Nope, guitar player skipped town, girlfreind chased after him, never saw them again. Live and learn...
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Worst gig stories (megathread?)
- Thread starter Sam Dingle
- Start date
Was playing in an Americana type band and had issues w/ guitarist who fancies himself to be Albert Lee. The band had a meeting with him. told him his stage volume was too high and that we were consistently getting complaints. he said he would work on that as well as: remembering lyrics, remembering signature riffs, being more prepared, not disappearing five minutes before we were to play only to come back stoned to the bells. play another gig and it is the same stuff. we meet again and tell him we will will play all the gigs through june of this year, but we are all done. he seemed to take it very well.
fast forward to a show in May and he is calm and talkative. we get set up. drummer and I set up the PA and have a great mix/volume going. not five minutes into the gig, guitarist/vocalist turns himself up. I motioned for him to cut it out and he shrugs. we get done with the first set and I approach him calmly and ask why he was turning up. said he can't get his "sound" without being louder. at this point, we got a complaint from the bartender and the manager. we go up for the second set, he walks over to his guitar amp, and turns up again. he looks at me and smiles a "go f yourself" smile.
we play through the second set. after it is done. I take him outside. keep in mind I am 6'2" 300lbs. he is 5'4 and about 150. I tell him I am done as of the end of the night. I will not play with him again. we go back in and the manager is even more pissed. this a place we have had three bookings from January to May. decent pay. we go back in and he hems and haws about playing songs people request, even though we have played them every time we do this gig.
at the end of the gig, I am breaking down my equipment and he has the balls to tell me he doesn't have the cash to pay me and the hotel gave him a check. I told him on the list of things that weren't my problem, that was numero uno. I said pay me tonight or find a damned ATM. I asked him why he continually turned up over the course of the evening and he responded "I book the majority of the gigs, I will do what I want." I told him again, I quit. done. he asked about the gigs he had booked and I told him I was ready to play them out until he pulled the BS that night and it was now his problem.
I have never played so angry in my life and he knew he was walking a fine line with me.
fast forward to a show in May and he is calm and talkative. we get set up. drummer and I set up the PA and have a great mix/volume going. not five minutes into the gig, guitarist/vocalist turns himself up. I motioned for him to cut it out and he shrugs. we get done with the first set and I approach him calmly and ask why he was turning up. said he can't get his "sound" without being louder. at this point, we got a complaint from the bartender and the manager. we go up for the second set, he walks over to his guitar amp, and turns up again. he looks at me and smiles a "go f yourself" smile.
we play through the second set. after it is done. I take him outside. keep in mind I am 6'2" 300lbs. he is 5'4 and about 150. I tell him I am done as of the end of the night. I will not play with him again. we go back in and the manager is even more pissed. this a place we have had three bookings from January to May. decent pay. we go back in and he hems and haws about playing songs people request, even though we have played them every time we do this gig.
at the end of the gig, I am breaking down my equipment and he has the balls to tell me he doesn't have the cash to pay me and the hotel gave him a check. I told him on the list of things that weren't my problem, that was numero uno. I said pay me tonight or find a damned ATM. I asked him why he continually turned up over the course of the evening and he responded "I book the majority of the gigs, I will do what I want." I told him again, I quit. done. he asked about the gigs he had booked and I told him I was ready to play them out until he pulled the BS that night and it was now his problem.
I have never played so angry in my life and he knew he was walking a fine line with me.
Great thread!
Back when i was playin bass with a garag-y band we played a Backyard party for a friend. We sounded pretty good in the house we played in but didnt practice taking everything outside and setting up. 2 hrs and still had sound cutting in an out here and there. Funny thing is I was kind of a beginner to playin out so was having a blast, but the drummer -who was probably our best musician was in gig hell. Plus they all got annoyed with me for dressing up for the gig. LOL
Should have know i was meant for lead singer stuff. Here is a pic from the first and last time we played:
Back when i was playin bass with a garag-y band we played a Backyard party for a friend. We sounded pretty good in the house we played in but didnt practice taking everything outside and setting up. 2 hrs and still had sound cutting in an out here and there. Funny thing is I was kind of a beginner to playin out so was having a blast, but the drummer -who was probably our best musician was in gig hell. Plus they all got annoyed with me for dressing up for the gig. LOL
Should have know i was meant for lead singer stuff. Here is a pic from the first and last time we played:
The first (& last) gig of the first band I was in.
