My last band was so proud for playing over 50 gigs with no fights in the crowd. And we played some very, very sketchy places.
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The Gig Brawl Stories Thread
- Thread starter LiquidMidnight
- Start date
1994 or so - not my gig. Wife and I are headed to a bar on the east end in Cincinnati to hear a band that my friend is really impressed with. I've never heard the band and never been to this bar so I have no idea what to expect.
As we get close to the bar, I see a fair number of people packed pretty tightly together and moving. I think "wow, these guys must be fantastic. They have people dancing outside the bar."
As we drive a bit closer looking for a place to park it becomes clear - we've just driven into the middle of a riot. People completely surround the car - all I can see out any window is faces pressed against it. We lock the doors and just sit like fish in a bowl.
Amazingly, the riot moves up the street a bit and the crowd around the car moves with it leaving us alone. Now we can really see what's going on. Several hundred people - all holding bottles, bats, bricks, chairs, shovels etc. - are literally rioting in the street. We're stunned and watching all this unfold from inside the locked car.
This must have been going on for a while as the Cincinnati police showed up about a minute later in full force and broke it up pretty efficiently. We parked and went in catching most of the show. The band was indeed fantastic.
The next day I examined the car and there wasn't a scratch on it.
As we get close to the bar, I see a fair number of people packed pretty tightly together and moving. I think "wow, these guys must be fantastic. They have people dancing outside the bar."
As we drive a bit closer looking for a place to park it becomes clear - we've just driven into the middle of a riot. People completely surround the car - all I can see out any window is faces pressed against it. We lock the doors and just sit like fish in a bowl.
Amazingly, the riot moves up the street a bit and the crowd around the car moves with it leaving us alone. Now we can really see what's going on. Several hundred people - all holding bottles, bats, bricks, chairs, shovels etc. - are literally rioting in the street. We're stunned and watching all this unfold from inside the locked car.
This must have been going on for a while as the Cincinnati police showed up about a minute later in full force and broke it up pretty efficiently. We parked and went in catching most of the show. The band was indeed fantastic.
The next day I examined the car and there wasn't a scratch on it.
I used to play in a band that had the stereotypical Scottish guy as a keyboard player. Short, red hair, loved to fight and called Jock of course. We're in the middle of a gig when a full bottle of beer is thrown at us, misses us but hits the back of the stage and breaks, the drummer got showered by beer and glass. Immediately Jock is off the stage, walks up to three guys and fells the middle guy with one punch, the other two guys drag their friend off outside. I said to Jock later I was glad he got the guy that had thrown it and Jocks says 'well I didnae see exactly who threw it but it came from that general direction'.
At some of the gigs we played Jock would get invited to the bouncer's Christmas parties as he usually did as much work as they did!
At some of the gigs we played Jock would get invited to the bouncer's Christmas parties as he usually did as much work as they did!
The guitar player's cousin came to visit. Let's call the cousin "Buddy". Buddy is recently retired, is outgoing, and funny. He's hanging out so on the first break he want to buy guitar and me a drink. We say sure so he gets up, walks across the bar to order a couple. Where's Buddy? He didn't come back with the drinks. Rather, he sat down at the bar and started chatting up this blonde. Now we're watching. Another woman comes in the bar, sits down on the other side of Buddy, orders a drink and throws it in the blonde's face. Everyone backs away from the bar then sits back down. The other woman gets up, walks around Buddy and punches the blonde in the side of the head. More noise and commotion. The other woman walks out of the bar. Buddy continues to chat. After a bit the other woman comes back in, walks up to the blonde and punches her again. Other woman walks out. After a bit we all hear the blonde say "YOUR WIFE! SHE'S YOUR WIFE?" Blonde gets up and leaves.
We took the stage, then a fire truck, police, ambulance arrive during the first song of the set. It turned out Buddy's wife and her girlfriends were waiting for blonde in the parking lot and beat her up. Guitar had to tell the cops where Buddy was staying (not with him).
We took the stage, then a fire truck, police, ambulance arrive during the first song of the set. It turned out Buddy's wife and her girlfriends were waiting for blonde in the parking lot and beat her up. Guitar had to tell the cops where Buddy was staying (not with him).
