???Piano Bar Question???

[LHP]

Geez, I walk away for a few days...

 

 

 

Ummm, Sandgnat... I don't think that Mark is Fireface. In fact, judging by the content and writing style I'm pretty certain he isn't. And you do him a disservice by assuming that. Mark has always been very open with who he is and what his opinions are, sometimes to his detriment.

 

For everyone else, including Fireface, a little decorum please. There are ways of expressing your opinions without getting nasty.

 

And yes, this board is a place to express opinions, good and bad. And while I'm fairly certain that FireFace doesn't give a rat's patootie about my opinion, an angry and ugly post like that one, doesn't help anyone, least of all the other piano entertainers. Carnival does monitor these boards and the last thing that I want to see happen is a rule coming down that says the Carnival folk can't post here. There are many out there who appreciate the perspective from the other side of the keyboard. And believe it or not this forum can be very useful for getting the word out and butts in the seats.

 

Oh and as far as "we lay on our backs for you FOR A PRICE" is concerned, my standard response is that even a john wants to believe that the wh*re is enjoying themselves. And I have to say, Mark is pretty skillful at that because every time I've seen him, he certainly seems to be having a good time.

 

I hope no one is truly put off from the piano bars by that post, because they can be a lot fun and the styles are as varied as music itself.

 

 

 

 

Karen,

 

Richie Canter is on the Inspiration until the 15th. This is the thread you are looking for http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=362780

 

Laura

 

 

Laura:

 

How many times have I told you....DO NOT LEAVE US ALONE!!!!! :D

[inSANEmom]

I have not seen or read where any one yelled at the entertainer. Where did you read this?

 

Ok.. I will admit that saying they were “yelling” at him might not have been the best choice of words. But in my mind "yelling" is more a tone of voice than a "volume."

I have no problem with a person expressing dislike of a show, but it can be done respectfully and without personal attacks. Many of the people in this thread did just that. But many didn’t. And not all the comments were directed at Mark, there were a couple directed at other posters as well. Just imagine for a moment, that these things were said about YOU and your job performance.

Post #15: he is rude and unprofessional.

Post # 31: The problem with this guy on this cruise was the sickening manner in which the tips were MANDATED and constantly begged for. It was nauseating and tiring.

Post # 45: this Mark guy could suck the roof off of an open air building with his incessant nagging for money…. If you feel like being a jerk… If he truly enjoyed playing songs and entertaining people, then he wouldn't need to ask for more money.

Post #55: A fool and his money are soon parted", and as for me and your show IMHO, I am not a fool!

Post #59: If four hours is too much work ???? No bath room break? No drink break? Wah Wah Wah. ha ha. (just kidding) Quit whining…. But honestly no one feels sorry for your 4 hour long shift!! The patrons on the cruise have worked hard all year and only want to be entertained, you can suffer thru 4 long grueling hours. ha ha

Post #60: LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE!!! WE WERE THERE!! NOT ONLY DID YOU TELL US, YOU GAVE A DEMONSTRATION ON HOW TO DO IT CORRECTLY. NICE TRY.

Post #61: ...so don't get too full of yourself and use that as your justification for your tacky approach….Try to stand on your talent and stop pi$$ing people off...( in addition to lying about your approach that various posters have witnessed and commented on), see what happens.

Post #69: …so my advice to him would be grow up…

Post #72: And for all his claims of his Vegas & NY shows etc......Dude! You work on a Cruise Ship!!!! Not exactly the pinnacle of the entertainment industry.....get him canned so he can go back to Vegas & NY.....yeah, that's the ticket!

Post #82: Puhleeze! Nothing that you or the other poster wrote makes much sense. The average cruise ship entertainer is not even in the top 75% of their peer group. Get real.... So get over your indignation and open your narrow mind to reality.

Post #101: If that was the case, I'd have let the beggar starve, and tell him so.

Some of you may believe Mark is in fact “Fireface” but you don’t know that for sure. I don’t believe it for one minute. The point is we don’t know. So you cannot hold Mark responsible for an "anonymous" post.

[CruiznWithHubby]

:cool:

 

I am a piano bar entertainer and I HAVE to say something. People like you really make me sick.

I have heard about mark hustling tips, maybe it is excessive, maybe not.

