If Someone Walks up on Stage . . .

[Russ C]

I’ve rehearsed a reply - “I don’t lend my guitars at gigs, but at home is a whole different situation and I would then.”
If that wasn’t good enough for someone I’d be confident I’d done the right thing and I wouldn’t feel bad about anyone’s feelings then either.

I’ve lent my guitars before and nothing’s gone wrong but I’ve also seen one my guitars dropped and bits coming off it, I’ve seen the strap come off another but they caught it, I’ve seen the strap come off another and they didn’t catch it.
I have no doubt what the correct answer to your question is.

[jseth]

If they just walked u on stage when I was playing a set? Heck, no! I'd tell them to get their butts off the stage!!!

If they approached me at a break? Highly improbable, right next to never...

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by jseth

If they just walked u on stage when I was playing a set? Heck, no! I'd tell them to get their butts off the stage!!! . . .

Yup. Bizarre behavior. Like I say, vanishingly unlikely.

[Wade Hampton]

I’ve had innumerable drunks, often egged on by their friends, try to play my instruments when I’ve been gigging. It’s always awkward, especially when I tell them no, which is always.

That’s one nice thing about playing in church - if they’re drunk they hide it!


Wade Hampton Miller

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by BluesKing777

I was reading expert advice.....err, aha......

And put mediums on......aha.

Cursing myself, really struggling with those mediums, about to change to my trusty spare guitar with lousy pickup.....and up he comes: ‘Love your playing, blah, blah, can I play some?’

Sure! Here ya go......

He was OK but gave up quickly!

Mumbled something about my guitar having railroad tracks...

Until relatively recently the lightest strings I used on my electrics were 12's (usually flatwounds), with 13's on my electric jazzboxes and flattops and 14's on my acoustic archtops...

Used to have guys I knew (but didn't always trust to be as careful with my instruments as I would be with theirs) ask to try my guitars at open jams or between sets - I only had to oblige once and they'd walk off, wondering how I ever managed to play them at all (those jazz lessons when I was a kid paid off big-time... )

Then there was a local guy who made a practice of plugging into someone else's amp at an open mic or showcase night, without asking; after seeing him do this a few times with other players, I made it my business to keep the removable AC cord for my amp with me until I actually got up on stage...

One night he took a shine to my Carvin MB12 combo (a 3-way single-channel bass amp that sounds great with guitar - FWIW Carvin built a multi-channel acoustic version for a short while before they folded their US production) after seeing me use it for previous shows; he just happened to be on well before me that night and, true to form, plugged into my amp without asking...

Hits the power switch, steps up to the mic, goes through his big intro, and...crickets from his guitar...

Stops two measures into the song, flips the switch back and forth, again nothing - until he finally realizes the power cord is missing...

Visibly PO'd he commandeered a second mic for his guitar, grumbled his way through his set, and walked off the stage in a purple snit...

When my time came I produced the power cord from my back pocket, plugged in, did my set, and unplugged as soon as I was done...

No words, no threats, no fists needed - but some guys still gotta learn the hard way...

[BluesKing777]

Yep, a lot of people out there think they are owed your help.....and own your stuff!

It is great when they play awfully with your gear.....terrible when they play really good.

BluesKing777.

[Guitars44me]

Since I rarely play amped gigs anymore and almost never at bars, it may never happen again….

I have in the past just flat out said NO when the guy was obviously drunk and or high.

I have asked if they were sober, and their hands were clean, and said they had to remove belts and such. That usually eliminates most.

Now I would just say the management has forbidden it. Then it is someone else’s responsibility!

Go find your own dang gig!!! Hahaha

Cheers

Paul

[cyclistbrian]

I was in a band for a decade or so, long enough to have a local following. In that time I came in contact with many fruit bats. There was the alcoholic band stalker who thought she was the embodiment of Sheryl Crow. More than once we encountered some "up and coming" singer songwriter who asked to fill in between our sets using one of the guitars. These I warded off along with several manifestations of harmonica man. Sometimes discussion was involved for there are people who do not take a polite no for an answer and it can be difficult to get away. It wasn't all that often but often enough to make youngo hmmm...there are a lot of idiots out there.

[PapaLobo]

I've let a few artists at the Open Mic I run have instrument issues so I've lent them an instrument if I like them . I do it less as time moves on

[Robin, Wales]

Certainly you can use my guitar. You want to play "Wonderwall" ? Well let me just get my banjo so I can play and sing along. What are the chords again?

[musicman1951]

Never. Well, probably if it was Eric Clapton - but no to everyone else. I find the question both rude and a little absurd. Can you imagine walking into anyone's work place and asking if you can sit down at their computer for a little while, or maybe jump in at the car mechanic's garage? But you know how to work a computer? Ridiculous.

[LiveMusic]

What Jim Owens said above... blame it on insurance... this works... "I'm sorry, my insurance policy doesn't allow that."

A memorable experience for me was I was doing a showcase of my original material. Packed house. An older lady whom I didn't know asked me during a break if "Could someone get up and sing a few?" I had no idea who she was nor who she was talking about and I really didn't want anyone anyway because I had promoted the show for weeks and we had rehearsed a lot and the show was planned to the minute. I politely told her no. She got all huffy and said something rude like "Well, so, that's the way you roll around here?" She left in a huff. Along with my neighbor and her mother, lol. The one she was asking for was my next door neighbor! Who did tell me later that it was for her and I said "Oh, that was for YOU, I didn't know!" And that is true but I sure would not have wanted her up there. All she did was pitchy gospel stuff and it was certainly not a gospel show! She couldn't even tune a guitar. She'd call me every couple of years and ask could I come over and tune her guitar!

[Mr. Jelly]

NO! I won't let anyone sit in with the band either. It's not a jam. That is a whole other subject.

[stephenT]

When someone walks on my stage during a set, they are an amateur and an interloper. It's not a pro move, I know already I don't want to enter an exchange with this person. My standard line is, "I'm so sorry, the jam session is next Thursday".

Someone asks to check out my guitars on a break (from a respectful distance),.. sure thing. I enjoy talking to pickers and guitar enthusiasts.

[soups]

I’ve rarely allowed anyone to play my instrument during a set break but there have been exceptions. Never been a couple times professional musicians, and struck up conversations about gear or guitars, and I could tell they knew what they were talking about. At that point I allowed them to play a couple songs. Most of the time it has been me asking them if they want to play rather than allowing them to. The ones that are super eager are usually pretty iffy at best.