Bass confessions - episode π

[THUNDERGODX]

Today was a special gig, one where with a packed house and one where we got exposure to loads of potential new fans and promotion. It was going to be great.

We had finished sound check and had a quick bite before the set was to begin. I was calm as ever; we'd played these songs tons of times and I know what I'm doing.

The morning DJ announced us for the crowd and we climbed on stage and strapped on our instruments. We had a big start planned with one of the most popular songs of our set; the guitar started the intro, the people cheered, and as he came around to the one I PLAYED THE WRONG STRING!!! It was a nice long note to be held for two measures so I made sure to pull the string really hard and, in this case, really emphasized the dissonance created by the note. Really set the bar low for the evening.

That's winning, baby.

Anyone else have any colossal screw up stories they don't mind telling .








The rest of the gig went great, BTW, it was just a world class opening clam.

My last band always started the first set with "Kiss Me Deadly"
Big A (or D) (cant remember now) chord right off the bat.

I never missed it, but I was always super careful to be right on it, knowing what it would be if I kicked off with a clunker.

 

[THUNDERGODX]

Ive posted this before, but it seems to fit here, too.-

I used a Digitech Drop pedal on some songs to detune rather than lug another bass to the gig. I feel that my gear is good enough to withstand a night without failing. I know ...famous last words/Murphy's Law, etc.
I used a Line 6 wireless to get to my rig, and then plugged it into my amp and had the Drop pedal in the effects loop on my amp.
During setup, the singer, trying to be helpful, brought my stage line and plugged it into the XLR out on my wireless receiver instead of the Line Out on my amp.
Later, during the set, when the Drop Medley came up, I hit the pedal and got the effected signal from my amp, while the dry signal from my wireless went to the FOH.drool
So I was putting out two notes a half-step apart into a room that was small enough that it really mattered.drooldrool
Didnt figure out the problem until Monday of the following week.

 

[cheapbasslovin]

Ive posted this before, but it seems to fit here, too.-

I used a Digitech Drop pedal on some songs to detune rather than lug another bass to the gig. I feel that my gear is good enough to withstand a night without failing. I know ...famous last words/Murphy's Law, etc.
I used a Line 6 wireless to get to my rig, and then plugged it into my amp and had the Drop pedal in the effects loop on my amp.
During setup, the singer, trying to be helpful brought my stage line and plugged it into the XLR out on my wireless receiver.
Later, during the set, when the Drop Medley came up, I hit the pedal and got the effected signal from my amp, while the dry signal from my wireless went to the FOH.drool
So I was putting out two notes a half-step apart into a room that was small enough that it really mattered.drooldrool
Didnt figure out the problem until Monday of the following week.

Ouch. Yay technology!

 

[NZBassman]

We played at our guitarists / singers house in the weekend - every year they invite all their family / friends / neighbours and we set up a marquee in their back garden.....

we stuffed up both our Fleetwood mac songs.... Keyboardist starts 'Don't Stop' in D instead of E... I went along with it, but both guitarists couldn't figure out what was going on so we stopped, had a laugh and started the song again in the right key.... then we come to 'Go your own way' and guitarist starts it then when the acoustic guitar and bass come in we were both looking at each other like what the?!?! then guitarist looks at us and stops as he realises he has started the song in the wrong key.... again we laugh and start the song again (in the right key)

my wife took several video clips on her I-phone and after downloading them to the computer listening to them last night I realise we all made mistakes throughout the night...... I'm putting my mistakes down to the 2 shots of Tequila I had before we started LOL!

 

[Lava]

Yep for me. It happens occasionally and you just laugh it off because it happens to everyone at some point. And at the absolute worst possible time.

 

[IamGroot]

Trio jazz gig with vocalist. Free booze and meal as a perc. First break I sat down with the vocalist and had the same drink he had in a huge brandy sniffer. Next set, I was seriously impaired. I didn't realize he nursed the thing all night. Last time I drank on a gig.

 

[Scribbler]

I started playing jazz in a trio. I'm still a noob in this genre but anyway I managed to play and sing some of the jazz standards. Unfortunately we can't rehearse but try new songs on stage (tricky ones when the bar is near empty).

English is not my first language and I play with my lyrics (or the real book sheets) on stage so when I was asked to perform and sing "How high the moon" I thought it would not be a big deal. The day comes, the gig at the bar is going nice, I just remembered the song and told to the band: Hey, let's try how high the moon... For some reason I started the song with a faster tempo but it feels nice, but then after the second verse the tempo doubles and a bar before that I'm realizing that I'll screw this big time... I'm only able to mumble some words, barely play the lines in a messy walking bass. I just can think that hopefully people is drunk enough to let it go and pick a solid song for trying to wash away the taste of failure.

Play and sing 101: Don't be arrogant and never underestimate a tune... lol

Brilliant... oh, so true !

 

[Scribbler]

I have one, but it wasn't very obvious I think (you know, who listens to the bass player?)

We opened for an international band (and one of my favourite) in a really big stage in front of a lot of people. It was one of our most known songs, with all the instruments sounding loud (loud but controlled, not just loud). A very heavy part (we played rock). So the drummer stars with his break. Pause. And we all play fast and loud. All of us but me. There was no sound coming from the amp. When the riff stops I turned around and I see the intense blue led lighting, meaning that I had the Mute activated. In the video, you see me jumping and giving everything I got but there was no bass sound haha.

Oh, yes... been there... panicking like crazy before a gig, checking anything and everything, the drummer then holding up a loose mains cable and saying "do you want this plugged in yet?"