Best/ most interesting gig you've ever experienced

BoomingBass · #1 04-28-2010, 06:18 AM

Title says it all.

I don't have any stories because my first band is still working on the debut album
(I'll give you a link to some demo songs as soon as we finish them)

WhoSeyes · #2 04-28-2010, 06:47 AM

Well, I don't have a lot of gigging experience (like 25 gigs in my entire life or something). I'm 21.

One of the best gigs that I can remember of was a Jam Session that we hosted in and old house. We redecorated it with light tubes of several colours, we put lots of carpets on the floor of the "scenario" and so on.

We were in charge of the Jam Session (playing our originals between acts), the sound, the after party, the drinks, etc. We're lucky to have good helping friends, anyway.

A magic night.

pasta4lnch · #3 04-28-2010, 06:52 AM

as a bass player it definitely was the Best Of Westchester event - FOOD FOOD FOOD! OMG so much - giant wheels of chesse w/ warm pasta in it, Blue Moon off the tap, red velvet cake . . . oh the memories

in the studio - well, I did music for a phone sex company once. . . if, for no other reason, than the story. Even had some "talent" come in to track. I was expecting "Cookie" to be this HOT thing, but was more like a 2 pack a day LARGE MARGE.

it was actually a cool experience overall . . . and paid VERY well!

nattydreads · #4 04-29-2010, 09:46 AM

The gig that came to mine when I seen the title of this thread was when my acoustic trio(guitar,bass,cello) played at my tattoo artist wedding.
But they didn't want us to play the reception they wanted us to play through the ceremony. All original
music and they wanted us to do a version of frankenstin by edgar winter for the brides march down the isle. There
were mini combat boots on the wedding cake, and the groomsmen all had black combat boots and chains, we played
a set for all the guest before the wedding started played music while they signed the papers and again our version of
frankenstein with a touch of arco on the upright bass for the exit of the groom and bride,
Defenetly a gig I won't forget, after that gig we've had a few other wedding gigs but nothing to the extreme of playing
original music during a ceremony.

And the other interesting gig was when my heavy metal band played at some sketchy club and during our set aaparently
Some crack head stabed a girl outside the venue.The girl and guy were not part of the show but the club was on a real sketchy
street, let's just say we lost half our crowd had a big free light show(comming in the club from the hudge window(cops ambulance fire trucks)
Defenetly an interesting night,and someone else fell down(drunk) and smashed there head on the pav right in front of the door.
It was a bloody mess and I don't promote violence!

There's other gig storys which leads to under cover cops aresting me and a fellow rythem guitar
(after the set) but I've already wasted a bunch of time ahah I could go on and on about wierd gigs. And on and on.........

becker4567 · #5 04-29-2010, 10:02 AM

In the late 70's, I was in a punk band. Our guitarist booked us into a club that turned out to be a gay/transexual/BDSM club in L.A. We were a little shocked and a bit upset with said guitard, but it turned out to be the most fun gig I have ever done. The audience (all guys dressed in every gay cliché get-up you can imagine) were great! They were fun, friendly (no, not that friendly lol), and bought us all the drinks we could drink, and tipped really good. To be honest, it changed the way I looked at gays, and that lasts to this day.

bebop1 · #6 04-29-2010, 10:17 AM

A solid cover band I play with opened for a Papa Roach concert at a large club. The place was packed and everyone was in a great mood, dancing and rocking.

Near the end of our (opening) set, some chick in the upper balcony deliberately poured her full beer down onto the concert mixing board 20 feet below her. This was a serious board - all motorized digital with numerous LCD monitors, etc. and about 15 feet long. Likely $500,000! We finished our set (they had us through the regular club system so we weren't effected).

The Roach techs brought in another identical board from their semi-trailer. They loaded in the programs from a portable hard drive and were ready to go in minutes. They told us later that they weren't worried about the board as it is not theirs, and are just leased (and insured by the leasing sound company). Wow, they must see it all on tour and end up reaching the point that they just respond with such passionless, cold professionalism... kinda wigged me out.

C47 · #7 04-29-2010, 04:56 PM

About 6 years ago we played a gig at a marina. The stage was on a barge like thing about
100 feet out into the Potomac river (anchored of course). The people were in boats, on docks and on the land and marina decks, maybe 1000 or so.
It was a load in by boat.
Every time a boat went by the wake made the stage roll heavily for minutes at a time.

The crowd was drinking all afternoon and shooting off fireworks and a few guns all during
our set.
I nearly got seasick by the end, but it was fun.

MatticusMania · #8 04-29-2010, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by becker4567

They were fun, friendly (no, not that friendly lol), and bought us all the drinks we could drink, and tipped really good.

No roofie coladas?

**colcifer** · #9 05-02-2010, 04:38 PM

Not really a gig, but at a show Buddy Guy let me play his guitar. He had me close the show and was very complementary of my playing.

bassteban · #10 05-02-2010, 04:44 PM

Best so far was last Friday night- at a bar in Santa Cruz, several semi-domesticated cougars were engaging in faux-mating dance rituals before our very eyes. It was the cheif instigator's birthday, and she was having a good time. I know, no pics, no cougars; whatever. If it was a phantom memory I'll still cherish it. Incredibly distracting.