If you are offended by something, then LEAVE. JUST LEAVE. I saw you have more than 2,000 posts on cruise critic. That is seriously weird. Some guy is hustling tips so you go home on your little computer and type bad things things about him. Dont you have anything better to do? You have posted multiple negative things about him, and when he defended him self on the blog you made it a point to go behind him and slam him some more. What is wrong with you? Seriously. We GET it, you didnt like the show. But mark is not in a position to tell you what he thinks because you all know who he is, and it could mess up his rep, so I will tell you what I think of you.

I know the kind of audience member you are. The kind of person who will request some obscure song no one has ever heard of and then be SHOCKED that we dont know it. Maybe even make a really dramatic and disgusted face as if we have fallen below your standard, as if YOU knew how to play the song yourself. And IF we did know the song there is a good chance you would pick it apart and not tip us.

You all want the world from us. Every song you can think of and you want it done well. Do you have ANY IDEA how many songs there are? Do you have ANY CLUE how long it takes to learn them HALF way decently? We deserve every tip we hustle. I understand why Mark uses the term "Piano whore", we lay on our backs for you FOR A PRICE. Do you seriously think any musician enjoys all the GARBAGE we have to play for you. Jimmy Buffet, Billy Joel, guess what? WE HATE THEM, but we play it to MAKE MONEY.

Every bull**** song we learn is an investment because some drunk nobody somewhere will want to hear it and we will play it for them. Take in to consideration that most any piano man you meet will know 5 to 6 times more songs than any band you will ever hear. I know Mark knows about 2,000 songs. That is INSANE. If I knew that many I would want to be paid for every song I played.

You may say, "If you dont like it quit". I say to you, do you LOVE your job, or does it just pay the bills? We are WORKING, the same as anyone else. You know the difference between us and you?

Nobody cares about you. There is no board online where ignorant strangers critique your performance. No place online where people get off on some sort of sense of power judging what you do to the tee. People like you dont have the guts to just say what you want to say to OUR FACE and be done with it. No, you write little "comment cards" or go home and write little "blogs" about people. I feel bad writing this ONE thing, because there are MUCH BETTER THINGS i could be doing, but I HAD to get this out because I wonder why people like you are the way they are. People like you should take a step back and look at yourself. When did you get this way? Did you use to be cool? I think maybe you did, I dont know. Get a hobby or something. Cause I will tell you something you should know. We may have to act like we like you, but we dont, we want your money. The same as any other business in existence. Its our JOB to be nice to you and know your songs, its YOUR part in the equation to pay us for that service. If you are not down with that, dont go to piano bars. Period. And certainly dont be a little Nancy and go writing things about people, have a spine.

Thats all.

Peace

 

time for a new job??? Not that I love mine every second of the day,,,I work with the general public,,,,sometimes it's tough,,,,but I still love my job, and if I hated it that bad, I'd find a new one,,,,

 

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." Sorry, I know we're not supposed to correct typos etc. but that's just really, really funny.

 

 

nope,,,not a typo,,,,and never connected it to the word you're thinking of though, lol,,,but we spell that with a double O not a U,,,

 

It may be a regional word,,,where I come from, at least in my generation, it means to be excessively bothered,,,,,

 

sorry if it bothered you,,,,,,,,,Holly

[LHP]

 

I have no problem with a person expressing dislike of a show, but it can be done respectfully and without personal attacks. Many of the people in this thread did just that. But many didn’t. And not all the comments were directed at Mark, there were a couple directed at other posters as well. Just imagine for a moment, that these things were said about YOU and your job performance.

 

This thread was actually running the usual discussion course for the first 3 pages.

 

 

Post #15: he is rude and unprofessional.

 

There is nothing wrong with saying something was rude and unprofessional, if that is how the OP perceived it. That is not a personal attack....simply an explanation of how the OP felt.

 

 

Post # 31: The problem with this guy on this cruise was the sickening manner in which the tips were MANDATED and constantly begged for. It was nauseating and tiring.

 

While words like "sickening and nauseating" may be borderline...it is still someone expressing their opinion of how THEY were treated. You have to remember that these are comments from people who PAID to come on this cruise and be entertained. And unfortunately the situation they are describing interrupted the cruise experience they were expecting. So it is natural to get a little chapped about it.

 

 

Post # 45: this Mark guy could suck the roof off of an open air building with his incessant nagging for money…. If you feel like being a jerk… If he truly enjoyed playing songs and entertaining people, then he wouldn't need to ask for more money.

