[Dixielandjazz] FW: So you wanna be a bandleader?
Charlie Hooks
charliehooks@earthlink.net
Sat, 31 Aug 2002 15:14:14 -0500
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Tom tried to post this himself but has seemingly been delisted. I asked if
I could post it for him--in case any of our young have the insane idea of
becoming bandleaders.
--Charlie
From: AmbassCult@aol.com
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 12:07:20 EDT
To: charliehooks@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: Upcoming Events Bulletin - August 23 Edition
Hi Charlie:
Yep I have been playing music and booking bands and producing shows and
recordings since I was a mere lad very wet behind the ears at 17 years old,
so I like to say I am 59 going on 109 years old.
Even this last successful tour had it's moments to make me stop and ponder
why the Hell I keep doing this.
Four paramedic ambulance calls in six weeks in three different countries,
from sidemen Hell Bent on suicide on the easiest gig they have ever had.
One guy whom I had not seen in about eight years although we have been
buddies for thirty called me from New Orleans and asked to go along on this
tour with us just for the fun of it, (at first) even offered to buy his own
International airline ticket, he just wanted to get out for awhile so since
he is a legendary musician from down there I said sure come on meet us in
Spain.
He did but he neglected to tell me that he now is diabetic and eighty pounds
overweight and has asthma attacks as well. I have dealt with this kind of
illness many times before with other artists, but none of them insisted upon
drinking a liter of Rum or Vodka every two days along with their problem.
This guy drank himself into a stupor while on his insulin medication and
went comatose on me at 5:00 a.m. not once, but twice after promising that it
would not happen again after the first episode. I call that suicidal and
told him so the second time while admonishing him that if it happened again,
just don't even try to call me, I ain't coming to save you again. He
showed up for the last concert loaded to the brim and I fully expected him
to die while waiting for his train in the mid morning hours, but somehow he
made it back to New Orleans and wrote me to thank me for the great tour.
I will Never invite him along again legend or no legend. Of course after
pulling these stunts, he demanded a meeting and in his new frame of mind he
turned his vacation trip that he begged to come on from a vacation into a
GIG. Now mind you he had begged to come out with us and pay for his own
ticket, ( his wife works for an airline so he can fly almost free anywhere)
he insisted that he did not expect or wish to be paid to come out and play
with us. Now he decided it is too hard to just be on an all expense paid
vacation, and he wants to get paid for the gig.
I had planned to pay him all along anyway, because he actually replaced
another regular member who could not go so I had him in the budget anyway.
He just made an ugly scene and went out there to stir up shit, bitching and
complaining to the other guys about getting paid etc. stressing some of them
out, and they all knew I was going to pay him anyway. (One of those kind).
Then the sanest at least we all thought so one ( The Soprano Sax player) who
just retired from his thirty years music teaching position and freed himself
up to travel extensively with the band went nuts for no reason whatsoever
and grabbed his bags and horn at 6:00 a.m. took a taxi and started out
looking for the train depot or airport in Bologna Italy. Now mind you I
still have his pay and his return airline tickets in my briefcase, not a
word from him to anybody in the band, just up and out, no thanks, I hate you
guys, something is wrong, good-bye kiss my ass, just gone. Five hours later
I got a cell phone call on the way to the next festival telling me he was
still trying to find the airport. Does not speak a word of Italian that
guy.
I had to hire an Italian guy to replace him for the rest of the tour, and
when I got home this fool had the guts to call me and ask me how much money
he has coming for the tour. I told him to ask the judge, and to bring his
checkbook to court with him.
Two days later the Tuba player freaked out and took the tuba and a taxi and
headed out for parts unknown, which caused another guy with high blood
pressure to stress out and we though he was having a heart attack or stroke,
since he could not move off the bed in his hotel room. I called out the
paramedics and they took him away to the hospital. He fortunately
recovered and they got his blood pressure back under control and told him to
take his medications for it and stop drinking. He made it back in time for
the concert that night.
