drunk handling

[slinky]

We played Saturday night and during our new song first time ever playing it out we got a drunk that took the mic stand off the stage and started screaming in it. Will our bassist/lead vocal gets it back on stage. btw this was a girl drunk mind you.

This is where it got ugly.

She then jumps on the stage trying to grab the mic stand. Will grabs the stand away from her then her arms as she wouldn't stop. I guess nobody but me saw her butt halfway out of her pants. He asked if there was security in the house. They get her off the stage and one of the wives of the band tryed to get her away from the stage and that's when hair pulling started between the two. Then she was dragged away.

All of this happened in about two minutes but when the guitars stopped I kept a beat going with the kick and hats and when she was gone we finished the song without missing a beat

[markthechuck]

at least you didn't stop, you should have broke into some Blues Brothers.

[xweasel]

at least you didn't stop, you should have broke into some Blues Brothers.

"Are you the police?"

"No ma'am, we're musicians."

[EddieV]

This is why I don't like to use a boom stand for the kick mic.

[Pearl MCX Man]

This is when it is good to make sure the bar has good security to take care of these drunks fast and accurate whithout making a scene or damages. Lucky it was a woman cause men are more apt to do more damage and get our of control especially if they hit someone out of the audience. I hate the bar scene for that reason.

[Russ]

This is one of those stories that makes me feel a lot better about quitting drinking. I'm much clearer and in control of things, and I can always think before I do anything. I think alcohol hurts more than it helps, but that's beside the point. It sounds to me like you handled the situation as best you could, and a positive end came of what I thought was gonna be a fight, at first. Maybe now would be a good time to think about hiring private security? Just to watch out for you at shows, make sure this type of thing never happens again?

[longgun]

I think alcohol hurts more than it helps

......+1, I love to have a brew here and there, but lucky that I never got addicted..............we've all seen how that normally ends up.

Most bars I've ever played in had bouncers.......shouldn't need to hire your own.......but a few tough roadies can't hurt

[Russ]

......+1, I love to have a brew here and there, but lucky that I never got addicted..............we've all seen how that normally ends up.

Most bars I've ever played in had bouncers.......shouldn't need to hire your own.......but a few tough roadies can't hurt

I'll be ready to go! Just gimme like a year to pump a little iron first, get me road ready.

[Pearl MCX Man]

Whatever you do don't hire the Hells Angels like the stones did in the 70.

[rickthedrummer]

Whatever you do don't hire the Hells Angels like the stones did in the 70.

Yeah, that turned out really well. Probably the biggest mistake the Stones ever made.

[EddieV]

Problem is....even if the club has a good staff of security/bouncer AND you have a few roadies there to lend in a hand, things happen and get out of control quickly.

It's a situation/event/circumstance that just comes with the territory. With the exception of a barrier, or a taller stage, there's not a whole heck of lot you can do about it.

I love playing clubs and bars, I've mentioned this before, but there are problems that are associated with the close proximity. You just have to be prepared for them and, unless they are taking their tops off..... deal with them quickly when they happen.

[Pearl MCX Man]

Yeah, that turned out really well. Probably the biggest mistake the Stones ever made.

Yeah Mick got death threath over that di'nt he?

[wr_stix]

Slink rule #3 of drunks trying to be in the band is when security grabs them and drags them off you have to do a smooth drum roll ending in a neat splash! Absolutely required if all the players have stopped to deal with it.

Optional is if the drunk falls while being dragged out or stumbles then a snare and bass "Ba-Da-Boom" are needed too.

But really..
Sometimes this gets the rest of the audience back into focusing on you while making a nice send off for the drunk.


Good for you keeping the backbeat going so everyone else could regroup and go back into it.

[DamageDrummer]

roll your own security that stands at the front of the stage. not someone who wants to fight, someone who keeps the peace. that could have been a band members little sister acting like that, so she still needs to be removed from the club with respect. we learned this early on when beer was spilled on our equipment, so we started rolling this guy, lunchbox.

we have several of our own security guards that also help with everything else. this is a must once a band gets to a certain level.

