[Dixielandjazz] More Gig Tips

[Zenith Sydney]

> A church gig is one way of getting jazz musicians to church...
>
> --Sheik
>
 MORE GIG TIPS
We didn't get the gig because most of the band didn't attend church.
If you attend church regularly please don't delete and read
Extract from Zenith Tales:  Also available at
http://www.euroclubdejazz.com/corepage.htm
Go to LHS links to "associate sites" then RHS jazz links -
Musicians/SydneyZenith/click interview
and read from green font heading "Wesley Mission, Sydney"  (towards end of
interview).

WESLEY MISSION, SYDNEY

                   The Zenith were approached by the Wesley Mission (Pitt
Street, Sydney) in November 1991 with a view to using the band in their
"Turn Round Australia" early Sunday morning TV program.

                   Producer Martin Johnson wanted some new ideas for
 promotion of the Wesley Mission image in Australia in conjunction with the
 Reverend Dr. Gordon Moyes. After attending a Zenith gospel service at St.
 Simon & St. Jude in Bowral their financial development director Stuart
 Storrar approached Tom for a copy of the service which Merle had videoed.
 Stuart wanted it for presentation to the church and consideration as a good
 example of what could be done if they hired the band.

                   By coincidence, the band was meanwhile engaged for the
gospel service at the Montsalvat jazz festival over the Australia Day
weekend in Melbourne. This had live simulcast coverage Australia wide on
channel 2 with a large emphasis on audience response and the band was
looking good for the weekly Sunday TV show. However, this was not to be, as
no gig eventuated. At the seventh hour the Wesley Mission interviewed the
band in the prayer room and asked whether all members were Christians. Tom
foolishly told them the truth about the assorted cardinal sinning band of
atheists, agnostics non-practising Catholic and lapsed Protestant's.

                   They didn't stand a chance, became indignant and failed
the final test. Furthermore they wanted the band to donate the bulk of their
TV playing fees back to the church. This combined with the early Sunday
start for the program was the only conciliation for potentially missing out
on one of the best possible gigs in town. The band had no interest in
organised religion and therefore lost a good weekly gig playing on TV.

  --------------------------------------------------------------
                   Mike Cook is a former Fleet Street journalist and now a
freelance music and film reviewer and writes for numerous magazines and
newspapers as well as working for the EuroClub deJazz website.

Cheers,
Tom (nearly famous, failed entrepreneur) Wood