 

 

I agree this was over the top and could have been expressed in a better manner. Words like "jerk" are unnecessary.

 

 

 

The rest of the comments you listed are a natural development after it was strongly implied by Mark that these posters were lying. And that will get anyone's goat pretty quick. Obviously, some posters did not appreciate having their "truthfulness" placed in question. I know I would not appreciate it. That is about as low a personal attack as a person can make in my opinion. So if you want to critize posters for "personal attacks"....I believe it is only fair to see what started them. Mark opened that can of worms and let's just say he caught a lot of fish.

 

Some of you may believe Mark is in fact “Fireface” but you don’t know that for sure. I don’t believe it for one minute. The point is we don’t know. So you cannot hold Mark responsible for an "anonymous" post.

 

 

I think we can all agree that "Fireface" is not Mark and this subject has been discussed with the same verosity as most controversial subjects.

 

It think it is also very clear that perhaps both sides have learned some new "piano bar" etiquette. ;)

[Name game]

I stayed out of this as long as I could. I have seen Mark play at Sweet Caroline's. He has gone out of his way to help me set up happy hours there with great drink specials and no cover charge. He is most certainly enjoying himself while performing as is the audience watching him. In all of my invites to Sweet Caroline's that I send out I make sure to let people know to bring cash to tip for song requests. It's the way piano bars work. The poor guy even silhouetted to "I Feel Pretty" and I'm sure he wasn't thrilled about it but he did it with a smile.

I understand that people might feel uncomfortable with his style, and to each their own. Everyone has a right to their opinion. Mark bashing is not the answer. He has many fans out there and the thought that people might not go in to see him now repulses me.

I can only hope this thread gets "poofed" and people will still go in and give Mark a chance. They will most certainly be entertained.

[signal34]

I will be on the Glory next week and as usual, I plan on spending at least part of every night in the piano bar. Based on past revues I have been and still am looking forward to hearing Marc. As I have late dinner seating, I can't say I'll buy Marc the first drink of the night, but drink we shall. Cheers

 

 

P.S.-If anyone requests "You Light Up My Life" I will be more than happy to tip more not to hear it!!!:)

[TBayCruiser]

I will be on the Glory next week and as usual, I plan on spending at least part of every night in the piano bar. Based on past revues I have been and still am looking forward to hearing Marc. As I have late dinner seating, I can't say I'll buy Marc the first drink of the night, but drink we shall. Cheers

 

 

P.S.-If anyone requests "You Light Up My Life" I will be more than happy to tip more not to hear it!!!:)

 

We'll be right there with you (and happy to split that tip, if needed :))

 

This thread came as a surprise to me. I've watched the big piano bar thread for over two years, and I've never heard anything this negative about Mark or any mention of this kind of situation.

 

This thread really brought out the worst in people. I've come to expect this kind of vitriol in a discussion about formal night attire, but not about the piano bar. Yeesh!

 

Name game: We're still going to see him. If we don't like it, we'll leave and find something else to do.

[tiger belle]

Ouch. After reading your post, I'm going to look at every single piano bar entertainer, knowing that he basically hates us all, is sick of all of us, can't stand the songs he's playing, and only wants our money.

 

Thanks. I used to enjoy myself in there, thinking that the entertainer was at least having a little bit of fun.

 

I was kinda thinking the same thing when I was reading that post :( it seems that a lot of posts in this thread are getting way too melodramatic :rolleyes: I am keeping an open mind on this matter, and I plan on checking Mark's performance out in the piano bar on the Thanksgiving week Glory cruise

[ASONGULOVE]

ok, at the risk of upsettin Carnival Cruise Lines, and my own better conscience, I am going to post on this thread, one last time.

 

Because of all the emails i've received in the last 24 hours asking me if i am this FIREFACE person.

 

I'm not. When FIREFACE was busy posting, I was busy dancing in the GLORY disco.

 

I'm ASONGULOVE. And ONLY ASONGULOVE.

 

If I have something to say, you'll know it, because I will be saying it. Those who know me know I am many things, but shy ain't one of them.

 

And to all those who have shown me love, at my shows and on these boards, be good, and if you can't be good --- be interesting!

 

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

PS - for those who have yet to see my show onboard - come by, bring your requests, and judge for yourself. It isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it is the show I love to perform. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

PPS - the $5 bill on my stage is used only as an onstage prop. sometimes its been a $20. sometimes a $2. its not a yardstick, only a visual aid.

