Glad dnj wasn't the AD! I made it to the next one just fine and begged for forgiveness. All know me and all is well.

Bill, I had to FLY!!!!!!!!!!! Wish I could've stuck around, I enjoyed your music. BTW, bass is adequate and Bose is clear, VH sounded terrific.

Drove about 900 miles playing gigs this week. Most think I'm crazy, but I love life and just love playing - no matter what. I still do chemical sales, but independent now.

Kind of semi-retired - yeh, right

Well, it is pretty simple here in Texas - no one in the NH industry will provide a contract period. Not a real problem if you stay on top of things.

Deane

I once showed up for a 2 pm gig at the wrong branch of a NH chain. Luckily, the correct location was only 15 minutes away and scheduled for 2:30pm. Saved. Another time I showed up to find the venue double booked; they asked me to stay and re-scheduled the other person. Their error, but still a possible nightmare.

Jim, contact that location and offer to play ASAP or the next scheduled job (if there is one) for free. A goodwill gesture will go a long way.

If you do this long enough, it's liable to happen every now and then. 95% of the time its the facilities error. Depending on the client, previous issues, travel, etc. I try hard to be flexible in what a fair remedy is. Sometimes I'll just adjust the invoice down to cover travel expenses (usually $25.00) and move on. If the client is a repeat offender, then I usually charge full freight.

Like cass said, its an opportunity of sorts when a schedule snafu occurs to look good.

There's a duo around these parts that's known for losing their shit when something like this happens. Safe to safe, that's never the right response.

Thanks for the kind words, Jim. Still getting used to the TC Helicon. I'm almost certainly under-utilizing it. I'm not 100% satisfied with the general settings, but that's on me.

Gary & Co. were spot on about the Compacts. one is PLENTY for 95% of all my gigs. I only use the double set-up for my medium to larger dances and good sized outdoor events. I am very pleased with them.

Be well!

I recently showed up for a properly-booked gig, and saw another guy loading in a guitar and guitar amp. We spoke; he was sure he was booked. I was sure I was. We called the manager (it was a retirement community); they verified that *I* was booked; they sent the other guy away. He was not happy. Not sure how it happened, but luckily I was in the clear.

In ~25+ years of doing this, I only once actually missed (forgot) a gig. I had taken a new (day) job a week earlier, and go so "wrapped up" in the personal turmoil, that I literally forgot! It was a place I'd played at for ~12 years regularly. Luckily there was a dance-instructor schedules to be there too, who knew me well; she called me when I hadn't shown up, and I said, "OMG"! and hustled to get there. I started playing only ~30 min later than planned (it was a 2 hour gig). All was OK, and they since hired me back there at least a dozen more times. . . so they were understanding ... phew!

-Jim

Jim exactly Why a signed contract in your pocket is imperative,...all you had to say was "wheres the contract"?
to the guitar guy.. simple as that.

I have a copy of each facility's contract in my keyboard bag's pocket - Only had to pull a contract out one or two times in the past decade, but was sure glad I had it with me. My contracts list all the year's dates for each facility, so there's only 32 contracts in the bag's pocket.

I also carry a dozen W-9 forms with me as well. Some of the places require a new one every year, while others only want one when you bill for your first job there.

Today, my 2015 calendars from National Pen Company arrived. I order 50 each year, and the cost, with mailing envelopes, and an engraved pen totals just $90. Within the next few weeks, I will have booked all of 2015, at least the months I'll be here. I will take my copy of the calendar that already has two dozen jobs booked for 2015, sit down with each of the ADs for about 10 minutes, and they'll give me the dates they wish. I'll write them on my calendar, they'll write them on theirs and when I get home, I'll fill out and mail a confirmation of appearance letter and NEW annual contract listing all those dates. They'll sign both copies of the contract, then mail the second copy back to me in a postage paid envelope I provide.

Now, the neat part is that they will have brand, spanking, new Travlin' Easy calendar hanging over their desk. It has my email address and telephone number on it, my name in bold letters, and some really pretty photos on each page. It's a hanging appointment calendar and when those special parties come up, guess who's name is always right in front of them. Oh, they also get pens from me at least 4 times a year. The pens, beautifully, laser engraved, cost a whopping .39 cents each from National Pen.

For the facilities where I perform lots of special parties, happy hours, and similar functions, I provide them with a 24" X 36" framed poster. The ADs usually put the poster in the lobby a couple days prior to my job, and in the lower left corner, they attach a bright letter sized sheet of paper listing the time and date. You would be amazed at how effective this has been. Not only does it bring out more residents, but it also brings a very large crowd of visitors. I purchased them from Vista Print and the total amount I have invested in each one is about $40 including the cost of the frame. The frame actually cost more than the poster. The poster itself was just $16.95, and I designed it myself on their site using my photo. The guys here at the Jam saw one of my spares hanging on the wall of my family room.

All of this is just part of doing business professionally. It also clearly shows you don't need to spend a fortune to advertise your business and reach the right people.

Sorry about the long post,

Gary