Oh, and here's a sword for you to wave around while you sing

pklima · #1 06-05-2011, 03:34 PM

So... the pianist has booked a gig at a bar run by a friend of his, and the guy requested that we do a song from a Quentin Tarantino movie. It's in Japanese, but fine, our singer can handle that. Now it turns out he also wants the singer to wave a replica Japanese sword around during that song and stand on the bar so he can project her shadow on a big screen behind it. That's just silly, but we can put up with it. But he's wants her to hold that sword correctly and wave it around in proper stances. That has to be the least reasonable requirement I've run into at a gig.

Well, at least it's not sharp...

I'm sure many of the veterans who've played thousands and thousands of gigs have run across worse, though. What's the most absurd you've had to deal with?

**VincentSalizeri** · #2 06-06-2011, 12:40 PM

Wow... that's just odd. I don't really have any stories myself, just wanted to comment on your story.

pklima · #3 06-06-2011, 03:03 PM

It sure is odd. I'm all for goofy stunts and blatant attention-getting devices, but that's just a terrible idea on so many levels. At least we seem to have talked him out of including a sushi set in the ticket price. Yeah, he thought that would be a good way to make more money. The whole ordeal reminds me of this Bill Anschell story: Bill Anschell, Jazz pianist, composer, arranger and humorist based in Seattle

jaywa · #4 06-06-2011, 03:10 PM

Exactly how much is this bizarre gig paying?

The client sounds certifiable so he better be putting up huge $$... and I would get paid in advance.

A one-night insurance policy against personal injury wouldn't be a bad idea either. Let the client pay for that too.

Fassa Albrecht · #5 06-06-2011, 03:13 PM

It's no more weird than that time I was singing a Smiths song and was waving a bunch of gladioli around a la Morrissey. I still have no idea why I was doing this...

pklima · #6 06-06-2011, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaywa

Exactly how much is this bizarre gig paying?

The client sounds certifiable so he better be putting up huge $$... and I would get paid in advance.

A one-night insurance policy against personal injury wouldn't be a bad idea either. Let the client pay for that too.

It's paying twice what we'd normally get for a bar gig. The guy's been running this bar for a few years and apparently has had two or three concerts there in that entire time, so he basically doesn't really know what he's doing.

s_mcsleazy · #7 06-06-2011, 03:22 PM

im blue - 5,6,7,8's

actually the kill bill soundtrack is one of my fave movies. tbh i think it sounds like a neat idea

richtea · #8 06-07-2011, 01:40 AM

Bizarre not really sure what to say except take your cheapest bass, I predict dents.

pnut166 · #9 06-07-2011, 01:42 AM

Agree to go along with it as long as he`ll go all the way with it and let her impale him at the song`s close.

pklima · #10 06-07-2011, 02:39 AM

Y'know, this might be a cool idea for a big production with a large stage, some rehearsal time, and headset mics. Trying to make a big production of a small bar gig is just asking for trouble, though.

Swinging a sword while trying to avoid contact with a mic stand in front of you is very awkward, especially when you're on top of a narrow bar and there's no room to step back. Any contact will result in a big audible noise. Try doing this while singing in a language you don't actually speak, and... yeah, that's a lot of things for one person to be concentrating on at once.

pklima · #11 07-09-2011, 04:31 PM

Update... my job sent me to India for two weeks, and while I was there this guy wanted us to play a gig at the bar. Since I wasn't there, he was OK with just the singer and pianist playing one set - for free. He promised a PA, then the day before he wanted them to play he said there will not be a PA, and that a professional should be able to sing loud enough without a PA, and that when he said he'll get a PA he didn't really mean it. He only said there will be a PA out of courtesy. Then he got mad at them, and now the gig is off. Sure, he was going to overpay us, but I'm happy about this anyway.

So, in short, we unsurprisingly don't have to do this after all.

easyvision · #12 07-10-2011, 05:21 AM

The guy clearly doesn't know what he's doing. A pro singer should be able to sing loud enough without a PA? Sure, maybe for a song and a half until their voice dies. What an idiot...