Ep 9: When a Gig Cancels

A gig cancellation can feel like a punch to the gut, especially when you’ve had it circled on the calendar for months. 

In this episode of Gig to Live, John talks honestly about the frustration performers feel when plans fall apart and the ripple effects it can have on both momentum and morale. With humor and perspective, he explores the posture working musicians can take when things go sideways, how to navigate conversations with venues, and why professionalism still matters in the moment. 

John rounds things out with a practical Top Ten list of smart ways to make the most of the unexpected opening in your schedule.

Transcript

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You are listening to the Gig to Live Podcast. Welcome everyone. I'm John Foles. I am a full-time working musician. This podcast is where I share the strategies, the mindset, and the lessons that help performers build something that works and something that lasts. We'll talk about smart moves, self-inflicted wounds, happy clients, drunk patrons, more gigs, better gigs, what to keep, what to toss out. If you gig or you want to gig, this podcast is for you. Well, hey everyone. You know what time it is? It's time for a podcast. I'm never going to do that again. Welcome today to Gig2Live. Today we're going to be talking about what to do when a gig cancels. Oh man, I've had gigs cancel for any number of reasons, and I just had one cancel today, and that's why I thought it would be a good idea to do this podcast. I have really good booking retention, but it happens. Sometimes venue owners are scattered with their calendars, or they wrote it down on one calendar and not the other. Or uh, you know, it's a husband and wife team, and the they both keep separate calendars and they don't always talk to one another. Sometimes a venue owner will book me again in the heat of the moment. You know, I'm playing and they go, oh my gosh, this was so amazing. We need to get you back on the calendar. And they look at their phone and they go, Yeah, this state's open, but they don't even check their official calendar to see if someone else is booked. And for some reason they look at the calendar on their phone, and I think it's their main calendar, but lo and behold, they have another calendar in the back that's more official. Go figure. Uh, sometimes there's special circumstances, you know, like bad weather. And sometimes a venue will book an event because it pays them more money, and then they book out their whole venue without letting the musician know. That's happened to me before. It happens, and it's frustrating, especially as a full-time musician. If you put a gig on your calendar, then you count on that gig to pay the bills. And in so many cases, you turn down other gigs because you have made a commitment to the ones who are on your calendar. And it's extremely frustrating in those moments. When you have a gig cancel that was going to originally pay you, you know, 350 bucks, and you end up turning down a gig that you could have made $800 with, but you're a person of integrity. You know, in any of those scenarios, we're always managing our emotions, we're managing our schedules, we're managing our relationships with the venue, and we're managing our relationships with our fans if we've been promoting a show. So when a show cancels, there's a lot to do. It's not just a matter of canceling it on social media, you know, or deleting a post. Oftentimes there's a lot of communication that needs to happen. I've had gigs on the calendar that have canceled, and then I have a whole group of people coming to see me as a private party. One time in particular, I remember somebody was having a birthday celebration and they invited 50 of their friends, and they reached out to me on social media and said, Oh my goodness, I was having a bunch of friends over for a private party. We're all gathering at my house, but we're all coming to your show right away. They heard I was playing at the venue, they chose to come out to the venue, but the show got canceled because the venue double booked, and apparently I was the second musician to be booked in that double booking scenario. So now I have to let an entire birthday party down. I I recently had a show cancel with a venue because I was it was a double booking scenario, and they didn't have me on the calendar that their social media manager was looking at. Now I know for a fact that they scheduled me because we sat side by side months prior to that and we picked out dates, we put them on our calendars, and you know what? I like playing this venue, they're nice people, uh just a little bit scattered. And it's it's a bummer when things like this happen, but such is life, I guess, right? Now, there are some scenarios when I get a deposit in advance, a non-refundable deposit, and in those cases, if they cancel, it's more of a minor inconvenience because daddy can still pay the bills, but it doesn't totally upend my financial loss when they you know when they cancel. Usually those are the private party scenarios. I don't have any bars or restaurants where I collect deposits, by the way, and I most musicians that I know don't do that. It's usually a goodwill agreement between two parties in those scenarios when you're playing bars and breweries and restaurants. Um, yeah, it's just an agreement. Hey, I've got these dates available, and you say, yes, I'm going to show up, and you high-five one another. If you use a booking agent or a service like Gig Salad, like I do for I get a lot of gigs through Gig Salad, it usually makes it really easy to collect non-refundable deposits. And in those cases, I will usually do a 50% non-refundable deposit. And