Getting Paid... opinions?

[Gasp100]

Long story short, a booking person is about 5 weeks overdue for payment on a gig. He's a good guy and I know he is busy but after two attempts (via text which is the only way we ever communicate) I've received no reply. Here is where it gets tricky:
1. We have two more dates on the books with him at one of the location he books.
2. He handles booking for 2 important clubs for us - one is April-Sept only but a hopping place and we usually get 4-5 dates there. The other is THE college bar and can be a blast when it's rocking.
3. He know EVERYONE in town (all musos, soundguys, club owners, booking agents).

I would HATE to put future bookings in jeopardy but I'm concerned about the state of affairs. The money I'm waiting on was a full band show that changed to an acoustic duo (because of weather) so it's not enough to cripple my band fund, but still enough to cause ire. The next gig is full band and I pay my crew in cash, so it will be $450 out of my pocket. In short, after the next gig I'll be owed $1K which isn't chump change.

How would you handle this?

 

[guitarjazz]

Good guys will look you right in the eye and smile while they are taking you for a ride. Dude needs to cough it up now. You have his phone number. Call him and say you are coming over to get the money. People will roll all over you if you let them.
You have a crew? That's a luxury. Can you really afford that?

 

[swiveltung]

Yeah, you need to prod him that you cant justify doing another gig there without being paid for the last one. Tell him it's causing you lots of grief with the other players etc.

 

[BMX]

Text him and let him know that you're looking forward to the next gig, but that you'll need to be paid for both gigs (duo gig and next gig) before you start playing. If he's says he can't do that apologize but explain that you understand the position he's in but that you have people to pay yourself and that getting two gigs behind is not an option.

Let him know that you're looking forward and hoping to work with him in the future once things get straightened out. Be cool about it no matter what. Music circles are a small world. He's not going to be mad at you for being nice about not being able to do unpaid gigs.

 

[Gasp100]

Good guys will look you right in the eye and smile while they are taking you for a ride. Dude needs to cough it up now. You have his phone number. Call him and say you are coming over to get the money. People will roll all over you if you let them.
You have a crew? That's a luxury. Can you really afford that?

By "crew" I mean the bandmates that will be performing next week. And no, I can't "really" afford to float gigs I much prefer to have money in the kitty to pay my people, get paid for the gig and deposit the following Monday ready for the next show. So not getting paid throws a huge wrench in my system of course.

 

[Otto Tune]

Set up for the next gig, and just sit there until you get paid.

 

[guitarjazz]

Set up for the next gig, and just sit there until you get paid.

In that case, for both gigs.

 

[GuitarGuy66]

Just pop buy, is it a bar & grill. Order a meal and ask for the money. Be polite since he has a hand in everything. Just say "I never heard back from your texts so I just thought I'd pop by."

 

[guitarjazz]

Do you use social media? You know everybody too. Call him in the phone, don't text him now, and say you want to get caught up for the last gig. Be pleasant.
If he fails to deliver then share your story in detail with every musician you know.

 

[I am the Liquor]

Sounds like an ass. Start making a plan "B". Call him and ask for the money. Im guessing he wont answer anyhow.

He either forgot (unlikely) or he is screwing you and your band.

Either way it looks like you are asking for more of the same if you continue with the same arrangement.

 

[Gasp100]

Thanks guys, I think we are good. I reached out to another muso (female lead singer in another band) who must have the "hotline" to him and got a reply he is going to resend... my 2 attempts went unanswered... maybe he has a rule setup on his phone LOL.

I will say in general that I'm not super happy with this arrangement (working out agreements to perform and not getting paid night of gig). To be clear he doesn't work AT this particular location. He works FOR the clubs but I believe runs his own business (that apparently is doing quite well).
It's probably NOT a good arrangement for my project based on my comfort level and method of paying MY people so once these two dates are fulfilled I will have to reconsider future dates. I HATE to do that because of what was mentioned in my OP, but I'm really trying to run the group as a business and take us to a higher level.
We picked up a new club down the beach which is a huge win for us and we have open lines of communication with our other venues prepping for booking into 2016. And we picked up our first wedding as well...
Dropping two important clubs could be seen as a mistake so I'm going to let him come to me for booking anything going forward. If we lose some shows so be it.

 

[2HBStrat]

Long story short, a booking person is about 5 weeks overdue for payment on a gig. He's a good guy and I know he is busy........How would you handle this?

Nobody's that busy. After 5 weeks and no response to multiple texts, an in-person visit, maybe with one of you larger friends as a companion, might soon be in order.

 

[amstrtatnut]

Thats a tough spot. One show and you cant be sure its a fluke. You dont want to tell him to piss off cause of connections.

I guess if he is squirrelly then his connections dont mean much anyway. So if he wont cough up then best look elswhere for connections or go it alone.

 

[BMX]

I have a feeling that the authors of some of the more macho responses have never booked a band for any length of time.

Stuff like this happens all the time. You need to have boundaries-like not doing a second unpaid show- but bad mouthing a booking agent will only hurt you in the long run. Unless you can sell out any room in town every gig, that booking agent will get somebody else. This business is about relationships, and even if he screwed up once, you have to find a way past it.

Basements are full of guys that couldn't stand passing up a chance to tell someone where to go. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

 

[Yossi]

He's a good guy and I know he is busy but after two attempts (via text which is the only way we ever communicate) I've received no reply.

Before considering some of the more forceful measures, I would try calling him on the phone, not just texting, and send an email for record of your attempt to collect, and then a personal visit.

 

[stratotastic]

I have a feeling that the authors of some of the more macho responses have never booked a band for any length of time.

Yes, this is a good cautionary note about TGP. Lots of armchair quarterbacking from people with no experience. Be careful who you listen to.

 

[Steve Hotra]

I would call him.
He owes you an explanation.
Maybe he hasn't received payment, etc.
I would tread lightly, since you get a lot of bookings / gigs from him.

 

[stevel]

I'm glad you're professional enough to pay your members on completion of the gig.

If you do that regularly, you might be able to call them up and say "hey guys, the agent hasn't paid me from the last gig yet so pay for this gig is coming out of my pocket. Would it be OK if I paid you for this gig when I get the check?"

Hopefully it would be a one off incident and you wouldn't fall behind.

I've been in many bands where we've been paid cash at the end of the night, or, if we do a two night stint we only get paid at the end of the 2nd night, or we'll get a check that the leader has to cash first before paying us (usually at the next gig). One I'm in currently deals with the City for some gigs (which goes through another middle man before it gets to us) which can take more time to get paid - plus they want to do stuff like pay us after 2 gigs that are a week apart so they only have to cut one check. When I go to play tonight, I should get a check for 2 past gigs and the check for tonight won't come until weeks later. But tomorrow night I'll get paid in cash at the end of the night.

Our guys are OK with that but I've been in some bands where some members were reliant on the money. I was in one where the bass player's bar tab was more than his cut that night (girlfriend came) so he HAD to have the money or he was washing dishes.

I'm not big on diplomacy but this person sounds like they don't have their act together, or the clubs aren't paying him on time so he's in the same situation as you. I like the "set up and don't play a note" idea. Passive-aggressive and would lose you all future gigs, but at some point bad business is bad business and you need to get away from it.

 

[DGTCrazy]

The first thing I did when becoming the new "band leader" of my current band was to create a Boiler Plate Contract that requires full payment prior to stepping on the stage. Is that an option for you OP?

 

[jammybastard]

My mantra: Cash Upfront.