worst gig conditions - Page 2

Thunderfly · #21 06-14-2007, 05:51 AM

Playing at English Rugby Clubs - whilst being damn good fun - is nigh-on impossible

It is very difficult to concentrate on what you are doing with a load of p!ssed-up rugby boys, some of which are b*llock naked, others having a competition to see how many cocktail sticks they can stick in their faces (then lighting them), others insisting you play 'American Pie' or - in the words of one charming gentleman - 'I'll smash you into liquid' and looking like he really means it. All the while the girl's rugby team are attempting to dance seductively in front of you and their fly-half is trying to take your bass off you halfway through 'Higher Ground'

Good fun though

johnvice · #22 06-14-2007, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aluminumcatfish

Playing music I don't like, With people I don't like.

Life's just too short for that.

This is very true. The bad gigs I played were still good in some ways. The "worst" was in a dive of a bar. There was a "X" taped on the floor in front of me. I wondered what this was for. I later found out when I stepped on it and my feet went through the stage.

During the gig we found out the only way to the second story pool room was a staircase to stage left, so there was traffic accross the stage!

That said, that gig in 2004 was my first live perfonace since 1987, the bar was packed with friends and family, and we got a lot of offeres to play at other bars as a result!

In the early 1980s, I played in an Oompapa band during Octoberfest. Great money but I had to play this horrid music and wear lederhosen.

Finally, if you don't like the people you are performing music with, the sooner you get out the better.

LumpyGravy · #23 06-15-2007, 12:03 AM

Played in a band called the Dean Martins. Our debut gig have "older" patrons that wanted to see Dean Martin. We played Ramones type music. We soon changed our name.

jive1 · #24 06-15-2007, 11:41 AM

For me it was playing at a prison in Colorado

- It took longer to load-in and load-out than it did to play. No load-in was as time consuming as this, since they had to inspect EVERYTHING that went in, as well as EVERYTHING that went out.

- Couldn't bring in chewing gum, since it is used to jam locks and hide stuff.

- I forgot my cigs in the car, and it was too much hassle to get them. I couldn't bum one from one of the inmates since we weren't allowed to take or give anything to them. Luckily one of the guards helped me get my fix.

- It was eerie to see the "prison b1tches". I thought that kinda stuff was just for the movies.

- Our cute lead singer couldn't wear her usual little black dress, so I didn't get to enjoy her nice legs.

- The vibe was just plain wierd.

- And it was hot as hell outside.

machine gewehr · #25 06-15-2007, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazzyteen

hey ev'rybody,

Just asking what was your worst gig conditions you've had as a bass player?

Mine is a gig I still do... great learning experience, you get paid a respectable amount for doing jazz and its a stable gig (we are sure to play two nights a week)...

It's in a train for tourists. The space we play in is ruffly 3 to 5 square meters (don't know how much its in feet, i'd say about 9 to 16). We are a trio, a drummer, who actually plays only a snare drum sitting on my amp, a guitarist, and me, the bassist. The guitar player and I are plugged in my amp, a cheap practice amp about 30 watts and we have a power pack so we can plug ourselves in. We play about 2 to 3 tounes per half-wagon and we do about 4 to 5 wagons per night, above all, the wagon is moving and is wobbly so we are practically more thinking about our balance than our playing. Plus, it can get really hot in there...

I think i'll remember that gig for ever... but it's fun and challenging... so when you play with a whole drum with a better amp an everything else you're better since you played on the train... We actually called ourself: the portable trio.

-Peace

JT

Thats so cool man.

For me,it was a stage made for 3 piece bands,there were 5 of us,the drumkit was moving all over the place,mostly coming towards me.I had to catch the hi-hat couple of times,it was jumping on the guitarist.

