Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
What was your worst on-stage screwup?
- Thread starter frsbdg
- Start date
It was at L'Amour in Brooklyn in the late 80s. We loaded in at 6:30 PM and were scheduled to hit the stage at 10:00. Well, we found out right away we got bumped to midnight and then my singer said the last words I wanted to hear..."let's go have a drink". By the time we actually got on stage he was so hammered that he was singing over guitar solos and literally falling off the stage. For a while the front row seemed to be holding him up, but eventually he wound up on the floor. Seeing that he wouldn't be moving for a while I took over the singing duties. By the way, I can't sing to save my life, never mind singing lead while playing bass. It was a cluster***k.
In about 1990, I played as part of a duo that was called to be the opening act for a (still popular) high-charting 70s band who shall remain anonymous. We were doing some original stuff - the lady I was working with had written the tunes and changes but collaborated with me to flesh the music out and do the arranging. We had five tunes worked up, and I felt like they were very worthy of the occasion.
Gig time. So there we are, in a big theater-type band shell, playing along. I did a couple of these tunes on bass (against her acoustic) and a couple on keyboard, but for the last song, there were some sequenced drums. I had the start/stop pedal sitting under the keyboard stand but we hadn't rehearsed with it. I figured it would start when I stepped on it, but this was not the case. We played the intro of this song, then I went to bring the drums in on a downbeat but nothing happened. For whatever reason (baked in the squat, frozen in fear, scared stiff, insert your own cliche' here) I stayed on the pedal, then - finally realizing this wasn't working - I lifted my foot. Uh, oh. This drum machine triggered from the trailing edge of the pedal input signal, so it had been waiting for me to remove my foot. The drums started up in some God-awful part of the second measure and the song was publicly slaughtered. Then I tried in vain to turn the damned thing off but missed the pedal entirely...at which point my brain locked up and I stopped playing all together. The audience forgave the trainwreck because they liked what we were doing otherwise, but good Lord, it was the worst and most amateur-ish bit of gig foul I ever perpetrated in front of other human beings.
My cohort was predictably cheesed off at me, but she held it together well and waited to rip me until it was just the two of us. "Don't you ever stop playing like that! Ever! Oh, I could just yadda yadda blah blah..."
Yeah. All I could do was hang my head. It sucked.
Gig time. So there we are, in a big theater-type band shell, playing along. I did a couple of these tunes on bass (against her acoustic) and a couple on keyboard, but for the last song, there were some sequenced drums. I had the start/stop pedal sitting under the keyboard stand but we hadn't rehearsed with it. I figured it would start when I stepped on it, but this was not the case. We played the intro of this song, then I went to bring the drums in on a downbeat but nothing happened. For whatever reason (baked in the squat, frozen in fear, scared stiff, insert your own cliche' here) I stayed on the pedal, then - finally realizing this wasn't working - I lifted my foot. Uh, oh. This drum machine triggered from the trailing edge of the pedal input signal, so it had been waiting for me to remove my foot. The drums started up in some God-awful part of the second measure and the song was publicly slaughtered. Then I tried in vain to turn the damned thing off but missed the pedal entirely...at which point my brain locked up and I stopped playing all together. The audience forgave the trainwreck because they liked what we were doing otherwise, but good Lord, it was the worst and most amateur-ish bit of gig foul I ever perpetrated in front of other human beings.
My cohort was predictably cheesed off at me, but she held it together well and waited to rip me until it was just the two of us. "Don't you ever stop playing like that! Ever! Oh, I could just yadda yadda blah blah..."
Yeah. All I could do was hang my head. It sucked.
My screwups are usually little mistakes and missing notes, and sometimes starting songs in the wrong key. When that happens, I usually look at the other musicians and laugh, and they knoooow it was me, and everyone's cool with it. If I don't laugh it off, I'll be thinking about the mistakes during the entire gig.
When I make a mistake, I often insist on it, and then make it fit in that part of the song, so they think it was on purpose.
Making mistakes on stage is the only way the audience can tell that it's not a recording, we're actually playing live
When I make a mistake, I often insist on it, and then make it fit in that part of the song, so they think it was on purpose.
Making mistakes on stage is the only way the audience can tell that it's not a recording, we're actually playing live
Easy. Jailbreak, I missed the start (change) for one of the lead breaks and tried to play every note I'd missed, really quickly, to catch up. Put our drummer off the beat totally and it all fell in a heap.
In the band I was in 20 years ago, I was the guitarist, and one show I launched straight into the lead line (not a solo, just a standout guitar melody) on a particular song... in the wrong key. Realized that with my ears and not fingers. Moved the fingers to a new spot... ANOTHER WRONG KEY. Third time was the charm. I was mortified but laughing, while the singer looked like she was going to stab me.
Really enjoy all these stories, folks. My band had another musical adventure at an open mic last night. It was the first time there with our new vocalist, and we had 3-4 songs teed up and ready to go with her singing. We nailed the first three, and the sound guy said "play a couple more." We nailed the fourth song, and then were stumped on what to play next. I suggested "Grapevine Fires" by Deathcab for Cutie, which we had performed before, but the guitarist had left his capo at home. So we decided on "Say it Ain't So" by Weezer. Guitar intro, bass and drums come in, guitarist steps up to the mic and starts singing the second verse. Realizes he's blown it and draws a blank on any more lyrics. The vocalist, who was supposed to sing backup on the song, looks mortified. Guitarist shoots me a "I got nothing" look. I look at the drummer who shrugs his shoulders. One thing we have said is no matter how bad it is: Never. Stop. Playing. I look at everyone and say "Let's go the chorus!" and we play and sing that. The we play the bridge, sing the chorus again, and mercifully finish the song early. As long as nobody was getting paid for that mess, I figure it was a wash.
