Ever been afraid for your life at a gig?

[Hurricane Jimmie]

I don't. I remember it was near Pop's and that it closed down after I moved out in 2011. Apparently it had changed owners quite frequently and couldn't stay open for long.

One of my buddies was in a country band that played the 2 - 8 AM shift at Pops.... said it was pretty wierd to see people coming in at 6 AM to party. The life of a shift worker.

 

[mcnach]

I remember the first gig we played for our new agent in a small pub in Wales (UK). We were setting up when this guy walks up, and starts chatting, saying he’s looking forward to hear us play.

He looking a bit dodgy and appeared to be drunk, so we sort of look at each other and try to ignore him, until he says ‘I’m your new agent, by the way!’

Later that night were playing and all of a sudden a fight breaks out. We carry on and it settles down. 10 minutes later it starts again and the landlady asks us to stop.

It then dawns on us that the person fighting is our new agent, who soon gets kicked out of the pub. What an introduction!

He also had his own band where he played sax and sang, but whenever we saw him, he would stop after 15 minutes and say he couldn’t continue. We later found out that he had a drug and drink problem.

We soon finished with him when we found out that he was ripping us off on gig money!

Was his name Gus, and claimed to have 'gangster' connections?

 

[Gunga Din]

One of my buddies was in a country band that played the 2 - 8 AM shift at Pops.... said it was pretty wierd to see people coming in at 6 AM to party. The life of a shift worker.

We have boozers in the UK that open early for the shift workers but I've never heard of any that had a band playing those shifts! Can't imagine bars getting a license for that. A casino, maybe.

An 02:00 to 08:00 gig shift? Bloody hell....

 

[Optofonik]

Yeah, played a gig in Miss in the mid 70's, had the wire fencing around the stage. When I was unloading, the owner asked if I was carrying, of course I was. She just said good, 'cause we don't provide arms! haha Interesting night. No one got hurt that wasn't 'supposed to'. Been a few like that, but never as up front about not providing guns for the band. ha Used to carry a short ball bat, too, for 'Just in case' moments.
Been many moons since I played anyplace like that. Hahaha, play churches and revivals now, but still carry.

Just saw the documentary on the Miami Show Band Massacre. Powerful stuff.

Powerful indeed, chilling at times, and despite an unremitting undercurrent of sadness and melancholy exacerbated by a problematic conclusion, the documentary ultimately left me with a hopeful feeling that the troubles are now past history and will remain so.

I was a child in the United States, 2nd gen "American", during the troubles and would occasionally notice the news my father watched on TV (most certainly about the Dublin and Monaghan bombings), but to this day, I have a hard time understanding it all. This doc actually provides a bit of insight but I wish I could find more docs on the subject.

 

[Gunga Din]

Powerful indeed, chilling at times, and despite an unremitting undercurrent of sadness and melancholy exacerbated by a problematic conclusion, the documentary ultimately left me with a hopeful feeling that the troubles are now past history and will remain so.

I was a child in the United States, 2nd gen "American", during the troubles and would occasionally notice the news my father watched on TV (most certainly about the Dublin and Monaghan bombings), but to this day, I have a hard time understanding it all. This doc actually provides a bit of insight but I wish I could find more docs on the subject.

I hope so, too. But I reckon Brexit will put a hole in that boat.

 

[GwenOnBass]

I hope so, too. But I reckon Brexit will put a hole in that boat.

Any Indian will confirm it takes the British a long time to leave

 

[LLD]

An early gig for me, when I knew little about playing a live gig, was at the Iron Horse Saloon in Ormond, FL for Bike Week around 2000. The Cajun/zydeco/country band I was in played the last set of the night, right after David Allen Coe. Many in the crowd didn't appreciate "now for something completely different" who quickly began yelling to "bring back Coe" (and other comments). They were highly upset, which was more than a little uncomfortable since the stage has no barrier, and at the moment I figured it wouldn't matter if it did. We didn't know if there would be more than just yelling, but we kept on squeeze-boxing and fiddling while scanning the crowd. Eventually the most pissed off left, staggered off really! Other than mental trauma from imaging that I might not get out in one piece, it ended up OK. Good thing because there was no escape route! The IH Saloon decided we were better suited for the breakfast crowd so moved us to noon for the following and all other days. We ended up playing 7-10 days for each subsequent Bike Week and Biketoberfest for over a decade. Other than the first frightening gig it turned out to be a lot of fun, and I got to see many, uh, interesting people.

 

[leerod054]

I remember the first gig we played for our new agent in a small pub in Wales (UK). We were setting up when this guy walks up, and starts chatting, saying he’s looking forward to hear us play.

