If Someone Walks up on Stage . . .

[EZYPIKINS]

Someone I don't know? Absolutely no. Someone I do know? Maybe.

I do like people to play my setups. Most are shocked, at how well my guitars play.

But a random person asking to play someone else's guitar. Has obviously never spent a serious amount of money on a guitar.

So keep on walking. Find someone playing an Epiphone Yamaha or Fender.

Stay well away from my Martin's and Gibson's.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

OK, everyone knows this ridiculously chancey and a bad idea. But here's a story. A true story.

Somewhere in the 80s, a member of my band was getting married. His new bride was well-known the local First Nations community, and the ceremony and the wingding afterward was at a community center run by those folks.

He had this wild idea: we'd play the dance afterward, we'd be the wedding band. Who does that? Well, I liked the idea, weird as it sounds. We were kind of a "folk punk" band, and we didn't get to play for dancers all that much.

We arrived before the ceremony, setup our instruments in the gym where the dance and tables for food would be, and then got ready for the wedding proper, including the groom getting into their suit.

We're greeting the guests and such when we hear noise from the gym. A quartet of indigenous guys had picked up my Telecaster, and the bass, and manned the drums and combo organ we'd setup in the gym, powered up, and were playing a short set. Frankly they were as good or better that we were musicianship-wise. I didn't know then if they were guests or just folks in the Center for whatever other reason or thing.

I thought it a bit strange, yes. But the groom and I and those who'd started to arrive for the wedding applauded after they played about 15 minutes, maybe 4 songs or so.

And here's the final part of the story: we had bass and drums setup, but being a folk punk band we were a bit informal about our rhythm section: we had one band member, who was our best vocalist, who played bass and/or drums -- obviously not the latter two at the same time, so he'd move from the drum throne to the bass depending on the song.

The drummer from our unscheduled "opening act" sat in for our part as the wedding band. Having a complete rhythm section made our set tighter and better for dancing. To this day I don't even know his name.

Great story but just so ya know when my wife and I got married we were on such a tight budget, our reception and dance was in my friends Barn (not used for AG or livestock). And I was the lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player in the band which consisted of my best man and a few more friends

[Ryan51]

A guitar maybe depending on the situation. I had a guy come up and ask to use my Flute one time. Out of the question

[rmp]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

I've never had anyone walk on stage to ask to play my guitar. That seems vanishingly unlikely. But I have had people ask when I wasn't on stage. I used to say yes, until:

I was at a weekly electric blues jam at a popular bar. One of the regulars asked to play my guitar, and I let him. He played his three songs and brought the guitar back to me. No problem.

But then a falling-down drunk I'd never seen before came up to me and asked to play it. I said no. He balled up his fists, leaned in close enough I could smell the Bud, and said, "Why not? You let him play it!"

I thought for a second and said, "Yeah. But I owe him money."

It worked. But I don't want to assume it'll always work.

haha! too funny really

that's some fast thinking!

[Ramblin' Dude]

Adam Hood has a song about this situation ... "Play Something We Know."

Pretty funny for all of us that have ever been on stage in this situation.

In sort of related news - I always drop something in the tip jar, regardless of how good or bad a player is. They are trying to do something that is much harder than it looks, and I'm sure that some folks did the same for me over time. Support live music at all levels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Dzc2E6q4Y

[RLetson]

On the other hand--I do a lot of intros and announcements for our Folk Society concerts, and I often ask the performers about their instruments, usually after the show--not to play it, but just about the builder or model. I'm always a bit surprised when the response is, "Want to try it?" (Last time it was Rachael Kilgour's lovely Al Carruth.) But then, I suspect they know that I've played that stage on and off for 20 years. (I don't tell them, but word gets around.) And I make that same kind of offer to other players at jams and song circles--though not to random strangers at a gig.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by Ryan51

A guitar maybe depending on the situation. I had a guy come up and ask to use my Flute one time. Out of the question

Yuck.

Hasn't happened to me. but several harmonica players I know have had strangers approach them at a gig & ask to play their instrument.

Actually right now while I'm typing I remember Bob Dylan at Newport asking if there was anybody in the crowd who could loan him a harp (key of F maybe?).

[gurroz]

I don't gig, but if I did I would be more concerned with people walking away from the stage. Maybe one day I'll get good enough to gig and experience the problem.