Colds/flu are common in this area. Local nursing/assisted living places post signs saying if you are not well....don't come in.

I'll miss two gigs this week because of flu. The places I play don't seem to get too excited if I miss a gig.

But it made me curious, how do the rest of you handle such a thing?

It depends on the gig i guess, when playing wedings and such people really depend on you, you just need to have a lot of musician friends that can fill in for you when you are really sick...

Under normal circumstances, the very first thing I did, and this was indeed rare, was to tell the AD that i would try to find someone to fill in for me. Usually, it was not a problem to find someone, and the ADs were very appreciative that I took the time to find someone.

When I get very, very sick last August, I called every AD, told them what happened, and that it was unlikely that I would ever be physically able to perform again, which is still the situation. I told them I would try to find good entertainers to fill in for me, which I successfully was able to do after a dozen or so phone calls. The ADs were very sad to see me retire, and several have called just to see how I was doing. Today, was a very bad day, I had to take some nasty drugs just after lunch, and while they alleviate much of the pain, I hate the way they make me feel. For the life of me I cannot understand why someone wants to be stoned out of the mind on drugs - it ain't fun at all!

Rog, one of the secrets to keeping well while performing the Nursing Home circuit is to keep a container of hand wipes in your car at all times. If you sterilize your hands and car's steering wheel each time you leave a job, there's very little chance you'll become ill from many communicable diseases, especially the flu. Now, some folks believe that just getting a flu shot will prevent them from catching the flu. Unfortunately, most of the flu shots given today were for an influenza that took place 3 to 5 years ago, influenzas that have mutated several times since then. Consequently, it's unlikely that you'll get much, if any, protection from today's flu.

Gary

I take this

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B009HUC40I?keywords=h%C3%A4ndedesinfektion&qid=1457044930&ref_=sr_1_9&sr=8-9

The American alternative:

http://www.amazon.com/Purell-Instant-San...=hand+sanitizer

I am fortunate to have a couple of other musicians I can call to fill in for me, and if SteveM wasn't basking in the Florida sun, I would have one more ... if it is 'last minute', I will just call the AD and tell them who is coming in my place ... we usually leave the 'accounting piece' as is, in that they pay me and I pay the sub ...

I always use Hall's Menthol cough drops on a gig to keep my throat from getting dry ... one time one of the residents saw me take one and said in a voice loud enough to be heard "Oh no, he has a cold, now we are all going to get sick" ... I announced - and told the AD personally - that I did NOT have a cold, but allergies, and the cough drops were just 'lubrication' ...

I had to go in for a heart operation so I called a friend to cover my New Year’s job. I found later they offered him four jobs and he took them.
I was upset so I called some of my Italian friends and him worked over.

I think that is one of the worst crimes a fellow musician can commit.
I did not talk to him for ten years. I now see him about once a week.

OK, I need a vote here:

Am I an angel?
John C.

John, that could be a problem, but has never happened to me in all the years I've been an entertainer. Just lucky, I guess!

Gary

Good points. I never thought of the hand sanitizer.

john did you get your 15% commission for the 4 gigs?