Most fun was,when I looked at the drummer,he was holding the kickdrum and hitting only hi-hat with the other hand as the kit was falling apart.

spunj13 · #26 06-16-2007, 01:46 AM

the last tour that my band did had one date in Philadelphia...
and honestly?
not only were we scared for our lives... but it was the smallest/dirtiest place i think i've ever played in.

it was in a DIY house that held shows in the basement.
i'm six foot two and had to duck for a majority of the show.
there was no stage and the basement couldn't have been more than 12 foot by 10 foot or so with stairs leading down the back... (maybe a hair larger than that... i'm not good at estimating sizes)

the floor was... carpetted, but... beyond it's prime. (it was probably growing things, but i was too flustered to really notice)

add in to that that there were people doing an assortment of drugs upstairs (making us quite uncomfortable) and it was in the middle of a bad part of town. translation: the house next door was abandoned and was being vandalized/robbed while we were there. it was all we could do to get out of there as fast as we possibly could.

now we look back on that and laugh... we've often said that we would play anywhere... but that night certainly tested that... and we'd rather not repeat the experience anytime soon.

[spunj13]

rllefebv · #27 06-16-2007, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jive1

For me it was playing at a prison in Colorado

- It took longer to load-in and load-out than it did to play. No load-in was as time consuming as this, since they had to inspect EVERYTHING that went in, as well as EVERYTHING that went out.

- Couldn't bring in chewing gum, since it is used to jam locks and hide stuff.

- I forgot my cigs in the car, and it was too much hassle to get them. I couldn't bum one from one of the inmates since we weren't allowed to take or give anything to them. Luckily one of the guards helped me get my fix.

- It was eerie to see the "prison b1tches". I thought that kinda stuff was just for the movies.

- Our cute lead singer couldn't wear her usual little black dress, so I didn't get to enjoy her nice legs.

- The vibe was just plain wierd.

- And it was hot as hell outside.

Similar experience playing a federal penn in Sheridan with a church group... I'm 6'2", 300 lbs., bald with a 'stache and soul-patch... Pretty much like half the guys in the joint! At load-in, all our gear went into one room while we went into a small 'pass-through' room, about 6' X 6' with 1" thick glass... We had to stay in there for about 10 minutes while they inspected our gear, checked licenses and stuff... I was really starting to freak out!

-robert

jackcregg · #28 06-19-2007, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aluminumcatfish

Playing music I don't like, With people I don't like.

Life's just too short for that.

That has summed up my feelings about my current band

Luckily im quitting on the 15th July woo!

KeithPas · #29 06-19-2007, 10:37 AM

When I was a kid my cut rate garage band got hired to do a summer concert in a local park. We had the privledge of setting up on top of a sewage treatment unit. The only thing separating us from the bubbling, frothing, smelling nastiness under our feet were a scant few two by fours that comprised the top of the unit. When we would drop a pick we would just nudge it through the spaces of the 2/4's so we would'nt have to bend over and get that smell in our faces.

doctorjazz · #30 06-19-2007, 10:59 AM

At the local farmer's market with the high school's big band. We got there and they had set us up a stage that was (literally) about 5'x5'. For a 15-person big band! We ditched that and basically had to set up in the middle of the sidewalk. There were people literally walking through the horn section all during the gig.

The best part: We didn't get paid. That one was basically done as a PR gig and to get the freshmen in the group a little gigging experience before we started taking paying jobs.

BellBottomBlues · #31 06-19-2007, 11:04 AM

My worst gig was at a dive bar, and I plugged in two Ashdown ABM500's. Then my guitarist set up his 2 stacks as well, and then the drummer set up his 2 half stacks.

So ANYWAYS, we've got complete overkill on anything that could come our way soundwise, and I don't know whose idea it was to bring all this gear to a bar (this kind of equipment is usually reserved for gigs that have 100's of people) but we all plug in and everything turns on fine so we're like ok.

I hit an open E string to go an tune it, and I blow a fuse or something and the bar turns completely dark. Oh boy, that was fun.

doctorjazz · #32 06-19-2007, 11:59 AM

Dude, I think shutting down a bar with your E string should be a point of pride.

bertbassplayer · #33 06-19-2007, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BellBottomBlues

I hit an open E string to go an tune it, and I blow a fuse or something and the bar turns completely dark. Oh boy, that was fun.

That's why Van halen's contract had a clause that people remove all the brown M&Ms in the bowl. Because they used to bring so much gear, the contract had so many technical and weight requirements, the brown M&Ms thing was to make sure whomever was doing the show read the contract. They had one show where all their gear sunk through the arena floor, that would be a horrible gig.