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The worst thing happened at the gig...


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So I'm playing at a bar/club one night and it's in the middle of the third set, just when all the crazy stuff usually begins to happen. So I'm on stage and I'm getting ready to start the next song and all of a sudden I hear "Watch out, oh!!!..." and then SMASH! I look over my left shoulder and I see that somebody in the crowd knocked a lighting rig on top of all my guitars and my amplifiers. I usually run with Two Les Pauls, Two SGs, and an Epiphone Dot... Sometimes the Gretsch, but not this night.

 

I look in the crowd to see who did it and all I see is somebody bolting for the door. I'm obviously not going to get him so I hoped that security would... which they didn't. What a crack job these guys were doing for us.

 

Anyways I thought for certain that my equipment would be in ruins, but besides a few chips and dings on the headstocks/necks everything was fine with no major damage. I guess the only thing that really happened was about 3 gallons of beer (maybe not 3 gallons but...) made its way into my top amplifier causing it to short out. I packed it up after the gig and started to fix the damage done and now it's all good to go too.

 

SO with all that being said, what is your craziest experience at your gig? Doesn't just have to be about equipment almost getting damaged, could be anything!

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Wow that's just plain nuts. I'm glad it wasn't as bad as you thought. Hmm, worst thing. For us it was my drummer getting into a heated exchange with the bouncer, which almost caused an all out bar fight at 3:00AM. It's a long story but the bouncer wasn't charging his buddies the cover charge. Got a million more stories (most of them just crazy drunk people doing stupid things).

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One guy stands up in the middle and yells "BAR FIGHT!!!" and then your typical Hollywood Western bar fight happens. Broken pool cues, one guy gets slid all the way down the bar, small girl knocks out the largest dude in the bar, the band continues to play until to police show up. haha

 

We've been in a situation where bouncers were letting friends in for free, not cool.

 

Also, we have had the awesome experience of bar owners leaving before paying and telling us how it was a slow night and they didn't make any money despite the place being packed all night.

 

OH WAIT! Here is a crazy thing that happened. We were playing at a really small bar off the beaten path (usually pretty cool places). It's getting towards the time that we have to start breaking everything down when I look up and hear CRASH SMASH VROOM! What happened is that as some extremely drunk person was leaving the bar he thought his truck was in drive when it was actually in reverse. He ended up driving through the main doors and into the dining area. Luckily nobody was nearby to get hurt.

 

Being optimistic, I thought, "well, at least I don't have to open the door to get my gear out."

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One that comes to mind was in college we played a brewery restaurant in East Lansing, MI. We weren't really on a riser (the place had no stage and we were up a whole foot up from the dance floor) and had brought our own P.A. With no monitor we took a spare ten inch cab and wedged it at my singer's feet. Worked great until this wasted group of two couples hit the dance floor. One guy was pushing the other and he kept kicking and falling into the monitor; this bumped the mic stand and the mic right into my singers mouth. I was pissed so when he fell at the foot of our riser I knocked a whole pitcher of water onto him. He was so drunk he just rolled around in shock. Later his friends tried to get him to fight me, but he was so drunk he couldn't even stand up.

 

Pretty tame compared to others stories I am sure.

 

When I think of more stories I'll post them.

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I have quite a few stories. Bar fights happen all the time.

 

My bassist and I have been playing has a duo, and a few times, the bar owner has stuck miscellaneous so-called drummers onstage in the middle of a song, including himself one time...(he was blitzed...).

 

One time, my amp broke....

 

Another time, (a couple times, actually), we were joined onstage by a fellow guitar player who is a close friend of ours, but he was drunk both times and he is known to turn it up to 11.....

 

His amp wasn't miked (his equipment is sometimes stored at the bar, cause' he and the owner, well all of us, are friends) and it was facing sideways, and the whole place could still hear him more than us....

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One of the guys that erected the scaffolding for the stage in the arena, was climbing up a bit higher from the stage. He was a few feet above the stage, lost his grip on a bar and fell. As he was falling to the floor of the stage, he hit up against the back of one of the Acoustic 260 guitar amps. The 260 fell forward and crushed a Gibson SG Custom that was leaned up against it.

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Let's see......

