What Was Your Worst Gig Room

[Stempelloos]

The worst place I've played in was an empty elevator shaft.
We had just started a band and practiced every night in a
cavern like basement. The new girlfriend of the guitarist
heard us playing when she passed an air outlet in the street above.
She asked us to come out and play on a party that she and a bunch of friends were organizing.
We said yes, although we hardly had a playlist for a party.
Three weeks later we ended up at an old factory that was
changed into a kind of county fair haunted house.
Visitors had to walk through it to end up in the party room.

The party room didn't have a stage.
And there wasn't a lot of space on the floor to play.
So we were advised to play in the elevator shaft.
And that's what we did in the end. It was a messy but unique gig.

 

[mightypog]

I played on top of a sewage platform. It was a huge cement structure with a wooden slat platform on top. We could see bubbling sewage a few feet from our feet. You could smell it too.

You have GOT to be kidding. You win. Wow.

 

[alembicguy]

Just got home from the worst in a while,2 flights of stairs a vaulted ceiling a carpeted floor with a hard wood floor on top of that for a dance floora complete bass mud fest but it was packed well past capacity so I quess it evened out

 

[the JT]

The worst gig room my big band ever played was a huge orchestral theatre. The room was 'state of the art', completely covered with wood acoustic panels. While it was perfect for classical and orchestral music, it was complete mayhem for the big band. It was impossible to eq my bass to sound like anything other than blurry boom. Becuase of the acoustics if the room, a note would ring for a second after I had muted it. The same went for the 14 saxes, trombones and trumpets in the band. It didnt make for a very listenable gig.

 

[Billminpa]

The usual assortment of rooms designed for Bingo rather than music and a concrete boat house. But the absolute worst gig sound wise was a bar in Jersey that had ceilings so low that I could touch it with my elbow bent (5'11"). The sound was absolutely the worst ever, plus there was no stage and we were stretched accross the side of the room because otherwise we would have taken up the entire dance floor (8pieces). I could hear nothing all night and just followed the drummer who has got to be one of the best around the area.
Last week we played The Whiskey Cafe in Jersey and there was a sweet spot to the room on an "A" note. Everytime I played one I had to mute it immediately or the feedback was unbearable.
I am sure there will be worse to come....LOL

 

[LazyZombie]

A Bowling alley.... played on a couple lanes while people bowled... was a "Save the bowling alley show" Only our band out of the 6 showed up...


plus being a bowling alley... low ceilings and it was long as hell.... ate my bass alive.

 

[BassyBill]

Any room is better than no room at all - that is, playing outside. It can be fun sometimes, but playing from sheet music on a windy day can really test your clothes pegs technique. I dread outdoor reading gigs for this reason alone.