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Great gig cut short by a fight.....

FarkusSWR

FarkusSWR

Sep 14, 2005
295
254
Treasure Coast, FL
#1
So it's a regular gig for us at a local watering hole we play every 6 weeks or so. Everyone is in a good mood, and there is a decent crowd that starts dancing in the first set. Changed up the setlist a little and added a few songs back in the rotation that we haven't played in a while. We were really playing well, and the energy level was great as relates to both the band and the crowd. Get 4 songs from the end of the last set, and all of a sudden there is a big knot of people in the middle of the dance floor. Seems that one of our regular attendees was dancing and having a good old time when she unintentionally elbowed another patron. Mayhem ensues. Hair-pulling, spousal involvement, threats and curses, pushing and shoving, etc.
Sheesh. What a buzzkill.
At least we still got paid and got out a little early.
Anybody else have any scraps at gigs lately?
 
#2
I was watching a buddy's band a short while back. I work with him, and I was in the crowd with a bunch of people from work. Another coworker had brought his dad out (early 60's). Well, Dad gets drunk. Son trys to take dad home. On the way out of the door, dad calls a young punk out for being stupid, then slaps his hat off his head while shouting "Look at me when you talk to me boy!"

Bouncer grabs dad. Dad slams bouncer to the floor. Another bouncer jumps on dad's back. Son punches bouncer in the face, knocking him to the floor. Dad and son calmly walk out with two bouncers and a young punk on the floor. Those of us close enough to see it happen laughed. The band never missed a beat and kept right on with their set, so most of the people in the bar didn't even notice.
 
#3
Not lately. I'll never forget one gig years ago when there was a fight in the back of the bar during the guitar solo of a song. The fight involved a friend of our singer and he left the stage to go help break it up. However, he ended up in the middle of the fight and was still into it when the guitar solo ended and the next verse came around. Not sure what to do, we just kept jamming and the guitar players traded solos until he could make it back to the stage. He finally made it back (a little roughed up) and we finished the song and acted like we planned it that way. :D
 
#4
My uncle tells me a venue he frequented actually got shut down due to the constant fighting, and the police showing up and stopping most of the gigs. Bogans would apparently go there looking to pick on the punks, who stuck with the skinheads, out of necessity, mostly. So you'd get a bogan throwing VB into some kids mohican or whatever, then you'd get the gang of skinheds going after said bogan, who lets out the bogan call, summoning his mates, and then the police would show up and place was closed. I think the place is a backpackers hostel or something now.
 
#5
A fight went down right in front of us 2 weekends ago. My mic stand got knocked into my 74' Ric. The place went chaotic after that because, well, now the band is pissed.

Anyway, no real damage and the band played on. We played that bar again this past Friday night. No incidents, great show.
 
#6
FarkusSWR said:
So it's a regular gig for us at a local watering hole we play every 6 weeks or so. Everyone is in a good mood, and there is a decent crowd that starts dancing in the first set. Changed up the setlist a little and added a few songs back in the rotation that we haven't played in a while. We were really playing well, and the energy level was great as relates to both the band and the crowd. Get 4 songs from the end of the last set, and all of a sudden there is a big knot of people in the middle of the dance floor. Seems that one of our regular attendees was dancing and having a good old time when she unintentionally elbowed another patron. Mayhem ensues. Hair-pulling, spousal involvement, threats and curses, pushing and shoving, etc.
Sheesh. What a buzzkill.
At least we still got paid and got out a little early.
Anybody else have any scraps at gigs lately?
Click to expand...

They shut it down because of a mosh pit?
 
#7
FarkusSWR said:
So it's a regular gig for us at a local watering hole we play every 6 weeks or so. Everyone is in a good mood, and there is a decent crowd that starts dancing in the first set. Changed up the setlist a little and added a few songs back in the rotation that we haven't played in a while. We were really playing well, and the energy level was great as relates to both the band and the crowd. Get 4 songs from the end of the last set, and all of a sudden there is a big knot of people in the middle of the dance floor. Seems that one of our regular attendees was dancing and having a good old time when she unintentionally elbowed another patron. Mayhem ensues. Hair-pulling, spousal involvement, threats and curses, pushing and shoving, etc.
Sheesh. What a buzzkill.
At least we still got paid and got out a little early.
Anybody else have any scraps at gigs lately?
Click to expand...

Should of started playing some metal riffs while the fight took place. Cause, ya know... fighting is so metal \m/
 
#8
It wasn't a mosh pit lol. We are a cover band and it was the dance-friendly portion of the set.
I was surprised because that is the first time we have ever had anything like that in the two years I have been in this band. But alcohol + stupid people = anything can happen.
 
#9
Our gig last week was the first time in a while we DIDN'T have a scrap and consequently anyone thrown out! Here's a good one though..... We had a raging St. Patty's day show this year and we were not even into the chorus of our 2nd tune and there it is... swirling mass of hands and fists and 2 bouncers pushing the melee out the front door. Seeing my dad stand up with arms out blocking the table my mom & my lady's parents were sitting at was cool, especially when he whacked one of the drunken combatants in the head as the bouncer pushed them by... go pops!! The guy deserved it, my folks aren't spring chickens and this dude was punching anything in his way (girls and guys) as he was "politely" (hahaha) being shown the door. This particular bar has wide open front windows covering the length of the bar so from the stage we saw all the action out front.. We kept playing, even though it was obvious we were more interested in watching the WWE match taking place outside!
 
