Whaaaat? Surely this isn't something that happens often?

Evil Undead · #1 04-11-2011, 05:53 AM

So, I was playing a gig with the band on Friday night and was going great, everyone having an awesome time, dancing etc.

We get to the second half and the patrons have had a fair few drinks between them, and a lady starts drunkenly staggering towards me about a minute into Sweet Child Of Mine... and then decides to start trying to have a conversation with me! I didn't know what to do! I carried on playing of course, but dropped a couple of notes. Fortunately she got the hint after a minute or so and went off to dance (sway around) and the show continued

Can't have been bad as we had about 4 encores, the audience didn't want us to stop!

Has this happened to anyone else? Any other amusing gig stories involving drunken bar-goers?

chokeslam512 · #2 04-11-2011, 06:07 AM

It does happen often, and don't call me Shirley.

Russell L · #3 04-11-2011, 06:17 AM

Yep, it happens sometimes. First of all, my hearing is bad. Secondly, it's hard to talk while playing. Thirdly, I'm married. Fourthly, I don't give a dang anyway. If it's a guy, only the first two points count. People don't think about the fact that you're trying to play when they come up like that.

Evil Undead · #4 04-11-2011, 06:21 AM

Haha! Awesome. Folk with too much percentage in them are hilarious!

I'm very new to playing out so I've got all this to get used to

DWBass · #5 04-11-2011, 06:23 AM

I have a good one. About 11 years ago, the band I was in back then (an R&B, Funk, Pop band) got booked at a 'Biker Bar'! REALLY! Fights and all! Ladies dancing on tables and on the bar! Yes, that kind of biker bar. Anyway, by the end of the night, they liked us so much...........they wouldn't let us leave! Seriously, they surrounded us! We ended up playing an hour long encore of tunes before they finally let up! The bar was closing anyway but I suspect if it wasn't, we were gonna keep playing 'till the sun came up! And yeah, the place was full of drunkin' women!

Bob C · #6 04-11-2011, 06:24 AM

Eventually, you will learn to expect anything. Some people have no sense of boundaries, especially when they're drunk.

Phalex · #7 04-11-2011, 06:44 AM

This past Saturday my Psycho Stalker made an appearance. She tends to get a little handsy and kept asking me if my wife was there.....

She wasn't, but I had to keep finding new and better places to hide.

So, I got felt up while I was playing (Could have been during sweetchild actually!) and the band thought it was funny as hell.

I'm just kind of happy that her husband wasn't there. I met him one time, and the guy is HUGE!

armywalaby · #8 04-11-2011, 07:00 AM

If there isn't a drunk person approaching the stage to talk to me throughout the night, something is amiss in the cosmos.

MattyH · #9 04-11-2011, 07:11 AM

Its a usual thing for me. Every weekend. The wedding guests are the worst though. When they get those drinks in them, they all feel like they can either 1 - Do my job better than me and suggest things all night, or 2 - They all assume you'll play all 1500 requests they give you.

Now, another thing that gets to me. I've had 3 Monster cables broken off at the input jack. Drunk idiots (Usually full grown, "mature" adults), get too close, and fall over the monitors. This has resulted in my cables being broken, mic stands smacking into the ground, dented mics, and even an almost smashed-to-pieces Macbook.

MattyH · #10 04-11-2011, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by armywalaby

If there isn't a drunk person approaching the stage to talk to me throughout the night, something is amiss in the cosmos.

+1000

viper4000 · #11 04-11-2011, 07:19 AM

Happens all the time!

One memorable one is when we were in our 2nd set, we just finished with Don't Stop Believin' by Journey and this plastered guy walks up and says "Why don't you play any Journey, my favorite!" We told him we just wrapped one up and he should hang around cause we have another one on the way. He says (and I paraphrase) to play it now! as he is pulling a $100 from his back pocket. He wants Don't Stop Believin'. I am big time against this, playing the same song twice in the same night. But money talks, and we play the tune. he drops the 100 into the tip bucket. So we're playing this tune grinnin' ear to ear, and the guy is so bad off that he stumbles into our singer, and then falls into our right main speaker. A couple of folks stand him up and walk him away from the band. Hey, no harm done, and we got a sweet tip-out that night.

