Your most embarrasing stage moment...... - Page 2

lowfreq33 · #21 11-20-2012, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kmonk

We were playing a large outdoor gig and it was a Friday night so there were thousands of people there. I have diabetes and frequent urination can be an issue at times. We were finishing up our last set and I was doing my best to hold on until we were done so I could make a dash for the rest room. The band that was supposed to go on after us didn't show up so the manager of the venue asked our BL to play another set. I figured we were going to take a short break so when we finished our set, I put down my bass. The BL looked at me and asked me where I was going. I told him that I was going to the rest room. He said that I couldn't go because we had to keep playing until the other band showed up. I told him that they would have to wait and to just announce that we were going to take a 5 minute break. He instead walked up the mic and said "We are going to take a short break so my bass player can go piss". I went to the mic and said "That's me and I will be right back". The BL was furious because he said I made him look foolish by making a joke out of it. I think he was more embarassed than I was.

Another time with the same BL, we were playing a song and the drummer, keyboard player and I all stopped at the same time. The BL/guitar player kept going. When he realized his mistake he stopped, grabbed the mic, turned and looked at us and said "I think you guys need to rehearse more".

Sounds like a pretty passive-aggressive guy.

cableguy · #22 11-20-2012, 02:19 AM

Late 80's in Baker Or. Band get a free drink each a set. Both Guitarist decide on long island ice tea's. They were so strong they looked like 7-up. But the start of the 4th set they were both totally plowed. We open the set with Bryan Adams run to you. Now if you remember the middle of the song there is a harmony guitar break. Probably the single most painful thing I've ever heard. I don't think there was a right note in there at all. Me and the drummer just kept the song moving along and cringed. Luckily I think most of the bar had kept up with the guitarist so they were oblivious to the musical carnage.

Russell L · #23 11-20-2012, 06:12 AM

Here's another. I was at the Cammy Awards (it's the equivalent of the Grammys, but just for beach music). The band I was in had two hits on beach radio, being nominated for an award, and so we had to pantomine one of them with instruments in hand. All the bands did that. This was at the Alabama Theater in Myrtle beach, SC. I had asked where to stash my bass backstage and had put it there. We went for a photo shoot and then heard it was our time to go on. They always waited about five minutes before beginning the music for each act. But not this time!

Before I could walk to the back of the stage and then out front I heard the music begin. O-h-m-y-g-o-d!!! So, here I came waltzing out to my spot with my bass around my neck, faking playing as I walked about four bars late into the act. The guitar player muttered, "You're late." I just looked out at the full house (full of celebs) and smiled and grooved to the tune. Oddly, I didn't catch any slack from the rest of the band. But, I was ready to defend myself. It really wasn't my fault. Mercy me, that felt awful.

SoVeryTired · #24 11-20-2012, 09:37 AM

Wow - I never knew 'beach' was a genre of music, with its own awards and radio stations! I've lived a sheltered life on a cold island.

jonas_24112 · #25 11-20-2012, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoVeryTired

Wow - I never knew 'beach' was a genre of music, with its own awards and radio stations! I've lived a sheltered life on a cold island.

Oh heck yeah. If you live in the Carolina's, it's a given that you know some beach music. There's even a special type of dancing that goes with it called "Shag" or "Shaggin'"

Specifically, you gotta look for Carolina Beach Music. Good beach music bands here in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina constistently stay booked for some of the choicest gigs around. We're talking horn section, guitar, bass, keys, and lots of vocal harmonies. I plan to play in a beach music band and work on the coast as part of my retirement plan.

And yes, I do know how to Shag!!

PimasterPearson · #26 11-20-2012, 10:32 AM

I've never had any major mishaps while performing, unless you count just sounding bad.

One time I was unrolling a mic cable from its reel when the other end came loose, flew around in a fast circle and buried the male XLR end in my forehead. My head was bleeding for the rest of the night - I was running sound *and* playing in the last band.