 

Do you want to hear the one about gunshot wounds, pepper spray, -16F W.C. temperature, the drunk chic "Wendy", the shrunken head twins, The guy flying through the plate glass window, 120F heat index, Mona and Debbie, being escorted out of town by the sheriff, the topless girl and my Stratocaster, the standard "fee" for special requests, the Blue Martini Party, spitting out flying insects, Spittin' Sammy Mitchel, the recording session with "One Gold Pat", flood silt, the fill in drummer (shut the f-up and play drums), playing a club where the cops told us our waist band concealed weapons were not "visible" enough..... I could go on for days, but....

 

My wife's favorite... the time my right shoulder fell out of the socket on stage, and a bandmate had to help me put it back in place (all caught on audio tape).

 

And MY favorite... the time we were attacked by flying cotton candy while playing a county fair.

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I told this once a long time ago on this board but it is such a good story I'll tell it again.

 

1979 played in a rock and roll band in Arkansas as a teen. We went down to Camden, Arkansas to play in a bar. We started the set with Bad Company's Ready for Love. We got kicked out after the third song because they thought they'd hired a country band - our name was Roxx. Go figure.

We were aggressively asked to leave which we did. The other guitar player ran out of gas on our way out of town as only can happen to 19 year olds. I had to use my talk box tube to siphon gas from my 77 Corolla into his 78 Gremlin. I was too firkin broke to get another talk box so every gig afterwards I was gagging while playing because of the smell and taste of gasoline.

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I told this once a long time ago on this board but it is such a good story I'll tell it again.

 

1979 played in a rock and roll band in Arkansas as a teen. We went down to Camden, Arkansas to play in a bar. We started the set with Bad Company's Ready for Love. We got kicked out after the third song because they thought they'd hired a country band - our name was Roxx. Go figure.

We were aggressively asked to leave which we did. The other guitar player ran out of gas on our way out of town as only can happen to 19 year olds. I had to use my talk box tube to siphon gas from my 77 Corolla into his 78 Gremlin. I was too firkin broke to get another talk box so every gig afterwards I was gagging while playing because of the smell and taste of gasoline.

 

That is a good story!

 

I'll have to remember that one!

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When I was really young and into early 80's hardcore and playing super fast, an acquaintance lent me a Marshall half stack to play through, because none of us had any money for our own gear. We typically played at floor level, even if there was a stage, and that resulted into people circle pitting all around us often bumping into us while playing. I was playing with a 10' chord and not a 20' as I normally would and someone bumped into me real hard causing me to go flying and so did the Marshall head off of the 4x12 cabinet. It bounced off of the floor and then stopped working.

 

It was ******* hilarious. Mainly because the kid who bumped into me was the owner of the amplifier. I wiped my hands of the situation and plugged into someone else's head immediately. I was 17 and here's what we were playing,

 

http://fuxkxhexcene.bandcamp.com/

 

I miss legitimate hardcore.

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While in high school a band I was in (played drums then, 1966) played at a street music fest/battle of the bands thing, I was right up against a wall, amps on either side, guitar and bass players right in front of my drum set, when a fight broke out, and someone pushed somebody into my drums, crap was flying in every direction, I was knocked over, which turned out to be a good thing, I looked up to see Robert our guitar player holding his 1957 LP Gold Top by the neck and swinging it like a Louisville Slugger right over the spot I had been sitting and catching the guy that had knocked me over right up side the head with the edge of his LP between the jackhole and the pickguard screw..the guys head cracked open like a walnut in a vise.

He landed next to me with his eyes closed and limbs twitching...

 

 

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These are all awesome stories I am sitting here trying to keep down the laughter so I don't wake up the family. But these are all stories that people who don't play music in a band would ever understand but are just normal for us.

 

I also remember driving to a gig in Frederick, MD and as we are leaving our home town (three - four hours from Frederick, MD.) we discovered that we didn't have any brakes in the van and almost crashed into a pole in a convenience store parking lot before leaving town. So what do we do? Get it fixed???!!! HECK NO! We have to get to the gig on time! So we drive all that way just hoping to not have to use our brakes in a "right now" situation. It got pretty scary a few times when we were going downhill on a one lane with oncoming traffic... but we made it and we played an awesome gig. That was out last long distance show for a while so hopefully the van will be fixed or we will have another means of transportation for when we start up again.

