bigfatbass
Inactive
- Jun 30, 2003
- 2,420
- 404
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Karl Hoyt Basses
Here is the simple rule of thumb we have learned from over 16yrs of playing roots music on the road:
Any unknown harmonica player who asks to sit in uninvited, in the middle of a set, is GUARANTEED to be crappy. So crappy it will make you regret even being in a band.
Let me tell y'all the story of "Harmonic Ben" in Charlotte, NC.
We were in the middle of an insane 11 show in 10 days run around the region and hitting it at SBC, the premier brew pub/restaurant in the state. A woman approaches us after like our 3rd tune and says "y'all need to have my friend "harmonica Ben" sit in, he's real good!" We were a long way from home, and at the beginning of a very high-profile/high-pressure gig, so we politely decline as best we can. Not 2 songs later, "Harmonica Ben" himself then approaches us and starts babbling about playing in a Willie Nelson cover band, and was already wearing his little blues vest, his little blues hat, and his little harmonica gunbelt. His party was a table of at least a dozen and they are now hollering "Harmonica Ben!" at us from across the room. What were we to do? Guy says he can play Mickey Raphael's stuff in a Willie band, and the house is all for it, so we cave. HUGE mistake. He was so awful, that if I began to describe his "performance", I could only use words that would get me another "vacation" from TB.
He played over the vocals and stopped in the spaces, like it was an Andy Kaufman joke. He was so off tonally, we were all yelling at him he had the wrong key harp. He didn't. After a few minutes of the harmonica equivalent of waterboarding, Ben says to the guitar player "wanna trade licks?". Guitar says very frankly, square in his face, "no." and ends the tune on the next turn around. We didn't throw him any curve balls either, Sonny Boy's "Frogs For Snakes" is required learning for any harp player worth a poop, and is a dead straight blues change. 1st grade harp 101. Well, "Harmonica Ben" failed that test. On the first set break, the floor manager read us the riot act for putting that amateur **** on his stage, and asked if this was our first gig.
No strange harp player who asks to sit in mid set is good enough to be on your stage. Ever. The fact they are clueless enough to ask in that moment, tells you they are clueless enough to stay in the crowd.
You know what's even better? The guy who wanders around your crowd all night, playing along with a random keyed harp.
Any unknown harmonica player who asks to sit in uninvited, in the middle of a set, is GUARANTEED to be crappy. So crappy it will make you regret even being in a band.
Let me tell y'all the story of "Harmonic Ben" in Charlotte, NC.
We were in the middle of an insane 11 show in 10 days run around the region and hitting it at SBC, the premier brew pub/restaurant in the state. A woman approaches us after like our 3rd tune and says "y'all need to have my friend "harmonica Ben" sit in, he's real good!" We were a long way from home, and at the beginning of a very high-profile/high-pressure gig, so we politely decline as best we can. Not 2 songs later, "Harmonica Ben" himself then approaches us and starts babbling about playing in a Willie Nelson cover band, and was already wearing his little blues vest, his little blues hat, and his little harmonica gunbelt. His party was a table of at least a dozen and they are now hollering "Harmonica Ben!" at us from across the room. What were we to do? Guy says he can play Mickey Raphael's stuff in a Willie band, and the house is all for it, so we cave. HUGE mistake. He was so awful, that if I began to describe his "performance", I could only use words that would get me another "vacation" from TB.
He played over the vocals and stopped in the spaces, like it was an Andy Kaufman joke. He was so off tonally, we were all yelling at him he had the wrong key harp. He didn't. After a few minutes of the harmonica equivalent of waterboarding, Ben says to the guitar player "wanna trade licks?". Guitar says very frankly, square in his face, "no." and ends the tune on the next turn around. We didn't throw him any curve balls either, Sonny Boy's "Frogs For Snakes" is required learning for any harp player worth a poop, and is a dead straight blues change. 1st grade harp 101. Well, "Harmonica Ben" failed that test. On the first set break, the floor manager read us the riot act for putting that amateur **** on his stage, and asked if this was our first gig.
No strange harp player who asks to sit in mid set is good enough to be on your stage. Ever. The fact they are clueless enough to ask in that moment, tells you they are clueless enough to stay in the crowd.
You know what's even better? The guy who wanders around your crowd all night, playing along with a random keyed harp.
