The Mellotron Group

Here in Connecticut, they used to tell us the same thing. Turns out 
it wasn't true. At least one local booking agent who was in big with 
the AFM was shaking down the bands. A club owner showed us our 
contract, which the agent would never let us see. He was taking 45%. 
Later on, he was brought up on charges by the National Association of 
Orchestra Leaders for violating a private contract by refusing to 
cross a hotel picket line to play at a private party.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "David Jacques" 
<djacques@...> wrote:
>
> Back in the 70's you had to be in the union to play any of the 
major clubs
> in Miami. Even rock bands. 
> 
>  
> 
>   _____  
> 
> From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Bernie
> Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2008 4:48 PM
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: My Mellotron Obsession
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> --- In newmellotrongroup@ <mailto:newmellotrongroup%
40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com, "David Jacques" <djacques@>
> wrote:
> >
> A few days later I was
> > called onto the carpet from my union, The American Federation of
> Musicians.
> > Uh oh.
> >
> >
> >
> > It was pretty funny going before a "jury" of old Miami Beach 
musicians
> > lecturing this long-haired hack keyboardist that my playing a
> Mellotron was
> > putting musicians out of work. So they fined me $100 and I 
continued
> > playing.
> 
> Has anyone else had union problems regarding Mellotron usage? The
> Hartford local, a group of small-time Mafia gentlemen, harassed my 
band
> because we dared to use a Mellotron to "replace other union 
members".
> They even sent some of their officers to spy on us in the hopes of
> finding some incriminating evidence, but they were too ignorant to
> recognize our Tron for what it was. I called the president of the
> Hartford local and told him to keep his fat nose out of my band's
> business (literally). For some reason, he took offense to this and
> threatened to bring me up on charges (whatever that means). 
Fortunately,
> I was also a member of the competing Allied Musicians Union in NYC 
at
> the time and they offered to send down a lawyer on the next plane to
> defend me. When the Hartford local found out about it, they backed 
off.
> A very strange, but entertaining situation.
> 
> As an aside, of what value is the union to musicians? They don't 
seem to
> benefit musicians in any way.
> 
> Bernie
>