He looking a bit dodgy and appeared to be drunk, so we sort of look at each other and try to ignore him, until he says ‘I’m your new agent, by the way!’

Later that night were playing and all of a sudden a fight breaks out. We carry on and it settles down. 10 minutes later it starts again and the landlady asks us to stop.

It then dawns on us that the person fighting is our new agent, who soon gets kicked out of the pub. What an introduction!

He also had his own band where he played sax and sang, but whenever we saw him, he would stop after 15 minutes and say he couldn’t continue. We later found out that he had a drug and drink problem.

We soon finished with him when we found out that he was ripping us off on gig money!

Think I would have parted ways at the drinking and drug problems.

 

[2strings2frets]

I had a old Crate amp,whenever I plugged it in I made sure I was wearing lineman’s gloves and had a fire extinguisher in the other hand.

 

[TheBass]

I hope so, too. But I reckon Brexit will put a hole in that boat.

Watching the daily episode of Brexit on german evening TV I do now fully understand why Shakespeare had to be british

 

[QORC]

actually yes. I was in a popular band. we traveled. I managed to pick up a stalker. I was getting strange messages on the internet. My house was called. I eventually got a restraining order on this woman, but she still kind of ignored it (i lived in a different city so it was hard for me to make court in her county to enforce it). I worried about my safety and my wife's safety (often came to gigs if it was anywhere within a few hundred miles).

so the next time i played a big show in her city, I paid for a bodyguard, plain-clothes and armed, to be in the crowd to keep an eye on me and my wife. The woman did show up but stayed in the back. I paid for this out of my own pocket. fortunately I have not heard from heard in like 5 years now

 

[Remguy]

Did play a couple gigs where some Hell's Angels members were present, but nothing came of it. Only one gig ever with an altercation of some sort and the bouncers ushered this guy out of the bar pretty quickly.

Whoa, wait - a bouncer throws out a Hells Angel? With all his brethren watching? Wow, them's some coconuts on that guy. IMHO, bouncers just don't get paid enough. They must really love their jobs..

 

[Remguy]

actually yes. I was in a popular band. we traveled. I managed to pick up a stalker. I was getting strange messages on the internet. My house was called. I eventually got a restraining order on this woman, but she still kind of ignored it (i lived in a different city so it was hard for me to make court in her county to enforce it). I worried about my safety and my wife's safety (often came to gigs if it was anywhere within a few hundred miles).

so the next time i played a big show in her city, I paid for a bodyguard, plain-clothes and armed, to be in the crowd to keep an eye on me and my wife. The woman did show up but stayed in the back. I paid for this out of my own pocket. fortunately I have not heard from heard in like 5 years now

I think you win the prize for "Best Fatal Attraction" story! One hopes you didn't...um, how to say this tactfully: wander over the Fidelity Fence? Some women just don't have the same perspective on a one night stand. Especially the one you're married to.

 

[QORC]

Yes, I did...but we're going back 8-9 years now. there was a lot of attention I wasn't expecting just for being in this band yes. anyway, the woman was/is a complete psycho. cost me $350 to have a bodyguard in the audience that night

 

[leerod054]

actually yes. I was in a popular band. we traveled. I managed to pick up a stalker. I was getting strange messages on the internet. My house was called. I eventually got a restraining order on this woman, but she still kind of ignored it (i lived in a different city so it was hard for me to make court in her county to enforce it). I worried about my safety and my wife's safety (often came to gigs if it was anywhere within a few hundred miles).

so the next time i played a big show in her city, I paid for a bodyguard, plain-clothes and armed, to be in the crowd to keep an eye on me and my wife. The woman did show up but stayed in the back. I paid for this out of my own pocket. fortunately I have not heard from heard in like 5 years now

Should I forward this to her????
Naaaaaaaa....your safe with us.

 

[QORC]

go ahead...but since you don't know who she is (or me, for that matter).

 

[baileyboy]

Whoa, wait - a bouncer throws out a Hells Angel? With all his brethren watching? Wow, them's some coconuts on that guy. IMHO, bouncers just don't get paid enough. They must really love their jobs..

You read my post incorrectly, my mistake... allow me to clarify...


This was one gig... "Did play a couple gigs where some Hell's Angels members were present, but nothing came of it."

This was another gig- no Hell's Angels here... "Only one gig ever with an altercation of some sort and the bouncers ushered this guy out of the bar pretty quickly."

 

[leerod054]

go ahead...but since you don't know who she is (or me, for that matter).

Oh really now.......use to work for the government.....I know and see dead people.

 

[edro]

I once ate way too many bar jar pickled sussages....

 

[leerod054]

I once ate way too many bar jar pickled sussages....

LOL