DwaynieAD · #27 11-20-2012, 11:09 AM

jumped off the drum riser backwards and almost fell, it's on video

that and just being way too energetic with my movements. also on video

my bass faces are pretty embarrassing too. captured on photograph.

I lose.

Duckwater · #28 11-20-2012, 11:11 AM

I trip over my cable all the time, crash into things, hit my head on my guitarist's headstocks, but none of it embarrassed me.

rtslinger · #29 11-20-2012, 11:20 AM

Got one. I sat in for a song with a band,It was a busy song many chord changes I learn the song from you tube because they said that was the version they were playing.When they got me up there they played it in a totally different key I lost a lot of the open string stuff I was able to do not to mention the first bass runs I sent out to the crowd were the wrong notes! I recovered after dropping out and listening for the key they were playing but the bass line transposed on the fly was in my opinion a train wreck 40+ years of playing and I was up there like I had no clue what I was doing!

DieterVDW · #30 11-20-2012, 11:22 AM

^ Second on the bass faces ...

Also: playing in a local high-profile talent contest with our jazz/blues originals band.
There was coverage by a local TV-station, and they filmed our set.
So at some point during a song they put a huge camera in my face with a giant spotlight on it, and I completely lose it due to nerves. I think I just played random notes. I never ever want to see/hear those recordings ...

And plenty of other times where I blanked out and played the complete wrong notes / chords ... Did I already mention I'm not the greatest musician?

Jason Wilson · #31 11-20-2012, 11:48 AM

Ok, this one wasn't really embarrasing, but it was funny, for me.......

We were setting up for a gig in this little old town, the sort of little town that is full of old guys that sit at the bar, drink and watch the horse racing etc. No young people and definitely no hot girls or anything, a real fishing town. Totally the wrong place for our covers band that played rock music. A bit of 1950's country would have been better.

Anyway, we were setting up the PA, which in itself was annoying the punters as we were getting in the way of their tv and making to much noise talking, laughing etc. Once the PA was fully set up we went to test it to make sure all ok. But for some reason sound was coming out. So the soundguy (I use that term loosely) decided to make sure there was nothing coming out pushed all the levels up to max, still nothing. So we kept working on it to suss out the problem. Then he hit the button that was causing the issues, but unfortunately hadn't pulled all the levels down. The PA all of a sudden blasted the louded noise/feedback I've heard from a PA. Everyone in the bar jumped and got the **** scared out of them. Some of the old fella's at the bar fell off their stools. If they didn't like us before, they hated us after that. I had to walk out the bar cause I was laughing too much.

After all that, the gig sucked.

Chef FourString · #32 11-20-2012, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris4001asat

After the gig, rolling up a mic cord elbow to hand style. Came close to the end, when I went a little too fast, and the end on the floor came flying up and hit me in the nads........

Lol! Duuude. That happens to me at least once a week at work, rolling up the hand mixer. I don't know why I haven't learned my lesson, yet.

Wesley R · #33 11-20-2012, 12:42 PM

In a bar, fell asleep watching TV and playing some slow song. fell over and the whole bit.

Subsonic251 · #34 11-20-2012, 12:55 PM

Bar gig years ago, we were set up next to the hallway headed towards the bathrooms. Drunk guy comes walking by the bandstand and stops right next to me in the middle of a song. He sticks his hand in the back pocket of my pants where my wallet is located, so I immediately turn around. He pulls his hand back out of my pocket and I see he has a wallet in his hand...I'm thinking ****, this guy is trying to pickpocket me in the middle of playing Margaritaville!!

So I grab him and start trying to pull the wallet out of his hand while punching him with my other hand, I finally knock him down and get him to let go of the wallet (this is all happening while the band is still playing...)

The bouncer finally comes by to kick the guy out and I look at the wallet...it's not my wallet, it's his. My wallet is still in my back pocket along with an extra $5 bill. The guy was trying to tip me and I ended up beating him up and stealing his wallet, all while still on the bandstand!

