Hula Groove Wedding Band - Threatened court action!

Bonny1

Crikey... Im shattered just reading all of that..

well done Mate, and good luck for your wedding, to you and the future Missus AGMoore..

Bonny

[Deleted User]

Hi,

A mixed bag of responses here.

IMO the cancellation fee is excessive and as others have said there is a requirement for the band to mitigate their losses by securing another booking. However money does not have to exchange hands and a contract does not have to be writing for it to be binding.

Unholyangel does have a point about securing the booking - if it's the same band.

I would suggest contacting Consumer Direct (search in Google) as it could be argued that the T&C's are unfair and ask for them to be looked at by your local Trading Standards under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations.

Good luck with this and the big day when it comes.

Rugbys.

ViolaLass

Torby wrote: »

just had a read at their rider....lol....they sound like a bunch of real cowboys, 4 x 13 amp sockets to run their kit....lol....1 Hr pre recorded music after midnight £250!!!!...

after this thread (so easily found now on MSE) their reputation is going swiftly down the tubes....lol...would love to know what their charge was....you would be surprised what you can get for as little as £1k nowadays....

unlimited drinks, hot meal and sandwiches....Spinal Tap....come back ...you're forgiven....

they're going to get a bad press....not for their tactics requesting payment...but for their silly rider...

I think some of the objections to the T&Cs are really unfair.

I've been in a band myself with similar terms. You have to put things like the number of sockets in because if you turn up and they've not been provided, what are you supposed to do? Equally, if you have to keep playing or leave your equipment for another hour after midnight so it can play recorded music, it's fair to be paid extra if the original contract runs until midnight (ours always did). £250 split between up to 11 people is not that much at all.

somethingcorporate

ViolaLass wrote: »

I think some of the objections to the T&Cs are really unfair.

I've been in a band myself with similar terms. You have to put things like the number of sockets in because if you turn up and they've not been provided, what are you supposed to do? Equally, if you have to keep playing or leave your equipment for another hour after midnight so it can play recorded music, it's fair to be paid extra if the original contract runs until midnight (ours always did). £250 split between up to 11 people is not that much at all.

£250 for having you sit in the bar drinking drinks someone else has paid for seems quite generous if you ask me.

£22.72 an hour sounds like fairly good money to me!

Takoda

rugbyscottie wrote: »

Hi,

A mixed bag of responses here.

IMO the cancellation fee is excessive and as others have said there is a requirement for the band to mitigate their losses by securing another booking. However money does not have to exchange hands and a contract does not have to be writing for it to be binding.

Unholyangel does have a point about securing the booking - if it's the same band.

I would suggest contacting Consumer Direct (search in Google) as it could be argued that the T&C's are unfair and ask for them to be looked at by your local Trading Standards under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations.

Good luck with this and the big day when it comes.

Rugbys.

Good suggestion about Trading Standards. Hula Groove are based in N8 9AX which is Haringey. Full address is on the T&Cs.

Takoda

ViolaLass wrote: »

I think some of the objections to the T&Cs are really unfair.

I've been in a band myself with similar terms. You have to put things like the number of sockets in because if you turn up and they've not been provided, what are you supposed to do? Socket doubler? Portable generator? Equally, if you have to keep playing or leave your equipment for another hour after midnight so it can play recorded music, it's fair to be paid extra if the original contract runs until midnight (ours always did). Being a jobbing musician is not a 9 to 5 job though is it? When I take kids away on residentials and they are ill or upset in the night I don't get paid extra for getting up at 1am to sort them out or for being 'on duty' 24 hours when I'm only paid for 8 hours. IT IS JUST PART OF THE JOB! £250 split between up to 11 people is not that much at all.But that's on top of the £2000!

I'm just typing this bit because the forum won't let me post unless I do.

ViolaLass

somethingcorporate wrote: »

£250 for having you sit in the bar drinking drinks someone else has paid for seems quite generous if you ask me.

£22.72 an hour sounds like fairly good money to me!

£250 so that I stay late when perhaps I have to work the next day AND it's time that's been negotiated at the last minute (else it would have been in the original contract and for a lower amount).

Earning £20-25 an hour is normal for a musician. Remember, this is not a profession where you can get 35 hours a week of work. Plus, we rehearse (as a group), practise (individually), buy expensive instruments etc etc.

Must say though, my band never insisted on any drinks, let alone unlimited, although we might ask for water. We did ask for an evening meal but would eat whatever we were given - if this meant joining in with the buffet then that was fine.

So I do think some of the T&Cs are OTT but please don't lose sight of the fact that performing music is a skill and while you're having a great time at your wedding, we're performing all evening and it is tiring. I'm not looking for sympathy, I just don't think that hourly rate is at all unreasonable.

ViolaLass

I just wanted to add that of course, musicians in a band get no sick pay, no holiday pay, no pay when they're not at a gig (but perhaps doing something related to the gig e.g. practising) and no travel expenses etc.

Also £2000 divided by 11 is, again, not an unreasonable amount for an evening's work involving a skill (assuming the band is any good, I don't know them so have no idea) especially considering the manager will have taken a hefty cut, perhaps even 50%. Want cheaper bands? Book direct!

blue_monkey_2

somethingcorporate wrote: »

£250 for having you sit in the bar drinking drinks someone else has paid for seems quite generous if you ask me.

£22.72 an hour sounds like fairly good money to me!

And if you are in a 4 piece band that is £62.50 an hour for sitting drinking in the bar.

blue_monkey_2

ViolaLass wrote: »

I just wanted to add that of course, musicians in a band get no sick pay, no holiday pay, no pay when they're not at a gig (but perhaps doing something related to the gig e.g. practising) and no travel expenses etc.

Also £2000 divided by 11 is, again, not an unreasonable amount for an evening's work involving a skill (assuming the band is any good, I don't know them so have no idea) especially considering the manager will have taken a hefty cut, perhaps even 50%. Want cheaper bands? Book direct!

So get a proper job then!!

There are millions of Self Employed people - myself included - I do this job knowing that I get no sick pay, no holiday pay, no money when there are no sales. That is what being self employed is all about.

Someone cancelled an order worth £70 yesterday - after 4 days, because they did not read the screen, T&C or confirmation email proplery. I did not threaten to take them to court, I did not tell them they had to have the goods regardless, I said 'no worries, it happens'. And it does happen 3 or 4 times a week. The goods are bespoke and are ordered especially for them, they were already ordered, I'll have to pay for them, I cannot return them, I cannot cancel the order. but whatever, that's business. A crap review plastered all over the internet for the sake of a days pay is really not worth it as it will cost me £1000's more in the long run.

You may wel have got away with standard T&C like those a while back but times are a changing and people will not accept being walked over any longer, forums such as these prove this. You have to move on and adjust your business accordinally.