The Gig That Never Was...
So there I was yesterday morning up bright and early - ie 6am!!!! - so that I can get to the airport in good time to get the flight to Jersey.
Met up with Johnny Candon at Victoria Station at 9.10am, and off we went on the Gatwick Express. We checked in, went and had breakfast and met up with our MC for the evening Kevin Shepherd in the Departure Lounge.
Boarded the plane, sat on the tarmac for 30 minutes and eventually took off about 12.30. By 1pm we were over Jersey and preparing to land. At 2pm we were circling over Jersey for the third time still trying to land. The pilot told us that some kind of landing thing at the airport was broken and due to the poor visibility he couldn't get near enough to the ground to see the runway so we were going back to Gatwick.
At 2.30 we landed at Gatwick and were kept hanging about on the plane while they worked out what to do. We were all told that we could rebook on a later flight, but with two planes now heading back to Gatwick also, there were no guarantees. We called the guy who booked us, but being a bank holiday all we got was his answering machine. Left a message to the effect that we seemed to be having a 'snow day'.
I got my bag and asked again what the chances were of actually getting to Jersey in time for the gig and was told they were slim, so I got the Gatwick Express back to Victoria. Texted the woman who runs the gig in Jersey telling her what had happened, so that at least she wouldn't lose money on the hotel rooms. Johnny found me on the train and we got a call back from her demanding we go back and sit at Gatwick and wait to see if we might be able to get a flight!
Her attitude stunk quite frankly and I was quite glad when we went into a tunnel and the call was cut off. She rang back and spoke to Johnny accusing him of being a liar and telling him that Kevin was still at the airport and had re-booked us all on a flight leaving in an hour. Not sure how one person can book three people on a flight when he has no ID for the other two, but that's what she said. I could hear her screaming at Johnny and in the end, we were saved by another tunnel.
Spoke to someone from the London agency and explained and she was cool about it all...after all it wasn't like WE put the fog there or knobbled the bloke with the torch who guides planes into Jersey airport. We started the day with every intention of turning up and doing a great gig, sadly the weather and other circumstances meant that wasn't gonna happen, so we came home. Being abused by someone I've never met is not the way to get me to re-think my plans!
So a little tip for all promoters out there....sometimes shit happens...deal with it.
Met up with Johnny Candon at Victoria Station at 9.10am, and off we went on the Gatwick Express. We checked in, went and had breakfast and met up with our MC for the evening Kevin Shepherd in the Departure Lounge.
Boarded the plane, sat on the tarmac for 30 minutes and eventually took off about 12.30. By 1pm we were over Jersey and preparing to land. At 2pm we were circling over Jersey for the third time still trying to land. The pilot told us that some kind of landing thing at the airport was broken and due to the poor visibility he couldn't get near enough to the ground to see the runway so we were going back to Gatwick.
At 2.30 we landed at Gatwick and were kept hanging about on the plane while they worked out what to do. We were all told that we could rebook on a later flight, but with two planes now heading back to Gatwick also, there were no guarantees. We called the guy who booked us, but being a bank holiday all we got was his answering machine. Left a message to the effect that we seemed to be having a 'snow day'.
I got my bag and asked again what the chances were of actually getting to Jersey in time for the gig and was told they were slim, so I got the Gatwick Express back to Victoria. Texted the woman who runs the gig in Jersey telling her what had happened, so that at least she wouldn't lose money on the hotel rooms. Johnny found me on the train and we got a call back from her demanding we go back and sit at Gatwick and wait to see if we might be able to get a flight!
Her attitude stunk quite frankly and I was quite glad when we went into a tunnel and the call was cut off. She rang back and spoke to Johnny accusing him of being a liar and telling him that Kevin was still at the airport and had re-booked us all on a flight leaving in an hour. Not sure how one person can book three people on a flight when he has no ID for the other two, but that's what she said. I could hear her screaming at Johnny and in the end, we were saved by another tunnel.
Spoke to someone from the London agency and explained and she was cool about it all...after all it wasn't like WE put the fog there or knobbled the bloke with the torch who guides planes into Jersey airport. We started the day with every intention of turning up and doing a great gig, sadly the weather and other circumstances meant that wasn't gonna happen, so we came home. Being abused by someone I've never met is not the way to get me to re-think my plans!
So a little tip for all promoters out there....sometimes shit happens...deal with it.
Labels: Gigs
posted by JoJo Smith at Tuesday, May 08, 2007
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