Texas Concert dates

[shaabyi]

This is probably a tent. date for the Door, which not a good sign if the show was elsewhere than ift might happen. I have to see Petra on this tour. I am dying to meet BOB.

Shaabyi

[executioner]

According to Russell at The Door: Management for Petra is not returning phone calls or emails because they are working closely with another venue in the area that has some sponsership backing so that date on Nov 18 is not for The Door, but seems to be on solid footing. As of today though it is still tentative. Russell did say he would still be willing to bring Petra in but management will not return calls or emails.

[Michael]

According to Russell at The Door: Management for Petra is not returning phone calls or emails because they are working closely with another venue in the area that has some sponsership backing so that date on Nov 18 is not for The Door, but seems to be on solid footing. As of today though it is still tentative. Russell did say he would still be willing to bring Petra in but management will not return calls or emails.

I just want to cry. Any management that will not return communications from a venue is not worth having. My 5-year-old could do better than that.

[executioner]

I think we all have had some experiance with this certain individual.

[Shell]

Guys, I do agree with the consensus about management, but I should probably point out something we seem to forget sometimes: THEY are the ones who hired him.

I think a question more to the point would be why would they want to work with someone like that in the first place, although it's probably rather late to be asking it. He's costing them concerts that could be bringing them in some income.

[executioner]

I really don't know the whole story behind the situation with that, but I know in the past that I and a few others were not treated Christian-like and in some cases treated with vulgarity from this certain individual, and John even saw the email that was sent to me via another pethead from this individual and chose to ignore it; Why I don't know. There are some venues that will NOT even touch Petra if they have to go through this individual to get a show. That is really sad.

[Michael]

He's costing them concerts that could be bringing them in some income.

Shell,

You're so awesome... always a peacemaker! But the reason it makes me so sad is not that it cost them a few concerts; it makes me sad because it's cost them their whole ministry. They're quitting because they don't have enough concerts. I don't think I'm being overly critical, and I don't think I'm actually extrapolating anything that is not clearly the case. John said that they quit because of lack of interest, and we've heard over and over stories of people being mistreated, losting Petra possible concert venues. The logical conclusion is that Petra's decision to throw in the towel is directly attributable to shoddy management. If that's not the case, then there is some extremely strong circumstantial evidence otherwise.

[Shell]

Oh, I wasn't sticking up for management at all, my point was that the ones who hired him in the first place share the responsibility too.

Thanks for the compliment.

[shaabyi]

I can see your opinions on Management to carry some weight here, but to be honest I can see why they are not returning the Door's calls. I have seen tons of concerts at the Door because I was a youth minister at one time and brought kids there all the time. Some of the staff (owner included) does not have the greatest... shall we say 'spirit'. Plus they have burned Petra in the past on cancelling shows and the Door is known for not being able to pay what they say they will. I know this first hand because I have helped in the promotion and setting up of a few Petra shows that was supposed to happen and never did...

I say all this to say that if the tent. date is somewhere else, that is a very good sign.

Shaabyi

[pethead]

IT IS NOT TENTATIVE ANYMORE!!!! Looks like 89.7 Power FM is sponsering the concert.

[executioner]

Shaabyi,

I've known Russell since before he was a Christian and owned the secular club in Deep Ellum. Those canceled concerts both times were canceled by Wayne himself. The one concert that was scheduled for the Friday-Saturday after Thanksgiving was trying to get moved by the Door because most people in this area leave town during the Holidays and turn out would have been small at best. Russell gave Wayne 7 date options through the spring that were open for Petra to play. Wayne refused and said Petra will only play that weekend. It took almost 6 months for Russell to get his $5500 back from management. Wayne specially said that no dates were available for Petra to play. At that time Russell said he would never deal with Petra again as long as Wayne would be in the picture. In May of this year I approached Russell about bringing in Petra in the fall and on that day he contacted Scott from H2o and Scott told him there were no plains to come to the Dallas area. I will admit that Russell is kind of hard to get along with but he is doing this club out of his Christian Faith and either breaks even or loses money every year on the Door. In otherwords he is a shrewd business man.

I have a few questions for you.

1. Why would Wayne refused to find a way to get Petra to play in one of those 7 dates especially since A) He already had the check in hand. B) Petra had no dates coming in at that time and anything would have done them good.
2. Why did Scott from H2o say Petra had no plains of coming to the Dallas area in the fall when they just announced their retirement and wanted to get together some kind of farewell tour?

3. If you were an artist would you want a management team like this especially when you are in a dry spell and any dates would be a positive?

Since that time Russell has repeatedly tried to get in contact with Scott and even Wayne and they both have not answered emails or returned phone calls. Also the Underground Sherman/Denison wanted to bring Petra in to open their new concert venue which is very nice and seats 1500 or more, but Mike from the Underground was told that they felt like that venue wasn't right for them. In the last three years Petra has played at the old venue with huge success and also did the Shoutfest in Sherman with some success( if it wasn't for equipment problems it would have been even better)

[Michael]

I can see your opinions on Management to carry some weight here, but to be honest I can see why they are not returning the Door's calls. I have seen tons of concerts at the Door because I was a youth minister at one time and brought kids there all the time. Some of the staff (owner included) does not have the greatest... shall we say 'spirit'. Plus they have burned Petra in the past on cancelling shows and the Door is known for not being able to pay what they say they will. I know this first hand because I have helped in the promotion and setting up of a few Petra shows that was supposed to happen and never did...

It is unprofessional for a manager to not answer calls, no matter who they are from. Answering the phone and saying "No" is professional. Not answering at all is unprofessional.

[sue d.]

Answering the phone and saying "No" is professional. Not answering at all is unprofessional.

You are so right, MJ. Very good statement.

(btw, I always answer my emails and phone calls... and I do call back.)

[brent]

IT IS NOT TENTATIVE ANYMORE!!!! Looks like 89.7 Power FM is sponsering the concert.

1. You have to decide as a manager, who is going to be key to a profitable (as in not paying to play) event. A radio station is the first ideal target, because they have resources available to them that others may not have, for the same low cost.

2. As a manager, you field hundreds of calls a day from all kinds of wannabes, liars, thieves, etc. You have to sort things out, feel people out, and decide who you want to align yourself with, and who will burn you the least. Churches bounce checks too ya know.

If you are fielding calls from two potentially great, quality, funded promoters in the same area, then management will not disclose (if they are smart) that they are negotiating with someone else, until it comes down to a big difference in money. If that is disclosed, then both potential locations are jeopardized.

3. The managers job is not ministry. The managers JOB is to manage. If Wayne is key to Petra sliding down the great potty of music history, then John is on the hook. He is part of John's team. Just remember that there are two sides to the story and multiple points of perception, depending on how mad humans can be, etc.

I have heard stories about Wayne before. But, I have never heard or seen anything less than typical, laid back, protective management that I have been exposed to in my 7 years of mixing on the road.

[Shell]

Okay, that does make sense. But in this case, these folks are representing Jesus, and management's behavior is a reflection on them too. You can take care of business and still treat people right in the process.