Nightmare Gig Ends in Court

[Boplicity]

This true story is taken last night from CBS ten o'clock news in Nashville, TN. I'll sum it up this way.

Kevin O'Donnell, a guitarist with a band from a Northern state sued Winton Brown, a patron at a Nashville honkey tonk after O'Donnell received a broken nose and black eye when a bar room brawl broke out during the band's final set.

Here's what went down. The "Yankee" band, during the last set, started to tell redneck jokes similar to those of Jeff Foxworthy. The patrons evidently became increasingly angry when a woman member of the band made a joke that hinted at hillybilly rednecks being "inbred." At that, the patrons attacked the band and a full scale, all out bar room brawl broke out. The guitarist was attacked by Winton Brown, who broke his nose and blackened his eye, so O'Donnel took his attacker to court, suing him for $10,000.

Judge Aaron Holt heard both sides of the story. Winton Brown's defense was that all he was attempting to do was "break up" the brawl and entered the fray at the request of the bar's owner, Jimmy Fox. Brown did admit that he had already pled guilty to assault in this case in another court, I presume criminal.

AS no one was able to prove satisfactorily who actually instigated the assault on the guitar playerand his band and what their motive was and as the judge ruled that "word cannot be used as a defense in an assault case" meaning that even if the band did offend the patrons with unseemly slurs, physical assault was not a legal remedy for the insults...well, the judge ruled in FAVOR of the guitar player. However and this is a big, however, the judge awarded O'Donnell only $500!

Moral of this story...be warned, if you ever play a Nashville gig, but you are from up North, you'd better not tell redneck jokes or you will have to suffer the consequences.

Jason Oldsted

[ikickuintheballs]

I'm staying up north =) hehe, don't want to piss off any southerners =P hehe. I would be much smarter NOT to make those type of joke with all of them around... only behind there backs.. hehe =)

[john turner]

actually, when one goes on the road, make sure one is not "alone".

concealed carry permit + visible, holstered weapon = surprising lack of violence at gigs.

our stuff is a lot safer too.



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you wanna see a frustrated guitarist? let a guitarist try to do something useful on one of my basses. _THAT'S_ a frustrated guitarist.

[Angus]

Hey, John, you packin heat at your gigs? Geez, we shouldnt make fun of your hair!

[john turner]

not me yet, but a few of our "retinue".

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you wanna see a frustrated guitarist? let a guitarist try to do something useful on one of my basses. _THAT'S_ a frustrated guitarist.

[Boplicity]

To John Turner, so what would the members of your "retinue" who pack heat have done when and if bar room patrons go on the attack? Pull out their guns? What if the patrons are armed too? Man, the whole idea scares me. But I'm a self-confessed and notorious coward. (I don't tell Jeff Foxworthy jokes either.) Jason Oldsted

[Angus]

Well, seeing the gun calms the crowd...or keeps them from doing anything. I would imagine.

[brewer9]

well, i'm from New Hampshire. What's wrong with being inbred?

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(WARNING: THIS IS ANOTHER STUPID TIME WASTING POST BY BREWER9. PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE TOO SERIOUS!)

[Chris A]

Brewer9,
Just because your inbred, don't blame New Hampshire!!

Chris A.
also from New Hampshire, and NOT inbred, thank you, thank you very much

[BassoOstinato]

The Nashville gig reminds me of the scene in the first Blues Brothers movie in which Jake and Elwood's band play in a roadhouse. The patrons were definitely expecting more of a Waylon Jennings type band and less of a Chicago R&B band. So the Blues Brothers had to hang fish net in front of the stage to deflect the incoming beer bottles thrown their way.

I also recall a Lollapalooza in Orlando at which Primus played with a fishnet of sorts in front of the stage. Or was it Alice in Chains? No matter. It must be quite an experience to play in "enemy territory" and I thank my lucky stars I never had to play to a hostile audience. Of course my bands never tried to provoke our audiences either.

OSTINATO

[Brad Johnson]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Chris A:
Chris A.
also from New Hampshire, and NOT inbred, thank you, thank you very much<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Are you sure about that, Chris. What about Uncle Dad?

[brewer9]

my sister's husband's brother's uncle (or in other words my father's mother's niece's cousin), says "man can not live by inbred alone."

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(WARNING: THIS IS ANOTHER STUPID TIME WASTING POST BY BREWER9. PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE TOO SERIOUS!)