Grew up in that area and have similar experiences. Played in a country band for several months in the early 70s at a place called "The Dew Drop In" in Guthrie, Ky. Saw my first chicken cage at another road house there. Yes friends, they did exist.
Did you ever hear of "Paulines" in BG? Just wondering.
Haji
Supporting Member
Wow. There's diddly squat in Guthrie, other than a Texaco and Red Top Barbecue. Next time I'm out that way-its 20 or so miles out of my way but worth it for Red Top-I'm gonna take a look around for The Dew Drop Inn.
I can't believe you went in to catch the gig! 
We were playing in a dumpy redneck bar many years ago. It was in a basement and appropriately called "The Cellar". To quote an old Rodney Dangerfield joke, when you went into this place you went down two steps -- physically and socially 
. We had a bunch of our friends come to the gig and a friend of the singer got into a fight with one of the locals near the pool table while we were playing. When the guitar solo came up, the singer took off and got in the middle of the fight. I don't remember what song we were playing, but the guitar solo was coming to an end and the next verse was coming up. We all looked at each other in a panic as the singer was still in the middle of the brawl. We had two guitar players so we did an instrumental jam with the two trading solos while the fight rolled on. The bouncers finally broke up the fight and the singer ran back to the stage. Once he was back on the stage, we moved on to the next verse with the singer a little scuffed up. We finished the song like nothing happened and went on with the rest of the set. We never played there again. 
. We had a bunch of our friends come to the gig and a friend of the singer got into a fight with one of the locals near the pool table while we were playing. When the guitar solo came up, the singer took off and got in the middle of the fight. I don't remember what song we were playing, but the guitar solo was coming to an end and the next verse was coming up. We all looked at each other in a panic as the singer was still in the middle of the brawl. We had two guitar players so we did an instrumental jam with the two trading solos while the fight rolled on. The bouncers finally broke up the fight and the singer ran back to the stage. Once he was back on the stage, we moved on to the next verse with the singer a little scuffed up. We finished the song like nothing happened and went on with the rest of the set. We never played there again.
I'm blown away anyone else is even vaguely aware of Guthrie. this was back in the 70s. One of the other bars was called "Miami Gardens". These clubs frequently had overflow and washed up country musicians from Nashville at the time. Some were quite good. At the time this was a major distribution route for, well, illicit substances. Good times, so I heard.
Now that I am really thinking about it, those roadhouses had to exist just across the TN line (but still considered part of Guthrie). That part KY was indeed 'dry' at the time. I'm old. what do I remember anyway.
Isn't The Dew Drop Inn the name of the place in Charlie Daniels' Uneasy Rider? That should be your first hint that bad times are ahead. lol
I remember one back in the '80s. Was playing a club up in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was a long dancehall with a large bar at the rear, probably about 20-30 metres away. There were tables down the side and guys were openly skinning up on the front of the stage. We were all funking away and I recall looking down the length of the hall and I saw all these figures leaping around, silhouetted by the bright lights of the bar. 'The punters are loving it up the back!' I called out to the band. As I turned back I looked again and this time the waving arms were coming down with force. Then I saw the pint glasses flying through the air. There must have been about a dozen figures going for it but it was hard to see due to the stage lighting. After our set and the DJ kicked in, I went for a drink at the bar and the area was awash with blood and shattered glass.
Haji
Supporting Member
I have friends that work for just about every metro PD and Sheriff's office in the area; it most definitely still is a major distribution route, from Chicago through to Atlanta.
There's Dew Drop Inns all over the country. If the place you live is big enough to support two or more bars, one of 'em will be a DDI. It's traditional...or something...
No doubt that is correct! This just happens to be the location where most of my bar brawls happened. During the 6 months I played there there were 4 people killed. Two happened to be the drummer's wife and her, uhm, boyfriend and one was our keyboard player. Funny how he was immediately replaced by a very much more talented musician. This was the second week of a 6 month stint. Ironically this little club was always packed and most people stayed during and after the fights. I was just a young skinny guy playing bass player learning how to play Nashville country. Quite the education I must say.