if the gig cancels, uh, I and I have an extremely low cancellory cancellation rate, it's it's usually in case of something catastrophic. No one really wants to book you for their wedding cocktail party uh that's going to cost them $1,000 and they're going to lose a $500 non-refundable deposit, unless it's something very unfortunate. And in those cases, uh I weigh that non-refundable deposit. In some cases, because of unfortunate events beyond their control, uh, I have refunded them their non-refundable deposit because I'm a bleeding heart, uh, because I'm a human, because I'm a person, because I understand things do happen. And, you know, if uh the groom decides to skip town and leave the bride stranded, I'm not taking the 500 bucks. I'm giving it back. But, you know, in many cases, I keep it. And why do I keep it? Because I'm a business person and you are too. You shouldn't feel bad about that. We're used to this in this economy. If uh we set a doctor's appointment and we don't show up for it or we cancel, you know, within a certain time frame, they still charge us because uh, you know, they have a business to run. And so uh this, by the way, is especially important if I've been asked to put a band together, because now I'm not just out money and you know the big inconvenience, but the entire band is. And so I will often collect a deposit that I distribute to the band members because you know it put them out. I asked them to clear their calendars, and now uh it's become a huge bummer for all of them. So what do we do if a gig gets canceled? Well, first and foremost, my relationship with a venue, your relationship with a venue is super important. It's the most important. So we don't fly off the handle, we don't say nasty things to the venue. However, I have severed relationships with venues before if they cancel gigs repeatedly uh because they don't have their poop in a group. You know, I can't I can't stand for that. If a venue expects responsibility and commitment and consistency from me, then I expect the same from them. So most of the time, I find myself in scenarios where I just say, ah, stuff happens, but sometimes it takes a little bit more of a relationship massage, a little bit more finesse. I have carefully crafted emails to venues before explaining why the ongoing problem is something that I can't do anymore. And I've severed my relationship with booking agents before who are in the habit of double booking artists, but in all cases, I'm a huge fan of face-to-face communication. It is the best. Anything other than face-to-face is lower level communication. I think that face-to-face communication is always best when you're dealing with something volatile in a relationship, especially, because people believe our nonverbal communication more than they do our verbal communication. So things like emails and text messages can come across as harsh when we we didn't intend them to be harsh at all. So getting in front of somebody and letting them see your face and letting them hear your tone is always best. Now, if getting together face to face won't work for you for one reason or another, then you want to think carefully about how you communicate with the venue because protecting the relationship and protecting your brand and protecting your professionalism is extremely important. Now, in those instances where I can't meet with them face to face, maybe there's distance between us, or you know, there could be any number of reasons. In those instances and where I have to put together an email, then there are a few things I try to calmly communicate. Calm is important here. Number one, strip all of the drama out of it right from the top. Give them the benefit of the doubt, even if you're angry, and start off by telling them that you understand some things happen. Um, they may be dealing with any number of things I'm not aware of. And with that said, I want to remind them that I had to reserve the date and I had time blocked out for weeks or months in advance, whatever the case is. And I think that's completely okay to mention this to them. Let them know you had to turn down gigs because you made a commitment to them. But walk cautiously here. Uh, think about the relationship. Then I asked them about rescheduling in that email unless they're repeat offenders. Because maybe I just don't want to continue the relationship. But honestly, in those scenarios, I don't usually send an email at all. Uh if I do, uh, then I'm just going to send them an email and tell them I'm sorry that it didn't work out and I wish them the best. But there is no need to send an angry email to a venue saying, I'm writing you off, be gone with you. You don't need to do that. Um if it's a venue that I want to maintain a relationship with, then I will make sure I know what the expectations are moving forward. Um and if they're repeat offenders and I still like them and I I, you know, I want to see if we can work something out, we can work together, then maybe I institute a cancellation policy for the future. But again, I weigh that, I think that through. Uh but I want to know for sure what is the best way for me to make sure this event is confirmed next time. And I will ask them that. If a venue cancels last minute on me, then I will for sure let them know that I had that date held for months and that I did an extreme amount of promotion. And my venues know this, they see what kind of promotion I'm doing, but I'll remind them. Uh, something sometimes nothing is going to come of that. But I think it's important for venues to know the reality of a full-time musician's work. For me, I'm thinking when I send an email or have a conversation with a venue of this nature, I'm not only doing