Playing fretless drunk, and not really noticing how out of tune I was playing. Fortunately it was just two songs.
Note - I also didn't realize I was drunk - but patrons had purchased shots for the band during our break, and it crept up on me. I'd say THAT was the actual screw up, because I wasn't too swift on my fretted bass either once the booze kicked in full force.
Note - I also didn't realize I was drunk - but patrons had purchased shots for the band during our break, and it crept up on me. I'd say THAT was the actual screw up, because I wasn't too swift on my fretted bass either once the booze kicked in full force.
I think mine was wishing a guy 'Happy Birthday' between songs at a party,
unfortunately it wasn't his birthday, the party was for his and his wife's wedding anniversary.
unfortunately it wasn't his birthday, the party was for his and his wife's wedding anniversary.
Great thread. every now and then i miss quote a lyric or put one of them in the wrong order on some of these old obscure songs we do. noone notices but me (so far) -because they are really obscure.
You just HAD to tell that story, didn't you.
I just got my 5'er yesterday. Seriously considering playing it at church next Sunday.
I mean, switching from a short (30") scale 4 string to a long (35") 5 string should be a piece of cake, right?
I'll see how it goes practicing with it this week, but last night didn't go to badly.As far as worst on-stage screwup.
Classical vocal recital. Me and four others, each doing a solo set, plus a set of numbers together. Night before I get very sick. High fever. Email the others to let them know there was a high probability that I won't make it. They email back that I had to make it, at least for the group numbers, some of those won't work without my vocal line and harmony. Two of them are doctors, and start suggesting (off the record) some remedies, including just how much acetaminophen I could actually take in a 24 hour period.
I get to the recital. Do my solo pieces. Just me and the pianist accompanying me. Singing from memory - no music. Did I mention the 102 degree fever? Do you know what a 102 degree fever does to your memory? Had to stop a couple times in one number to check the pianists copy for the lyrics. Never again will I try to sing with a fever without the music in front of me.
The group numbers actually went quite well.
I have been subbing in a band that does blues, country and some rock tunes all songs I have been playing for ever, but they seem to do them in the wrong keys and I mean weird keys that are sometimes cool but still sound strange to me.
You just HAD to tell that story, didn't you.
I just got my 5'er yesterday. Seriously considering playing it at church next Sunday.
I mean, switching from a short (30") scale 4 string to a long (35") 5 string should be a piece of cake, right?
[/
I got a dollar that says sometime during the course of the service, you hit a G that mysteriously turns into a low D at least once.
Mine was so bad I still hate to talk about thirty years after it happened. I was playing a live jazz show on the radio, all original music. I decided to revise one of my originals the day before the broadcast. They were minor changes, one being the omission of a bar at the end of the chorus. I passed the charts out to the band and pointed out the changes. Everyone was fine with it. So, when the song came up in the middle of the half-hour-long broadcast, I unwittingly grabbed the unrevised chart. I added the omitted bar during the performance, which cause the sax player to play over the wrong changes (actually the right changes but they sounded wrong). The song never quite got back on track. I was so embarrassed about it I actually thought about tossing my bass out the window on the drive home. I was really mad at myself.
This tells you that your band mates aren't listening to anything but themselves. That's a bad situation all around. If you don't listen, your band will NEVER sound good.
Discovering on - stage that I couldn't play and sing at the same time... Which shouldn't have been a surprise, since I could barely play, and couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, anyway. But, I finally managed it - after a lot of practice. And it was just one stupid word, too...
I have a band screw up but it wasn't a live show. The story above made me think of it.
It was a live radio interview. I called the station to get info on showing up. They tell me that only 2 can go on the show, it's a small booth etc. So I have to call the guys and let them know. The BL tells us to pound sand, he's going. So the 3 of us remaing (1 over the phone) draw straws. The show is in an hour, everyone had told people about it but this was the fairest way possible.
The guy on the phone and I lost. Fine. I suggest that we pick him up anyway but he's pissed and says no.
So at the station the guy I talked to is out front with his girlfriend. She is really cute. I was not pleased with him.
The DJ sees the three of us and says, come on in. I say no, I wasn't going on without the other member, everyone tells me to STFU and we all go in - except the other guy.
So he tunes in and hears all of us on air and I am gets furious. Then the DJ says, on air in the first 30 seconds: "So Pete couldn't be here. He got confused or something".
He told me later, he was absolutely furious and shut it off right then. People kept calling him asking why he wasn't there. It totally sucked.
I did totally steal the girl from the duffus out front. So there was that.
True story.
It was a live radio interview. I called the station to get info on showing up. They tell me that only 2 can go on the show, it's a small booth etc. So I have to call the guys and let them know. The BL tells us to pound sand, he's going. So the 3 of us remaing (1 over the phone) draw straws. The show is in an hour, everyone had told people about it but this was the fairest way possible.
The guy on the phone and I lost. Fine. I suggest that we pick him up anyway but he's pissed and says no.
So at the station the guy I talked to is out front with his girlfriend. She is really cute. I was not pleased with him.
The DJ sees the three of us and says, come on in. I say no, I wasn't going on without the other member, everyone tells me to STFU and we all go in - except the other guy.
So he tunes in and hears all of us on air and I am gets furious. Then the DJ says, on air in the first 30 seconds: "So Pete couldn't be here. He got confused or something".
He told me later, he was absolutely furious and shut it off right then. People kept calling him asking why he wasn't there. It totally sucked.
I did totally steal the girl from the duffus out front. So there was that.
True story.