[inSANEmom]

Thanks for the post, Mark. You are being far more respectful in your posts than some others. I look forward to seeing you perform again.

[Creepella]

 

nope,,,not a typo,,,,and never connected it to the word you're thinking of though, lol,,,but we spell that with a double O not a U,,,

 

It may be a regional word,,,where I come from, at least in my generation, it means to be excessively bothered,,,,,

 

sorry if it bothered you,,,,,,,,,Holly

 

It's not that it bothered me. It just struck me really funny in the context. You might want to look it up on dictionary.com to see what it is normally used to mean.

[gaylensgigi]

:cool:

 

I am a piano bar entertainer and I HAVE to say something. People like you really make me sick.

I have heard about mark hustling tips, maybe it is excessive, maybe not.

If you are offended by something, then LEAVE. JUST LEAVE. I saw you have more than 2,000 posts on cruise critic. That is seriously weird. Some guy is hustling tips so you go home on your little computer and type bad things things about him. Dont you have anything better to do? You have posted multiple negative things about him, and when he defended him self on the blog you made it a point to go behind him and slam him some more. What is wrong with you? Seriously. We GET it, you didnt like the show. But mark is not in a position to tell you what he thinks because you all know who he is, and it could mess up his rep, so I will tell you what I think of you.

I know the kind of audience member you are. The kind of person who will request some obscure song no one has ever heard of and then be SHOCKED that we dont know it. Maybe even make a really dramatic and disgusted face as if we have fallen below your standard, as if YOU knew how to play the song yourself. And IF we did know the song there is a good chance you would pick it apart and not tip us.

You all want the world from us. Every song you can think of and you want it done well. Do you have ANY IDEA how many songs there are? Do you have ANY CLUE how long it takes to learn them HALF way decently? We deserve every tip we hustle. I understand why Mark uses the term "Piano whore", we lay on our backs for you FOR A PRICE. Do you seriously think any musician enjoys all the GARBAGE we have to play for you. Jimmy Buffet, Billy Joel, guess what? WE HATE THEM, but we play it to MAKE MONEY.

Every bull**** song we learn is an investment because some drunk nobody somewhere will want to hear it and we will play it for them. Take in to consideration that most any piano man you meet will know 5 to 6 times more songs than any band you will ever hear. I know Mark knows about 2,000 songs. That is INSANE. If I knew that many I would want to be paid for every song I played.

You may say, "If you dont like it quit". I say to you, do you LOVE your job, or does it just pay the bills? We are WORKING, the same as anyone else. You know the difference between us and you?

Nobody cares about you. There is no board online where ignorant strangers critique your performance. No place online where people get off on some sort of sense of power judging what you do to the tee. People like you dont have the guts to just say what you want to say to OUR FACE and be done with it. No, you write little "comment cards" or go home and write little "blogs" about people. I feel bad writing this ONE thing, because there are MUCH BETTER THINGS i could be doing, but I HAD to get this out because I wonder why people like you are the way they are. People like you should take a step back and look at yourself. When did you get this way? Did you use to be cool? I think maybe you did, I dont know. Get a hobby or something. Cause I will tell you something you should know. We may have to act like we like you, but we dont, we want your money. The same as any other business in existence. Its our JOB to be nice to you and know your songs, its YOUR part in the equation to pay us for that service. If you are not down with that, dont go to piano bars. Period. And certainly dont be a little Nancy and go writing things about people, have a spine.

Thats all.

Peace

 

 

aw c'mon, tell us how you really feel.Myself, I really loved the piano bar. Danion wasnt fond of Piano Man, so when he played it he made it his own. Lots of fun

[kingfish78734]

Ok, time to clear the air.

 

First, I’d like to thank all those people who wrote me, and alerted me to this thread. I’d also like to thank those on this thread who called me a talented performer. It is immensely gratifiying, and why I do what I do.

 

Now, to the issue at hand.

 

This topic has been discussed dozens of times on these boards, and it never ceases to amaze us musicians that some posters feel such outrage at the idea that one should put a dollar bill on the piano when a request is made.

 

In ANY piano bar ANYWHERE, on sea or land, it is ALWAYS the custom, and quite frankly the expectation, that a request is accompanied by the appropriate amount of love from it’s author. The more love, the sooner the song is played. Otherwise, a person will wait until those requests that do have “inspiration” get to go first. That’s fair, right?