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Guest rogerb

I was playing a gig at a small bar, no stage, just set up in the corner. The lead singer/rhythm player sat on a stool in front of the drums. I'm playing guitar on the left of drums, bass player on right side of drums. A fight broke out in front of the band. One drunk knocked another drunk into the singer on the stool. He fell straight back into the drums. Drums went everywhere. The singer was still sitting on the stool looking up at the ceiling and he NEVER STOPPED PLAYING! It was hilarious to see! [lol]

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I was playing a gig at a small bar, no stage, just set up in the corner. The lead singer/rhythm player sat on a stool in front of the drums. I'm playing guitar on the left of drums, bass player on right side of drums. A fight broke out in front of the band. One drunk knocked another drunk into the singer on the stool. He fell straight back into the drums. Drums went everywhere. The singer was still sitting on the stool looking up at the ceiling and he NEVER STOPPED PLAYING! It was hilarious to see! [lol]

 

haha That would have been funny to see. It's even better to see when someone wants to get up but they continue to play because you know they are going to fall at least two more times on the way up.

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Around '96 or '97, my band at the time was playing one of our few/first shows in Pittsburgh. We were all barely 21. Anyway, the sound guy was this angry dude that just seemed on edge. -Like he hadn't slept for 2 days because of a meth binge or something. I could tell he wasn't really into constructive criticism or our requests to get things sounding how we wanted. Our bass player just couldn't hear himself up on stage during our sound check, and we kept asking the sound guy to turn up the bass. We'd run through some riffs, and ask for the bass to be turned up. This happened maybe 2 or 3 times until finally the angry sound guy was like "Fine you want more bass, I'll f*&%ing give you more bass!" and he jumped over the sound board and came running at the stage straight at our bass player. For some goofy reason, I reacted to this guy rushing to the stage to fight our bass player. As he was coming up on stage, I bonked him on the head with the butt end of my SG. He hit the floor like a ton of bricks, and was (I think) knocked out for a minute or two. They wound up firing him on the spot and someone else ran sound for us. I thought for sure he would be waiting outside for us after, but we never saw the guy. The weird thing about all of that was I'm 5' 8", and at the time was maybe 125 lbs (I'm probably like 140 now haha), and our bass player was easily 6' 2" 190 lbs. He probably could have handled the guy himself.

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GREAT stories!

 

Early on.... bar fight between two rival motorcycle gangs, (Hell's Angels vs. Banshees).

Small stage maybe 2-1/2' off the dance floor.... beer mugs and fists flyin' all over....we stayed on stage and protected our gear.

 

At a "frat dance" in Alameda, CA..... On a break.....5 drunk football players decided they didn't like my long hair, (this was back in the mid-sixties), and they surrounded me as I walked throught the crowd.

One guy said he was going to count to "three" and then hit me in the face as hard as he could...and another said after the first guy was done, he'd hit me too....

Guy got to "two" and I pulled out a switch blade....I spent the night in jail, (but never got my face hit!)

 

Doin' a gig with THEM, they used our gear. Van Morrison got drunk, kicked our drums off the platform, picked up a mic stand and hit his keyboard player in the back....poor guy dropped to his knees,

(but NEVER quit playin').

He finally left the stage, got arrested, and the concert promoter had to refund all the money to the people there.

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Played a benefit show three years ago. benefit for everyone, except the band. We were under a large carport, well, actually it was more like a loading dock, with a carport. Everyone told me, that if it rains, the cover will protect the gear. Anyway, 30 minutes into the gig, the rain comes. But, not just rain, monsoon rain, diagonal. I have seen monsoon rain before in the Keys, where its a bit more tropical, but this was in central virginia. The rain came in sideways, hard enough that you couldn't see past the stage, to where the audience was. Everything, one, was soaked. Not damp, but dripping. The plastic we through over the equipment was too little too late. I tilted my Twin back, and a few gallons came out. I lifted my board, and poured out a few more cups of water. So, the rain lasted about 20 minutes, then the sun came out. Me and the band are cussing, adding up all the damage and lost equipment, and a group of people came over and asked when we would start playing again. I ignored them as i was draining my equipment. The person running the benefit asked the same question. I told him, if he would like to strap on my guitar, which was dripping, and plug it into my twin, soggy, and flip the switch, he was my guest. He didn't. After deciding that I couldn't fix anything , i got a bottle of wine, proceeded to drink from the bottle minus glass { I really rarely drink}, and wound up playing the rest of the gig, acoustically, sitting in the middle of the audience. Worst gig ever.

