Trials & Tribulations of a free lance musician

jtlownds · #1 09-03-2009, 05:41 PM

Got a call to sub in a big band yesterday. Since I was available, and being the gig-whore that I am, I said I would do it. It was at a senior center. It turned out to be a 9 piece group, that was playing charts that were written by one of the members between 1938 and 1940. The paper was very yellow and very brittle and very faded. As far as I can tell, I was the only one who actually tuned his instrument. (That probably really wasn't necessary.) I got the impression that I was playing with an elementary school band. They called themselfs "The Commodores", but I think that a better name would have been "The Commodes". The guy playing the trombone part, was actually playing a baritone horn. Never saw that before. When the gig was over, the leader came over to thank me for helping out on short notice, and said "we are not very good, but, half of our audience is either deaf or asleep". He was right on both counts.

Stinsok · #2 09-03-2009, 05:43 PM

We always say "it was a good gig...we got paid and nobody died." I am guessing there was a good chance of that happening at your gig.

jtlownds · #3 09-03-2009, 05:50 PM

I have actually played a couple of gigs, where somebody dropped dead on the dance floor.

fdeck · #4 09-03-2009, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtlownds

I have actually played a couple of gigs, where somebody dropped dead on the dance floor.

The closest I've ever gotten to that was when the wedding cake melted and collapsed while the guests were eating dinner.

**Damon Rondeau** · #5 09-03-2009, 06:24 PM

I have some buddies, a husband/wife team, who used to take cruise ship gigs in the Caribbean. Their "state room"-slash-water closet, deep in the hold, was right next to the ship's morgue. The ship actually had a refrigerated slide-out shelf for stiffs.

Ed Fuqua · #6 09-03-2009, 07:53 PM

My favorite "old chart" story comes from Bill Crow, trumpet player working with a Paul Whiteman revival band is looking through the vintage first trumpet parts and comes across a penciled annotation before a solo section:

"wake up Bix"

Sam Sherry · #7 09-04-2009, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtlownds

I have actually played a couple of gigs, where somebody dropped dead on the dance floor.

If the same guy died at a couple of gigs I'd purely LOVE to hear that story!

M Ramsey · #8 09-04-2009, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtlownds

Got a call to sub in a big band yesterday. Since I was available, and being the gig-whore that I am, I said I would do it. It was at a senior center. It turned out to be a 9 piece group, that was playing charts that were written by one of the members between 1938 and 1940. The paper was very yellow and very brittle and very faded. As far as I can tell, I was the only one who actually tuned his instrument. (That probably really wasn't necessary.) I got the impression that I was playing with an elementary school band. They called themselfs "The Commodores", but I think that a better name would have been "The Commodes". The guy playing the trombone part, was actually playing a baritone horn. Never saw that before. When the gig was over, the leader came over to thank me for helping out on short notice, and said "we are not very good, but, half of our audience is either deaf or asleep". He was right on both counts.

I bet y'all were the best band there.

jtlownds · #9 09-04-2009, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Sherry

If the same guy died at a couple of gigs I'd purely LOVE to hear that story!

Sorry Sam, it was 2 different people.

jtlownds · #10 09-04-2009, 07:59 AM

This guy wrote those charts between 1938 & 1940, and he is still playing them today. That's my definition of being in a rut.

Mike Goodbar · #11 09-04-2009, 10:08 AM

The elderly can be a tough crowd. I played in a 10-piece horn band that got hired to play a Moose Lodge dance – average age of attendees about 80. It became painfully apparent by the fourth bar of the first number that we were the wrong band for the job – they were expecting an accordionist playing polkas and waltzes, I assume. They immediately clapped their hands over their ears screaming TOO LOUD!! TOO LOUD!!

We were able to fake some polkas, foxtrots and big band fare, but even with all the mics turned off (except the singer) and amps dialed down to “2,” we couldn’t be soft enough for them. The worst part was when one gal (who at first glance reminded me of my dear grandmother) started giving us the double-barreled flip-off yelling “Sh*tty! Sh*tty! Sh*tty!” I’ve played in front of some tough crowds, but that was definitely a low point.

txstatebass · #12 09-04-2009, 10:24 AM

You could have said no.

jtlownds · #13 09-04-2009, 10:31 AM

The elderly can indeed be a tough crowd. They can also be quite entertaining, if you don't take their comments personally. This was probably the worst band that I ever played with in my life, but those in the audience, that were neither deaf or asleep, absolutely loved it. Go figure.

**Damon Rondeau** · #14 09-04-2009, 11:01 AM

I've done a few recordings at jobs where we're playing either a senior's home or hospital. Many takes ruined by coughing and wheezing -- sounds like we're playing a TB ward or something.

Don't do many of them anymore, but I didn't mind doing 'em Especially the veteran's hospital -- those folks need the music.

hdiddy · #15 09-04-2009, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtlownds

I have actually played a couple of gigs, where somebody dropped dead on the dance floor.

It's cuz the band was killin'!

*rimshot*

johnz · #16 09-04-2009, 04:31 PM

I've done a few gigs at rest homes and agree that the audience can be "discerning". I've also got to say that one of my favorite gig experiences was at a rest home. We'd gone through a few old war-horses and started up Bye Bye Blackbird. When we hit the chorus we literally had one. Just about everyone there was singing along with us.

Don Higdon · #17 09-04-2009, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtlownds

I have actually played a couple of gigs, where somebody dropped dead on the dance floor.

I did a wedding where the bride's father died on the way to the reception. The most awkward situation I've been in.

Marcus Johnson · #18 09-04-2009, 07:57 PM

I had a hotel club manager drop dead in front of me on the dance floor, in front of his wife and several clients. F***in' terrible moment. Then about two weeks later, same club, ANOTHER guy drops, and we're all thinking oh ****, here we go again. Fortunately, this guy made it, but it gave us the willies in that joynt for awhile.