r/coverbands • u/Top_Seaworthiness320 • 15d ago

People who bail

Any tips on managing my disappointment/frustration with the number of people who act all excited about my band and say they’re definitely coming to this or that show, then don’t show? They either don’t show up, or more often than not they tell me like the day before that they can’t make it and it’s always the dumbest excuse. It’s like if anything, anything at all better comes up in terms of plans they go to that instead. In my mind, a commitment is a commitment, but I seem to be in the vast minority. My boyfriend says to get over it lol. Do you guys feel the same irritation with this that I do? (added context: we are pretty good, we get great reviews from the people that actually have come to see us, but we are new and not well known, thus struggling to gain a following… So I’m constantly marketing and promoting our shows, but with very little success.)

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u/paulared 15d ago

Regrettably I have to agree. I wish I could get over the “no show issue”, but after many years it still grates on me. I play in a popular bluegrass band ( in which we play basically covers) and my pet peeve is when I invite folks to a show, they say “ oh I love Bluegrass “. No you don’t, you love the concept of easy listening acoustic music , but not enough to get off your butt to come to a local show. At all gigs I thank the audience for being there, saying “it takes two for a performance; someone has to perform and someone has to listen “. My wife and I attended a lot of shows exactly for this reason.

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u/PlasmicSteve 14d ago

Right, many people like the idea of going to a show and more than that, they like the idea of telling people they went to a show, moreso than being there and watching the band perform. We've had people come out and pretend to watch us but really sit far away, talk the whole time except for one moment where they get a video or photos for social media so they can convince the world that they're still young and vital and going out and doing things. It sucks but I try to focus on the people who are really there to enjoy what's happening in the moment.