5/9/2010

This blog has been mostly tame stuff about daily life on tour. But because it is the music industry, it is ugly when dishonest people get involved. This is a very honest look at an experience we had last night.

Back story: last year the band was booked on a dumpy tour by a kid who is an aspiring booking agent. He was working for a tiny booking agency that our label used just for that tour. The band ended up pulling off the tour early. It was essentially American Legion halls with no stages and mobile sound systems. Not quite the venues we should be playing.

In January, this kid came into our dressing room in Pontiac, MI demanding money, claiming our record label never paid him. We told him we had nothing to do with it since his contract was not with us, but our record label. Regardless of his rudeness, we called our label and management to help him track down his money. Our manager found the receipts proving that his company had been paid and forwarded them to him, CCing Ryan on all the emails. His company was paid. He was not paid. It was his company that had failed to pay him.

Last night, he was the booking agent for the show. We played, there was a big, it was all good. At the end of the night, we went to settle up because we had a contract that guaranteed us a certain amount from the promoter. He said that he was refusing to pay us because he had still not received any money. He denied getting an email with the receipts, even though all of us had seen them, read the email, and had seen his email address on the list. After a call from our booking agent and label, who said they would resend the receipts, he still refused to make good on our contract.

Essentially, he booked us simply to steal money from our band, knowing full well it would not affect our label or management (the people who he claims owe him money). He said that he knew that the money he claimed is owed him is not our issue and verbally admitted that what he was doing was immoral, illegal, and ethically wrong. He said, "this is just how I do business."

It is pathetic that messed up teenage kids are trying to conduct business on high school terms in an adult world. It is sad that he has his morals so skewed at such a young age. There are people who take something that is fun and amazing (music and touring) and make it unpleasant. But God takes care of us and will hopefully intervene is this kid's life before he messes with the wrong kind of people or continues on this path as an adult.

If you are in a band and touring, do not book anything through Jonathon Wilson.

In better news, we are in Ohio and on the way to Cleveland: Rock City! It is going to be an awesome show and we are looking forward to it and a hotel! Hot showers, swimming, and doing laundry. Then a real bed. Cannot wait!