Band Bookings and the need for whole band agreement

I've just had an email from an incredibly frustrated drummer who's had to cancel a gig he'd only just booked for his band.

Jamie complained to me that he'd made a number of calls to potential new venues for his indie band which had recently re-formed and was trying to start gigging again.

One called him back to offer a date which another band had cancelled on. Jamie agreed a good fee and then alerted the other band members to let them know.

The only missing  ingredient here is the fact that the band themselves hadn't "signed up" to what dates they were and were not available on. The result was the singer being away at a family function on the date in question and the gig "that never was" needing to be cancelled.

It will be that much harder now for Jamie to go back and approach that venue with the band's professionalism and credibility somewhat shredded.

We've all done it for sure, but it really doesn't take much in terms of organising to share a calendar  so that gigs cannot be booked when any one's not able to play.

One final thought for those gruesome occasions when you may have to cancel a gig for whatever reason. If you've done a spot of networking with other bands you may be able to offer a "substitute" to the venue for the night you bail on. This can often soften the blow and keep your relationship with the venue as positive. 

So, you might want to network a little with a good band who aren't gigging as frequently as you ( and so are likely to be available if you ever have to cancel) - as well as a busy band or two who may be able to push gigs your way from time to time for a similar reason....