Best thing about a stack - sleepplaying

[mizedog]

I remember back in the 90's I was working 50-60 hours per week at my real job, practicing one night, then gigging up to four nights a week. With LA traffic, I was in the car up to four hours a day. I was so sleep deprived that I started using my resources...

I had a tall stack (GB 410XB, GB 15XB, SVT) that was the perfect height. When the club was filled with a bunch of old, disinterested farts, I'd put the headstock on top of the cabs, lean against the cabs, lock my knees, and fall a sleep while playing! Yep, we were so tight that I could literally fall asleep and play. It was hard to pull off on a well lit stage or when playing tougher stuff, or during five part harmonies, but when I was stuck in a back corner, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

My drummer would catch me and throw a 5b at me. Not the best way to perform, huh?

 

[JDM2010]

Wish I could do that! If I tried that I would probably fall off the stage! (I only play small shows around town). Its amazing what you can do when you get in the zone!

 

[Rip Topaz]

I've fallen asleep playing at church before. Early morning, painkillers for my back, and long work schedule combined with a slow tune, and next thing I know I'm leaning against a wall nodding off in the middle of a song!!

Only one that noticed was my wife.

 

[oerk]

I found out I could do that at practice one time. Knocking On Heavens Door - zzZzZzzZ. Kept playing. I think I was still improvising fills.

 

[stingray2112]

I've actually never done this before. Maybe I'll try it at our next show.

 

[mizedog]

Ha! It's good to know I'm not the only one. For me, it was always Bad Company songs. Very unwavering pulse.

 

[bryan gibson]

Been there, done that, and no one was any the wiser-except my brother the git dude. He said I didn't even miss a note. Better to fall asleep onstage than while driving the van on the way home (done that too...).

 

[millsbass5]

I wonder what the equivalent of falling asleep at the fret board is to falling asleep at the wheel? You know like this:


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[smcfarland1337]

I have never fallen asleep while playing a show, I have however fallen asleep leaned against a persons amp playing in the band before us!

If I recall the conversation went something like this :

Him "Hey man! You were knocked out!"
Me "huh? Oh, uh, yeah sorry about that. It wasn't you. I'm just tired."
Him "you were drooling bro!"
Me "on with the show!" *gets on stage*

 

[paparoof]

Voodoo Chile always did it for me back in the day. Long-ass guitar solos with no chord changes, just farting around in E. Nowhere to sit down. That wall got real comfy more than a few times.

 

[iJazz]

Been there done that, leaning on the Sunn stack. Randy said he watched me until I missed a beat then he goosed me with his Strat, twice.

iJazz - 'toxicated? Yuuup!

 

[LM Bass]

When my son was a baby, we didn't get any sleep at all for months it seemed. A band I was playing with took a red-eye flight across the country to Montreal for a live CBC taping, and needless to say, I fell asleep in the middle of the show! Oddly enough, on playback, it sounded perfect!

 

[Bassmanbob]

I am truly amazed at these stories. At first, I thought this thread was a joke.

You guys are GOOD if you can sleep and play!

 

[mizedog]

It's true. When you've played Bad Company's ready for love a million times, you can doze off. Just make sure you have enough foot room to catch your balance when you've been in la la land too long.

 

[jive1]

One of the nice things about playing Country music is that you have plenty of time in between notes to take a catnap.