it for myself, I'm doing it for the entire music community because I think we need to have one another's back. Now, when I owned a venue, there were a handful of times where I had to cancel an event on a poor musician because of something unforeseen. And in those cases, if the event was a few months away, then I would apologize profusely and I would ask if we could pick another date. Uh, when an event is a few months away, then I know very few musicians who are going to be extremely angry because their gig got canceled. Uh well, I mean, depending on the size of the gig and how many people you had involved in the gig. If you were putting a band together, maybe it's maybe it feels different. But usually you can find another gig within a few months. If the gig was a couple of weeks away and I had to cancel it, then I offered to pay the musician 50% of their performance fee because of the inconvenience to them. Now, most of the time, honestly, musicians took me up on that. They appreciated it. And sometimes they'd turn me down. They'd say it's not necessary because they're going to be able to find another gig. But I wanted them to know I had their back. If it was a cancellation within a week's time, I didn't even propose 50% to them. I just asked them for their Venmo or an address where I could send them a check and I ended up just paying them the full thing. Maybe it's because I'm a musician and I understood their pain, but that's how we handled it. Uh, in a few cases, when I have calmly explained uh my, you know, what's going on in my life to a venue, I have I have told them my plight, uh, and then they've canceled me. Um sometimes they do a similar thing with me. They they still pay me, but I don't expect it. It's really an anomaly. With that said, today's top ten list is drumroll, please. The top ten things that you can do when a gig gets cancelled. Ha ha, here we go. Number one, take a break. Dear Lord, rest. You've been go go going. And if the calendar gods suddenly bless you with a night off, it might be time just to rest your voice, take a mental rest. Oftentimes I look at cancellations as a blessing in disguise. Not all the time. Sometimes I'm a tornado of anger swirling about, but I keep it inside in that space where nobody sees my pain, deep inside, and I don't let the venue or the host know. And after I've had time to vent to myself and cry in my cappuccino, then I take a deep breath, and often I start to look forward to kicking back in my recliner next to my wife for the evening. Take a break. Enjoy it. Number two. Find a replacement gig. Get on the phone or email and see if you can pick up a gig somewhere. Now, a lot of times venues have had some cancellations by other artists, and they're just looking for someone to fill the hole for that evening. I've picked up a ton of gigs that way. Sometimes I just reach out to venues to see if they've had any cancellations, even if I didn't have a show cancel. And if I have a blank spot on my calendar, then I'll reach out. I'll I'll say, hey, venue. I know it's only a couple of days away, but might you have this time available? And I'll see what they have going on. Uh, but find a replacement gig. Use the time uh that you now have on your hands to fill that void. Number three, go out and see another musician play. Or go to a concert. I can't tell you how many times I want to see some of my friends play, and I'm not able to get out to their shows because I have a gig. Sometimes when a show of mine cancels, I look at it as an opportunity to go drop a tip in someone else's tip jar because what goes around comes around. So support your local music scene, even if you're a musician, because we need each other to keep this thing alive, right? Can I get an amen? Number four, do a surprise pop-up performance. Pick a spot, do it, you can do it. I've called venues before just to tell them that I had a show cancel, and if they don't want to book anyone for that night, I have been known on a few occasions to say, what if I show up at your place and I just play for tips? And seldom do they turn that down. Now, if you listen to my podcast on money, then you know I'm not a fan of doing free shows. But if you have a venue where you play regularly and there's a scenario that comes up like the one I've just described, sometimes that goes a long way to let the venue know that you're in their court, you're on their team, you know, you're a team player. And sometimes I've done this, and the venue ends up cutting me a check or handing me a wad of cash at the end of the night as a thank you, and I end up making just as much money as if I had a gig on the calendar. Number five, work on your craft and your business. Maybe you don't need a break, maybe you don't need a rest. Maybe you look at this time as an opportunity to add new songs to your repertoire or practice, or change the strings on your guitar, or clean up that keyboard, or work on your social media, or tune those drums, or reach out to new venues. There's a ton of stuff to do. So redeem the time and use it uh to further your craft and your business. Number six, do a live stream with a virtual tip jar. You would be surprised how many people will tune in, if only for a few minutes on a Facebook Live event. And they'll they'll show up and they'll scan your QR code so they can leave you a tip. Plus, it's super fun. The virtual concert is a lot different than sitting in a room on a stage. You know, sure, it's weird just looking at your computer sometimes, but it can also be uh fun. It can be awesome. I've had my wife in the room with me when I've done this before, and she'll read the comments that are coming in and telling tell me what people are saying so I can respond with