Ever regretted letting someone sit in?

[Artman]

Every time somebody has sat in with a band that I was playing with, it has been a disaster. Every single time.
For some reason even if they are sober when they make the arrangement with the BL, they have always been falling-down drunk by the prearranged point in the show.
From now on, I refuse to agree to it unless the person requesting to sit in is Paul McCartney, Sting, or Victor Wooten, and I think we all know THAT is not likely to happen.

 

[Jazzdogg]

One of my cardinal rules is, no one gets up on the stage unless you know exactly what they intend to do.

Couple years ago the GP says that he has a friend who has always wanted to play with a band, and can she sit in with us on tambourine? I voted no but was out-voted. Well, this woman couldn’t keep time with a stopwatch. She was horrible. I suffered through one song, hoping that would be it. But no, now that she had tasted show business, she refused to leave the bandstand and finished the set with us. I don’t know, four or five songs, but it was an eternity. At the break I put my foot down, no more

We used to have a "regular" show up at quite a few of our gigs; she was always stoned, and brought her own tambourine. Thank God she never tried to get on stage, but it was impossible to ignore her bad tambourine playing as she danced right in front of me. When I saw her coming, I headed back to hang with the drummer and get as far from her as possible.

 

[LBS-bass]

I've been house bass player in two or three blues jams and usually they're fun, every once in a while they're not though, it really depends on how the BL run the jam. If someone is falling behind or ruinging it you smile and let them play a song pr two



Some nurses used to give MgSO4 instead of MSO4 by mistake, BIG mistake, never mind that MS.

Normally when I end up in the ER it's the MSO4 I am needing. It is never what I am wanting for the side effects, but if the pain is bad enough I just don't care.

 

[bobyoung53]

I love jams, I played in two or three long term jams in my time, sometimes they're great, sometimes not so great but you get to know the different musicians who come in and put them together accordingly. The leader of the band, I mean the BL can make or break a jam.

 

[bobyoung53]

Normally when I end up in the ER it's the MSO4 I am needing. It is never what I am wanting for the side effects, but if the pain is bad enough I just don't care.

It's very good stuff when it's used for the right reasons.

 

[Carl Hillman]

Haven’t seen a similar post on TB.
I’m sure you’ve all had at least one instance of “OMG, this was a bad idea”.

Mine was back in the late 80s. The BL had a friend who asked him to ask me. That should have clued me in to his character. Normally, I get asked directly by the player. This guy had a ‘tude already. But I like the BL, so against my better judgment, I agreed.

He lasted one song. In less than 5 minutes, he was sloppy all over the song and knocked over cymbal stand in which one on legs kicked up and pierced the bottom speaker of my 2x12. Thankfully the BL pulled him off stage before I did. Also no damage to my bass. We find out later he on a Qualudde or something like that along with drinking.

The BL pulls him aside and presses him to make good on the damage. At that point, he and I had to hit the restroom right then. We came out to find the dude gone, but he had shoved a $20 bill in hole of the speaker before he bailed. The BL is now pissed too.

The next day he picks me up and we both go over to the jerk’s house. Mommy answers the door. She has this sad look on her face that made me feel bad. This wasn’t the first time she’s had “visitors” call on her son. Thankfully, the BL knows the mom and explains why we need to see him. She then insists on covering for the son. It was only 60 more bucks more to pay for a reconing, but still. It was awkward for me.

To this day, I occasionally see the guy at gigs and concerts and he looks away quickly. What a schmuck!

Whenever unknowns or civilians clamor to sit in, just give them the old, "We'd love to ask you up, but the owner/manager insists that we can't.

If they start questioning that just tell 'em it's "for insurance purposes". Works every time!

 

[JohnnyBottom]

"Cant do it, weve turned so many away already...."
OR

 

[LBS-bass]

It's very good stuff when it's used for the right reasons.

Trust me, my reasons are righteous. Recurring acute pancreatitis. Horrible pain.