I spent the rest of the day trying to find a Tuba to rent and or an Italian
Tuba Player to replace his dumb ass. I found a Tuba, and switched a Bone
player to it and hired an Italian Bone player to fill in the rest of the
tour. Best I could do on the spot, but it worked out fine. One monkey
don't ever stop my show, not even two or three monkeys, the show will go on
I never give the money back. Ha ha. and I always deliver what I sell.
Now mind you the stress level on this tour was no doubt immense !!
We performed no more than a Ninety minute show every day, stayed in 4 & 5
star Hotels ate gourmet meals in most of them, traveled by air and air
conditioned tour buses with driver, played with the biggest names in Jazz &
Blues at major festivals. Were on the front pages of almost every newspaper
in every city, seen on National television shows and the news several
places. Everything these guys have always dreamed about doing and here they
are doing it and can't handle the success.
I still say a musician spend ninety percent of his life trying to find a GIG
and the other ten percent trying to get Fired from it. It still holds true
at all levels of success, I saw similar action and problems backstage with
several other major Stars bands. The only real difference is that those
Major Stars make enough money to fire the clown and fly another guy in to
take his place over night. we make very good money but not that level yet,
but if these clowns would ever shape up we could get there in a couple of
years, because musically and entertainment wise we are kicking some of the
big guys butts when we get on the same show with them.
Why oh Why did I ever become a Band Leader/Agent/
Manager/Producer/Babysitter/ Doctor/ Psychiatrist/Banker, Loan Company/Pawn
Shop? All I wanted to do was play some good music and be an amateur
gynecologist, tee hee.
Cheers,
Tom
Saint Gabriel's Celestial Brass Band and sometimes Circus Show
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<HEAD>
<TITLE>FW: So you wanna be a bandleader?</TITLE>
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<BR>
Tom tried to post this himself but has seemingly been delisted. I ask=
ed if I could post it for him--in case any of our young have the insane idea=
of becoming bandleaders.<BR>
<BR>
--Charlie<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<B>From: </B>AmbassCult@aol.com<BR>
<B>Date: </B>Fri, 30 Aug 2002 12:07:20 EDT<BR>
<B>To: </B>charliehooks@earthlink.net<BR>
<B>Subject: </B>Re: Upcoming Events Bulletin - August 23 Edition<BR>
<BR>
<FONT SIZE=3D"2">Hi Charlie: <BR>
<BR>
Yep I have been playing music and booking bands and producing shows and rec=
ordings since I was a mere lad very wet behind the ears at 17 years old, so =
I like to say I am 59 going on 109 years old. <BR>
<BR>
Even this last successful tour had it's moments to make me stop and ponder =
why the Hell I keep doing this. <BR>
<BR>
Four paramedic ambulance calls in six weeks in three different countries, f=
rom sidemen Hell Bent on suicide on the easiest gig they have ever had. &nbs=
p; One guy whom I had not seen in about eight years although we have be=
en buddies for thirty called me from New Orleans and asked to go along on th=
is tour with us just for the fun of it, (at first) even offered to buy his o=
wn International airline ticket, he just wanted to get out for awhile so sin=
ce he is a legendary musician from down there I said sure come on meet us in=
Spain. <BR>
<BR>
He did but he neglected to tell me that he now is diabetic and eighty pound=
s overweight and has asthma attacks as well. I have dealt with this ki=
nd of illness many times before with other artists, but none of them insiste=
d upon drinking a liter of Rum or Vodka every two days along with their prob=
lem. <BR>
<BR>
This guy drank himself into a stupor while on his insulin medication and we=
nt comatose on me at 5:00 a.m. not once, but twice after promising that it w=
ould not happen again after the first episode. I call that suicidal an=
d told him so the second time while admonishing him that if it happened agai=
n, just don't even try to call me, I ain't coming to save you again. &=
nbsp; He showed up for the last concert loaded to the brim and I fully =
expected him to die while waiting for his train in the mid morning hours, bu=
t somehow he made it back to New Orleans and wrote me to thank me for the gr=
eat tour. <BR>
<BR>
I will Never invite him along again legend or no legend. Of course af=
ter pulling these stunts, he demanded a meeting and in his new frame of mind=