[slinky]

It'd be nice to get to that level. It was pretty bizzare I mean i didn't even see her walk up. All of a sudden shes screaming her head off. went for the guitarists stand too but stopped and turned back to the other one.

One of the problems with this place is that the stage was upstairs and nobody on the bottom floor where the door guy was could see what was happening.

I that one Rolling Stones movie Sonny Barger (founder of the Hell's Angels) talks on phone about it and calls the band a few names.

[late8]

I guess nobody but me saw her butt halfway out of her pants.

Amazing what you can see from your throne....

[Mr Ice]

i guess people tend to get really drunk here in denmark, we have had some troubles with people getting up on the stage, so now we have a few guys in front, depending on where we play...

its not just for our safty, but for them selfs as well... this one time, this guy came up on stage during a guitar solo, so it was only me at the guitar player, and this drunk dude fell on stage, and because we were looking at each other (me and the guitar player) to be sure to get the right timing, the guitar player did'nt notice the fallen drunk dude on stage, and walked backworth and fell over him, and hit his behind hard on the stage...

the reason no one noticed this was because the stage area is quite dark most of the time when we play...

[late8]

I had a situation where an intoxicated fan jumped the stage barrier and proceeded to join the lead singer on stage during one of Damage Over Time's show in Sacramento. As the stage manager, I didn't panic and rush out on stage to throw him off. Instead, I waited to see if he was going to leave on his own accord and when he didn't, I moved in.

Click on this youtube url. It's cued up at the point where I move in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl7l3UXzDVM#t=28m36s


For those of you who can't view youtube, here's me in action. As DamageDrummer (aka Jerry) posted, you never know who that person is and you have to treat that person with respect. I later found out that this intoxicated fan was actually a record executive from RoadRunner Records. You just never know!!!

[Markadiddle]

Good job there, late8. Just out of curiosity, why the heck would a record level exec be jumping up on stage on the first place?

[Dodeska]

Good job there, late8. Just out of curiosity, why the heck would a record level exec be jumping up on stage on the first place?

I would think it's for that exact reason. He's a record exec & probably thinks he can do what he likes.

[Russ]

Wow! I never thought i'd see something like that happen. That guy can make or break a band, so that shows very strong character to do what's right in this situation. You handled it like a true professional late.

[Russ]

Whatever you do don't hire the Hells Angels like the stones did in the 70.

Rofl!!! This post is amazing.

[late8]

Good job there, late8. Just out of curiosity, why the heck would a record level exec be jumping up on stage on the first place?

From what I understood, he's a friend and a fan of the band and probably had a few too many?

I would think it's for that exact reason. He's a record exec & probably thinks he can do what he likes.

I figured he was a drunk fan before I found out after the show that he was an exec for a label. I caught a glimpse of him climbing the stage barrier and I had a chance to stop him in his tracks but he never went for a mic and I let him have his "15 seconds of fame" before I threw him off stage. I'm not that threatening at 5'8" but being built low to the ground and weighing 215 lbs, I'm stout and heavy to push around lol!!

Wow! I never thought i'd see something like that happen. That guy can make or break a band, so that shows very strong character to do what's right in this situation. You handled it like a true professional late.

Thanks Russ. I didn't want a confrontation on stage with this 'fan' nor did I want anybody else to jump on the bandwagon to follow this stunt so I waited until that awkward moment passed where as an audience member, you felt as if he had too much time on stage, then I made my move.

[Markadiddle]

From what I understood, he's a friend and a fan of the band and probably had a few too many?

Good 'ol alkee hawl. Hero to zero in three seconds flat.

[slinky]

I miss Sacramento and that venue Ace of Spades looks awesome. The music scene was always good in Sac. There's lots of places to play in Atlanta but some of them aren't that great. Either the load in/out sucks or the pa's or lack of that is .