Honest to God true story!

scottbass · #35 11-20-2012, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wesley R

In a bar, fell asleep watching TV and playing some slow song. fell over and the whole bit.

Me too - happened quite a few years ago at the Valley in Eagan. I don't remember what was on TV, but we were playing "Comfortably Numb". Obviously not enough of a bass line to hold my interest!

TNCreature · #36 11-20-2012, 02:52 PM

Oh...SNAP!
it wasn't a smart move on his part, but poor guy...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Subsonic251

Bar gig years ago, we were set up next to the hallway headed towards the bathrooms. Drunk guy comes walking by the bandstand and stops right next to me in the middle of a song. He sticks his hand in the back pocket of my pants where my wallet is located, so I immediately turn around. He pulls his hand back out of my pocket and I see he has a wallet in his hand...I'm thinking ****, this guy is trying to pickpocket me in the middle of playing Margaritaville!!

So I grab him and start trying to pull the wallet out of his hand while punching him with my other hand, I finally knock him down and get him to let go of the wallet (this is all happening while the band is still playing...)

The bouncer finally comes by to kick the guy out and I look at the wallet...it's not my wallet, it's his. My wallet is still in my back pocket along with an extra $5 bill. The guy was trying to tip me and I ended up beating him up and stealing his wallet, all while still on the bandstand!

Honest to God true story!

Muttleybass · #37 11-20-2012, 04:03 PM

I played a Steinberger with the cable coming out the back of the bass. Once, in a packed bar, I stepped on my cable and the neck came up and hit me in the forehead. It hit me so hard I dropped to the floor. By the end of the night I had a huge goose egg.

WAAAY back in the early 80's I was playing a jam at this bar. The stage was really tight and 5' high and right beside an exit door. In the middle of a song I stumbled down the stairs up to the stage, fell backward hitting the bar to open the door, and fell on my butt out in the parking lot. The door slammed behind me and locked. I got up, and finished the song outside. It took a while before anyone noticed I was missing and let me back in.

Russell L · #38 11-21-2012, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtslinger

Got one. I sat in for a song with a band,It was a busy song many chord changes I learn the song from you tube because they said that was the version they were playing.When they got me up there they played it in a totally different key I lost a lot of the open string stuff I was able to do not to mention the first bass runs I sent out to the crowd were the wrong notes! I recovered after dropping out and listening for the key they were playing but the bass line transposed on the fly was in my opinion a train wreck 40+ years of playing and I was up there like I had no clue what I was doing!

Dontcha hate that? Happens to me sometimes at the jam. I'm in the house band, been playing all my life, but by dang if sometimes it's hard to hear the key. Either that or someone wants to do something I'm unfamiliar with, and I just stand there trying to figure it out, feeling like an idiot. Ya know, guitar players, keyboard players, horn players, you name it, can get away with slinking around in the background when they don't know a tune, but not us bass players. And, just when you've never gotten ANY attention at all all night for all the good playing you've been doing, THEN they wanna look at you. "Hey, what's going on over there?"

Bassmanbob · #39 11-21-2012, 07:36 AM

Drummer/leader of the band calls out for Disco Inferno, but meant Bad Mama Jama-- and counts it out for Bad Mama Jama. I start playing the intro to Disco Inferno by myself because the rest of the band was confused as well.

After the intro, I was started the riff for Disco Inferno by myself rather sheepishly. When I figured out what he wanted, I went right into Bad Mama Jama.

It was embarrasing, but we all laughed.

ssabass · #40 11-22-2012, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muttleybass

WAAAY back in the early 80's I was playing a jam at this bar. The stage was really tight and 5' high and right beside an exit door. In the middle of a song I stumbled down the stairs up to the stage, fell backward hitting the bar to open the door, and fell on my butt out in the parking lot. The door slammed behind me and locked. I got up, and finished the song outside. It took a while before anyone noticed I was missing and let me back in.

Hahaha! That's a winner