This is what happens when you don’t pay your web designer

Many years ago I did some freelance lead and solo trumpet work for a big band. As well as playing for them I helped them to register their domain name ockbrookbigband.com. Like many big bands they were a mixed bunch, with some players dragging the standard down whilst others strived for bigger and better things.

The band had two vocalists. A male vocalist who was excellent, a seasoned professional entertainer, and a female vocalist who was, frankly, mediocre.

As is often the case with big bands, egos were everywhere, but things really started to spill out of control when the mediocre female vocalist, Michelle Humphries, decided that she wanted to be in a controlling position in the band. She wanted to have creative control over the set lists and even wanted to take away some of the male vocalist’s songs.

Clearly, she was insecure about her lack of talent and didn’t like the male vocalist always getting the limelight.

Furthermore, she started to attack the band’s soloists, myself included, asking that they play in a way that complimented and supported her rather than playing in a way that drew attention to themselves.

At this point I spoke out. I was fed up with her amateur attitude and pub singer mentality. Big band soloists need to express themselves. Jazz is about expression, improvisation and creativity. I wasn’t going to have anyone tell me how or what to play.

An argument ensued. Pointed emails where sent back and forth, and then, very suddenly, my freelance contract with the band was cancelled. I lost around twenty gigs with no compensation.

The matter still rests with my legal representative but I’m not particularly hopeful of recovering any money. The more time that passes the less chance I have of gaining any sort of legal traction.

When the ockbrookbigband.com domain name came up for renewal I let it expire.

But then, out of nowhere, all hell broke loose. A website designer, Adam Derbyshire, who had apparently been asked to secure the ockbookbigband.com domain and build two websites, one for the Ockbrook Big Band and one for a new band, the Michelle Humphries Big Band within that domain, posted the following message on the front page.

Hello. My name is Adam Derbyshire and I’m a web designer. In January 2007 I was asked by Michele Humphries, a member of the Ockbrook Big Band, to secure and host the domain name ockbrookbigband.com and to build and maintain two websites for her within that domain.  One for the Ockbrook Big Band and one for the Michele Humphries Big Band.

I was not paid for any work nor for the domain name.

After I secured the domain name a number of emails were sent by Michele Humphries to @ockbrookbigband.com email addresses containing what appear to be important and sensitive conversations.

The people mentioned in the emails are Andy, Glenn, Tim, Ashley, Dave, Kal, Derek, John, Peter and Colin. No surnames are given but I infer from the emails that these people are members of the Ockbrook Big Band.

Because I have not been paid and given the nature of the emails I have decided to make these emails public unless I am paid in full in the next 10 days.

If any designers are reading this then please feel free to blog about it and generally spread the word.

Hilarious. The people who had screwed me had also screwed their web designer. Clearly, since he has access to the domain name he also had access to any and all emails that were sent to the band members addresses. Depending on your point of view this was either blackmail, revenge or plain, old fashioned, karma.

The band chose to ignore his threats so they suffered the consiqueneces when he updated the site a few weeks later with the following email transcripts and descriptions.

The following emails were sent by Michele Humphries to members of the Ockbrook Big Band using @ockbrookbigband.com email addresses after I had secured the domain name on January 15th 2007.

Here’s the first one, from Michele Humphries to Glenn (glenn.trombone@btinternet.com), Derek (Derek.Law@telinco.co.uk) Dave (daversax@aol.com) and Peter (peter@ockbrookbigband.com). It was sent on January 16th 2007.

Dear Glenn, Derek, Dave and Peter,

I am sick and tired of all this. We have already discussed how this is the golden opportunity we’ve been waiting for to get rid of Ashley and now you expect me to take part in some sort of stupid meeting.

You promised me you’d get rid of him at the AGM but you didn’t go through with it.

How dare he call me a pub singer? Who the hell does he think he is? Its about time that this band realised that they are lucky to have me.

Tim Andy and John are all friendly with Ashley. Tim is close to him has argued with me before and John has never liked me. Andy and I don’t see eye to eye over volume and he knows how annoyed I get when his son smashes those drums so loud. He will definitely side with Ashley. Why didn’t you pick yourselves and make things so much easier?