 

Now, in some piano bars, requests are played for free, but the jar is passed around the room every half hour for all audience members, those requesting as well as those simply listening, to contribute tips into. This is how piano players make their LIVING. And this second model is STRICTLY PROHIBITED at Carnival.

 

Now, to those posters who remarked about other Promenade and Lido performers who smiled and graciously played their requests without receiving any monies. These performers smiled and were gracious because they are fine, friendly, decent people. Every single one of them. They are also hard working, extremely talented performers. And they play all those shouted-out requests because they WANT TO. They WANT to please the audience, and receive the tip they so genuinely deserve. And again, ladies and gentlemen, the expectation is that for every request, there will be some kind of appropriate renumeration. But for these exceptional individuals, rarely is it so. This simply is fact. I know firsthand what these other performers make in tips, and it’s less than $100 a week on average, for all the dozens upon dozens of songs they are “asked” to play every night, all week long. Now, it might be so that all these posters on these threads who have said that they would indeed be the ones who would tip once their “suggestion” was played are all telling the truth, and would do so. But history simply does not bear this out. Most people do not tip for requests to these other performers. Somewhere, there is a disconnect.

 

I know full well that my show will not please everyone, nor do I try to. Only a fool, to paraphrase Barnum, will try to please all the people all of the time. But remember this - everyone is welcome to come to my show, drink, dance, sing, laugh, carouse and enjoy to their heart’s content, all night long, from start to finish, and NEVER SPEND A SINGLE DIME. However, once someone chooses to go from passive audience member to active participant, and offer up their own songs for performance rather than what the performer onstage is doing (something, which incidentally, would get a person thrown out at the local theater or symphony or rock concert) then yes, this is a different matter. I have NEVER "demanded" that someone give me anything to enjoy my show. No one is forced to make song requests at my show. And to answer the question about what happens when there are no requests - that is what we're paid for - to play uptempo, party songs that will entertain EVERYONE. Occasionally, we will play the Britney Spears song, or FEELINGS or YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE, to remind the crowd that their requests are also welcome rather than having us pick EVERY song...

 

So yes, it is our job to keep the party going, to decide what songs will please the most number of people, and keep the joint rockin. On average, I have between 100-150 a night at my cruise ship shows, and even more on land. For every person that wants to interrupt the show with the song they want to hear, there is someone else who wants something else.

 

And, finally, I’d like to settle one gross misconception that has gotten way out of hand. This “$5 a song” and “$10 a song” anger that has run rampant here has been misquoted, and unfairly attributed. For the poster who claims that at 11pm I ever asked for $10 a song, this is SIMPLY UNTRUE.

 

However, for performers like Ron Pass and myself, we work a four hour show, every night, with NO BREAKS, NO STOPS, and NO REST. That’s FOUR HOURS STRAIGHT of singing and playing. No trips to the bathroom. No smoke breaks. No phone calls. And to any of you who thinks that sounds easy, or slight, try it once. Just once. It is no small feat. The better performers merely make it look easy.

 

After four straight hours, our commitment to Carnival for the day is over, and we are now on our own time. And for us, we are only too happy to keep the show going, for even more additional hours, to play more songs for more new friends. But, to overstate the obvious, we DO NOT GET PAID A SINGLE PENNY MORE FROM CARNIVAL FOR THIS. After 1am, it is OUR TIME. And, for those audience members who want the show to continue into the late hours of the morning, there is an increased expectation of what requests will be. After four full hours of performance, a dollar bill is simply no longer worth it for the fatigue, throat damage and exhaustion that are incurred. And yes, after five straight hours, even Abraham Lincoln starts to look a little old. Again, for those audience members who think these are unreasonable expectations, no one HAS TO put any money on the piano at that point. We are only too happy to end the show, and call it a night and come back tomorrow and rock out one more time. But for those individuals who want the show to continue for a SIXTH STRAIGHT HOUR (try that on Broadway, the Opera, or at a Bon Jovi show...) is ten dollars really so outrageous?

 

I know that nothing I say will sway some people. That’s life, and free choice. But I am buoyed by the tens of thousands of people who come to my shows each and every year, both onboard ships, as well as in Times Square, the Vegas Strip, and everywhere inbetween, and come back again and again to see the show they love.

 

PS - to PMANG's comment about buying us drinks for songs, as anyone who knows me knows, this is always the fastest way to a piano players heart (and to getting your song played NEXT!)

