Early Quittin’ Time? Not in This Business!

As is the case with many of my blogs, this week’s was again inspired by something that I witnessed recently.  Yesterday I took it to the Facebook group, where we’ve been having quite a hearty discussion on the matter.  Wow.  Quite a hearty discussion.  I was going to weigh in on it after everyone seemingly had their say, but saw that it’s an active enough topic that I didn’t want to deny the blog readers an opportunity to somehow be a part of it.

On the table is the topic of potentially wrapping up a gig early.  After all, with all the late nights that musicians keep, playing in some cases well past midnight, the idea of getting home at the time when maybe you’d just be doing your load-out seems pretty appealing.

To set the scene here, picture being the entertainment at, say, a restaurant, for example.  You are booked to play until, let’s say 10:00pm.  However, by 9:15 the only people left in the place besides you are the staff and maybe one non-performing member of your entourage.  Clearly, there isn’t a patron coming through the door anytime soon.

Do another song or two and then call it a night, huh?

Well, actually, in the Facebook group discussion – all contributors to this topic being performers themselves – not a single person said, “Yes, bolt!”

Here’s the thing.  You know the old WWJD expression?  (What Would Jesus Do)  Think in this case of what would the owner and/or manager say.  For starters, is he/she there?  Have they told you, “Thanks (name).  Just go ahead and wrap it up.”  (In which case, of course, you’re going to say, “Yeah?  I’m booked until 10.  I don’t mind.  I was going to just keep going!”)

What if the owner and/or manager isn’t/aren’t there?  Think to yourself, “What if word gets back to him/her that I decided on my own to wrap up early?”  Keep in mind that if/when confronted on it, you’re going to find yourself saying, “There was nobody in here.”  And now you’ve put light back on an already uneasy situation (the fact that they had nobody in there at 9:15).  By telling them that you opted to leave, now you’re further implying that you didn’t foresee anyone else coming in!  Are you seeing your feet sinking further into the quicksand now?

Do you like the place?  Do you want to keep getting booked there?  Never mind the tips.  Does the place themselves pay you more if there are more people in there?  No, and they’re still going to pay you the same amount to keep playing for those final 45 minutes of no one being in there.

You don’t want to develop lazy habits or a reputation of someone who’s watching the clock and ready to pack up the minute the clock strikes quitting time.  Pay attention to your music.  Keep working on what it is you do.  And, be grateful to be in there in front of nobody instead of at home in front of the TV (a.k.a. nobody) where you’re not getting paid.

NOTE: I will add that yes, of course, if the owner/manager tells you to call it a night and you reply as I’d suggested above and they still insist on you punching out, then it’s okay because you showed that you planned to keep playing and (presumably) they essentially wouldn’t take No (or would that be Yes) for an answer.

Want to see what others were saying?  Have something you want to contribute to the discussion?  Join the Facebook group and weigh in on this and other topics.