Audience Members who want to play

Loose Cannon · #1 02-13-2007, 12:12 AM

At a couple of gigs lately, our band has had an audience member or two who wants to get up and play a song. We have been playing clubs, and it's always someone who is "under the influence" to put it nicely. We have worked hard on our material, and would rather not have a "guest" unless it's someone we know and we ask them to sit in.

I have suggested to the band that we simply tell them something like "Our insurance only covers our equipment if we are the ones using it". What do you guys do?

Dave · #2 02-13-2007, 12:20 AM

I dont gig much in bars and stuff, but shouldnt an employee or the owner have to deal with this, not the band?

Passinwind · #3 02-13-2007, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loose Cannon

What do you guys do?

I invite 'em to come out for Open Mike Night. Then I stay home that week.

I'm not above calling in a bouncer for hard cases though. As a sound man I've had to pull the plug on "jumpers" too many times to count. It is partly my responsibility to deal with that. The last time, the perp claimed they had permission from the band, and as it turned out they didn't. Luckily, they were hilariously bad and got mocked mercilessly, but took it well.

Munjibunga · #4 02-13-2007, 01:38 AM

Just say no.

bassicinstinct · #5 02-13-2007, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Just say no.

+1000,000.

Loose Cannon · #6 02-13-2007, 06:42 AM

Thanks,guys. When this has happened, it has been on a break, and someone will come up to one of us and ask, so the management/ bouncer doesn't know about it. Yes, I would tell a bouncer if they were a real problem, but it's more just an annoyance. I don't want to P*** o** anyone, just "redirect" them. (HaHa!)

Actually, I've got two theories as to why it has happened:

1. We are so good we are making it look easy....

2. We are so bad people think "Hey, I can play guitar, too!!"

Thanks again for the replies!

RWP · #7 02-13-2007, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Just say no.

We tried that once for a friend of the band, it was not good. ESPECIALLY if they are drinking.

Phalex · #8 02-13-2007, 07:43 AM

Depending on the situation, it can be a gas to have strangers sit in. At a hotel gig a while back there was this 70+ year old Brazillian guy in the bar that played drums. OMG! I couldn't keep up with him! He said he was a touring musician for 40 years in Latin America and the Caribbean. The guy was incredible.

About 10 years ago we did a corporate thing at Wolverine World Wide (You know Hushpuppies?). The president of the corporation was a heck of a blues harp player. That was tons of fun!

I let some old, unlikely looking guy play my bass for a sound check so I could hear it FOH. I don't know where he was from, but he smoked me!

Yeah, you get a few that are insistant, and say they can play (Those are the ones to look out for) But you can get a few pleasant surprises here and there as well.

Loose Cannon · #9 02-13-2007, 08:03 AM

The sound check idea is great! You are right, too, that most of the time you can get a vibe off someone as to whether or not they know how to play. In my experience, the ones who are truly good talk with their instrument, much less with their mouth!!

Baryonyx · #10 02-13-2007, 08:18 AM

I've never let a drunk play my stuff, but I have played at guest clubs before where everyone brings along a bass or guitar and plays through the house amps. I've had some great times there with some awesome players!

ZoomBoy · #11 02-13-2007, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Just say no.

Werd....

driver800 · #12 02-13-2007, 09:20 AM

In my experience, anyone who is truly good, wouldn't ask.

You have to ask them.

BassChuck · #13 02-13-2007, 09:23 AM

Yea.... to just say no.

It has been my experience that musicians who are good enough to 'sit in' don't unless they have a friend in the band or have been invited.

Not to hi-jack the thread but, how many of you who play well would ask a band if you could sit in for a tune or two? (assuming you knew no one in the band) What would be the motivation for doing that?

Vandelay · #14 02-13-2007, 09:31 AM

I'd always say no, sometimes explaining that "it's a band policy", or sometimes I'd just lie and say "the club owner says we aren't allowed to".

MonetBass · #15 02-13-2007, 09:39 AM

+1 to everyone. I've only sat in after being asked to by the band. Otherwise, I just stay in the audience and enjoy the music!

Phalex · #16 02-13-2007, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassChuck

Yea.... to just say no.

It has been my experience that musicians who are good enough to 'sit in' don't unless they have a friend in the band or have been invited.

Not to hi-jack the thread but, how many of you who play well would ask a band if you could sit in for a tune or two? (assuming you knew no one in the band) What would be the motivation for doing that?

That is a very good point. I've done it, but never asked for it. usually the people that have sat in with us have done so at the behest of the people that they are at a performance with.

With my band, it doesn't take much to get an invite to play. We are all a bunch of lazy slobs who like nothing better than to get paid while someone else gets up on stage and looks stupid for a change.

True story.

txbasschik · #17 02-13-2007, 10:00 AM

Personally, my policy is *always* "No. You may not."

Now, if it is a musician I know, and I know they can handle the jam and have good manners, then we'll discuss it during break, choose some songs, and have them play with us.

But not just any old audience member who says he or she can play/sing. 99.999% of the time, they can't, and then you'll never get them off the stage.

We've dealt with three of those in the past two weeks. One was a local singer. I'd have not allowed him up at all...I've jammed with him before. But our drummer said that he could play his own stuff on breaks. Fine.

But this guy took it like he could just get up with us any time! While we were playing, he got up next to me, leaned in front of me to see the setlist, and told me what song he would do! I shook my head, but he ignored that. Then he jumped on stage and just started singing the song, which was our drummer's to sing!

When we were done (the guy totally destroyed the song, so we cut it short), I told him, "Hey man, that's really not cool, to just jump on stage like that." Him: "Drummer said I could!" Me: "I doubt that."

So, the drummer got up and said, "I told you that you could play on the breaks. This is not karaoke. If you ever want to be allowed up in any way with us again, you will never do that again."

Some guy on Friday wanted to get up and play and sing...and then told us some stupid gangsta DJ name he wanted to use. White, nerdy guy. Then he tried to steal me from my band, in a very obnoxious way. I gave him the brushoff..."I'm with one of the best bands out here. Why would I leave them for you?"

GRRR!!! Audience member who want to get up usually suck and are usually a$^hats. Just Say No!

Cherie

bassbrad · #18 02-13-2007, 10:05 AM

I almost never let anyone play my basses, and certainly not some unknown drunk at a gig. If they have their own bass and wanna play thru my amp, maybe. Fortunately my band mates are also not all that receptive to sharing their instruments either, because we cherish & work hard for our gear and have all had bad past experiences.

**Thor** · #19 02-13-2007, 10:10 AM

'No' for a bar gig or public venue or festival.

If it was a corporate private party, and the people paying
for it want to fool around, the answer might be different.

Just depends on the situation.

txbasschik · #20 02-13-2007, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbrad

I almost never let anyone play my basses, and certainly not some unknown drunk at a gig. If they have their own bass and wanna play thru my amp, maybe. Fortunately my band mates are also not all that receptive to sharing their instruments either, because we cherish & work hard for our gear and have all had bad past experiences.

Hey neighbor!

That guy on Saturday grabbed my brand-new bass while he was wanking around trying to sing during our break. I headed for the stage to make him quit, but a bandmate saw me coming and advised him that he was about to receive a world of trouble in the person of a smallish, hot-headed female bassist.

He put it down.

Cherie