We were a 2 piece band with a BOSS DR-55 Dr. Rhythmbox as drums and had just started regular practicing, when a classmate of the guitarist asked us to come and play on a art-party/opening.
We were told was that it was in an old factory and that it had to be dance able.
I felt awkward about this gig, because I had started playing just 2 weeks earlier.
But the guitarist convinced me that practicing every day would do the trick.
And that it was a great chance.
So we did our best to create 'danceable music'.
And ended up with some rudimental house-drum & bass like parts avant la lettre.
We taped some of those part on cassette, so we would be able to play bass, synth and guitar with those basic rhythms. (The memory on the DR55 had proven to be unreliable)
In the end we went to the factory to do the gig. Crazy nervous. It was a big hall without stage,
the sides were covered in agricultural plastic. After some discussion about the safest place for our equipment (protection against beer & wine), we ended up playing in the lift shaft, in a corner of the hall.
The gig was a big mess, because we could hardly hear ourselves, the amps were outside the shaft because they didn't fit in there. We had no PA or monitors.
We just made sounds and rhythms with the tape we made.
Musically a primitive mess, but as mental performance worth remembering, because it was so far removed from 'normal' gigs.
We were a 2 piece band with a BOSS DR-55 Dr. Rhythmbox as drums and had just started regular practicing, when a classmate of the guitarist asked us to come and play on a art-party/opening.
We were told was that it was in an old factory and that it had to be dance able.
I felt awkward about this gig, because I had started playing just 2 weeks earlier.
But the guitarist convinced me that practicing every day would do the trick.
And that it was a great chance.
So we did our best to create 'danceable music'.
And ended up with some rudimental house-drum & bass like parts avant la lettre.
We taped some of those part on cassette, so we would be able to play bass, synth and guitar with those basic rhythms. (The memory on the DR55 had proven to be unreliable)
In the end we went to the factory to do the gig. Crazy nervous. It was a big hall without stage,
the sides were covered in agricultural plastic. After some discussion about the safest place for our equipment (protection against beer & wine), we ended up playing in the lift shaft, in a corner of the hall.
The gig was a big mess, because we could hardly hear ourselves, the amps were outside the shaft because they didn't fit in there. We had no PA or monitors.
We just made sounds and rhythms with the tape we made.
Musically a primitive mess, but as mental performance worth remembering, because it was so far removed from 'normal' gigs.
Backed up ZZ Top, at the Pacific Coliseum, and was booed off the stage. I actually still lived at home, then. Took the bus to get there.
Spooky side is in grade 10, I had a dream a garage band I was in played the Coliseum and was booed off the stage.
Spooky side is in grade 10, I had a dream a garage band I was in played the Coliseum and was booed off the stage.
I'll only supply the end result-
The hotel is on fire
The side of our van is splattered in blood
One of the guitarists guitars has been stolen
Police are going to escort us out of town for our protection
The hotel is on fire
The side of our van is splattered in blood
One of the guitarists guitars has been stolen
Police are going to escort us out of town for our protection
The Americana band I play mandolin in played at a local music festival two years back, and we were the last group on this particular stage. I am a member of the committee that helps select bands for this stage, and I recommended the group that played before us. They were great, and the sound crew did a good job.
Time for us to go on and the owner of the sound company tells all his guys (the ones who do a good job) to come back in an hour to load out. As I said, we are the last act and the sound company owner takes over the mixer. I also own a small sound company and I already knew this guy was a hack from having other experiences with him. Well he made sure that we had 45 minutes of constant feedback in our monitors. One of the best elements in our performance is our three part harmony, and it's pretty hard to get good harmony when all you can hear is feedback. The next year, a regional band that is well known and has played this festival several times and was asked to play again at my suggestion. Their BL responded saying they would play, but only if this same sound guy was not involved, so our experience was not an isolated incident.