The next was when we changed singers. Our previous singer was well loved, but she decided to quit the band thing, so we hired a new lady to front for us. We get to the first gig with her, and this over the hill bar fly comes and says how mad she is that we "fired" our other singer. That she made the band, and no other person could fill her shoes. All this while throwing f-bombs and such. Then started talking trash and getting in the face of our new singer. So much so, she almost quit, saying she doesn't have to put with that crap. Fast forward to the end of the first set. We're rockin' it, the new girl is having a blast and is feeling the vibes, so she goes into the crowd. She gets out there and guess who is, ahem, "dancing" with our singer in a very inappropriate way? Yup, the bar fly that was almost ready to beat up my singer at the start of the night. Our girl had to literally get on a table, walk across it, and jump off the other side to get away from this woman! Needless to say we have a great story to bring up from time to time

Expect anything and everything when playing bars.

derrico1 · #12 04-11-2011, 07:20 AM

At a covers gig this winter, a girl comes up in the middle of a song, motions, and asks me if we'll play Santeria for her.

I don't like holding mid-song conversations, *and* I was having fun with the song that we were in the middle of (Steely Dan's "Peg"), *and* I don't like "Santeria" much. Still, she was cute, and I generally try to keep the dancers happy; so I just smile and say, sure, we can play it for you in a few minutes.

Then I turn my attention to the drummer for about 5 seconds while we shift into the bridge of "Peg." When I look back, Santeria girl is still leaning over toward me.

"Well," she hollers, just as the guitarist starts tearing into the lead, "are you going to play it now, or what?"

**rhino333** · #13 04-11-2011, 07:48 AM

Yeah..I actually had the "grope and tickle" thing happen to me with a lady during a song. She was actually very attractive (which made me wonder about how drunk she was).

She walked up behind me and started rubbing the front of her body up and down my back. Because I was singing and playing, I couldn't get away till the guitar solo. Then my guitarist (who normally "wanks" forever) decided to take a "short" solo that night and gives me this BIG cheese eating smile as I step back up to the mic.

Was I offended by her....nope....it was just plain weird.

Richland123 · #14 04-11-2011, 08:27 AM

People try to talk while we are playing (or worse, when we are singing) all the time instead of waiting until the song is over. Yes, they are that stupid; especially when they are drunk. I love how they think I can have a conversation with them while I am singing lead on a song and they can't seem to figure out that is impossible.

Saturday, we were at the last song of the night and some drunk asks, "Can I sing?". Our drummer replied, "Don't know. We never heard you." Of course, the guy did not get it.

bassteban · #15 04-11-2011, 08:42 AM

Drunks acting funny/silly/stupid? NEVER!

WalterBush · #16 04-11-2011, 08:52 AM

Yup, happens at least once a weekend. Sometimes people aren't so drunk and want to talk mid-song, which makes me wonder what their excuse is.

gogo gadgetbass · #17 04-11-2011, 08:54 AM

One time this chick came up and groped both me and my singer. She had a tight (pretty painful) squeeze and we weren't interested so we hid from her in out break. As the next set started she came back up the front. After seeing our singers wedding ring she focused her attentions to me and sat down on the sub next to me. All of a sudden I look down and she is on the ground in front of me! I freaked out but couldnt stop playing. Turns out my shoe lace came undone and she spent the whole song trying to tie it up. Weirdest gig I tell ya!

JohnMCA72 · #18 04-11-2011, 10:05 AM

I'd probably never do such a thing myself, but I've thought about it many times: Drunk comes up to the stage, insisting on having a conversation during a song. Stop playing, wave off the band to get them to stop, & then announce to the crowd: "Listen up everybody, [drunk person] has something important to say!"

Downunderwonder · #19 04-11-2011, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evil Undead

Haha! Awesome. Folk with too much percentage in them are hilarious!

I'm very new to playing out so I've got all this to get used to

Never would have guessed

If you don't mind getting hit on and hitting back with slaughtered females you might have even more fun times very soon.

Fishheadjoe · #20 04-11-2011, 11:21 AM

It was back in the 80's and my band was playing our first ever not local gig... dude sitting right beside the stage is obviously hammered... can barely keep his head up.
By the ned of the first set, he's passed out, head on the table asleep!
During the 2nd set, I am standing on the edge of the stage and I feel something going on down by my foot...
Yup, it's the same dude, except now he is awake and trying to hand be a sparked up "jibber" while I am playing... I passed!
Fishheadjoe