Results 1 to 16 of 16

Thread: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

  1. #1

    User Info Menu

    Default Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    Anyone who has played any gigs at all has had something weird happen. I thought it might be interesting and fun to tell about them.

    I'd like to tell about the time I played at a new restaurant and dance place. The restaurant part was separated from the dance hall. I think the building used to be a barn or something of that sort.

    Anyway, we were the first band to ever play there. We were up on the stage rocking away. The lights were down low. People dancing. I think we were playing "Money" (the Kingsmen's version), so we were making a lot of noise and the place was vibrating a lot.

    I was really getting into it. Really having fun when suddenly I noticed a big spider coming down from the ceiling over my ride cymbal. It sort of freaked me out, but I wasn't to worried. As soon as the song was over I would take care of it.

    But, suddenly I noticed another spider twirling down. I started thinking that it was getting scary. Before I could decide what to do about that one I noticed that there were spiders coming down all around me. It was like some kind of horror movie with me the victim.

    At that point I forgot all about playing and yelled and jumped of the drum seat and weaved my way through the spiders as fast as I could and jumped off the stage. The rest of the band thought I went crazy, and the crowd stopped dancing and was watching me sort of like when Michael J. Fox got done playing his guitar in "Back to the Future".

    I was yelling something about spiders, but noboby was listening. I think they all thought I just flipped out or something. But, finally people started noticing the spiders (which were only coming down around the drums). Some girls screamed and ran out of the dance hall and into the restaurant with their boyfriends following right behind them.

    Everything came to a halt while the owner dealt with the problem. After a while it was ok to go back and play, but for the rest of the night I must say I was very nervous. These were BIG spiders.

    I always wondered why they came down just over me. I guess they either liked or disliked my drumming. I thought that was weird.
    This is the song we were playing - "Money".
    Last edited by aboveforever; 05-03-2020 at 04:36 AM.

  2. #2

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    I played a festival last year where halfway through out first song the amp that ran the stage monitors and my in ears went out. With it being a bigger stage the band was spread out and we struggled to hear one another, and did everything we could to try to stay together from the mains.

    Other than that we played a small club about two years ago where a man and his wife had been bar hopping. They were pretty lit when they showed up. The wife took a liking to our bass player, took her shirt off, and stormed the stage. He was too drunk to notice, and security removed her pretty quickly.
    Six Piece Mapex Saturn V, Five Piece DW Performance Series, NOS Slingerland Snares, Centent Ardor and Emperor Cymbals


  3. #3

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    Quote Originally Posted by DrumWhipper View Post
    I played a festival last year where halfway through out first song the amp that ran the stage monitors and my in ears went out. With it being a bigger stage the band was spread out and we struggled to hear one another, and did everything we could to try to stay together from the mains.

    Other than that we played a small club about two years ago where a man and his wife had been bar hopping. They were pretty lit when they showed up. The wife took a liking to our bass player, took her shirt off, and stormed the stage. He was too drunk to notice, and security removed her pretty quickly.
    Pictures or it didn't happen.
    Signature here

  4. #4

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    There was the time 40 years or so ago when my band was in the middle of "Rock Lobster" and someone approached the stage with a (barely) live lobster! I don't know what he expected us to do with it. And no, none of us bit its head off.

    Acoustic Kits:
    Ludwig Maple 3ply White Cortex 4 pc
    Rukus Mod Orange Club 4 pc
    DW Design 6 pc
    Tama Silverstar Limited Edition Mirage 5 pc
    Tama Superstar 5 pc
    Tama Rockstar 4 pc
    Gretsch Catalina Ash 4 pc

    Slingerland 7 pc

    Electronic Kits:
    Yamaha DTX532k
    Roland TD-27, Roland PD-85 (x4), PD-125, KD9, CY-8 (x2) VH-10, Lemon 15 and 18 cymbals
    Roland SPD-SX Sample Pad

    Snares:
    Tama SLP Black Brass
    Tama SLP G Maple
    Rukus Santos/Bubinga/Poplar/Wenge
    Rukus Avodire/Maple/Mahogany
    1972 Ludwig Supraphonic


    Hardware:
    Tama, DW, Yamaha and Sonor

    Cymbals:
    Zildjian A Series, A Custom and K Custom

    Microphones:
    Miktek, Audix and Shure

  5. #5

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bish View Post
    Pictures or it didn't happen.
    I promise, it is a view you wouldn't want to see!
    Six Piece Mapex Saturn V, Five Piece DW Performance Series, NOS Slingerland Snares, Centent Ardor and Emperor Cymbals


  6. #6

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    Yep. Seen plenty of weird things at gigs. 99.9% of them were the result of alcohol. Well, actually 100%...

    Anyone ever see the movie “Green Room”? Scary movie, but if you’ve ever played a private gig in a questionable location, it’s terrifying.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  7. #7

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    The spider thing creeps me out. It’s happened to me near the woods. Just a couple of them though. That same day, under an oak tree, these brown balls (apple galls) started falling hitting me and the kit, cymbals etc. Those hurt your head and they stain things up pretty good too. I should have known when I was kicking those out of the way to set up...lol
    Last edited by Olimpass; 05-04-2020 at 08:57 PM.

