"Insulted" by a "professional musician."

[Tiga1]

This guy is a rude jerk plain and simple. My response would have been "So, you say you only have "one" guitar?" Emphasizing the word "one" by holding up one finger. Can you guess which finger?

Actually I'm impressed with how graciously you handled it.

[The Bard Rocks]

I am also sure that he was not aware that I am on the board of a very large local charity. The same charity that hired his band to play for our event last year.

Poetic justice! Love it.

Maybe he was afraid of your competition, maybe it was just a bad day or it was his "time of the month". More likely, he is this way all the time and is in the running for the infamous "Jerk of the Year" award.

[Gmountain]

I saw a show the other night and the professional musician on the stage had three guitars.

[Mandobart]

"I'm a professional working musician..."

My older brother has lived in central Missouri for the past 20 some years, a place where great sayings grow on trees. One of my favorites is "If you've got to go around telling everybody what you are, you ain't."

[kdn]

Originally Posted by wkbryan

Probably suffering from a hemorrhoidal flare up.

The one above his neck.

[jaybones]

Originally Posted by pdidmh1

I wouldn't classify a 1500 dollar guitar as expensive. Not really. Now if it was 15000 dollars that would be different.

Well, compared with the $300 guitar in the OP...

I've had the displeasure to know Pat Dailey, a minor celebrity here (Put-In-Bay's version of Jimmy Buffet, just more attitude and far less talent).

The month of February he plays Sloppy Joes all month, during the afternoon, and it's known by his fans as Pat Dailey Days in Key West. Anyway, he was playing about 2:30 or 3:00 in the afternoon, lots of families with kids in there, and the bartender rang his tip bell.

Pat stops playing, and points to the bartender, and said "I TOLD YOU WHEN I'M PLAYING YOU DON'T RING THAT F'ING (said the word) BELL!!" Puts his guitar away, and said "Shows over folks. Don't blame me, BLAME THAT F'ING A'HOLE (said the words again) BEHIND THE BAR!", pointing the bartender out.

In front of kids and their parents eating lunch.

Took his guitar and case and stomped off the stage.

Funnily, he was back onstage inside of 10 minutes after speaking with the manager about his contract.

BTW, he has a popular song "I won't do Buffet, 'Cause Buffet won't do me" Talk about hubris and ego.

[dwstout]

How many guitars does Jackson Browne use in a concert?

[Pitar]

I can't imagine why anyone, who has probably been there and done that no differently than everyone else, would respond in that manner. Tying himself to a professional image, and then in the same breath eschewing it makes no sense whatsoever.

[dwstout]

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

Someone on this thread, another professional musician, said that he dislikes when someone comes up to him during a break to talk about gear. He went as far as to say... "Don't be that guy." My goodness. That, along with the musician that treated you so rudely, is simply uncalled for.

My attitude is that from the second my foot touches the inside of that venue, until I get back into my car, I am there for my audience. As long as they're sincere and friendly, it's my obligation as a professional musician and entertainer to return the courtesy, no matter how tired or out of sorts I may be. They've paid money to see me, driven out in the night, and simply want to have a few words. If it weren't for the audience, I would be stacking shelves at Walmart. Not that there's anything wrong with that of course, but that is simply not what I'm here for. Besides, it's folks like that, that lift my spirits up when the road gets a bit tiring.

There's simply no excuse for being rude to anyone, let alone someone who is genuinely friendly. And it's even worse when a professional musician treats their audience with anything other than courteousness, respect, and kindness.

Owning one or fifty guitars does not make the player. Come to think of it, neither does the playing. It's what's inside the player that counts, and everything else will reflect just that.

Once again Toby is voice of reason. Well said.

[fazool]

Lots of very famous guitar players have many, many guitars. Some have collections. In fact Very few seem to only hav eone.

This is nothing more than bitter tears of envy.

You have. I can't have. I want, therefore I insult you.

[Denny B]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Oh really? Why don't you print this photo and bring it back to him. I think Jackson Browne would be considered a "professional musician."

Thanks for posting that pic...

I was gonna say, that guy must have never heard of Jackson Browne...

[TBman]

Originally Posted by ChrisE

I was at an event with a live band recently, they sounded really good. Acoustic guitar, bass, drums, and an electric guitarist/fiddle player.

During one of the breaks, I saw the acoustic guitarist and said, "You've got a great acoustic tone, are you using anything special?"

He said, "Yeah--I'm using a chorus pedal. That and I'm using an expensive guitar. It's a $1,500 guitar instead of the $300 guitars I used to use. I'm a professional working musician, and professional working musicians only have one guitar, not like all those guys who have a room full of guitars and never play any gigs."

He looks and me and says, "You've probably got five guitars at home, don't you?"

"Well, just four actually..."

"That's what I figured" he added as he walked off.

Nice meeting you, too.

There's more to being a professional, at anything, besides just getting paid for it. Nothing like alienating potential client base.

[pszy22]

I volunteer at a small nonprofit venue. The acts that get booked are all regional groups who in my estimation work very hard primarily for the love of their craft, not big pay checks. To a person, these folks are great both on and off stage. They spend time talking to folks in the audience before, during and after their performances. They are happy to answer questions, or just shoot the breeze.

[Toby Walker]

Originally Posted by kydave

Toby is absolutely right. When you're performing, the audience doesn't care that your dog just died and your mom is a drunk... You are there to make their day better!

This guy wasn't.

But what if your mom just died and your dog is drunk?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

But what if your mom just died and your dog is drunk?

I think there's a song in there, Toby...