Last night's gig

[Medford Bassman]

So the band gets booked to do this xmas party for financial planners. The show paid very well. Free food and drink all night. The crowd liked the show. The guy who was paying us asked us early on to turn down a bit so people could hear themselves talk. We said sure no problem. As I run sound I asked him later if it was ok and he said it was perfect volume.

Well, later in the night this drunk buffoon meathead said something to our drummer in the bathroom about being too loud. Drummer appropriately ignored him. Buffoon then comes to the stage, in mid song, confronts our fill in keyboardist and tells him to turn it down or he will turn us down. Of course, buffoon is 3 sheets to the wind. Fill-in guys points to me and say I run the sound. Soooooo, buffoon comes over by me, places his arm around me (first mistake) tell me music is too loud and needs to be turned down (second mistake) all this while on stage with us. I can barely hear him and then he tells me, "are you going to turn it down or be a pr*ck and leave it the same, cuz if you do, I'll drop you right here." (third mistake) Guitard sees I'm getting pretty ticked off with buffoon. Buffoon still pawing me. It's been years since I've had to take a moron off stage. His face is about 8 inches from my MIA Jazz headstock. I was so tempted to make that imprint on his drunk face. However, I point to the guy paying us and tell buffoon this is the volume he wants it to be and he's paying, so if you want it down talk to the guy paying the bill. Mind you this is all going on in mid song.
Buffoon slinks off. Of course we don't change to volume. He was going to come back over to the stage but his wife stopped him as she was mortified by his buffoonery.

I get the impression buffoon is one of those guys who flies a desk(as do I). However, deep down feels it's not manly enough so when they get drunk have to assert their manhood through faux aggressive behavior.

Good to see idiots even at corporate xmas parties.

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by Medford Bassman

Good to see idiots even at corporate xmas parties.

Methinks that perhaps idiots proliferate especially at corporate Christmas parties...

Did ya ever think of using a rider that requires the host/employer to police the stage for ya? So that you don't have to take on all the drunken idiots personally? Especially during the middle of performance?

MM

[Sheldon681]

Sounds like you handled that as well as you possibly could. Congrats for keeping your cool.

[KsToaDangr]

Originally Posted by Sheldon681

Sounds like you handled that as well as you possibly could. Congrats for keeping your cool.

+1 on the congrats. i would have been tempted to hit him too, but that could have resulted in a very bad scene.

[AfroCubanFunkMa]

This reminds me of a very inebriated wedding guest years ago who came up to the band and told us to turn it down an octave.. We normally would have had some jokes and fun at his expense but thankfully knew this was a wedding for a daughter of an organized crime figure local to Boston.. W

Needless to say, we turned down

[pig]

I once killed a man for telling me to turn down.

[TBrett]

Originally Posted by KsToaDangr

+1 on the congrats. i would have been tempted to hit him too, but that could have resulted in a very bad scene.

Yeah, because being arrested for assault mid-set would have been way worse!

[Sheldon681]

Originally Posted by TBrett

Yeah, because being arrested for assault mid-set would have been way worse!

So would finding out later that the buffoon was the boss of the guy that was supposed to pay you.

[MysticMichael]

I really think that way too many musicians tolerate this kind of crap way too often - and so drunks and other annoying people in the audience therefore feel at liberty to abuse them and try to intimidate them as they see fit. Big mistake.

A few years ago, at an open mike event in a small bar here in New York, there was this sloppy drunk who repeatedly infiltrated the stage while the parade of singer/songwriter types got up to perform their songs. This went on for the better part of an hour - and yet not once did anyone from the bar management volunteer to get up there and pull the guy off-stage, nor did any of the performers insist that it be done.

After a long injury-related hiatus, I will gigging again soon. And when I do, I will have a quick chat with the manager of every venue in which I/we perform, putting him on notice of his responsibility to protect the musicians. If any interloper should manage to get on-stage - especially in the midst of a performance - I will stop the performance right there, dead in its tracks, approach the nearest microphone, and call: "Security!"

We start back up again only after the miscreant has been removed. And if that doesn't happen, we power down the gear, pack it up, and leave. Period.

Nobody should have to put up with that kind of B.S. If fewer of us would, then maybe it wouldn't happen to us so often...

MM

[fractal0243]

Kudos for keeping your cool. I used to play a bar where the same drunken idiot would grab my mic and start yelling into it every single time we played there. I'm about as laid back and easy going as they come, but that guy pushed me over the edge every time. Things got ugly once or twice, but never while I was on stage. We usually had a "discussion" after the set, and the guy would back off.

I think ultimately the bar owner, manager, or whoever is in charge should make sure their bar and customers are under control at all times. If not, don't play there.