JoeyZ · #11 05-02-2010, 05:05 PM

We have friends in Southern Illinois, who had us out for a Punk/Metal gig
Kids, like 50 of them all packed into this poop-hole of a basement.
There was literally and inch of beer on the ground, EVERYWHERE. It was like it was being flooded or something. I think half of the liquid on the ground may have been urine as well, but I don't like to think of that! Needless to say, it was horribly disgusting.
We started playing, and instantly people were FLYING all over the place. Jumping on top of eachother, hanging from the rafters, and just going belligerently insane.
The lights at one point were accidentally turned off, so it the insanity was instantly augmented, and made for one hell of a show. They were turned back on momentarily but in the darkness, it was actually kind of horrifying. Wondering if people are going to accidentally bum rush you. Mind you, I am NOT exaggerating. These kids turned into crazed gorillas as soon as the music started. So anything could have happened.
It was ridiculously fun, and will always be something I remember from my brutal punk/metal days! Wait, I'm still living those days!!!

Another story, and a far shorter one:
I was drinking before a show, and had...oh, maybe 4 to many gin and tonics.
My singer found me passed out in the parking lot 5 minutes before we went on. Needless to say I thrashed, and bashed the $#*7 out of everything. Even took a decent chip out of my Jazz's Headstock. I smacked it into the ceiling..I couldn't look over at it, because I KNEW at least one tuning key would be gone, if not all of them! But nope, just a moderately sized hunk from the back of the headstock. I looked around, found it, stuck it in my pocket and glued it back on when I got home!

jowens004 · #12 05-08-2010, 09:19 PM

I did a private debutaunt party once. There were about 50 of the hottest looking women youve seen there. The whole backyard of this multimillion dollar mansion was covered in tents all connected together. They had food out the wazoo and free bar. Shrimp, crabs, all kinds of seafood. Even a pig with an apple in its mouth. They also had animals from the zoo, birds monkeys all kinds of stuff. It was an awsome party.

HugheJapackage · #13 05-08-2010, 10:22 PM

Most definitely was the show we played last night. It was this charity gig out in Graham, which if you've been there you'd know it was just about the the most desolate city in the world. Anyways the show was at this high school which was HUGE despite the city it was in and there was a pretty big crowd. Those people LOVED us. They got almost too into it. The place was a wreck after they were done with it. Certainly the best show I've ever played.

MadsDK · #14 05-09-2010, 03:22 AM

5th of June 2010 I'm gonna play in front of 12.000 people as a part of a birthday show to celebrate our Queen, who've gotten 70 earlier this year... That is going to be absolutely crazy and I'm nearly exploding with excitement!

electracoyote · #15 05-09-2010, 03:49 AM

My first pro gig when the club got raided before the start of the first set. Plain-clothes and uniformed cops checked everyone's I.D., made one arrest, and effectively turned the joint into a nuclear wasteland. But the show must go on, so we did. People finally started to trickle back in around 10:00PM. We were so adrenaline pumped, we put on one hell of a show. No one left, it was S.R.O. by the end of the night, and the packed audience did the arena rock lighter thing to get us to play a couple of encores. The worst and the best gig all in one bizarre, beautiful evening.

Gard · #16 05-09-2010, 09:29 AM

Well...here it is: The obligatory Cabo post!

(...sorry all the pics are long gone

)

LilRay · #17 05-09-2010, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gard

Well...here it is: The obligatory Cabo post!

(...sorry all the pics are long gone

)

God Bless, Ray

darkfinger · #18 05-09-2010, 12:19 PM

Best gig for me happened a couple of weeks ago.

I was flown down to Los Angeles from Winnipeg MB CA to support an artist playing at Musexpo.
Not only did I get a paid trip to L.A., I got to play with some of the best musicians I've ever shared a stage with, and at the legendary Whisky A Go-Go to boot.
The best part was that the room was totally packed, everyone was dancing and we got to do an encore even though we had never rehearsed one, and instead improvised a hip hop groove while the artist free styled over top of it. The crowd went nuts.

Best gig ever!

gjbassist · #19 05-09-2010, 03:24 PM

I don't know if this is the most interesting but it's my favorite! The past several years, my band has played at the Kansas City chef's association banquet. It's held in the convention room of one of the hotels downtown. Several hundred people attend and the food is incredible. Many unique and tasty dishes that I don't normally get to eat. The best part is all we can eat all we want for free and we still get paid for the gig!

MatticusMania · #20 05-10-2010, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkfinger

Best gig for me happened a couple of weeks ago.

I was flown down to Los Angeles from Winnipeg MB CA to support an artist playing at Musexpo.
Not only did I get a paid trip to L.A., I got to play with some of the best musicians I've ever shared a stage with, and at the legendary Whisky A Go-Go to boot.
The best part was that the room was totally packed, everyone was dancing and we got to do an encore even though we had never rehearsed one, and instead improvised a hip hop groove while the artist free styled over top of it. The crowd went nuts.

Best gig ever!

Sounds like a cool gig.

Sadly, the Whisky a G0-Go's legend has become this: Pay us $500 and you can play here, via selling 50 tickets at $10 a pop.