crazy gig stories?

[PorkPieGuy]

My favorite crazy gig story was from 2010 that I found on here. I never forgot it, so I looked it back up. This is not from me.

My (broke) college band used to play with a Peavey powered mixer from the 60's. All tube, weighed about 300 lbs., each knob was the size of my fist. At any rate, during one of our shows the mixer decided it was going to periodically short 400+ volts to ground- which happened to be the same ground that all the microphones were connected to. We were playing a frat party, probably 200+ people in the audience. Every time the mixer would short, myself and the other singer would get nailed with a high voltage shock, leading to grunts, cursing and the occasional stumble. Of course the whole band was laughing, which didn't help matters. At one point I looked over at the other singer and saw a blue bolt of lightning jump from the microphone to his lips. Of course the audience was clueless, and thought that we both had Turets.

[slewis]

Just a few months ago, I'm literally driving out of my driveway to head to a Saturday-night gig at a place I've played very regularly for years, about a half-hour away. My phone rings and it's the manager of the venue who says "XXX just showed up, and I know it's your date and all, but they're here and they came quite a distance and I'm wondering if we could just have them play tonight." I was in disbelief -- this is a venue and manager who I have always had a great relationship with. I said, "Well it's their screw-up -- shouldn't they just accept their mistake and go home?" For whatever reason, he was just sympathetic to their "plight" and I could tell that he just wanted to go easy on them and let them do the gig. Of course, you are hurting your own cause if you insist on NOT cooperating with whatever he wants to do. He also said he'd sweeten the pot for me on my next date there. I was, and am still, in disbelief that he did this -- and (as I emailed the other act) that any gigging musician would do that to another musician! (Oddly, they never replied to me!) Anyway I've played there since, and booked more future dates, and he was again all apologetic about it, and did indeed sweeten the pot for me as promised. But I'm still shaking my head over that one. Couldn't believe he was up for that, and as I said, even more, that that other act would even want to screw the guy who already had the booking....

But hey -- that's showbiz....

[slewis]

Originally Posted by RagtopGT

Another live DJ tale.... I was fortunate to be the house DJ for about 6 years in the 80's at a small, rural bar/restaurant and I got to play whatever I wanted...rock, Zydeco, blues, jazz, and never any disco or (then) emerging Rap. I was getting paid for playing music that I would have listened to at home for free.

One night everything perfectly fell in place. It was literally a hot August night and the place was packed with wall to wall sweaty drunks. I had two bass cabinets that flanked the stage, and all night long girls would jump up on them and dance like they were in go-go cages on Shindig. People were dancing and singing to everything. I could have played the Albanian national anthem and gotten an ovation. Everything was clicking.

Towards closing the party wasn't letting up. I took a gamble and queued up 'Like A Rolling Stone'....I mean, who the hell ever plays Dylan to a drunken rock and roll dance crowd, especially a song that's six minutes long that you can't dance to? Every time the chorus came in I muted the sound and 250 people crowded around the stage, on the dance floor, and at the bar raised their glasses and sang 'HOW DOES IT FEEL' at the top of their lungs. It was the closest I ever got to being a rock star. A few weeks later I tried the same thing again and it fell totally flat. I never played the song again at the bar. That hot August night was a one shot deal when the planets aligned.

I can just picture that. That's a good one...

[MikeBmusic]

Originally Posted by slewis

Just a few months ago, I'm literally driving out of my driveway to head to a Saturday-night gig at a place I've played very regularly for years, about a half-hour away. My phone rings and it's the manager of the venue who says "XXX just showed up, and I know it's your date and all, but they're here and they came quite a distance and I'm wondering if we could just have them play tonight." I was in disbelief -- this is a venue and manager who I have always had a great relationship with. I said, "Well it's their screw-up -- shouldn't they just accept their mistake and go home?" For whatever reason, he was just sympathetic to their "plight" and I could tell that he just wanted to go easy on them and let them do the gig. Of course, you are hurting your own cause if you insist on NOT cooperating with whatever he wants to do. He also said he'd sweeten the pot for me on my next date there. I was, and am still, in disbelief that he did this -- and (as I emailed the other act) that any gigging musician would do that to another musician! (Oddly, they never replied to me!) Anyway I've played there since, and booked more future dates, and he was again all apologetic about it, and did indeed sweeten the pot for me as promised. But I'm still shaking my head over that one. Couldn't believe he was up for that, and as I said, even more, that that other act would even want to screw the guy who already had the booking....

