I assaulted a fan last night

[mcnach]

Just so. I'm reminded of a night back in the 80s, we had just ended the gig and there was a homeless-looking drunk scooting around the bar guzzling down every leftover drink he could grab, before the waitresses picked them up. He was strongly encouraged to exit the building, and he did so. A minute later, we heard a string of shots fired in the parking lot. It was the same drunk. Turns out, under his baggy plaid shirt, he had an automatic pistol in his waistband. Thankfully, he didn't hit anyone.

I've been a lot more careful since then. You never know.

Crazy.

 

[Feral Feline]

Lot of wusses on this forum.... the guy punted a drunk blocking the doorway out of his way... big deal... those who are freaking that it was assault or he should have called the bouncer please turn in your man cards...

Big Deal? Not in Ottawa, maybe, but the OP's from NY state, a litigious place (indeed, as is anywhere in the US; not to mention the right to arm bears, uh, to bare arms, I mean carry a peace... oh nevermind).

I have a '68 Tele bass that is dense enough to stop all but armour-piercing bullets. The old Peavey T-40 is highly recommended for this application as well. Additionally, both models will render a drunk unconscious if dropped (accidentally) from a height of greater than .67 feet.

Yeah, and Dimebag Darrell's axe sure helped him not get it in the face...

Carl Perkins claimed that he switched from a hollowbody guitar to a Telecaster because it was better for hitting people with.

Works for Keef, he likes the security of a telecaster.

Seems to me an awful lot of folks in this thread are fretting over not much of anything.

And that's why it's better to play fretless...

 

[invader3k]

Crazy.

You need to be careful these days, especially with the prevalence of concealed carry permits. Anyone could be packing heat at any time, even though many bars and restaurants ban firearms.

 

[FurnaceAwe]

After finishing a set noticed a super drunk guy trying to hit on my girlfriend, who was basically ignoring him then came over to join me. Few minutes later while hanging around outside cooling off (it's hot up on stage under those lights and moving so much) a bouncer tossed his drunk a$$ out the door and he fell on his face. He gets up and walks up to me (since I was the closest) and starts yelling "did you see that, he assaulted me, I'm going to charge him, you're my witness..." and things like that.

I tell him that he wasn't assaulted, is not even hurt and was kicked out for being too drunk and then he wants to fight me for not coming to his defence. He's yelling at me (crowd of people watching, including the bouncer who tossed him) all this stuff and I basically say, 'Look buddy, I saw you in there, super drunk, could barely stand and you were trying to hit on my girl, who laughed in your face and came to me, now you want to fight me and get me to help you? Just go home.'

Guy gets even madder, and I can see is about ready to take a swing at me and I walk away. The bouncer walks over to the guy, punches him in the face and tells him to get lost. Then I felt like helping him, but he had burned that bridge.. He stumbled off down the street, hopefully home safe.

 

[mcnach]

You need to be careful these days, especially with the prevalence of concealed carry permits. Anyone could be packing heat at any time, even though many bars and restaurants ban firearms.

I didn't mean the guy I was quoting was crazy, I meant the situation is crazy, when one has to worry that some drunk may just have a gun on him and might use it.
Crazy or sad or both.

 

[Metalbasspro]

What felony was committed?

If one was they should loosen up the requirements for making it one.

 

[powderfinger]

I'm putting this under humor and gig stories because it's a gig story, not because I think it's funny. I'm not proud of this. This is really more of a confessional.

As we were loading out after the show, there were a couple of guys outside the door where the bands load out. The one guy was very drunk. But he seemed all right. He complimented our set. But he was also having this weird, kind of pointless, drunken argument with his friend. So he was a little belligerent, but not to me. At first.

Next trip out I had both hands full, carrying my pedalboard, amp head, and guitar stands, plus wearing a heavy backpack full of stuff. This guy decided to sit down right in the doorway. I was already a little annoyed that these guys had to be right by this door, but now he was completely blocking me.

So I said "excuse me fellas, but we're trying to load out here. Can you guys please get clear of the doorway?"

Drunk guy seemed to acknowledge me (he said "OK") but didn't move a muscle. So I asked politely again. Nothing. And again. Nothing.