I’ve made my position clear. I will leave the band unless you get rid of Ashley. Glenn told me that this was going to happen at the AGM but something didn’t go to plan.

The sooner we get this sorted out the sooner we can start cutting back the dead wood and reshaping the band. Everyone knows that Ashley won’t withdraw what he has said. We need to use this opportunity to get rid of him and strike while the iron is hot.

Michele

Here’s the second one, from Michele Humphries to Glenn (glenn.trombone@btinternet.com), Derek (Derek.Law@telinco.co.uk) Dave (daversax@aol.com) and Peter (peter@ockbrookbigband.com). It was sent on January 20th 2007.

No, I will not attend a meeting until Ashley withdraws his comments. Either you get rid of him or I’m walking out.

Michele

Here’s the third one, from Michele Humphries to Glenn (glenn.trombone@btinternet.com), Derek (Derek.Law@telinco.co.uk) Dave (daversax@aol.com) and Peter (peter@ockbrookbigband.com). It was sent on January 21th 2007.

I’ve spoken to Tim and spun him a story about how I think I’ve been bullied and really hurt by all of this and I’m pretty sure he fell for it and that I can now count on his support and his vote if things go that far. Thanks Glenn, the plan is working!

Michele

Here’s the fourth one, from Michele Humphries to officers@ockbrookbigband.com, addressed to Glenn, Derek, Dave and Peter. It was sent on January 25th 2007.

I told you this would happen. You should have had the balls to force him out at the AGM. If we are going to get rid of him on a vote then we need to make sure that we can control who is at the meeting and who votes for me.

If we prevent Ashley from going to the meeting thats one less vote for him. Can we get a date when Kal is away? Thats another vote less for Ashley. That would probably be enough.

All those idiots in the trumpet section will vote for Ashley, and so will Colin, Dave, John and Andy. Especially now that Tim has messed things up and made people start realising that this is all planned. I told you it was a mistake to put him in charge of the meetings.

I hope you know what you’re doing because it had better work this time.

Michele

Here’s the fifth one, from Michele Humphries to Glenn (glenn.trombone@btinternet.com), Derek (Derek.Law@telinco.co.uk) Dave (daversax@aol.com) and Peter (peter@ockbrookbigband.com). It was sent on January 29th 2007.

Hooray! Finally we’ve got rid of him. I think it would be best if we waited for a few months before launching the Michele Humphries big band. I know Colin won’t be happy about what we’ve got planned and neither will the others we’ve discussed. I’m going on holiday in March so lets wait until after I come back and things have settled down a bit.

Michele

Here’s the sixth one, from Michele Humphries to Glenn (glenn.trombone@btinternet.com), Derek (Derek.Law@telinco.co.uk) Dave (daversax@aol.com) and Peter (peter@ockbrookbigband.com). It was sent on Fenruary 3rd 2007.

Pete. You haven’t replied to my email about the new website. Is peter@ockbrookbigband.com still working?

Michele

At this point Michele Humphries probably figured out that any emails sent to peter@ockbrookbigband.com were not getting through (because they were coming to me since I had owned the domain name since January 14th 2007). Presumably Peter Cowley (peter@ockbrookbigband.com was his address) told her to stop sending anything more to @ockbrookbigband.com addresses because he knew they would end up in someone elses hands.

As you can probably imagine, I stood back and watched this mess unfold, quitely amused at how I had been vindicated by the bands stupidity and lack of security. First they screw me, then they employ a web designer, give him access to their band email accounts, reveal all of their plans and behind the scenes plotting, and then, in a final act of almost frightening naivety  they screw him.

Soon afterwards the website was removed. At the time I assumed that Adam Derbyshire and the Ockbrook Big Band had reached an agreement.

But today I received a Twitter friend request from @ockbrookbigband.com. Intrigued I followed back and read the one line bio. It would appear that no agreement was reached. Far from it. The band somehow managed to get the site pulled down leaving Adam Derbyshire with a legal battle on his hands.

The friend request was followed by a short message.

Ashley, thought this might interest you.

He was right.

And I’m more than happy to shine the spotlight in his direction.

Follow Adam Derbyshire on Twitter @ockbrookbigband.com.