 

Jesus H. Tapdancin' Christ man! You're a piano player! It isn't like you're solving world hunger or discovering new anti-bodies. Put your Big Girl panties on, Jeesh!

[inSANEmom]

Jesus H. Tapdancin' Christ man! You're a piano player! It isn't like you're solving world hunger or discovering new anti-bodies. Put your Big Girl panties on, Jeesh!

 

Thank you Kingfish, for adding so much to this thread. And thank you for making my point about people being ugly.

[MAO]

ok, at the risk of upsettin Carnival Cruise Lines, and my own better conscience, I am going to post on this thread, one last time.

 

Because of all the emails i've received in the last 24 hours asking me if i am this FIREFACE person.

 

I'm not. When FIREFACE was busy posting, I was busy dancing in the GLORY disco.

 

I'm ASONGULOVE. And ONLY ASONGULOVE.

 

If I have something to say, you'll know it, because I will be saying it. Those who know me know I am many things, but shy ain't one of them.

 

And to all those who have shown me love, at my shows and on these boards, be good, and if you can't be good --- be interesting!

 

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

PS - for those who have yet to see my show onboard - come by, bring your requests, and judge for yourself. It isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it is the show I love to perform. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

PPS - the $5 bill on my stage is used only as an onstage prop. sometimes its been a $20. sometimes a $2. its not a yardstick, only a visual aid.

 

 

Well said Mark!

Hope your livin' it up there on board and showin' people a good time as you did for me and mine 2 years ago.

Be well!

[cruise crazy64]

Thanks Laura!

I had found the other thread that listed a whole bunch of ships. :D

Karen, FL :cool:

[TBayCruiser]

Thank you Kingfish, for adding so much to this thread. And thank you for making my point about people being ugly.

 

You might want to rethink your nickname, Amy. You are one of the more sane people around these parts.:)

[jessemon]

I have to agree with you Sue... the post went over the line, and I am sure doesn't speak for all of the entertainers... there are some that are genuine and enjoy entertaining people. There are always going to be passengers that tick off the players... but to say that it is their JOB to be nice? Seriously?

I have to agree...Like the piano player we had last week on the Destiny.;);)

[kingfish78734]

Thank you Kingfish, for adding so much to this thread. And thank you for making my point about people being ugly.

 

The man calls himself a whore.....and I'M being ugly?

[tiggerlover]

Ok, I've stayed out of this as long as I could. I asked a simple question, which was explained to me very well by pmang. I think people have lost the context of the original question and follow up, This was NOT to bash a performer, only to ask why and how certain things are done. WE NEVER REQUESTED A SONG!!! Tipping was NEVER the issue, only the manner in which it was REQUE$TED constantly!!!

If this thread is pulled then WHOOPIE! I really would like to see this happen for all the hate and discontent that has followed!

For all you Piano Whore cheerleader$, what's the difference of bashing people on this board whom YOU don't know but have said that they don't like hi$ $how. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I highly recommend everyone check out Mark'$ $how, and a$ he $aid, $ome will love it and $ome won't. Our problem wasn't his singing or playing, HELLO, we've made that point several times!!!! Please take time to READ what we posted and not just jump on the "We love Mark bandwagon".

Our life never stopped after we left the piano bar. We don't make all our decisions by this board, but we do use it as a useful tool to keep us informed. When we got back I posted my question in the hopes that someone could clarify this issue for me. Pmang was patient AND kind in his explanation and I truly appreciated his input.

For me this board became personal when we were basically called liars by Mark. As another poster pointed out, you have comments from several people on here who have sailed at different dates and all were turned off by the constant reque$t$ for money. If you take time to reread the posts you will see the contradictions in his posts, basically why someone accused him of talking out both sides of his mouth.

I just wanted to jump back in to defend Sandgnat. Why is SHE the bad guy now? What did SHE do other than express an opinion? Which, last time I looked, we were all permitted to do. As for the number of posts, what does that have to do with anything? How about looking up some of the ones she posted? I have looked, and I will tell you that a great many of them have been helpful to me when cruising. What about all the first time, 1 post wonders on this board? Hmmmm? As for me I KNOW who they are and truthfully I don't care. Get over yourself, do your job and move on!!!

I finally got to meet Sandgnat on the last cruise, and was told that she and Amy, another nurse, quickly came to the aid of an elderly lady when she fell on the lido deck, and NO they didn't reque$t a tip or charge for services.