[HolmeBass]

People are so clueless. At a recent show, while we were obviously getting ready to end the night- you know, holding the last chord out in a long ending while the lead singer/band leader introduced everyone in the band, thanked the crowd and the wait staff - this girl comes up and asks me to get the leader to sign a bar napkin. I say, "OK, I will." But evidently she meant *right now* because when I didn't immediately stop playing she asked me again- and I said, slightly more agitatedly I would once we were done with the song. She then brushed past me and tapped the lead singer on the shoulder to interrupt him and ask him to sign the bar nap! I angrily told her to let us finish the song, to which she condescendingly apologised and then turned back and tapped him on the shoulder again! By this time we were done and he complied. I muttered a few choice insults under my breath at her. What a jerk!

Also, we play on the floor at this venue, and that always leads to problems. Having an actual stage helps to deflect probably 90% of this kind if idiocy, although unfortunately some idiots are pretty determined and won't let a stage stop them.

I'd say good job on not decking the guy, but I might have also told him that he needs to funnel "requests" for the band in the future through the person who hired the band and organised the party. Tell him you have to answer to him. Most people, having to work for corporations, understand hierarchies and having to answer to the person to whom you "report".

[paganjack]

I'd agree that you handled that about as well as possible. As people have stated, it sucks to have to put up with that kind of junk, but as professionals, we have to remain calm. The burden of good behavior is on us.

[walterw]

"don't get mad, get the money!"

[ksandvik]

Tell them that you do it if you get $50 or so. Then later increase the level slowly to the same levels.

[mark roberts]

Originally Posted by Medford Bassman

So the band gets booked to do this xmas party for financial planners. The show paid very well. Free food and drink all night. The crowd liked the show. The guy who was paying us asked us early on to turn down a bit so people could hear themselves talk. We said sure no problem. As I run sound I asked him later if it was ok and he said it was perfect volume.

Well, later in the night this drunk buffoon meathead said something to our drummer in the bathroom about being too loud. Drummer appropriately ignored him. Buffoon then comes to the stage, in mid song, confronts our fill in keyboardist and tells him to turn it down or he will turn us down. Of course, buffoon is 3 sheets to the wind. Fill-in guys points to me and say I run the sound. Soooooo, buffoon comes over by me, places his arm around me (first mistake) tell me music is too loud and needs to be turned down (second mistake) all this while on stage with us. I can barely hear him and then he tells me, "are you going to turn it down or be a pr*ck and leave it the same, cuz if you do, I'll drop you right here." (third mistake) Guitard sees I'm getting pretty ticked off with buffoon. Buffoon still pawing me. It's been years since I've had to take a moron off stage. His face is about 8 inches from my MIA Jazz headstock. I was so tempted to make that imprint on his drunk face. However, I point to the guy paying us and tell buffoon this is the volume he wants it to be and he's paying, so if you want it down talk to the guy paying the bill. Mind you this is all going on in mid song.
Buffoon slinks off. Of course we don't change to volume. He was going to come back over to the stage but his wife stopped him as she was mortified by his buffoonery.

I get the impression buffoon is one of those guys who flies a desk(as do I). However, deep down feels it's not manly enough so when they get drunk have to assert their manhood through faux aggressive behavior.

Good to see idiots even at corporate xmas parties.

You did it just right. Logic pays, even when one of their own is "altered" by drinking. You pointed him to the person (one of them) that pays and gave you the limits. And if their internal "political" make-up gave your antagonist power, then you would have heard about it.

[AwkwardBass]

Well played, #14.

[dalconthenovice]

super kudos man

i kinda seize up everytime that happens (doesn't happen that often) and one of two things happen, i either become a complete dick and egg them on (always a mistake, especially during paid gigs) or i take it ... painfully degradingly

[dalconthenovice]

Originally Posted by HolmeBass

People are so clueless. At a recent show, while we were obviously getting ready to end the night- you know, holding the last chord out in a long ending while the lead singer/band leader introduced everyone in the band, thanked the crowd and the wait staff - this girl comes up and asks me to get the leader to sign a bar napkin. I say, "OK, I will." But evidently she meant *right now* because when I didn't immediately stop playing she asked me again- and I said, slightly more agitatedly I would once we were done with the song. She then brushed past me and tapped the lead singer on the shoulder to interrupt him and ask him to sign the bar nap! I angrily told her to let us finish the song, to which she condescendingly apologised and then turned back and tapped him on the shoulder again! By this time we were done and he complied. I muttered a few choice insults under my breath at her. What a jerk!

Also, we play on the floor at this venue, and that always leads to problems. Having an actual stage helps to deflect probably 90% of this kind if idiocy, although unfortunately some idiots are pretty determined and won't let a stage stop them.

I'd say good job on not decking the guy, but I might have also told him that he needs to funnel "requests" for the band in the future through the person who hired the band and organised the party. Tell him you have to answer to him. Most people, having to work for corporations, understand hierarchies and having to answer to the person to whom you "report".

i had a situation VERY similar happen about a month ago, everyone agreed NEVER to play there again seeing as she was the bartender. i mean really, you wouldn't want me to jump over the counter and tap on YOUR shoulder and interrupting you while you're mixing a margarita would you? HOLY GOD!