Bad Bands

Chapter One

Normal life.

Scene [1]

Bad Bands

The ‘Stilettos’ practice site, Willamette Music, Portland, OR
2002/05/28 18:00-22:00
    Will took his instrument out of its case and tuned it up.  The new practice room was much smaller than what they had used last week.  The band’s treasury is seriously depleted and the new place was half the cost.  But, the room was not designed for music production.  Concrete block walls reflect the sound intensely, so, part of Will’s equipment included a pair of earplugs.

    “Did you talk to the manager about the walls?” Will asked the band leader.

    Mark Jones said,  “He said ‘If you want deadening, hang your own blankets.’”

    “And he calls this place a studio?”

    “It’s better than a church basement.”

    “Not much.”

    “Well, it’s going to have to do, until we get a gig that pays more than bus fare.”

    “Do we have any prospects for that?”

    “I’m working on it.”

    “Yeah, how hard?”

    “Billy, I’ll do the marketing, you play the bass.”

    Will thought better than to press the issue.  Instead he put his earplugs in with an obvious move and cranked the amp up.

    The rest of the band filtered in and they got down to business.  They practiced their reparatory of 20 main pieces, all written by someone else.  The creativity of the band had gone to zero when their lead guitar quit last year.


Willamette Music, Portland, OR
2002/06/18 18:00-22:00
    The drummer/manager set the compensation rates for the band: straight union scale for performances, practice is uncompensated.  Will had to work days at Pep Boys to make ends meet.  All the other players had full-time day jobs too.  Only the manager, Mark, was able to get by with a part-time job besides the double scale fee he took from the band.

    Whenever questioned about finances, “I consider this as my full-time job,” Mark would say.  “I’m out scouting possible engagements almost everyday.”

    You mean, out drinking at every bar in town, Will thought.

    “We may be back to EJ's after the fourth.”

    “Oh, no.  Not that strip club again,” Will said.

    “Don’t give me that attitude, Billy.”

    “It’s not an attitude.  People go there for the girls, not the band.  It’s not a wonder they don’t pay good.”

    “Pay is pay.  It may be all I can get.”

    “Well, how about printing up some flyers.  We can spread them around the hotels.”

    “Like I said.  I do the marketing.  But out.”


EJ's, Portland, OR
2002/07/05 19:00-24:00
    A normal night at EJ’s; two fights inside, a performer was groped, two perverts had to be escorted out of the men’s room, and a knife fight in the parking lot attracted the cops.

    The ‘Stilettos’ played four sets.  After the third set, one patron complained he had heard two of the songs before.  Mark responded with, “We’re not unlimited.  We play to the crowd.”

    Will wondered, You can actually recognize the songs?

* * *

    The gig lasted for three weeks.  EJ’s paid them $500 per night.  The treasury should have had 500 x 4 x 3 = $6000 in it.  The band members were paid in cash each night, totaling 5 x 10 x 5 x 4 x 3 = $3000.  The bank account only showed $1729.  “Where’s the other $1271?” Mark said.

    “Damned if I know.  I don’t even know the account number,” Will said.

    “It was in the strong box for a week before I deposited it.”

    “And who had control of the box?”

    “I locked it every night.”

    “Don’t look at me.  All I get is scale.  I don’t take out expenses like you do.”

    “Are you saying I took too much?”

    “Looks like it.”

    “Watch it.  You’ve had problems with cash in the past.  The most probable thief would be you.”


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