he turned his vacation trip that he begged to come on from a vacation into =
a GIG. Now mind you he had begged to come out with us and pay for his =
own ticket, ( his wife works for an airline so he can fly almost free anywhe=
re) he insisted that he did not expect or wish to be paid to come out and pl=
ay with us. Now he decided it is too hard to just be on an all e=
xpense paid vacation, and he wants to get paid for the gig. <BR>
<BR>
I had planned to pay him all along anyway, because he actually replaced ano=
ther regular member who could not go so I had him in the budget anyway. &nbs=
p; He just made an ugly scene and went out there to stir up shit, bitch=
ing and complaining to the other guys about getting paid etc. stressing some=
of them out, and they all knew I was going to pay him anyway. (=
One of those kind). <BR>
<BR>
Then the sanest at least we all thought so one ( The Soprano Sax player) wh=
o just retired from his thirty years music teaching position and freed himse=
lf up to travel extensively with the band went nuts for no reason whatsoever=
and grabbed his bags and horn at 6:00 a.m. took a taxi and started out look=
ing for the train depot or airport in Bologna Italy. Now mind yo=
u I still have his pay and his return airline tickets in my briefcase, not a=
word from him to anybody in the band, just up and out, no thanks, I hate yo=
u guys, something is wrong, good-bye kiss my ass, just gone. Five hour=
s later I got a cell phone call on the way to the next festival telling me h=
e was still trying to find the airport. Does not speak a word of Itali=
an that guy. <BR>
<BR>
I had to hire an Italian guy to replace him for the rest of the tour, and w=
hen I got home this fool had the guts to call me and ask me how much money h=
e has coming for the tour. I told him to ask the judge, and to bring h=
is checkbook to court with him. <BR>
<BR>
Two days later the Tuba player freaked out and took the tuba and a taxi and=
headed out for parts unknown, which caused another guy with high blood pres=
sure to stress out and we though he was having a heart attack or stroke, sin=
ce he could not move off the bed in his hotel room. I called out the p=
aramedics and they took him away to the hospital. He fortunately=
recovered and they got his blood pressure back under control and told him t=
o take his medications for it and stop drinking. He made it back in ti=
me for the concert that night. <BR>
<BR>
I spent the rest of the day trying to find a Tuba to rent and or an Italian=
Tuba Player to replace his dumb ass. I found a Tuba, and switched a B=
one player to it and hired an Italian Bone player to fill in the rest of the=
tour. Best I could do on the spot, but it worked out fine. One =
monkey don't ever stop my show, not even two or three monkeys, the show will=
go on I never give the money back. Ha ha. and I always deliver what I sell.=
<BR>
<BR>
Now mind you the stress level on this tour was no doubt immense !! <BR>
<BR>
We performed no more than a Ninety minute show every day, stayed in 4 &=
5 star Hotels ate gourmet meals in most of them, traveled by air and air co=
nditioned tour buses with driver, played with the biggest names in Jazz &=
; Blues at major festivals. Were on the front pages of almost every ne=
wspaper in every city, seen on National television shows and the news severa=
l places. Everything these guys have always dreamed about doing and he=
re they are doing it and can't handle the success. <BR>
<BR>
I still say a musician spend ninety percent of his life trying to find a GI=
G and the other ten percent trying to get Fired from it. It still hold=
s true at all levels of success, I saw similar action and problems backstage=
with several other major Stars bands. The only real difference =
is that those Major Stars make enough money to fire the clown and fly anothe=
r guy in to take his place over night. we make very good money b=
ut not that level yet, but if these clowns would ever shape up we could get =
there in a couple of years, because musically and entertainment wise we are =
kicking some of the big guys butts when we get on the same show with them. <=
BR>
<BR>
Why oh Why did I ever become a Band Leader/Agent/ Manager/Producer/Babysitt=
er/ Doctor/ Psychiatrist/Banker, Loan Company/Pawn Shop? All I wanted =
to do was play some good music and be an amateur gynecologist, tee hee. <BR>
<BR>
Cheers, <BR>
<BR>
Tom <BR>
Saint Gabriel's Celestial Brass Band and sometimes Circus Show <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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