 

[LBS-bass]

Whenever unknowns or civilians clamor to sit in, just give them the old, "We'd love to ask you up, but the owner/manager insists that we can't.

If they start questioning that just tell 'em it's "for insurance purposes". Works every time!

This is a great line!

 

[bobyoung53]

Trust me, my reasons are righteous. Recurring acute pancreatitis. Horrible pain.

I've heard. I've had it several times for different things, you thank the heavens it exists when you need it.

 

[Diminishedfilth]

BL- “My Cousin plays keys”

 

[BlueTalon]

I regret it most every time. A lot of times the person will go to some other than me to ask about it. One instance I walked by the rest of the band on break and I hear a guy say "oh, and I promise not to hurt your bass..." Other issues are sweaty hands clogging up my strings, clumsy people tripping over my gear in the floor, or watching the guy whip out a pick and start wailing away on my bass.

I have sometimes lent my bass to someone who has previously played with my (former) guitar player, if the guitar player asks me. But I always send them to carefully wash and dry their hands first.

 

[juggahnaught]

Oh, thanks, I was close, I hate abbreviations.

No worries. It always means "Band Leader" here, but in certain contexts - depending on the person and their actions - it can also mean "Big Loser".

 

[Pauly 4001]

Our band once allowed an audience member to come onstage and sing "Me And Bobby Mcgee".
Trouble was, she didn't know the song, we didn't know the song, we didn't know if she could sing or not and after several stumbling failures to negotiate verses, choruses, etc. we had to give it up.
One of the band members was kind of mortified afterwards and all I could say was we had it coming and that we shouldn't get into those situations.

 

[john_g]

We just had the singer from my guitarists previous band sit in for one song the past weekend. I was fine with it because I knew him and filled in with that band alot so I knew he could do it However, I dont like anyone I dont know sit in for any one of us. When I was about 19 I let some schmuck, the crappy bassist from my then drummers previous band, sit in for a few songs. I asked that he doesnt touch any settings on bass or amp. What does he do? Turn right around and jack up the bass and volume on the amp to 11. The cab started farting within a minute and when he was done, he leaned the bass against the cab where it promptly fell over. He then complained that "your crappy speaker must be blown man...sounds like garbage". I was so pissed I was going to beat this guy into oblivion but I controlled myself. A couple of other incidents have stopped me from having anyone sit in for me again. Funny one was...right before covid hit we are playing a local club. Apparently a "relatively well known" band was there on an off night and the singer asked if the whole band could sit in...! Like, all you...take a seat. We will play a few. We just looked at each other like, huh?

 

[GreyBeard]

Every time. I ended up convincing the club owners to make it their policy that no one is to sit in unless the band invites them.

 

[pingvuiini]

If anybody ever asks if they can play my bass and sit in, they quickly change their mind:

 

[two fingers]

I was the house bass player for an open mic blues jam for the better part of a decade. I literally got paid to regret letting people sit in.

 

[Durham52]

Trust me, my reasons are righteous. Recurring acute pancreatitis. Horrible pain.

Do what you need to do, pancreatitis is a horror. A good friend of mine suffers from it after a surgeon damaged his pancreas during a liver operation, it almost killed him (3 weeks in an induced coma in ICU and weeks in hospital) and certainly changed his life forever and not in a good way. Kudos to you for keeping on keeping on. Good luck.

 

[LBS-bass]

Do what you need to do, pancreatitis is a horror. A good friend of mine suffers from it after a surgeon damaged his pancreas during a liver operation, it almost killed him (3 weeks in an induced coma in ICU and weeks in hospital) and certainly changed his life forever and not in a good way. Kudos to you for keeping on keeping on. Good luck.

Thanks. It's truly awful. I never know what's going to set it off. Last time it was accidentally mistaking one supplement I take for another and taking too much of it. The time before that it was just trying another supplement someone suggested I try. The one before that, I have no clue.

Maybe I should stay away from supplements...