So I kicked him. Hard.

Now, you have to understand, this is NOT in character for me. Yes, I can be high-strung, and yes, I can be difficult. But hitting another human being who, annoying and inconsiderate though he may be, has not made any physical threat towards me whatsoever? Not cool. I still don't know quite what came over me. Post-gig adrenaline maybe?

So anyhow, this solved my immediate problem. Drunk guy went sprawling. Me and my band now able to load out. I carried my gear across the street to my car and began loading it into my trunk. By now, drunk guy is on his feet and flipping out. Now I'm thinking there's no way to avoid a fight. I've still got more gear in the bar, and he's between me and it. Sizing the guy up, he didn't look like much, plus he was very drunk, where I was stone sober. Still, you don't know what someone is capable of. But as I was loading the trunk, I spied my tire iron.

There was a brief, crazy moment, where I saw myself grabbing the tire iron and charging the guy. Thankfully, another voice spoke up in my head. "No! Do NOT escalate this situation!"

So what could I do? My basses were still in the bar. I walked up to the guy, unarmed, and with my hands at my sides. His hands were up, so I took his right hand in mine in one of those "arm wrestling" style handshakes, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Dude," I said, "I'm sorry I kicked you, BUT."

"Don't ******* touch me, man!"

I kept my hand on his shoulder. Yes, it was a deliberate attempt to subtly dominate him.

"I shouldn't have kicked you" I said.

"You could have asked me politely to move!"

At this point his friend spoke up. "He asked you three or four times and you didn't budge".

So eventually I got him to calm down and I went back into the bar. His friend followed me in. He approached me and said "dude, I just want to thank you for not hurting my friend. I know he was really asking for it."

"No problem" I said. "I think he's a little drunk, and a little out of his depth."

"He's a lot of both. Really, just thank you for not hurting him".

"I feel bad that I lost my temper and kicked him."

"You didn't lose your temper" he said.

And in a way, he was right. I was a lot bigger than this guy, and although he was half my age, I feel pretty confident I could have taken him, and quickly at that. So I'm proud of having de-escalated the situation quickly. But I still can't believe I kicked him. By my own value system, that was wrong, wrong, wrong.

Today, the back of the thigh of that leg hurts. I think I pulled something. Karma I guess.

Anyhow, I'm a guy who believes that you go through experiences because there's something you're supposed to learn. And I'm still trying to figure out what that was all about.

R Kelly would have probably peed on him. So at least you didnt do THAT.

 

[6stringpanda]

This is why I do not play out anymore......just saying!-lol

 

[klyph]

You kicked him with your hands full? Very crazy move. Lucky you and your stuff didn't encounter someone a little tougher.

Yep, don't try this in New Bedford! You wouldn't have had the "tire iron" option.

 

[the yeti]

Did he get your license plate or any other info? Plus, confirming you committed a felony on a public forum on the public Internet, not overly bright...Just saying.

is that a felony these days?

 

[OldDirtyBassist]

I wouldn't have touched him. I would have just talked his weak, drunk mind into an alternative bad situation.

 

[Plectrum72]

Big Deal? Not in Ottawa, maybe, but the OP's from NY state, a litigious place (indeed, as is anywhere in the US; not to mention the right to arm bears, uh, to bare arms, I mean carry a peace... oh nevermind).



Yeah, and Dimebag Darrell's axe sure helped him not get it in the face...



Works for Keef, he likes the security of a telecaster.



And that's why it's better to play fretless...

I guess my point is a lot of folks are more concerned about what COULD have happened instead of what DID happen. For example, I could have been killed serving multiple tours in combat zones; however, I wasn't (obviously) and I don't spend time obsessing about what could have happened. Maybe some thrive on the drama of potential when there tends to be more than enough drama for me in actual. Of course, I'm also the type of person to size up a situation before deciding to lay hands on so my response is from the perspective of having decided the risk v. reward is acceptable or I wouldn't have acted in the first place.

http://www.filmsforaction.org/news/8_reasons_young_americans_dont_fight_back_how_the_us_crushed_youth_resistance/