Monday, December 7, 2009

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow !

This was a weekend I always look forward to. I do a show way up in New Hampshire, that for the last seven years has been a lot of fun. But before I talk about that show, I had an unfortunate and pretty lousy thing happen.

I was booked for a show on Friday night. This was to be my first time performing for this Boston area high school. We booked the show in September. Two days before the show, I called and left a message just to  let them know what time I would be arriving to set up. I had plans for the night I called withis reminder and when I returned home there was a message from a woman who I assume was on the committee for the show saying they had cancelled the show. She said she left a message a few weeks ago saying they never had secured the school's auditorium for this date and had never advertised the show in the school. I have one of those phone /fax machines that every 25 incoming phone calls prints out a record of all the calls I have received. I also subscibe to the AT&T feature that shows me ALL incoming phone numbers (including private and blocked numbers). I looked at my list and sure enough, there was no call made to me from this woman's number, nor from the woman who booked the show or any number from the Braintree, Massachusetts area. I got stiffed for the show. They cancelled the show the night before and had a battle of the bands instead. This according to the school web site. Now some fault on my end... I had sent out a contract but as happens on many occasions, I do not receive a signed copy back. Sometimes the signed copy is enclosed with the check I receive the night of the show. So not receiving the contract was not something I was worried about. OK, so the show cancelled and yes I am out the money for the show. It happens. But I had a hotel reservation that was passed the cancellation date and time so I am stuck for the price of a room that I don't need.  OK, it happens. It is part of doing business. I guess the part that bugs me is they didn't have the decency to let me know the show was cancelled. What an embarassment it would have been for both of us (really more from me) if I had showed up Friday night without calling to confirm first.

Anyway, thanks for letting me blow off a little steam. This has happened before and I am sure it will happen again. It happens to every entertainer. We rely on others to do the work to set up a proper show and some peopel put in so little effort that is easier just to cancel and make an excuse for doing so. Thank goodness not in Plymouth, New Hampshire.

This is one of the shows I really look forward to year after year. I have preformed at Plymouth Regional High School for the last seven years. This show is sponsored by various groups that promote drug prevention and personal responsibility, etc. It has always been aimed at the freshman in the school, although everyone may attend. And the show is free to all students. This is the only show that I preform that does this. This is great publicity for the school's guidance department program and Mr Ferenc has done a great job with this. More school should see the benefit of a program like this.

Anyway the show was wild and a lot of fun, as usual. Lots of volunteers and lots of great expressions on the volunteers faces during the routines. I geared the routines to bring out the expressions as much as I could. Because the auditorium is so intimate, everyone really got an up close and personal look. I really loved how the  2+2=  arguement carried itself out. You had to be there to understand it, words cannot describe the fun that ensued. But I did agree with the guy on the end... who cares, let's PARTY!

Oh and by the way, if anyone ever has realized, it has snowed every year the night of my performance. Not heavy and hard but enough to put a beautiful coating on everything. That's another reason I love Plymouth, NH. Everything is beautiful. Here are a few photos from the show. I'll see everyone again next year.

  
    
    

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