the crowd. I've taken requests on the fly, uh, had a you know ongoing communication with someone, conversation. It can be a good gig. I mean, you have nothing else to lose. Your gig got canceled, so make the best of it. Do something, do a live stream. Okay. Number seven, surprise your spouse or your boyfriend or your girlfriend. They're used to you being busy on a Friday night, and if that Friday night gig got canceled, tell them that you have something really special planned at six o'clock, and then take them on a date or take them to the movies, take them out to dinner, or make dinner at home. Ask them what they would like to do for the evening, make it special. If I have a gig cancel on a Friday night, honestly, these days, I can pretty much guarantee at this time in my life, my wife does not want to go out and do something, but she will be happy that I get to stay home with her most of the time. So I give her a heads up and I let her choose how the evening is going to look. Usually it's sitting and binge watching some television show together side by side because it's what we love to do. But sometimes those free Fridays are just golden. Number eight. And this one might hurt. Go to the venue that cancelled you and have dinner or have drinks. Is it passive aggressive? It might be. So if you have an attitude about it, you might not want to go. But it may be a way to say that you support the venue, even if they blew it. If you play your cards right and you have a good attitude, a smile on your face, then the venue might see this as a really awesome vote of confidence in them, and they'll see you as extending an olive branch, and that can play in your favor for the long game. Number nine. Get educated. Take the time to watch YouTube videos, listen to podcasts, read a book, invest in something that's going to expand your knowledge of the craft that you are elbows deep in. Uh, uh, give you some things to think about, help you ask important questions. Maybe you end up making a change or making a tweak, or at the very least, you get inspired. So get educated. And then finally, number 10, and I think this is really important if you don't already have this, make a list of what you can do to improve your system so it doesn't happen again. Or it doesn't happen as often because it will happen. What do I do? I'll give you an idea of what I do so I can continually improve the system of not having cancellations. Uh I check their social media a few days in advance. And if I am not on there, either they are really bad at social media or there is a snafu with the schedule, or both. But it can be a big heads up to get, you know, ahead of the thing and know in advance before you're walking out the door a guitar in hand. Uh do a follow-up call with them a couple of weeks before to confirm. If if I'm in a good relationship with a venue, I really don't do this because sometimes it just mm-s seems unnecessary. You know, we have an ongoing friendship. They haven't canceled on me before. So I I take that with a grain of salt. But it can be a good thing, especially with new venues or with repeat offenders. Sometimes I just send an email to them to confirm. And uh I'm just saying, you know, hey, I'm just making sure uh we're all good to go, and you give yourself enough time to rebook another another gig if they say, oh shoot, I made a mistake, and that does happen. Maybe you send them a contract in advance. I have done this before many, many, many times with new venues and private parties. Again, it's a little bit different with the bar scene. It's a little formal for some of those places that we play. So weigh it. It may save you some heartache. Uh, I had one guy one time send me a contract when I owned a venue. He sent me a contract with his list of demands and everything that he expected from the venue. And I never booked the guy again. Uh, it came across like he was sending me a writer for his world tour. And I mean, he was a great musician, but you know, I mean, he was a regional mu musician. I I didn't need a three-page contract, and that's what it was. It was three pages. So I wasn't about to give him all the green MMs in his, you know, in his room backstage. Uh, so maybe send a contract in advance, but of course, weigh it. Uh, consider using a booking agent or a system that requires them to make a deposit. So, again, not really a bar gig thing all the time, but definitely a big gig choice. And this has saved me a handful of times. Another thing to do is stay in close contact. Say, hey, I'm really looking forward. You know, just drop them a note on social media. Comment on their social media when they advertise other things. You know, they put out a new drink recipe. Oh man, that looks good. I'm looking forward to having that on March 19th or whatever the case is. Um, comment on their social media when they advertise Big Jim's brass band and tell them, oh man, I wish I could come see Big Jim, but I have a gig that night, but you know what I'm really looking forward to? I'm looking forward to the show on April 8th. In other words, stay visible, stay prominent. I like venues to know that I'm watching them and that I am preparing for the gig. Uh, the last thing I want to mention here is send them promo materials. You know, I do all my own artwork, so I tag them in the artwork, I send them private messages, and I say, hey, isn't this artwork cool? I want to be on their radar. And just like that, will you look at that? It's the end of the episode. Hey, thanks for listening. Please do me a favor and subscribe to this podcast if you haven't already. Uh, wherever you listen to this podcast, and remember, stay creative, stay after it, and fill in the blank. Stay hired. Let me let me