[john turner]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JasonOldsted:
To John Turner, so what would the members of your "retinue" who pack heat have done when and if bar room patrons go on the attack? Pull out their guns? What if the patrons are armed too? Man, the whole idea scares me. But I'm a self-confessed and notorious coward. (I don't tell Jeff Foxworthy jokes either.) Jason Oldsted<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

they would do nothing, undoubtedly. absolutely nothing, except maybe help us off the stage and into our vehicles with our gear. i've noticed, though, that the obvious shoulder holster does motivate people to behave a bit more, or at least misbehave a bit less.

then again, we wouldn't tell jeff foxworthy jokes either. nor would we play in a club that wasn't expecting our kind of music.

so there you have it. you have to remember that from right near where i live it is a city ordinance that every homeowner must own a firearm of some sort - kennesaw ga.

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you wanna see a frustrated guitarist? let a guitarist try to do something useful on one of my basses. _THAT'S_ a frustrated guitarist.

[This message has been edited by john turner (edited July 31, 2000).]

Rules to follow when playing in "Southern Territory"

1. Have big strong roadie/bodyguards

2. Make sure SOMEONE in the audience likes you

3. Dont bring guns unless the owner is on your side. he probably has a sawed-off-12-guage.

4. Southerners+beer+redneck jokes= riot

5. Let the guitarist hit the attckers with HIS guitar.

6. Always have an escape route and a few smoke bombs handy.

[rcrimm]

HEY Y'All! I resemble those remarks!!!

I am a non-inbred, flatlander, semi educated redneck, and I do have a sense of humor. I have no problems with redneck jokes or "Yankees" (unless they refuse to go back home after the gig!).

Any entertainer who insults his/her audience deserves their a** kicked, regardless.

[John M. Cote]

>Any entertainer who insults his/her audience deserves their a** kicked, regardless

I have to agree with Roger - making fun of the audience isn't very smart. At some places, people will leave and you'll be playing to an empty house - no fun. At other places, the audience will get really ticked off and you'll get your behind kicked - no fun either.

John

[yawnsie]

Originally posted by BassoOstinato
It must be quite an experience to play in "enemy territory"

Well, it wasn't exactly enemy territory, but I'm reminded of a gig we had over Christmas in Crosby. We played at a little social club where they have a band night every month, and were told that the place got quite a good turnout, considering it was a tiny little old man's pub in the middle of nowhere. We turned up, did the soundcheck, and when I looked outside I was shocked to see about 300 people waiting to get in.

When the crowd got in, I noticed that I was surrounded by 300 fourteen year olds with baggy pants and spiky hair - it looked like I had accidentally stumbled in on a Blink 182 gig. By the way, I have nothing against people who like Blink 182, wear baggy pants, or have spiky hair, but a lot of these people seemed to have something against us...

Anyway, we started played, and to be honest didn't go down quite as badly at first as I had feared, although there were a few sarcastic comments and the like. Now, our singer isn't as level headed and calm as me (Obviously...), and didn't take too knidly to this, shouting at the crowd throughout songs, and suchlike.

There was one fella, probably one of the few people that was old enough to have been served at the bar (I think the reason why it was so popular is because it's the only pub in Crosby that 14 year old punk wannabes can actually get into), who kept making particularly snidy comments, and at one point walked past the stage and apparently flashed the Vs at our guitarist, which made our singer snap. He kicked a glass of water that was on the stage at the heckler. The glass smashed, but the contents soaked our friend, who was then informed by the singer (as the song carried on) that he would "kick the ****" out of him.

Although this didn't end in a fight (during an extra long guitar solo, their differences were, in a way, patched up) we got kicked off at the end of the song, and we'll never play in Crosby again. Just thought I'd share my experience of playing to a less than appreciative crowd, with a less than sane singer.

[mchildree]

Well, Guys, I have to tell you...I know this is all in good fun, but there are down-sides to gigging everywhere! In the interest of evening the score for my fellow Southrons: I've done plenty of bad gig experiences up North too. Stuff like having to run a long chain through all the handles of the stage gear to keep it from being stolen when you leave for the night. Like being prevented from loading in due to the fact that only "Union" crew works that venue, and then having all kinds of **** broken if you let those apes load you in or out. Like having the Local Union Rep show up with several goons and demand their tribute. I've done hundreds of gigs both North and South, and that kind of stuff only happened to me up there. Having said that, I think the most appreciative crowds I ever played for were snow-bound residents of the far, far North...like Thunder Bay,Canada. Man, they loved everybody who resembled entertainment!

[JWC]

Damn, I played outside Nashville one time and put on a mullet wig and sang my own parody, WHO LET THE MULLETS OUT.

[virtual.ray]

That story (the court case) reminds me of Andy Kaufman and that wrestler fronm Memphis.Here's some simple advice for staying healthy below the Mason Dixon line: don't ever play a Maj7 chord in any establishment named after a farm animal,a firearm,or a dead NASCAR driver.