This weekend there was a big outdoor Christian concert in McAlester (an hour east of us). Our friend, Derek, was in charge of getting sound/PA for the concert. He tried to get the promoter to hire us but they wanted something else. So, fine. It was too hot to be out there anyway. By the end of the week, the sound company that they had hired had made no contact to confirm. Derek was panicking a little. Once again, tried to get the promoter to just have us come. At the last minute it was yes the want us, then no they found someone else that had lights, blah, blah, blah. Finally, after going back and forth with this nonsense about three times Mark said NO, I'm not doing this and don't call me about it anymore.
There was one band that Seth really wanted to see so he drove over to hang out with Derek, help him if he could and see Stellar Kart. There were 19 bands altogether. Seth got to run monitors for Stellar Kart and relieve Derek a little.
At the end of the night when all was said and done the Promoter blew everyone off. He wouldn't pay anyone after promising them money. Not the bands, not the sound company... no one. One of the bands had come from PA to play and did not even get paid their expenses. He, the promoter, said "well, you should have been doing this for free to start with."
This was a Christian concert, a Christian man... and once again I am reminded of why I feel the way I do.
I was thinking about it and thought about back in the day when I used to hang out in the bars, well, one bar. I went to a few but there was one, The Alibi, that was like a second home for me. We called it Nadine's. Nadine was one of those women that if she liked you, she would do anything for you and Lord have mercy on anyone who crossed her or someone she loved. Her best friend, Pat, a really pretty woman with dark (out of the bottle) red hair that you see on old women, was the same way. They took me under their wing and I loved being there. They were family.
I feel the same way about the people we hang out with now. The people that work at the Arbuckle Ballroom, the bands we work with... these are GOOD people. These are people that would give you the shirt off their back, that stand toe-to-toe and fight for you.
We have found in the Red Dirt music realm that almost everyone is polite, patient, friendly, and appreciative of what we do. Not so in the Christian realm. When we used to do all Christian music the people were hateful, arrogant, never wanted to pay us and griped about every-freaking-thing.
So, the moral of this story is... I would rather hang out in the bars with the good ol' boys than go to church any old day!
Some of the worst people I know claim to be christians. So sad that they act that way. Of course that could be why Jesus hung out with sinners.
ReplyDeleteMy sister, who is severely disabled, did some work for a christian writer. Typesetting, graphic design etc. Because my sister had no experience they paid her very little to start, and then never increased it. Toward the end of the time they worked with her, her invoices would sometimes not be paid for three months! That was the beginning of the end for me. The rest of my family excused what they did because they were "good christian people". Good christian people don't value money more than paying what has been promised. What you write A, makes my blood boil. And Sandra, yeah, I guess that could be a reason why Jesus hung out with sinners. I'm sorry your friend got stiffed and really glad Mark didn't.
ReplyDeleteI could tell a few blood-boiling stories, but I'll just say this: I warn people against working for Christians. It's terrible, but I do. Too many bad experiences.
ReplyDeleteMe too, Aola, me too... I'd rather hang out with people who don't claim christianity...not that I don't hang out with people that are. But, I just want to hang out with people that are real. And it always seems that christians like to hide everything. And that they want everything done for free just because they are christians and christians should do everything for free. Whatever. Like Sandy said, I'm sure Jesus would hang out in bars too! They are much more fun anyway!
ReplyDeleteI think that the 'Christian' business realm is dominated by people who take advantage of the good nature and good will of normal people. Most Christians are very trusting, and as such are an easy mark.
ReplyDeleteMy uncle is a complete asshole about money stuff. He doesn't pay for a thing if he can help it, and just wore my mother to a frazzle over a 'decorative' fireplace that he asked her to get for him. Then after all the work she did and the profit she gave up, he wrote everyone and THANKED GOD for the great gift of the decorative fireplace. Not a word about mom.
Other people that I love dearly have been victimized over and over again by people they let in their lives, or let borrow money or goods, or any number of things. When I encourage them to 'be a little tougher' they tell me that this is not what Christ would do.
Didn't Christ kick all the ass of the bad businessmen at a temple?
People suck, no matter who they pray to. Be careful.