Well, today Planet X was supposed to play a show at Johnny Love's Cafe. But that didn't happen... so let me tell you what did happen.

We we're originally informed (or maybe assumed) that the show would start a 9pm - which is a fairly common time to start a show. We later discovered from reading the notice sent out by our friend Yasa (from West Coast Musicians Online) who was handling the booking/promoting of the show, that things were going to start at 6pm and last until 10pm.

At the time we didn't know why - and we didn't ask. We adapted, changed plans and arranged to have all of our gear at the club by 5pm. Even though we were going to be the last band playing, we wanted (which is the usual custom) to be able to set our gear up first and have it waiting there. We even had the hope - silly though it was - that we might be able to do some kind of soundcheck before actually playing.

Anyway... we got to the club on time - at 5pm. And... it was closed.

Nobody - and I do mean nobody - was there. Ok. We waited.

And waited...

The opening band, Dorian Grey showed up...but nobody with a key - so they waited with us...

And waited...

juli Swann the headliner showed up...and waited.

One of the Bartenders showed up, she didn't have a key -- so we waited.

Some of us, got bored and went over to Tower Records across the street to browse. Some of us went to get chinese food. The rest waited. Outdoors... on the patio. In the sun. In the middle of summer... On a day that was well over 102 degrees... hot enough that the electronics in our gear was cooking in the van...

Eventually, some of the security people for Johnny Love's arrived.

They didn't have a key either.

But I do know one thing...not long after they showed up, we got inside the club. I can't exactly say for sure how that happened...I don't know who did it...or exactly what they did...all I know is...there was the curiously missing window in one of the side doors that had been there just a few minutes earlier. The plexigas covering the porthole was gone and freshly broken peices of wood now dangled from inside the door...

Hmm....

I'm sure that was just a coincidene.

Ok, anyway ...we were in. It was now 7:45pm...but we were in.

Now, Dorian Grey from Davis, was supposed to go on first - so they started setting up. While they're doing that - we're doing the math. 8:00pm plus 3 groups times 40 minutes set time and 15-20 minutes to setup gear each does not equal 10pm. We point out the problem to the club guys who had finally shown up, and we basically tell them - we are not going to spend 15-20 minutes setting up our gear - play for 10-15 minutes - and then spend 15-20 minutes breaking down our gear - and we ask them (the owner wasn't there - and wasn't coming) if there some city ordanance for this area limiting us to 10pm?

Nope, there was no city ordinance affecting the club. But -- they did have some DJ's coming in at 10pm to play "House Music" and people would be arriving to expect House Music at 10pm. Even if all the bands cut their sets short, we won't be done until 10:30 - and they felt that the DJ's might have a "problem" with that.

So - we said "FUKIT we're outta here".

And no, we didn't get paid for our time and effort - we split with nothing but a set of fresh sun tans.

I hung around just to explain to any fans of ours who showed up what happened, and let them know about our other shows. When juli finished her set (which she had to cut short), I played a couple tunes on her acoustic guitar with her percussionist and my wife, Robin - including one (Faith) that we would've done if we'd had the chance. I made sure to mention from the stage why Planet X wasn't playing -- and the DJ who was at that point setting up his gear -- pipes in with --

"They shoulda called me - *I* had a key".

It figures.

So, then I went over to Cafe Paris where my pals in Proon and Hollowstone were playing.

When I told them what happened they said the exact same thing had happened to them - Twice. And to 7th Standard as well. Obviously, this sloppy shit wasn't just an accident - it's a habit. So I've decided to start the Johnny Love's SUX Webring for every band that they Fukked over - and help other bands from getting fukked over.. The ring will exist for as long as they don't have their act together - or some new management takes over the club.

It's nothing personal - Yasa, the promoter, and all the employees' at Johnny Loves were as nice and apologetic as they could be - none of this was their fault - but then again, it wasn't our fault either.

No, we're not bitter.

Much. :)

Not after writing this starlog entry and creating the webring. We've just told our story - it's out of our hands now. We're just never going back there again. Burn me once - shame on you. Burn me twice - shame on me.

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