Well That Was an Odd Guest Vocalist.......

[jive1]

So I'm playing a Country gig last weekend, and the drummer/bandleader introduces me to this older Asian guy who is gonna sit in and sing with us. Later on, he comes up takes the mic and insists on doing this song that none of us ever heard of. He says to just follow him, so we humor him. The guitar player strums a G chord, and he looks at him and tells him it's the wrong note. So he starts singing and the guitar player fiddles around until we get to F# as the key. We muck around on I-IV-V, until he's done. He had a short list of songs that had 'Don't be Cruel' on it, and I suggested that one. So, he says 'OK', and then runs to grab his laptop to get the lyrics. I was singing the lyrics to the band to keep our place until he got the lyrics up. But, it wasn't lyrics, it was a karaoke track. He was singing along the the karaoke video, not us. BTW, the sound was off on the laptop. So he trainwrecks, and I played an ending and killed it. He then begs us to try it again, and the drummer agrees over my saying that I can't play along to a silent karaoke track. So, we do it again, and somehow we got in time with the silent karaoke video, and it didn't suck as bad.

Later on in the night, the drummer invites this guy back up. We did an awful version of 'Can't Help Falling In Love With You' where he kept on changing keys from verse to verse, and telling us we were playing the wrong notes. So he walks out into the audience to work the crowd, and I walk up on the drum riser and tell the drummer, "You know everybody is gonna think he's my dad. It's because of dudes like him that it's hard for me to get gigs in town!", and the drummer just loses it. The vocalist sees us laughing, and looks at me and says "Why don't you do something on that bass?" So, I start playing quick 32nd note scale runs, tapping, and Claypool-like slapping and the guitarist and drummer lose it, and the vocalist gives me a funny look, and I wank some more and then go back to the groove. The song ends, and he finally leaves the stage.

At the end of the gig, I ask the drummer, "So what does this guy got on you? Did he catch you cheating on your wife or something like that?" And he looked at me and said, "You're a very smart man...." He fessed up that the dude pays him to sit in with the band.

[richtea]

nice! Now thats what I call selling out. Ha ha.

[lowfreq33]

I'd say your drummer needs to give the rest of the band their cut.

[Freddels]

Whatever the drummer got paid, he owes you double.

I'd tell him if he ever pulls that crap again, he'd be out or I'd be walkin'.

[pklima]

Hahaha. Reminds me of a random homeless looking guy who pulled out a good amount of money, asked us to "play something in C", and once we started pulled out a harmonica. Later I found out he was supposedly a big-name theater actor.

Congrats on getting in time with a silent karaoke video, though. That's real skill.

[bassbrad]

Originally Posted by Freddels

Whatever the drummer got paid, he owes you double.
.

X4 duba duba in d.um speech

[jonas_24112]

this reminds me of several open mic stories that started something like this:

Random person: "Do you know (insert obscrure song here) ....?"
Me: "No, I'm sorry I don't"
RP: "I got the words on my Iphone right here, will you play it?"
Me: "Sure, no problem, that's in the key of "S", right?
RP: "Just start playing, I can sing it...."

You can figure out how the rest went.....lol

[gjbassist]

Sounds like the rest of the band needs to have a chat with the drummer on how not to make your band look bad during a gig!

[Sliderbass]

YEARS ago, I was in a wedding band in NYC and one catering hall owner in particular fancied himself as a frontman/singer. SO, because this "singer" was a friend of my dad, my band got stuck backing this guy up from time to time.

We were running through some Elvis tunes and my guitar player asks the virtuoso singer what key he was in?

His answer? MY KEY!

you can't make this stuff up....

[Lazarus.Bird]

"You know everybody is gonna think he's my dad."

LOL

[viper4000]

That's awesome! In a train wreck kind of way.

Last year we were playing a little bar and between sets our singer was talking to this guy. Happens all the time to her between sets. So she comes back and says this guy can sing and wants to jam one with us. The rest of were very apprehensive. You know, asking ourselves if this guy will make us look bad, therefore missing out on the next booking available at this place.

So we play Long Train Running. And let me say I was blown away. This cat nailed it. Then we did Don't Stop Believing and once again this guy nailed it on all accounts. Presence, vocal range, listening for changes. We actually ended up asking him to join as a second vocalist. His answer: Naw, I just do this for fun when I'm in the shower.

Sometimes it's a train wreck and sometimes it's gold.

[bassbully]

Originally Posted by lowfreq33

I'd say your drummer needs to give the rest of the band their cut.

And how! That sounded painful and I wouldnt of wanted to go thru it. Tell the drummer next time he wants to setup up sideline singers to book his own shows.

[Phalex]

I really enjoy a horrible sit in type of guy. If he's sitting in on the bass, and my guitard and drummy are glaring at me as I LMAO!

One night after a particularly painful sit in bassist, my drummer actually walked off stage and slapped me in the face. HARD! He was all pissed off, and I just kept giggling.

[jive1]

Originally Posted by gjbassist

Sounds like the rest of the band needs to have a chat with the drummer on how not to make your band look bad during a gig!

Yes, but I'm pretty sure my bass wankery saved the day.

Is there anything that a bass solo can't make better?

[jnuts1]

Originally Posted by Phalex

I really enjoy a horrible sit in type of guy. If he's sitting in on the bass, and my guitard and drummy are glaring at me as I LMAO!

One night after a particularly painful sit in bassist, my drummer actually walked off stage and slapped me in the face. HARD! He was all pissed off, and I just kept giggling.

i gave a bassist from another band my bass one time for a 12 bar & the dude destroyed every change. BOTH guitarists were giving me the death stare & i just sat there and laughed. i find a lot of enjoyment making them suffer.

[superbassman2000]

Originally Posted by jive1

Yes, but I'm pretty sure my bass wankery saved the day.

Is there anything that a bass solo can't make better?

was the bass solo still played to "can't stop falling in love"? if so, awesome!

[SmokeyB]

Originally Posted by Sliderbass

YEARS ago, I was in a wedding band in NYC and one catering hall owner in particular fancied himself as a frontman/singer. SO, because this "singer" was a friend of my dad, my band got stuck backing this guy up from time to time.

We were running through some Elvis tunes and my guitar player asks the virtuoso singer what key he was in?

His answer? MY KEY!

you can't make this stuff up....

And that key would be the key of L
At least it sounds like 'ell

[jive1]

Originally Posted by superbassman2000

was the bass solo still played to "can't stop falling in love"? if so, awesome!

Yup, it was over Can't Help Falling In Love, in C# and later in Eb, depending on where the vocalist was at.

[jive1]

Originally Posted by viper4000

Sometimes it's a train wreck and sometimes it's gold.

We also had the vocalist from Journey to Boston (Journey2Boston - Celebrating the Music of Journey and Boston -) stop by and sit in on a couple of songs, as well. He did a KILLIN! version of "More Than A Feeling", and a duet with our female lead of "From This Moment" that was both incredible and entertainingly cheesy.

[superbassman2000]

Originally Posted by jive1

Yup, it was over Can't Help Falling In Love, in C# and later in Eb, depending on where the vocalist was at.

record that next time! I want to hear you slappin like claypool to it!