  8. #8

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    Lots of things. The first that comes to mind is this girl who started taking off her clothes on the dance floor. The crowd surrounded her and was egging her on. She kept stripping and dancing sexually. Then this guy gets on his knees and starts biting at her leg like a dog, lol. The more the clothes came off the longer we played. The singer kept twirling his index finger like "keep playing!". She got down to her panties before the security guards came and broke it up.

  9. #9

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    My short list would be gigs where weird things DIDN'T happen.

    Tom, Tom,Tom, and to think you thought my bikini chicks were bad. Tsk, Tsk, Tsk.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  10. #10

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    Quote Originally Posted by drummer View Post
    Lots of things. The first that comes to mind is this girl who started taking off her clothes on the dance floor. The crowd surrounded her and was egging her on. She kept stripping and dancing sexually. Then this guy gets on his knees and starts biting at her leg like a dog, lol. The more the clothes came off the longer we played. The singer kept twirling his index finger like "keep playing!". She got down to her panties before the security guards came and broke it up.
    We had something somewhat similar happen at a private party. Except we found out after that the girl’s legal name was Dave....which explains the large girdle type underwear she was wearing.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  11. #11

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    Last summer, at a venue on a marina with tropical vibe, (sand, palm trees, tikis, etc.) it was ladies night and several ladies took full advantage of the drink specials. At one point a group of lovely ladies were dancing right in front of the stage and one of them fell backwards in the sand, dress over her head. She lingered there for a bit, then her equally inebriated friend stumbled on to her and ended up straddling her as they struggled to get back on their feet. It was quite a show even from the drummer's vantage point. I felt like we should have paid the cover charge that night.

    Acoustic Kits:
    Ludwig Maple 3ply White Cortex 4 pc
    Rukus Mod Orange Club 4 pc
    DW Design 6 pc
    Tama Silverstar Limited Edition Mirage 5 pc
    Tama Superstar 5 pc
    Tama Rockstar 4 pc
    Gretsch Catalina Ash 4 pc

    Slingerland 7 pc

    Electronic Kits:
    Yamaha DTX532k
    Roland TD-27, Roland PD-85 (x4), PD-125, KD9, CY-8 (x2) VH-10, Lemon 15 and 18 cymbals
    Roland SPD-SX Sample Pad

    Snares:
    Tama SLP Black Brass
    Tama SLP G Maple
    Rukus Santos/Bubinga/Poplar/Wenge
    Rukus Avodire/Maple/Mahogany
    1972 Ludwig Supraphonic


    Hardware:
    Tama, DW, Yamaha and Sonor

    Cymbals:
    Zildjian A Series, A Custom and K Custom

    Microphones:
    Miktek, Audix and Shure

  12. #12

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    Quote Originally Posted by slinky View Post
    weird how it's always a drunk girl. a band i was playing with in the 90's had this one girl show up more than once stand in front of the stage to the side and never move, like frozen. Have one of the times on video. I mean I'm glad she was there but felt kind of weird, felt like she was staring at me the whole time. A girl at another show came to the front in handcuffs. I got to know her pretty good at the after show party.
    Umm....OK....the “standing girl” is kinda creepy

    Reminds me of the chic in that paranormal movie. The one that stands by the bed looking at her boyfriend all night.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  13. #13

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    Nothing particularly weird over fifty years of gigging, except for girls going topless and playing with their privates in front of us, lots of fights, lots of asinine people bothering the band, club owners acting like d-bags, banquet managers treating us like second class citizens, agents and bar owners screwing us out of money, getting double booked and sent home with no money, playing in 103 degree heat with no water, cutting a finger on the snare rim so badly, I couldn't finish the set, playing twice with tendinitis so bad, I had to drum with one arm, playing three times with badly sprained ankles. That was interesting.

    Otherwise, I love playing gigs and miss it now that I can't due to this virus madness.
    Last edited by DrumBob; 05-13-2020 at 10:42 PM.
    DW Drummer Signing Off

  14. #14

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    Not so much weird as amusing.
    Back in the day I was traveling with the VFW orchestra and we were playing the national VFW convention in New Orleans.
    Nixon was scheduled to speak and we had to play the intro music (Ruffles and Flourishes).
    We'd rehearsed the cut off many times of the conductor doing the cut sign and we were to stop at the next phrase.
    The piccolo player ,who had a hangover from the night(it was New Orleans after all) before missed the sign and continued to play.
    The conductor leaned over and whispered I'm going to shove that flute up your a$$.
    Last edited by pgm554; 05-21-2020 at 02:06 PM.
    FibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibes FibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibes FibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibes FibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibes FibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibes FibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibes FibesFibesFibesFibesFibesFibes

  15. #15

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    Quote Originally Posted by pgm554 View Post
    Not so much weird as amusing.
    Back in the day I was traveling with the VFW orchestra and we were playing the national VFW convention in New Orleans.
    Nixon was scheduled to speak and we had to play the intro music (Ruffles and Flourishes).
    We'd rehearsed the cut off many times of the conductor doing the cut sign and we were to stop at the next phrase.
    The piccolo player ,who had a hangover from the night(it was New Orleans after all) before missed the sign and continued to play.
    The conductor leaned over and whispered I'm going to shove that flute up your a$$.
    Ouch!

  16. #16

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Wierd things that have happend when playing gigs.

    Thank goodness they didn’t play the trombone
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •