Hired-gun for the Sheriff.

[HUnt49]

So I get a call yesterday for a last-minute sit-in job last night, for some guys playing a private party whose bassist got sick and couldn't leave his couch.

So I get up to the place north of Scottsdale AZ, and it's a birthday party. For Sheriff Joe Arpiao.

And a campaign event for JD Heyworth, who is challenging McCain.

Now I know we're not supposed to have political content, and I'm not going to - but my politics don't exactly fall in with these guys. I'm in the center, and they're most decidedly not. So I bucked up, got professional, left politics out of it, and just played some music.

Sheriff Joe came up on stage at one point, and we got him to tell a story about the time he arrested Elvis for speeding on his motorcycle in Las Vegas. I pulled my wallet out and showed him my ID, just to be safe.

He requested "My Way," by Sinatra, but this was a country/rock band, and so we played a slow Elvis song for he and his wife to dance to. They danced for about 30 seconds, and then he went for the birthday cake.

As for the crowd -- let's just say it was an animated, vocal, and monochromatic slice of the population, partial to tea.

An interesting night for people watching... and a bit of a surprise, when I thought I was headed for somebody's backyard party.

[CayceG]

Was the pay good?

[agreatheight]

HUnt49, you are a better man than I. If that gig had come to me and I had made the trek up to Scottsdale, I'd have driven right back home after I found out it was Sherrif Joe's party. He's on my list of people to slap if I ever meet them in person.

[HUnt49]

Trust me, the impulse to turn around and put my gear back in the car crossed my mind. My first indication was the sheer number of bumper stickers in the parking lot (and their decidedly partisan tenor).

But that's not what the game's about, right? My little protest was waving my driver's license at him while I was on stage. Other than that, I just did my best to follow a band I'd never met playing songs I'd never played. Always a good time!

Pay was typical for stuff like that here in the Valley - $100. Maybe the band didn't cut me full, I don't know. But it's not bad for 3 hours work, right?

[plankspanker13]

Not bad at all. My first gig with my current outfit was a Tea Party at Tucson Electric Park, last October. We were the warm-up act. The other guys had no idea about the nature of theevent, but I did my homework. I mean, it's not every day that you are playing a one-setter at 9 am in a baseball stadium, for $100/man, right? I managed to get about 6K people up and singing "for your country" with the final refrain of "Message in a Bottle," and when I ran into a VFW guy outside the grocery store this last Memorial Day, he remembered me. Imagine that.

[HUnt49]

Found some stuff online about it - post facto... Would I have taken the gig had I known? maybe. I just bought a house and a fridge and a washer and furniture and...

The flyer...



And Joe himself on stage - my gear is off to his right outta the shot.



There is some video posted on the web, but there's not audio -- if the guy fixes it you can hear us in the background.

[TheSuzie]

For a second I read that sign as saying The Communist Conservative.

I would never have lasted in that gig. My looks alone would probably have got me sent home, never mind my playing. I'm respectful of people in general but I would have felt seriously out of place. Might have had some trouble keeping my mouth shut too.

Peace,
S

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by agreatheight

HUnt49, you are a better man than I. If that gig had come to me and I had made the trek up to Scottsdale, I'd have driven right back home after I found out it was Sherrif Joe's party. He's on my list of people to slap if I ever meet them in person.

if sheriff joe brought his car into a repair shop you worked at you wouldn't quit.....i'd save the quitting for clubs/venues that abuse bands/players,and do the gig

[TheSuzie]

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

if sheriff joe brought his car into a repair shop you worked at you wouldn't quit.....i'd save the quitting for clubs/venues that abuse bands/players,and do the gig

Is fixing someone's car the same as playing at a political event/fundraiser?

[Floyd Eye]

I'd have played it for free.

[tycobb73]

Being a monarchist my political views match practicly no one's. Therefore I don't talk about it and am friends with people of all pDties. My wife started out as a lib and is now a con. There are 2 members on the supreme court of opposite parties who are good friends. When asked how this could be one of em said sometimes good people have not so good ideals. I agree with this statement.

[C47]

With elections coming up, there a lot of decent paying gigs in the near future if you play
classic rock covers. My band has already been booked for 2 and it's nowhere near November.
Put your politics aside and play your butt off. Fund raisers are a goldmine.

[HUnt49]

Originally Posted by C47

With elections coming up, there a lot of decent paying gigs ...Put your politics aside and play your butt off. Fund raisers are a goldmine.

I do agree with this -- but I think there may come a point when some event is so far from your own ideals that you just can't stomach it. I do think it's critical for a working bassist to be able to put the show first.

But what if you're an extremely conservative person and you get booked for a fat-money gig - that just happens to be a Viva Che & Castro party?

Or you get a call to work a convention, and you arrive to find out it's a NAMBLA convention? (Call Jon Stewart...).

I guess I stumbled on a question I hadn't given much thought -- how far will my professionalism (and chasing of the dollar) go to over-ride distaste for supporting an event with which I disagree. I have to say, that event came pretty close for me. It's an interesting thing to find that line.

[jnuts1]

i think working a political convention would be easy to put my feelings aside.

BUT NAMBLA??????? i would NEVER play that.

[SH69]

I wonder if the bassist you replaced was a conscientious objector who said he was sick just to get out of playing for these people.

[HUnt49]

Originally Posted by tycobb73

... I don't talk about it and am friends with people of all parties...

Thanks for adding that -- I think our climate is way too highly charged right now, and people make politics personal. We're too quick to de-personify & vilify someone based on their ideals.

There were some nice people there Sat., and they had a good time with the music and dancing. That's enough for me.

I guess we could paraphrase Patrick Henry (I think) - "I may disagree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to have some funky bass to back you up."

[kesslari]

I'll wager "I shot the sheriff" wasn't on the songlist...

[becker4567]

Originally Posted by TheSuzie

For a second I read that sign as saying The Communist Conservative.

I would never have lasted in that gig. My looks alone would probably have got me sent home, never mind my playing. I'm respectful of people in general but I would have felt seriously out of place. Might have had some trouble keeping my mouth shut too.

Peace,
S

+10!

[mophead]

Originally Posted by agreatheight

He's on my list of people to slap if I ever meet them in person.

You must like wearing pink so slap away.

[AltGrendel]

Originally Posted by jnuts1

BUT NAMBLA??????? i would NEVER play that.

National Associations of Marlon Brando Look Alikes?


They're ok guys.