Worst gig you've ever had

Broadbent · #1 03-19-2010, 05:27 PM

Hey Justin,

I've recently played with some fellows who I didn't exactly see eye to eye with, or even get along with but the money was good and they gigged A LOT, so I figured what the hell? I'm easy going I can work with people. And I did for 6 months. I've since left the band on good terms. but for the last month or so I couldn't wait to get the hell out of that band.

Just wondering what your worst experience was, or have you ever done a gig "just for the money". Do you have any horror stories from being in the studio with people you weren't comfortable with. Or play any gigs and wonder to yourself "what am I doing here?"

-Broadbent

jmjbassplayer · #2 03-21-2010, 09:36 AM

I don't know...one gig that comes to mind is the Beck festival appearance in 1997 at Rock AM Ring in Germany...we were in the afternoon amongst a bunch of rock stuff. Empty water bottles, lovingly filled with piss from punters out in the throng, were lofted up at us to explode on the stage. AWESOME! That one kinda sucked.

More to your point, I've done some terrifying studio sessions "just for the money", but no real stories to tell. Except that the experience, people and music sucked b*##s.

I did a $40 blues gig once at a really scary bar when I was 18 down in Watts and felt like I was about to be murdered several times.

Gosh, I think there's so many anecdotes to tell that it's all a blur.

Suffice to say, YES. I've done what you are saying. But not for 6 months.

Best,
JMJ

JimmyM · #3 03-22-2010, 11:21 AM

water bottles full of piss, eh? man, rock fans at shows have turned into giant a-holes. back in my day there would be some pushing and shoving, and occasionally some idiot would throw garbage at the stage to get the singer's attention, but by and large the crowds i remember were pretty polite. then punk swept the nation, and next thing you know you're taking your life into your hands at a concert. i'd have had some mf'ers thrown out and arrested for that. gene simmons once had a guy thrown out for making mouse ears at him during his solo. don't know how the germans feel about it but throwing piss bottles at performers is a felony here.

craziness.

yesbassist · #4 03-24-2010, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmjbassplayer

I don't know...one gig that comes to mind is the Beck festival appearance in 1997 at Rock AM Ring in Germany...we were in the afternoon amongst a bunch of rock stuff. Empty water bottles, lovingly filled with piss from punters out in the throng, were lofted up at us to explode on the stage. AWESOME! That one kinda sucked.

ya i hate that crap!!! makes me wanna tag along a "dummy" ampeg 8x10 and have a high pressure water hose hidden inside for the roughian bar gigs

jmjbassplayer · #5 03-24-2010, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

water bottles full of piss, eh? man, rock fans at shows have turned into giant a-holes. back in my day there would be some pushing and shoving, and occasionally some idiot would throw garbage at the stage to get the singer's attention, but by and large the crowds i remember were pretty polite. then punk swept the nation, and next thing you know you're taking your life into your hands at a concert. i'd have had some mf'ers thrown out and arrested for that. gene simmons once had a guy thrown out for making mouse ears at him during his solo. don't know how the germans feel about it but throwing piss bottles at performers is a felony here.

craziness.

I have to tell you guys my two Gene Simmons encounters:

1) Cherokee Studios, Hollywood, 1987. I was a runner/janitor, age 17. Gene Simmons pulls up (for a Kiss record release party) in his Rolls and tosses me the keys as he walks in.

2) NAMM show, January 2009. I get introduced to him as a crowd surrounds us. Someone says this is Justin from Nine Inch Nails. He starts going on loudly about how Trent must not be making much money these days and not doing so well or some such malarkey. I tell him, no actually we're selling very well and generally filling arenas and sheds. He then changes the subject and starts telling people $10 for an autograph from him.

AMAAAAAZING!!!

But you know what? He f*&CKING RULES!!

CHeck this bizness out for any doubters. This legacy will never fade:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AxlABiNoTM

In fact, check out the WHOLE BAND. They just utterly DESTROY, including Peter Chriss. GOOD GOD!!!!

Sorry...got excited there.

JMJ

JimmyM · #6 03-24-2010, 08:26 PM

sorry dude, all i could see was that wall of blackface svt's

i'm with you on gene and kiss, btw. i saw them in 76 the night ace almost got electrocuted. stopped the show for 15 minutes and everything. ace still talks about it now and then. but despite that, they rocked my world.

and gene can be as big a douchebag as he wants and i'll always love him, although that was pretty crappy to sell a brother down the river like that when he's doing the same venues as kiss. not exactly like sonic boom is setting the world on fire...great album, though...best they've done since the early days.

Broadbent · #7 03-25-2010, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmjbassplayer

I have to tell you guys my two Gene Simmons encounters:

1) Cherokee Studios, Hollywood, 1987. I was a runner/janitor, age 17. Gene Simmons pulls up (for a Kiss record release party) in his Rolls and tosses me the keys as he walks in.

2) NAMM show, January 2009. I get introduced to him as a crowd surrounds us. Someone says this is Justin from Nine Inch Nails. He starts going on loudly about how Trent must not be making much money these days and not doing so well or some such malarkey. I tell him, no actually we're selling very well and generally filling arenas and sheds. He then changes the subject and starts telling people $10 for an autograph from him.

AMAAAAAZING!!!

But you know what? He f*&CKING RULES!!

CHeck this bizness out for any doubters. This legacy will never fade:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AxlABiNoTM

In fact, check out the WHOLE BAND. They just utterly DESTROY, including Peter Chriss. GOOD GOD!!!!

Sorry...got excited there.

JMJ

Are you Justin from Nine Inch Nails now?

I always thought you were Justin from Beck.

And ya Gene's an Ass. but he's sold more records then me, so he wins this round.

jmjbassplayer · #8 03-25-2010, 11:05 PM

Gawd, I dunno what I am. I'm Justin formerly with Beck, formerly with NIN, formerly with all kinds of people, currently just with himself. There's something nice about the introduction now, it's simply "this is Justin Meldal-Johnsen...he's played bass with a varied bunch of artists".

Yes, Gene wins, ass or not.

JMJ

FernandoDANTE · #9 03-26-2010, 12:42 PM

Didn't you walk in on Gene banging a chick in the studio or something?

shriekback · #10 03-30-2010, 04:01 PM

$10 for an autograph? What, is he now taking his cues from Pete Rose? Very pathetic.

I would chalk the rudeness up to, first, Simmons being dumb as a post and, second, a combination of shame and jealousy--he's probably heard you play.

Admittedly, the Kiss craze missed me as a kid in the '70s when it might have made some aesthetic sense--I was way too into Sabbath and Aerosmith to care about a bunch of doofs in halloween costumes. Still, after Talking Heads, DEVO, The Soft Boys, P.I.L., etc., all that post-hippy stadium stuff, but Kiss most of all, looks just decadent, macho, and all-around stupid to me (well, Aerosmith's early days still seem pretty cool).

JimmyM · #11 03-30-2010, 10:43 PM

bah...

TaySte_2000 · #12 03-31-2010, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmjbassplayer

Gawd, I dunno what I am. I'm Justin formerly with Beck, formerly with NIN, formerly with all kinds of people, currently just with himself. There's something nice about the introduction now, it's simply "this is Justin Meldal-Johnsen...he's played bass with a varied bunch of artists".

Yes, Gene wins, ass or not.

JMJ

What about the artist formerly known as thingy with the afro