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"Fine you want more bass, I'll f*&%ing give you more bass!" and he jumped over the sound board and came running at the stage straight at our bass player. For some goofy reason, I reacted to this guy rushing to the stage to fight our bass player.

 

I'd hate to see what his reaction would be if you asked for more cowbell [cursing]

 

Doin' a gig with THEM, they used our gear. Van Morrison got drunk, kicked our drums off the platform, picked up a mic stand and hit his keyboard player in the back....poor guy dropped to his knees,

(but NEVER quit playin').

He finally left the stage, got arrested, and the concert promoter had to refund all the money to the people there.

 

Van Morrison being dragged off stage in a drunken stooper - "Baa bee don gooooo... BAAAA BEEE DOOOON GOOOOOOOO. Heeyyyy getofffameh.... hickup downaneworleeeeeenzzzz baaaa beee don gooooo! pleeeeezzz no noooooo"

 

We were under a large carport, well, actually it was more like a loading dock, with a carport

I played a benefit two years ago and they promised us shelter from the rain, sun, etc. So we get there and have a few drinks in the 99 degree not a cloud to be seen day. I start setting up and realize that the "shelter" was a blue plastic tarp. This tarp ended up acting as an oven and I got either sun poisoning or heat stroke. All I know is by the second set I couldn't control my fingers/hands began to slur my speech, and then got very sick. I know it sounds like I just drank too much but it definitely wasn't that. lol

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I got another good one, but it isn't about me.

 

My bass player used to be in a band in the 80s called Snowblind.

 

They were playing at a local bar called the 5th Quarter. There was a fan standing next to the drum kit.

 

The drummer turns on the fan. It blows dust in his face....

 

He leans over to get some air, and his long hair gets caught in it.....

 

He's having a ball over there, and his drums start to go places...

 

The floor tom went off the stage....

 

The whole band was laughing except for him....

 

Funny stuff!

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Another true story from my band Roxx in the late 70's this one 78 right after a gig. Driving home in the driving rain as only happens in Arkansas in the spring. Near Clarendon and my corolla was full of band equipment. Speeding down the freeway when a police car turned his lights on on the other side of the freeway and turned quickly to cross the median to get me. The median was full of water and his lights went out suddenly as he drowned his car out! I slowed down and drove home - no ticket.

I hope the statute of limitations is up on that one after posting this.

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The drummer turns on the fan. It blows dust in his face....

 

He leans over to get some air, and his long hair gets caught in it.....

 

He's having a ball over there, and his drums start to go places...

 

The floor tom went off the stage....

 

What type of fan were you using to cause that Spinal Tap moment?! [lol]

 

Speeding down the freeway when a police car turned his lights on on the other side of the freeway and turned quickly to cross the median to get me.
\

 

You should have drove back and said "stay right there sir I'll get the police to come help you!" haha

 

I had a couple experiences when police have tailed me from a gig and one time they did just that same thing (with the exception of drownding their car). But a state trooper pulled out after someone else going the opposite way and the did a u turn and tailed me for 50 yards and then did another u turn in the middle of the road... I thought I was on Super Troopers for a minute. I also saw a town police car doing donuts in an intersection at 4:30am. I was crossing a bridge on the outside of town and looked to my right about 250yrds - 300yrds away was the cruiser doing donuts. I guess he thought he was the only one out that night.

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I got some insane stories. I'll share 2.

 

Playing in a garage rock an roll band, and the night wasn't going well -- the band before us played *way too long* and cleared the room, and they were playing terrible Led Zep-style blues jams. The drummer got drunk waiting for them to finish. 4 songs into our set, his drunkenness infuriated the singer and he smashed his guitar on the floor - an original 1961 Les Paul/SG!

 

Playing in an insane hardcore/skate punk band, the crowd got super wild and starting breaking bottles. Some girl was getting belligerent and punched the singer, breaking his nose. He never saw it coming. He flipped out, screaming "Ok so you wanna see blood??," picked up a broken bottle and stabbed himself in the chest 3 times, puncturing his sternum and left lung. With all the mayhem, we didn't realize he'd stuck himself so bad, and played 2 more songs. (He's been known to scratch himself up so we thought he was up to his usual antics.) But when he took a knee and quit singing, we knew something wasn't right. 3 days in the hospital and he was ok, but he almost bled out on the spot.

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