Epic Gigging Failure!

[NewTricks]

She's now known as Mrs. EddieV

Even more awesome^

[EddieV]

She's now known as Mrs. EddieV

Heck no! I was already married when this happened. Even still - I never really messed around with overly "slutty" girls like that....at least not intentionally.

After she said it....a group of people, her Fiance, and a few other Groomsmen gathered in front of the stage and were telling her to get down off of the stage. She was so stupid (and drunk) that she hadn't realized that EVERYONE in the venue heard her comment loud and clear.

They really got on her case about it - and of course her Fiance wasn't too pleased. I was getting some nasty looks even though it wasn't my fault.

Lucky for us it was the last song, and before things got even more tense, I left pronto! The stage had a back door and I literally "slipped out the back" In those days we had roadies and a huge band truck..I never needed to load - set up or tear down. So I just got out of there.

[slinky]

Eddie your stories are funny started the morning with a laugh thanks!

[porkpieguy]

Let's see:

1. I was in a Christian rock band one time, and our brand new rhythm guitar player got busted for drugs on his way home from our first gig.

2. Different band, same genre - We got booked to play at Clemson University back in the 1990's. Some genius booked us to come play on campus on the same night that The W's were playing a half mile away (they were HUGE at the time), and we were rather unknowns at the time. So basically, the opening band played for us, then we turned around and played for the opening band. The W's had an amazing turnout from what I heard...

3. Was booked to play at a 1,200-seat auditorium. That same night, our lead singer quit and there was a snow storm. How many people showed? 12.

4. Booked to play at a show in BFE, TN while one of my bandmates was in school at Tennessee Temple. He lived in the ghetto (I hadn't been around much at that point), and someone cut the top open on my Jeep and stole over $2k worth of drums, speaker equipment, and CDs out of my vehicle. Luckily, my insurance covered it all.

5. Was booked to play at a coffee shop in Rock Hill, SC, YEARS ago that was actually part of a hair salon. We were told that there was a thriving occult group that came in from time to time, so if we were playing and some people in black robes came in and started cursing the place, there was security already in place and we could keep on playing (I swear I'm not lying). No one from the occult group showed up that night.

6. Because religious discussion isn't allowed, I'm not going to go into details; however, I've played at some pretty scary pentecostal holiness churches. I'm sure they were good people, and each to his own (I guess).

7. Toured with a group of 11 individuals one time, and we played at churches and various venues 6 nights a week for about 3 months straight:

1. One went through a complete nervous breakdown.
2. Two of the members were sneaking off together and doing God knows what together. The female of the couple was engaged at the time...to someone else
3. Another had to sneak out and get pregnancy tests while we were out of the road.
4. The sound guy was staying up late at night on different host homes' computers and using the internet to hit on underage girls we met while out on the road. He was a complete a-hole to boot.
5. Oh gosh, the stories about some of the host homes I stayed in at the time was completely crazy. I stayed with some pretty amazing people, but I stayed with some real nutcases as well.

All in all, I really don't judge those folks because we all have demons we wrestle...some are just more visible than others. I know I have my fair share, that's for sure.


Musicians sure are a quirky bunch.

[Ricardo]

Two similar incidents come to mind :

In the middle of a song, my rhythm guitar player backed into his amp and knocked it over with him falling into it............huge crash...........much laughter.

At a high-profile club gig one night in Dallas, and also in the middle of a song, my bass player makes a cool backward move only to trip over the slant monitor...........he fell hard on his back but never missed a lick, playing the rest of the song lying on the stage.

On another occasion in Denton, Texas :
While on a break between sets, the bartender finds out that it is my guitar player's birthday and gives him a free Tequila shot...........this guy never drinks a drop of anything...........he throws it back and decides it tastes good and orders another..........and then another.
The first song of the 2nd set is Jeff Beck's FREEWAY JAM...........a tough guitar tune. My guitar player screwed it up so badly, we gave him a DWI on stage.

[longgun]

Musicians sure are a quirky bunch.

Soooo very true!

[NewTricks]

The first song of the 2nd set is Jeff Beck's FREEWAY JAM

I heard that playing in the grocery store last week.

I was thrilled and saddened at the same time.

[slinky]

This old band I was in called Tricky D*** played a (Christian Rock) battle of the bands. One of the songs was called ''Sex Between Meals" so you see where our heads were at. We were a three piece so for that show we renamed ourselves to "The Three Wise Men" lol.

not really a failure. We didn't win if that counts.

[EddieV]

there was a snow storm. How many people showed? 12.

I used to play a gig on a Paddle Wheel Riverboat that was on one of the Finger Lakes in New York. We were a classic rock band that played a variety of tunes, and because it was an older crowd we often threw in a few Buddy Holly tunes like That'll Be The Day and Peggy Sue.

One night we were approached by a club owner that was on the boat - he had a cottage on the lake and was enjoying a summer night with his wife and a few friends. He told us about the club he owned...it was a popular metal bar in a town an hour or so away. He wanted to book us at this club.... we weren't a metal band and at first were reluctant and refused, but after a few months we agreed when he upped the auntee a bit. He did say that we needed to play the two Buddy Holly tunes though...as he was a huge Buddy Holly fan. We agreed and scheduled the gig.

Months later...we arrive for the gig. It was winter and of course just before we got there it began to snow. It snowed like it was the end of the world. We offered to reschedule, but he insisted that play on and to not worry about it. He loved us and wanted to hear us.

...and it snowed and snowed and snowed.

I think we brought in 50 people that night. At the most....and they were expecting HEAVY THRASH METAL, and they got us with our Bad Company, Cheap Trick and Doobie Brothers tunes. Suffice to say most didn't care for our set list (as expected). It snowed and snowed and snowed some more, and by the time were were almost done there was a couple feet of snow and 4 foot drifts. In fact we had to shovel out the band truck so we could get into it. It had snowed that much.

Anyway...just before the end of the night...the club owner approached the stage. "Hey! I haven't heard BUDDY HOLLY yet....that was the deal, right?"

The guitar player looked at me and gave me a nod. I proceed to blister out paradiddles on the floor tom at 140bpm and we go into Peggy Sue.

As we were playing I see this dude approach the band and give us a look. He then turned around and went outside. He came back in with a huge snowball and from about 30 feet away or so launched it toward the stage. Of course I'm in the middle of the stage and can see this snowball coming right towards me. I Lose sight of the approaching snowball in the stage lights....I duck. (didn't lose a beat though!) - waiting to hear and splat. I hear nothing.

I raised my head and looked around....I'm still playing , but I didn't see any residue from an exploded snowball. I looked to the side and behind....nothing. Strange. Where did it go?

We finished the song ..played That'll Be The Day then quit. Elvis has left the building.


Changed my clothes and was waiting to get paid...As the roadies were tearing down our stuff, my roadie discovered that that huge snowball had gone inside the hole in the front kick drum head and landed perfectly on the blanket that was folded up inside. Back then the mic (The old AKG D12's) was inserted all the way towards the batter side - so it had even missed the mic stand that was poked inside the kick drum.

A one-in-a-million shot....but I'm sure glad he missed me.

[zzzdanz]

Ohhhhh where to start...Playing on a big flat bed trailer and fell thru it..literaly gone to the ground.

Opening for Alice N chains before they were huge, I dragged Lane off of Mass Ave in Boston before he got ran over, and broke my ankle doing so. Still played the show.

Flew to Virginia to open for Kings X, so excited I forgot to put my drums on the gear list....they where still sitting in Boston, and some dude let me use his (I love that dude, and he got a big TY package for bailing me out)

Opened for the 1 and only DT in '92, day after my Daughter was born...but honey, its Mike P....didn't go over well (nvm the new Yamaha RC's I bought for that)...we went 20 seconds over our time and Myung had his "crew" un-plug us...but, Mike played my new kit at sound check..worth losing her and getting shut off...

I hate to toss names out, but it was early in the '90s ...try playing a bar gig in Boston when the Pats are on.....or starting a gig with the wrong bass player...I look left and ha?!?! whispers, ya bass players in the un-dressing room with blah blah blah

[Ricardo]

we went 20 seconds over our time and Myung had his "crew" un-plug us.

I would never have guessed that.
He seems so passive & quiet.

[pastor_bob]

Well, I don't have nearly the gigging experience of most folks here, but I do play in a band with some other pastors that gets out occasionally to play in front of an audience. On one of those occasions, we were headed over to a church, and with the weather threatening rain, we were scheduled to play indoors. I dressed to be comfortable in an air conditioned room, loaded the gear, and headed to the church.

Unfortunately for me, the sun came out, so they decided to set everything up outdoors under a pavillion. In order to get the audience under cover of the shade, they set up the bands at the far end of the pavillion. I was sharing the church's drummer's kit, and unfortuantely for me, it was the only part of the band that was set up in the full sun - with high humidity as well (Really? The rest of the band gets shade, and I got full sun?) To add a little more drama to this scenerio, the other drummer was taller than me, so I was playing an unfamiliar setup.

Hot humid day, in full sun - strike 1. Unfamiliar set up - strike 2. No towel for dealing with sweat - strike three.

Toward the end of our set, in the middle of a song, the sweat started pouring into my eyes. It stung so bad, I had to start closing my eyes to remain focused. I was only able to sneak a quick peek when I went to a crash, or the ride. Otherwise I could only trust that I would know where everything was as I played. I got through the song, but I honestly still don't know how.

Now, I take a towel wherever we play. I won't ever trust that last minute changes won't happen.