![Musings of [another] LoudMouth Blonde](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtoP1bpTdawv_m3sSG9SwRSm9CNM3Glk9jkGUx6p-KFOeFSRPXwnWDPmRWNfQO9yF1FDc0StCctWgQJUbWaK6t0or82r3AQ-vy5oPiBldpm24QYME-GDd0Sf64L06JFUoL1xevL3PwciI/s1600/lmbkrys2.jpg)
On June 17th 2011 I was supposed to go meet someone from the band. A friend, someone who was aware of the entire situation and had 'been on my side'. This person was someone I trusted and cared about. This person was in fact the part of the catalyst that made me draw my line in the sand with the singer. To say ok, this is enough. He constantly told me we'll figure this out, we'll fix this, don't let her bully you.
Unfortunately on that day I was quite ill, and wound up in the ER because my heart was doing weird things. I sent him a text letting him know that I was in the ER and that we'd have to reschedule. That is when everything got flipped around on me.
I started getting these text messages accusing me of getting the band fired from some gig. He tore into me about how the band got fired based on inside information that only I would know. He threatened me, was extremely cruel and accusatory and it didn't matter what I said, he was judge & jury and I was convicted. I tried telling him that regardless of my feelings about the singer that I'd NEVER do something to harm the band. I had nothing against the band as a whole, certainly nothing against him, and why would I do something so blatantly stupid when I would know it would bring the wrath of god down on my head? Just based on logic alone he owed (still does) me money for a guitar I'd recently sold him, now since I knew the band was his only form of income why in the hell would I get them fired knowing it would only 1. Get me in trouble 2. Hurt my friend. and 3. make it harder to get my money. I even remember telling him that I was a lot of things, stupid wasn't one of them, and if really thought I was capable of something like that than he never knew me and we were never really friends. Anyone that knows me, even that doesn't know me very well know that this type of thing just isn't my M.O. I don't have a problem with confrontation when it's necessary, nor do I sneak around and pull juvenile stunts. I'll get right in your face and take direct action not this go behind someones back bullshit I was being accused of.
At that point, I didn't even know what club I'd supposedly gotten them fired from. He was impossible to talk to and I'd gotten so worked up that my phone was taken away and I was given a sedative. The next day he sent messages apologizing and playing nice but was still sure I'd gotten them fired. At the point I contacted John and let him know what happened, the threats, everything. He told me "back away from the crazy people". I continued to watch the website to see if a gig would fall off the calendar and nothing ever did so I was starting to suspect that it was all a lie and smoke screen. Several months prior to this I'd loaned this person in the band a bass to use for some recording. I told John that he needed to make arrangements with him for me to get it back. This person offered to buy it and we refused. He already owed me money, I wasn't going to sell that bass to him. He said he had no trouble returning it, but didn't want to deal with me directly. (Seriously?) so I waited for John to try to arrange something from Germany. After a couple of weeks I said this is ridiculous. I sent a text and said I need that bass. What time can we meet tomorrow? I also said I know you don't want to deal with me directly so just to assure you. I'm not looking for an argument or conversation. I just need that bass. He sends me a reply wanting to know what it meant that I didn't want to argue, and did I think he was holding the bass hostage or something? (well yeah.. I kinda did actually) I told him that what it meant was simple. I had nothing to say to him. I just want my bass back. period. He proceeds to start in on this gig thing again, but stupidly showed his hand this time. He said that I got the band fired from THREE gigs at the Rock Bottom in Bellevue and it was for $160 a piece.
Yeah -- that is when I called BULLSHIT. I've been in this biz a long time, I also knew the bands history with the Rock Bottom. 1. I knew they rarely booked that far in advance. 2. The idea that she booked them for a one nighter gig there for a total of $800 bucks was pure fiction. So I did what I do well. I took direct action and called the club and spoke directly with their general manager. I explained who I was, and that I was in an unfortunate situation, and I asked about this so-called cancelled gig. I was told there was indeed a cancelled show with the band. He said he wouldn't say they were fired so much as just not being asked back. He asked if I was there that night and I said no, and he said he didn't want to go into detail but that there were "performance issues' and 'they received letters of complaint from their guests". He assured me that it had nothing to do with the website, and/or me. I spoke to him on August 5, 2011. On August 17th I sent the following email to the band member.
