I hate cancelling shows. I agree with the old saying, “the show must go on”, it’s the way entertainers should look at their commitments. When someone books entertainment, they should be able to count on the performer showing up and putting on a good show.
I am now coming up on seven years as an entertainer. The next show I do will be show number 458. In that time, I have had to cancel 2 shows.
Once, several years ago, I had a bad bout of the flu that eventually got to my vocal chords, pretty much rendering me speechless…or at least “sing-less” I couldn’t hit a note to save my life…yes, it was worse than my “regular” singing! I knew I could probably dope myself up with Dayquil and show up, but the show was going to be terrible, aside from the fact that I was going to possibly expose a number of their guests to the flu. So, I had to cancel. Fortunately, the client was understanding and was able to reschedule me for another event…so things worked out in the long run.
The second time happened last week and involves “hurling”. If you don’t enjoy reading an entry that involves throwing up, hit the back button now. Some people must like it, my sister somehow incorporates the word “vomit” into almost every conversation we have. Anyhow, our third grader came home one day last week and said one of the kids in his class went home throwing up…and sure enough, by that evening he had his own version of the “stomach flu” and was giving his own dinner the old HEAVE HO. Actually, it was a combination Chester’s Hot Fries and milk, which as it turns out, is difficult to shampoo out of carpet… three times. But, that is a story for another blog. Hopefully, I will never have time to write it. A few hours and a few more rounds with the carpet shampoo machine and he was over the worst of it. I will say I had no idea he could consume that much milk and hot fries.
I had a show coming up the next day and I woke up that morning with that queasy feeling and thought…uh oh. By noon, I had a full-blown case of the “stomach flu”…and we all know what that means. We also all know what we’d like like to think when this happens. Maybe it’s just food poisoning! As if that is somehow preferable…
Anyway, it’s noon, and I have a show at seven that evening…what to do. As much as I hated to, I called and cancelled. I figured that would maybe give the client enough time to find alternative (non-puking-style) entertainment and if not, maybe I would be in better shape by that evening….I wasn’t. So, good call.
Even though 2 cancellations in almost 500 shows sounds good from a percentage standpoint, it’s still a bad feeling knowing that you’ve let someone down after you’ve committed yourself.
Well, I imagine that is enough puke talk for one blog entry, although my sister would find a way to incorporate throwing up into every blog entry she did, if she had one…
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