If Someone Walks up on Stage . . .

[mike o]

Short answer, yes I have been approached a few times. The answer is no at a show. Unless I know you, you do not touch my stuff.

[Pickcity]

Originally Posted by cip

this lady showed up with nothing to play. she asked to play my guitar. and i said sure why not. she played my super nice gibson custom shop.

she showed up again to a different open mic and asked to play my personal guitar even though there was a house guitar. and i told her exactly that. that there was a house guitar. she said "but that one might not be in tune", and i told her, 'yes it is, someone just played it', which was true.

so freaking weird. am i an ******* for doing that?

No, you’re not, but the ones who are will try to make us feel that it is us, and not them. I don’t care. It’s my guitar and my gig, and I don’t owe them anything.

One of my old band mates would handle people who wanted to sing a song by telling them they could sing “carry on my wayward son”. That one always shewed them away.

[pcs264]

From Post #41: "Never. Well, probably if it was Eric Clapton - but no to everyone else."

I have a friend who was playing at a club when Dickie Betts walked up (really, this is true!) and asked to sit in for a song or two, and my friend said, "Sure". So, Dickie proceeded to put the proverbial 5 years' worth of scratches in 5 minutes on my friend's Les Paul, then leaned it against the amp and walked out of the club.

I have a deal with the Universe: I never ask to play anyone's guitar, and I never let anyone play mine.

[Neil K Walk]

I’m usually the guy who would ask. If I were to put even a friend who was on a gig in such a situation I’m at least self aware to realize that the answer to the OP’s question is a hard “no.” ESPECIALLY if I’d been imbibing. My behavior would impact if he would ever get to gig at that venue again.

[Tnfiddler]

I freely handed over my Bourgeois to one of my friends, at a gig a couple of weeks ago. He’s one of the best cross pickers that I know and can sing great too! I even walked off the stage so I could watch him pick and sing one, from the audience perspective and enjoyed EVERY second of it. After the gig was over, I let him play it for the longest time while he was singing with the rest of the band. If they’re a player and I know them, I don’t think twice about it. A random stranger, no way!

[Tahitijack]

My last acoustic project played a gig at a local venue in early 2020. The husband of the manager asked to play my guitar at the end of the evening. I say OK. He was very careful and respectful and played fingerstyle. As we were loading out the manager stopped me to thank me for letting her husband play my guitar...she said he has too many and will probably start looking for a new one like mine. Anyway she said she wanted to book us at least once a month maybe twice a month and would be in touch...and as we all know covid hit and that was the end of that. What might have been...maybe letting her husband play helped..don't know.

[rllink]

I've never had that happen to me. But the kind of person who would do that seems to me to be the kind of person who spends their Saturdays at GC playing some guitar off the wall incessantly all afternoon. Unless it were a friend I would say no. Frankly, I don't think any of my friends would ask that in the first place.

[CharlieBman]

If "someone" walks up on stage? Needs a little context...but most generally, no.

[Glennwillow]

Thank goodness, this has never happened to me.

Man, some people...

- Glenn

[PassingThru]

If someone walks on the stage, they should work for the venue and want to make an announcement. All else, no.

[Br1ck]

You need to be a pretty good judge of people. I've lent my guitar at an open mic to what turned out to be a pro on vacation. Another time to a young lady who said she didn't have the nerve to bring her guitar, but thought she could do it right then. First timer. It would have gone better if I hadn't handed her a guitar tuned to double dropped D. I was mortified but all ended well. Quite a few tourists stumbled in. I can usually tell the drinkers from the glass of wine with dinner folks. But a place where drinking is the main attraction? Never.

[FingahPickah]

So, I invest, learn, rehearse, promote, book, manage, set-up, perform, earn and protect my reputation - so that "someone can walk on stage and....."

One guess what my answer is.

Hint:

"Excuse me officer, I know you don't know me, but I see you're a policeman, and I like to act like a cop in public sometimes - especially when I’ve been drinking - so can I borrow your gun for a minute? It'll be really cool. Oh, and will your daughter be home later?”

[rule18]

I've been approached at gigs on numerous occasions over the years, the answer was always the same. The Pros that would actually play well and respect my guitars would never presume to ask. The drunks or just plain rude people always got a resounding "no".

[BluesKing777]

A lot of places have pro security (bouncers) and smile and sweet talk as much as you like, one foot on the stage and you end up face down in the car park bleeding from the mouth!

BluesKing777.

[Mr. Jelly]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

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


Wade Hampton Miller

Thanks Wade.