#10
Been years since I have seen a fight at a gig, most folks take it outside in these parts. Then again I know where the ruff spots are and rarely if ever gig those places anymore.
Last fight story I used to play in a rowdy rock 'n' blues band, at 6 foot 350 I was the small guy in the band, drummer was a biker enough said. Anyway a slapping cussing event was moved outside that went from brawl to knife fight to a gun fight, we had no idea until the Sheriff's Deputy came inside looking for bullet holes, there was one less than a foot from my head. I quit the band that night, didn't want to become the subject of one of those stories.
 
#12
Plays_For_Dog said:
I was watching a buddy's band a short while back. I work with him, and I was in the crowd with a bunch of people from work. Another coworker had brought his dad out (early 60's). Well, Dad gets drunk. Son trys to take dad home. On the way out of the door, dad calls a young punk out for being stupid, then slaps his hat off his head while shouting "Look at me when you talk to me boy!"

Bouncer grabs dad. Dad slams bouncer to the floor. Another bouncer jumps on dad's back. Son punches bouncer in the face, knocking him to the floor. Dad and son calmly walk out with two bouncers and a young punk on the floor. Those of us close enough to see it happen laughed. The band never missed a beat and kept right on with their set, so most of the people in the bar didn't even notice.
Click to expand...

Best happenin ever. Thats awesome.
 
#13
Gig last night wasn't ended by a fight but the night was capped off by a pretty intense bit of violence.

End of the night we're standing in front of the place with a bunch of other people cooling off, it was really hot in the club. Great night, we really played well. Crowd was fantastic. One of those gigs that make all the work and hassles totally worthwhile.

We hear a male voice yell "get the **** away from her!" and a scrawny, obviously drunk guy comes walking up the sidewalk very fast with his hands in the air saying "I'm leaving, I'm leaving, I'm sorry, I'm leaving." Another guy follows him yelling "keep your ****ing hands to yourself, I'll ****ing kill you!" Stuff like that. This guy is big, has at least 80 lbs on the one he's yelling at. Little guy keeps walking, apologizing saying he's leaving and just as he passes a doorway in the brick wall the big guy shoves him hard between the shoulder blades. Real hard. He goes flying into the brick wall and we hear his head smack it. He goes down and he's out. We thought he was dead.

I've seen some stuff in my time but this was bad. A big guy taking out a smaller guy from behind that bad was just brutality defined. Even a guy who's a known bar brawler who saw it said it was totally uncalled for.

Then random drunken idiots start saying things like "he's breathing, he's ok." Um, no. He's not ok. Then they start moving him, trying to sit him up etc. They're told to leave him alone and the response is "no, he's fine." Yeah, unconscious with a concussion and possible serious brain injury is fine. Idiots.

He started to come to about ten minutes later when the ambulance arrived.

The kicker is that the guy who shoved him was an off-duty LEO.
 
#14
ReginaldPLinux said:
My uncle tells me a venue he frequented actually got shut down due to the constant fighting, and the police showing up and stopping most of the gigs. Bogans would apparently go there looking to pick on the punks, who stuck with the skinheads, out of necessity, mostly. So you'd get a bogan throwing VB into some kids mohican or whatever, then you'd get the gang of skinheds going after said bogan, who lets out the bogan call, summoning his mates, and then the police would show up and place was closed. I think the place is a backpackers hostel or something now.
Click to expand...
Sounds like the good ole Rawkus and Allegiance gigs at the Cold Room in the 90's :D :D
No bogan here o_O
 
#15
The most important thing for a band to do is nothing. Keep playing and let the bouncers take care of it. More than likely you will loose the momentum and crowd but if you stop and make a deal out of it you definately will loose the crowd and revenue for the establishment that has hired you.
 
#19
We are an 80's dance cover band and even we can't avoid drunken jerks. A few weeks back we were playing a Jersey shore location for the first time. The small but upbeat crowd was dancing all night. People were mingling and it looked like a good time from the stage. There was one guy dancing the whole night. He would spin the girls and was cool with every one, you could tell he was harmless and just having a good time.

Well one of the college aged clowns did not like this. So during the last song ( Good Bye to You ) this jerk decides to push the fun lovin dancer. He slams into one of our 45yr+ regulars and she gets smashed up against the sub woofer. The lights come up and we can't finish the last song.

I really did not want to play there again considering the crowd type and the fact one of our regulars was hurt. But they asked us back and I'm not the band leader so........
we played there last Friday and even though we did not have a fight, the room had its fair share of Jersey shore jerks. Oh well we got paid and they want us back.

But fighting at an 80's dance band show is about as lame as it can get. I know 99 Red Balloons is a tough song but homies need to keep it in check! :)
 
#20
My one and only fight experience at a gig happened way back in college when I was playing in a funk/R&B band. This was also my one and only experience being tear gassed. We were playing a multi-fraternity/sorority party at a convention center (several hundred people in attendance) when a fight broke out on the dance floor. Event organizers quelled the violence a couple of times. The third time kids were throwing folding chairs at each other and the police busted in and immediately discharged tear gas canisters. The band and I barely got out of there with all our gear. I learned a lot that day, not the least of which was what it feels like to be sprayed with tear gas. The other things I learned from the experience might be a bit too political for TB. Suffice it to say that I thought the use of the tear gas was not necessary.

--Steve
 

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