Sleezy Bar Stories - Page 2

Bassmanbob · #21 10-30-2006, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimb213

there was the bar that we showed up at for a gig that had a notice on the front door:

Closed by notice of the Health Inspector

that was pretty awesome. Although I guess we didn't actually play there that night...

That reminds me of a story. I went to school in Harlem for four years. There was this great sandwich shop we used to get lunch at almost every day. They made their own bread. Half way through Junior year, we saw a "Closed by nitice of the Health Inspector" sign on the front door.

What the hell was I eating for two and a half years???

Gard · #22 10-30-2006, 04:12 PM

Bob, you gotta tell me WHICH dive it was, I probably played it myself once or twice in my "Treasure Coast Daze"....

BTW: "Summer teeth", awesome, I'm totally gonna steal that one!

Peter Squire · #23 10-30-2006, 04:34 PM

My first ever band that gigged was when I was 17, and our drummer worked for a brick cleaning company. Anyway, his boss' daughter was involved in a soft-core strip show (just lingerie, no nudity) and she managed to get us the "supporting" slot on the stripper show.

As you can imagine, we weren't quite what the punters were there for, and we ended up getting booed off every week for about 2 months before we ditched the gig.

Anyway, the boss' daughter/stripper girl managed to get us a few more gigs around the town, through her "natural" charms, no doubt.

We got this show at one of the biggest dives in town, and the place was packed full of Cantina Creatures. Not only did the stripper girl get hit on by every low life, so did our guitarist by some freaky looking dude in pantyhose.

On top of all that, the band that were headlining took all the door money and left us with the PA and light rig to pay for out of our own pocket.

Thankfully, my experience in bands improved beyond sight after that. Call it paying your dues.

BobWestbrook · #24 10-30-2006, 05:34 PM

Makes me glad I play in church.

Bass Viking · #25 10-30-2006, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wesley R

and attack me orally.

Wesley R.

Pretty funny! That's the first time I've heard that expression.

As in, "Then she proceded to attack me orally, your honour."

lonote · #26 10-31-2006, 06:17 AM

Yeah, I hate it when they call me names!

QORC · #27 10-31-2006, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GROOVEjunkie

Back in the mid 90s this doofus guitarist booked our band to play "The Green Bank" which we found out to be a total redneck/sh*t kicker's bar. Now I don't scare easy, but the guy who booked us promised we'd play, <gasp> country!?!? I mean we did some Allman Bros, ZZ top, and misc classic rock, but we covered mostly Pearl Jam, STP, and Green Day which were popular at the time.

Things started out OK but quickly started to disintegrate towards the 2nd set when, around 11pm, the natives were growing restless and started yelling "suggestions" like "Play some F'in country!!" and the barkeep came up to us on stage to concur. On stage in between songs we had a band meeting (BTW we were video taping the "show") and I remember telling the guitarist that booked the show that this was BS that he got us into this and we weren't, in fact, couldn't change who we were on stage, so let's play what we play best and get the hell out. So I stepped up to the mic and said something like "OK folks...let's play some Green Day for the Green Bank" and I looked at my drummer to get this over with. Fortunately, the other guitarist had brought a bunch of good looking woman and they started getting into the up beat tempo so then when we slammed into The Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" even the locals joined into the frenzy and somehow we made it out alive. I remember the barkeep after the show paying/telling the dumbass who booked us "you boys sure got lucky t'night" - damn straight!! Thank you, goodnight.

I can look back at that video and laugh at our body language during our on stage "meeting." whew.

>Truth be told I posted this story in a "~related" thread, but this thread is dead-on for this happy memory.

You weren't at "Bob's Country Bunker", were ya??

You could've played the theme to Rawhide!

Bassmanbob · #28 11-01-2006, 10:20 PM

Hey Gard. It was Shea's Pub on Port St. Lucie Blvd. and Airoso Blvd. I don't know how long it's been around. It's in that strip mall on the north east corner.

I kept my bass in my gig bag in the far corner during breaks and had my eye on the front door at all times.

Peter Squire · #29 11-01-2006, 10:33 PM

Well, another story, but not a sleazy bar.

We got booked to play this guy's 21st birthday party, so immediately I got nervous. I really don't like playing backyard parties normally, because most of the people are friends who all want to hear the one kind of music they all listen to, and we play a really diverse variety. Also, I hate playing in tin sheds or on patio's etc etc/

So I went out to the place (which was about 40 miles out of town) and was really happy to see that they had an enormous yard and the guys told me that they were putting in a professional stage from a local hire company and some lighting too. OK, so far so good. So I talk to the guys who are organising the party, about what they expect to hear from us. They go along similar lines to what we played, so I started feeling a bit easier about the whole show.

Anyway, show night comes along. No stage set up. No lights. We turn up, and I'm already getting annoyed that the agreement was being altered. So we start to play - upbeat, acoustic pop/rock with some really fun party tunes.

Only these guys are all stoned out of their heads and want us to play chill out Radiohead and stoner rock. Completely against what they have said they wanted. We struggle on through our sets, and finish up at about 1am. For the past three and a half hours, we have played our brand of feel good party music to a bunch of guys who are wasted and laying around in the flowerbeds. Absolutely not interested in us at all.

Then, just as everything is packed up and we are about to leave, a group of about 10 of the guys surround us and tell us how great we were, and how much they loved our music and how we are the best band they've ever had at a party.

I'm furious by now, I was like "*** is this?" and we left.
Haha good times....

Gard · #30 11-05-2006, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassmanbob

Hey Gard. It was Shea's Pub on Port St. Lucie Blvd. and Airoso Blvd. I don't know how long it's been around. It's in that strip mall on the north east corner.

I kept my bass in my gig bag in the far corner during breaks and had my eye on the front door at all times.

I know exactly where it is, it's been there long enough that I played there once or twice....

....don't miss THOSE gigs!

Chunk-O-Funk · #31 11-05-2006, 08:27 AM

Some great stories in here! LOL

I've played a couple off shady places before. One was in a really crappy neighborhood where there was obviously more business going through the back door than the front. Lots of rough looking people. We decided not to book another gig there. Didn't want to be there when it got raided.

We also played a gig or two for some bike clubs. They like to party hard and are pretty rough around the edges but we had a great time.