This sound company eventually lost the contract for this festival which was not my doing, but I do make known what I think of his work whenever I am asked. The problem is, ever since then the hiring committee thinks that our Americana group sucks and they do not consider us for future jobs. I am definitely willing to take my lumps if we really do suck, but suffering from this sound guy's work product leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Thump on,
One_Dude
Time for us to go on and the owner of the sound company tells all his guys (the ones who do a good job) to come back in an hour to load out. As I said, we are the last act and the sound company owner takes over the mixer. I also own a small sound company and I already knew this guy was a hack from having other experiences with him. Well he made sure that we had 45 minutes of constant feedback in our monitors. One of the best elements in our performance is our three part harmony, and it's pretty hard to get good harmony when all you can hear is feedback. The next year, a regional band that is well known and has played this festival several times and was asked to play again at my suggestion. Their BL responded saying they would play, but only if this same sound guy was not involved, so our experience was not an isolated incident.
This sound company eventually lost the contract for this festival which was not my doing, but I do make known what I think of his work whenever I am asked. The problem is, ever since then the hiring committee thinks that our Americana group sucks and they do not consider us for future jobs. I am definitely willing to take my lumps if we really do suck, but suffering from this sound guy's work product leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Thump on,
One_Dude
This one wasn’t bad for me,but was for my former band. The BL and good friend,sang, played guitar and saxophone. He insisted on playing Songbird by Kenny G every set....yep 4 times a night. Of course the drummer and I became taking liberties with the feel and arrangement....not much....just a little flavor here and there. BL insist we play it as recorded....which we always did the first 2 sets. Says, “if you can’t play it straight every time I’ll find someone who will”. That’s cool we had a 3 week break so I gave my notice and quit the band. 3 weeks and 1 day later the drummer calls “Hey man (BL) was wondering where you were last night”. He never found a replacement nor did he call me regarding my resignation.
The conversation went like this.
BL “Where’s Mike?”
Band “He quit 3 weeks ago”
BL “Oh crap”.
The conversation went like this.
BL “Where’s Mike?”
Band “He quit 3 weeks ago”
BL “Oh crap”.
I could fill this thread with many gig gone wrong tales.
One time in the 80's we got booked into a large club in Jersey City,NJ. We were pretty popular at the time & someone from one of the TV show gigs we were doing highly recommended this place to us.
Turned out to be a bad match. The audience turned out to be South American coke dealer types & their ladies. The last thing they wanted to hear was 60's oldies from a band called " The Flamin' Caucasians".
We got through one set & the owner comes over & says " Hey,this was a bad idea. How about I give you $500 for your time(way below our fee) & you guys break down & split". Our road manager said he had to clear that with our management.He gets our manager/booking agent on the phone. We are in this club owner's office while our manager(we heard this over a speakerphone) is trying to strongarm this guy into our full fee.("You signed a contract. We have lawyers. We will take this to court,etc).These were NOT the kind of people you wanted to try & strongarm. Our manager is also yelling at the band to get out there & play the contracted time. Meanwhile eight bouncers,all packing heat,are just waiting to get the word to jack us & our road crew up.
We left & didn't take the $500. Our management gave us a boatload of crap saying " Don't you jerks ever walk out of a contracted gig again". That's easy to say when you're behind a desk & you're not being threatened
One time in the 80's we got booked into a large club in Jersey City,NJ. We were pretty popular at the time & someone from one of the TV show gigs we were doing highly recommended this place to us.
Turned out to be a bad match. The audience turned out to be South American coke dealer types & their ladies. The last thing they wanted to hear was 60's oldies from a band called " The Flamin' Caucasians".