All of our jobs are demanding and I don't LOVE my job either, I also don't HATE it, because it is a necessary evil to cruising.

This board hasn't hurt the Piano Bar, if anything people will go now to see if it is the infamous "FireFace" who hates his patrons. And at least now everyone will have a steady stream of $$$ to tip the performers, so no harm, no foul!

Enough of the namecalling and backbiting! :eek: Everyone, please don't let this thread deter you from going to the Piano bar, it can be a fun experience. Enjoy your cruise and please just let this thread die!

[gidget12]

Well said Tiggerlover.

[CRIRUN]

I never had a problem with the first post of this thread. Nothing was obnoxious, it was a point. That should have been the end. It was other posters who came on here personally bashing others. It was becoming a personal attack on Mark and his talent, someone who is an entertainer as a profession. I am a healthcare provider. Not everyone likes me. I would be greatly offended if people were publicly bashing me. This is Mark's career, his passion. I've been to piano bars on Carnival where I have felt uncomfortable by the entertainer. I leave and don't go back. I understand that. I only write now because I have seen Mark perform on more than one occasion and have even emailed with him about his performances. He is highly talented and a very nice, stand up guy. I hope people don't judge him by this thread.

 

I also happen to be one of those "drunk people" in the piano bars. I apologize if I have ever been nasty to an entertainer, I can only hope I never have been and I will try to be more aware of behavior from now on.

[GoinCruisin]

 

I also happen to be one of those "drunk people" in the piano bars. I apologize if I have ever been nasty to an entertainer, I can only hope I never have been and I will try to be more aware of behavior from now on.

 

Count me as part of that club :p LOL It's vacation... but I wouldn't be nasty to an entertainer, I like to think I'm quite the opposite... the more I drink, the more money and drinks they get :) I just go to enjoy myself... I like to think that the attitude of fireface is not the norm. And I hope no newbie is hesitant now to go to any of the piano bars, please don't base your opinion on something that is said on the internet. 40 people sitting in a piano bar are likely going to have 40 different opinions... judge for yourself. Many people are not used to the piano bar atmosphere... some people really like the style of one player, but not the next. Go with an open mind (and cash :p) and enjoy yourself!!!! I know that the piano bar experienced has enhanced my cruise many times... we had an absolute blast on our back to back last week... Damian entertained us well beyond the 4 hour mark, and we know what that means... he took time to get to know us and interact with us. I know the nights in the piano bar were a highlight for many in our group. Now I'm just trying to catch up on sleep and get used to going to bed before sunrise :rolleyes::D

 

My point is this... if you have something nasty to say, do it in an email. We shouldn't be bashing each other on here. And seeing several members gang up on another is never fun to watch...

[CRIRUN]

Count me as part of that club :p LOL It's vacation... but I wouldn't be nasty to an entertainer, I like to think I'm quite the opposite... the more I drink, the more money and drinks they get :)

 

Oh the money usually goes flying the more drunk my friends and I get. ;)

[astros77]

I really have only one thing to add to this thread and that is about the comments that a cruise ship entertainer is not as good as other entertainers. That is just simply untrue and VERY closed minded. The first cruise I had ever taken was with Damian Brell in the piano bar. Damian is a VERY talented musician and judging by the number of twenties in his tip jar I would say he makes more being a piano man on a ship then most unsigned musicians. For the record he never asked for a tip unless someone asked to hear "piano man" or "Great Balls of Fire" which he charged $20 for which may sound tacky to some but to me just sounds like good business as in the six days I sat in that piano bar I heard those two songs about 5 times each every night. I will say that some of the most talented musicians out there are not on the radio or on MTV they are playing in small bars. If you want another example of cruise ship entertainers being talented check out the fiddle player for Blackjack on the conquest. I am not a musician but I love music and I really took offense to those comments, they were extremely closed minded.

 

Another part of this thread that struck me was the part about charging extra after hours. Years ago I was a Karaoke DJ (yes it was the worst job ever). My show would end at 1 AM, but if I had to play I would charge $20 a song. I would double what the bar was paying me in that one hour by doing that. You would be suprised what drunk people will pay to hear themselves sing "total eclipse of the heart" and "Family Tradition". Maybe it was wrong but at the same time how happy are you to continue doing your job for an extra hour for no pay?