But hey -- that's showbiz....

I have a feeling the other band was not sympathetic because the guy had double-booked and they felt it was their gig (too).

[Tele1111]

This past Friday night, I was playing a gig at a local pub/restaurant. Things were going well, the place was packed, and though I forgot to bring a tip jar, the patrons were generous and appreciative.
There were quite a few people really watching and getting in to the music. At a table out in front of me, but down a couple of tables, there was a older guy who had a look of intrigue in his eyes. Either that, or confusion. I hoped for intrigue.

He walked up in front of me, then to my right, then to my left, and back again.
As I ended the tune I was playing, he asked “what kind of guitar is that?”
Mind you I was in the middle of my set, but always being aware of my audience, I replied it was a Breedlove, and excused myself to start the next tune.
He returned to his seat, and through the next couple of songs he repeated his behavior. All he said this time was “that’s a beautiful sounding guitar. Just wonderful!”

After I finished my set, I walked over to him, and thanked him. As he had such an appreciation for my guitar tone, I asked him if he played.
His reply was “No. I’m a accordion player.”

Mark

[Photojeep]

This didn't start out as a gig but once in college, a friend and I went into a little bar we'd always passed by. It was small, dark, and there were about 25-30 people in the place. Over on the side there was a guy with a guitar playing and singing solo on a small stage with a very weak spotlight on hm.

We sat down and as we waited for the cocktail waitress to make it over to us, I was enjoying his music and involuntarily moving my fretting hand to play the chords he was playing in the hopes of remembering some of what he was doing. He finished the song and asked me if I played guitar. I told him yes and he said, "Here, you play for a while." I said I din't want him to get in trouble with the management and he said, "No, I'm the bartender and the manager. Go for it."

He handed me his guitar and I played for about an hour. The few patrons there seemed to like it and we got free beer for an hour!

Best,
PJ

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by PorkPieGuy

At one point I looked over at the other singer and saw a blue bolt of lightning jump from the microphone to his lips. Of course the audience was clueless, and thought that we both had Turets.[/I]

I must have played with that PA, except it was in the back of a food co-op in Eugene, Oregon. :-) If you were the singer on a song, you just jammed your face into the mic as fast as you could to get over the shock, then made sure you kept your lips pressed to the mic until you had a very long break or the song ended. Ouch.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Tele1111

.... At a table out in front of me, but down a couple of tables, there was a older guy who had a look of intrigue in his eyes. Either that, or confusion. I hoped for intrigue.

He walked up in front of me, then to my right, then to my left, and back again. As I ended the tune I was playing, he asked “what kind of guitar is that?” Mind you I was in the middle of my set, but always being aware of my audience, I replied it was a Breedlove, and excused myself to start the next tune.

He returned to his seat, and through the next couple of songs he repeated his behavior. All he said this time was “that’s a beautiful sounding guitar. Just wonderful!”

After I finished my set, I walked over to him, and thanked him. As he had such an appreciation for my guitar tone, I asked him if he played.
His reply was “No. I’m a accordion player.”

Yeah, but he's a fellow musician, and clearly an alert one. I'll do that same thing: if someone is playing an instrument I don't recognize I'll ask about it, though I would never do so mid-set unless things were VERY casual.

But if I'm around when they go on break, I'll ask. I am interested in instruments that I don't play if they're impressive enough. A few years ago at the Alaska State Fair I walked into The Sluice Box, which is the tavern where they have live music. A band was just getting set up, and the bass player had an unusual instrument.

"Is that a Renaissance bass?" I asked him.

He got this really startled look on his face, then stuck out his hand for me to shake. "You're the only person who's ever spotted that," he told me.

Rick Turner Renaissance Bass

I don't play bass, (well, I can fake it but I don't really PLAY it,) but I'm always interested in other instruments, especially when they sound great or are strikingly different than what's normally seen.


Wade Hampton Miller