy. I make more money DJ'ing a wedding or club for one night than they were willing to pay for a whole weekend of work ON THE ROAD. That's messed up. I mean, I know as well as anybody that not every show pays the same, but that don't mean crap to me. I'm not the lead singer, or guitarist, I am the engineer.

As an Audio Engineer, I charge the same, no matter what your purse was for the night, because the truth is that the engineers and road crew do ALL the REAL work. I've played 4 hour sets before, singing and playing guitar like a wild-man, and I still have to physically work ten times harder as the only engineer at a gig then I ever did as a performer. You think the band-members ever want to carry that crap on their own? Nope, and when I was playing all the time and we had roadies/groupies following us around, I rarely carried my own crap either. Thats only half of it, then you gotta deal with the actual technical aspects of setting everything up and getting it working right. Drums and Amps, then all the PA crap, then lastly the light-show. I'm not even really a light-guy, but they had me doing lights too. It really is a production that requires two people, but they barely want to pay one. Heck, I would have brought another guy of my own in with me and paid him to help if they were actually paying the money they were talking about in the beginning.

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by Bonnie

are you the one who did/does the web site for your band, High Underground?

Yes, I am the one who maintains highunderground.com

I know I already told you that when we spoke yesterday Bonnie, but I figured I would answer the question in here as well for those who don't know.

[Bonnie]

Thanks, JB. I had already posted my ?s here.....

I can't believe they wanted one person to handle all that. I remember watching a documentary of Britney's tour (pre-meltdown). They showed a lot of the stuff you mentioned--sound, lights, everything involved in putting on a show. I know that was on a grander scale than these guys, but still gives you an idea of the huge amount of work (and people) involved in putting on each show. Smart guy to always get them to sign paper. There are a lot of clueless people out there, and a lot of people ready to take advantage of them.

Judge Judy: "It's the most ridiculous thing I can think of - for two people who do not have a contract, a legally binding contract between them, like a marriage certificate, to open up a joint bank account is the dumbest thing! Listen out there, youngsters!!!