The last 3 times we have played the LA/San Diego area, some how major storms and natural disasters have seemed to follow us. During March the grapevine(I-5) and the tehachapi pass were both closed due to snow, then when we got to Escondido it was hailing. This trip was no different. Thurs April 13 we played SDSU with no problems, then Friday rolls around we have a gig at Cane's Bar and Grill(a really dope venue). Long story short 5 out of 8 members were at Cane's sound checked and ready to roll. The other 3 were mashing from Fresno to make the show. Our set was from 9-9:40, they left Fresno(6 hrs) at 2:30. It was raining, a Friday and Easther weekend. 9:00 rolls around, no van, 9:10 rolls by no van. The management is sweating me like you wouldn't believe and with good reason. Finally the stage manager pulls me aside to tell me that we can't play, we ran out of time. So the other 3 members going 100mph driving 6 hrs will have risked it all for.. nothing. Then he offers to buy us all beer. I told him "we'd rather play one song than drink a beer." he finally agrees for us to play one song. Finally the rest of the guys show up and we play our one song. Then the sound man gives us the go ahead to play another, then another, then another. We ended up playing 4 songs, so I guess they liked it. We played a 10 minute set, but put 6 hrs worth of driving aggression into it and ripped it to shreds. The management was pleased with the music but not the tardiness. Excuses are like assholes, everyone has them and they all stink. We did EVERYTHING possible to make this gig happen even for 10 min. Of course this isn't professional and I wouldn't recomend it to anyone, but the lesson is, do what you can with what you got.
