Most of the band I'm in drives alone, 9 piece band. Its amazing there hasn't been an instance where there was a member gone from vehicle breakdown over the years. Anyone NOT make it to a job due to breakdown?. Also, over the years we've only had to cancel once! due to rain outdoors. We've been EXTREMELY lucky that way. Any cancellations for your band?.

Haven't missed many over the years, but back in the day, we had our share of truck troubles, and we were snowed out a time or two.
One incident in the summer of 1985 stands out.  We had a guitarist in our band that was a true California surfer dude wannabe.  Nice guy, but about as sharp as a butter knife.  He had always wanted a VW mini bus, and finally found him one!  Totally gnarly man!!  It only needed a "little" TLC to get it up and running   Anyway, I made the mistake of agreeing to ride with him and his girlfriend to a gig in Casper, Wyoming... from Colorado Springs, CO.  Big mistake.  To our amazement, we made it to Casper, and played for several days at a Holiday Inn Lounge.  On the way home, out in the middle of nowhere... and I DO MEAN in the middle of nowhere, the mini bus gasps it's last breath and sputters to a stop on the highway.  To make a long story as short as possible, I end up walking about 5 miles to a farm house and called a tow truck.  We eventally pulled into Colorado Springs about 30 minutes before we were supposed to play at a local club that night.  Good times.   
Fast forward many many years later... just this past Saturday, the band I'm in now was rained out of a performance I was really wanting to play... a big 4th of July celebration.  But overall I've been pretty lucky I guess.

In the 5 or so years I've been gigging on a regular basis I have never missed one or been late...."Knock on Wood"

However, I have another road trip South through IN and KY coming up at the end of the month and my equipment van sure has a lot of miles racked up....lol...

I'll let you guys know if she holds together for one more road trip, lol. 

Hannah

Dang, 5 years ago I was still old!  Sometimes life is not fair.   

Yes, when it comes to gig travels, all credit to date has to go to - your very cool Dad.
 

That's great you have such a supportive family Hannah 

I have had a couple winery gigs moved indoors due to rain, but I can't recall having to cancel from weather or car trouble. "Old Blue" (my Chevy truck) has served me well.

I may have told this story before but its a good one, here is the (hopefully) short version.

1990 I embarked on a 6 week tour of the midwest. 3 of us were in a van, we left a day early, the other 2 members, an engaged couple, drove their car separatly and left the next day. The first gig was was 12 hours away and we left at midnight the day of the gig to set up in a hotel and scope out the club, etc. 6 hours into the drive the van threw a rod.
We got the van towed to hotel and called to tell the other 2 members where we were (pre-cell phone).
We informed the club in the first city as to what happened and said we would do our best to get there, but not to hold their breath, which was a bummer because it was a guaruntee gig, and we had planned on using the money for the rest of the tour. We wired money from all over the country, the bandleader even called an ex-girlfriend's mother.
We ended up buying a car with a compatible engine, a couple drove 45 minutes to sell it to us, knowing we just wanted it for the engine, and thinking they may be helping a band on the road that might be somebody someday.
Then we called the lift rental place, who upon finding out we were on the road from out of town jacked up the price on the lift, somehow we convinced him to let us use it on his property, in a gravel lot, no less. Paid for another tow
2 of the guys in the band had spent their childhoods rebuilding engines with their fathers, so they knew exactly what to do and how to explain to me what to do. Still, it took 3 days from dawn till dusk to do it. We missed the second gig in the second city, the third day of the tour was day off, one of only 3 in the whole 6 weeks. We got the van running the evening of the third day and drove to the second city, still with not everything hooked up right, we breathed in exhaust fumes and were pretty green by the time we got there.
Got to the club in the second city and it turned out that, due to daylight savings time, the band booked that night needed to cover 5 hours instead of 4 so we were asked to cover the first hour. The managment and the other band after hearing our plight kicked in some additional funds to get us along to the next city, the band gave us 100% of the door.
We still needed some fixes along the way, having to stop at home welders and auto part stores, and that was hardly the only incident that happened.
But after listening to the bandleader's spiel a couple of weeks prior and then seeing him in action dealing with a crisis gave me a whole new respect on what all a bandleader does. I was ready to call it quits, trying to figure out how to get all of us plus the gear home. I was ready to punch him after it happened and he says, "Guys, this is nothing!"
It was interesting to see different reactions of people when finding out you are a band on the road, some want to help you, others want to screw you.
Oh yeah, the band broke up when we got back, they had been together over 10 years to that point.

Well...."KNOCK ON WOOD".....

I was bragging about never breaking down blah blah blah earlier in this thread....

My equipment van sprung a leak today!  LOL

Fortunately it was on a local trip around the city and no harm done except for the 500.00 it's taking to fix it.    There goes some of my gig $$$ from this weekend.

OH well, I feel fortunate because if it was one week later we would have been 350 miles from home.

First thing I thought about when we saw the water leaking was running to this thread and posting it up....lol

Hannah

I have only cancelled one time.  I will probably get beat up over this but here goes.
The whole thing boiled down to doing a gig for exposure more than money.  I got us into a club that was great exposure and up front I told them our standard rate.  They offered us Half of what I wanted and then they wanted to schedule us Friday and Saturday nights.  A weekend every six weeks. We did this gig twice and we were scheduled to do it again in six weeks.  We desided as a group that it was way to much work for not enough money after the second weekend.  I wrote the club booking agent and reminded them what my standard rate was and told them that the gig was to much work for not enough money.  I would be happy to continue playing there if they would give me what I asked for in the beginning, other wise we would not be doing it again.  The person got really pissed off and told me that we committed to doing the gig in six weeks.  I told them that 6 weeks notice was more notice than they would get from any band. Anyway, this was my only time I ever cancelled a gig. I am glad I did.
                             Nutty