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I have found myself very troubled
by the apparent firing of LMB from the Rock Bottom. When this all first came
down back on June 17th I was simply told that I got the band fired,
but it wasn’t until we were discussing the bass return was I informed that it
was the Rock Bottom that I supposedly got the band fired from.
Friday August 5th, after checking
the website again for gig dates, and saw that the Rock Bottom was still listed, I
decided to get to the bottom of this whole fiasco.
I spoke to the General
Manager of the Rock Bottom in Bellevue. In that conversation I confirmed
that the band was ‘fired’ although he did say he wouldn’t call it fired,
as much as not having the band back to perform. I explained that we have
an unfortunate situation in that since my falling out with the band, I am the
one being faulted for this loss to the band.
Without going into specifics, he
did not want to divulge, nor did I ask. He said there were “performance issues”
and another incident the last time the band played there, along with letters of
complaint from their guests regarding it, and that is why the decision was made
to not bring the band back.
Now, I already knew that there was
nothing I did that would have gotten the band fired. That said, I found
myself wondering two things.
1) Was there any possible way the notice of copyright
violation I had up on the website had anything to do with Rock Bottom’s
decision.
2) Since the current website has not been updated to reflect
the band isn’t playing there in October, I really began to question whether or
not this whole thing with the band getting ‘fired’ was on the level.
That is why I finally decided to
call and speak to the manager.
In this conversation with the manager, I
did ask if there were 3 bookings the band was released from, and he said
No. There was one. I also said that I was told it was $160 a piece
for those gigs, and asked if that was right, because I found it difficult to
believe that the singer negotiated $800 for a one night gig. At that point he
chuckled a little and said no, it would have been nowhere near that.
That brings up my final
point. Either you were lied to about how many gigs there were, and how
much money they were worth, or it was an attempt to make me feel even worse
about this gig thing you are sure I had a hand in.
If you don’t believe me, feel free
to call the general manager @ The Rock Bottom, the number is (425) 462-9300. I called about 2pm Friday the 5th
and he was there. I understand that it’s frustrating to lose a gig,
I also understand that this is your main source of income, and I also know that
it’s easy to lay blame, and look for a scapegoat. Whatever you were
told by sinerg it doesn’t really matter. My conscious is clear, and the one
question I had was answered, and that was that it had nothing to do with me or
the notice on the website. Bands lose gigs all the time, and you
know it. Bar owners, booking managers, etc are fickle and it’s easy to
drop a band because there’s another 20 knocking down their door looking for a
spot.
Along
with an invitation for you to call the manager to confirm everything I’ve said
here, I’d be more than happy to open up my computer and phone records,
including to a forensic computer specialist, because I have nothing to hide,
and I know that I didn’t say anything to The Rock Bottom, write anything to the
Rock Bottom, nor do I know anyone that did, until the 5th when
I spoke to the general manager.
I
don’t think you realize how much I valued our friendship, and it’s very hurtful
to feel that what I considered a friendship was nothing more than what I can do
for you and when my usefulness ran out, so did the ‘friendship’. However
you choose to justify your actions is immaterial now, but I hope you can move
forward and know that I had no hand in LMB getting fired, and if you choose to
not believe that .. that’s fine too. There is a part of me that
would like think that you accusing me of getting the band fired was all ruse to
exit the friendship once I could no longer help you out, because as much as
that scenario sucks, it doesn’t suck as bad as you actually believing I’d do
that to you, or the other people in the band.
Be
Well
-K
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of course as standard behavior for cowards dictates, I did not receive a reply.