We got through one set & the owner comes over & says " Hey,this was a bad idea. How about I give you $500 for your time(way below our fee) & you guys break down & split". Our road manager said he had to clear that with our management.He gets our manager/booking agent on the phone. We are in this club owner's office while our manager(we heard this over a speakerphone) is trying to strongarm this guy into our full fee.("You signed a contract. We have lawyers. We will take this to court,etc).These were NOT the kind of people you wanted to try & strongarm. Our manager is also yelling at the band to get out there & play the contracted time. Meanwhile eight bouncers,all packing heat,are just waiting to get the word to jack us & our road crew up.
We left & didn't take the $500. Our management gave us a boatload of crap saying " Don't you jerks ever walk out of a contracted gig again". That's easy to say when you're behind a desk & you're not being threatened
I saw Loverboy booed off the stage when they opened for ZZ Top at the Cape Cod Coliseum in MA - people were even throwing pennies at them
.Maybe not worst, but fer shur the weirdest gig story.
Arrived at the town holding the festival, and there's a banner across the road- New Country Festival. Hmmm...we play psychadelic blues. Guy with clipboard says- So you're the Terry Christenson band? Nope, we're the Peter Christenson Band. Ok, we'll play anyway
Backstage, where the hell is our drummer? No sign of him. PETER Christenson can play drums. We try to come up with a setlist as a three piece.
Out of the blue, a friend shows up, in his bathing suit. We ask if he has his rig with him. Yes. He's playing guitar.
Played some Grateful Dead country- Mama Tried, Big Railroad Blues etc.
It was a good set to a lot of long faces.
It does not end there- The next day in the local paper is a picture of our sittin in guitar player, and a caption wondering why TERRY Christenson did not sing, after just winning a country music award?
Goes to show- Take EVERY gig, and figure out how to do it later.
Arrived at the town holding the festival, and there's a banner across the road- New Country Festival. Hmmm...we play psychadelic blues. Guy with clipboard says- So you're the Terry Christenson band? Nope, we're the Peter Christenson Band. Ok, we'll play anyway
Backstage, where the hell is our drummer? No sign of him. PETER Christenson can play drums. We try to come up with a setlist as a three piece.
Out of the blue, a friend shows up, in his bathing suit. We ask if he has his rig with him. Yes. He's playing guitar.
Played some Grateful Dead country- Mama Tried, Big Railroad Blues etc.
It was a good set to a lot of long faces.
It does not end there- The next day in the local paper is a picture of our sittin in guitar player, and a caption wondering why TERRY Christenson did not sing, after just winning a country music award?
Goes to show- Take EVERY gig, and figure out how to do it later.
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Okay, I was in a Christian choral group with 30 vocalists and a 30 piece orchestra. We were touring in the Southern states and stayed in host families homes. Four of us were in a house where one of the teens began to play a complicated classical piece on their piano, turned his head while playing and said, "I like to dabble." He reminded us of the little gangster in the Bugs Bunny cartoons.
Our "room" was the basement and the family closed the door and then we heard a deadbolt and padlock.
They let us out in the morning.
The other thing was that during the opening song on this tour, my pants fell down around my ankles during the opening song.
Good times.
Our "room" was the basement and the family closed the door and then we heard a deadbolt and padlock.
They let us out in the morning.
The other thing was that during the opening song on this tour, my pants fell down around my ankles during the opening song.
Good times.
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Maybe not worst, but fer shur the weirdest gig story.
Arrived at the town holding the festival, and there's a banner across the road- New Country Festival. Hmmm...we play psychadelic blues. Guy with clipboard says- So you're the Terry Christenson band? Nope, we're the Peter Christenson Band. Ok, we'll play anyway
Backstage, where the hell is our drummer? No sign of him. PETER Christenson can play drums. We try to come up with a setlist as a three piece.
Out of the blue, a friend shows up, in his bathing suit. We ask if he has his rig with him. Yes. He's playing guitar.
Played some Grateful Dead country- Mama Tried, Big Railroad Blues etc.
It was a good set to a lot of long faces.
It does not end there- The next day in the local paper is a picture of our sittin in guitar player, and a caption wondering why TERRY Christenson did not sing, after just winning a country music award?
Goes to show- Take EVERY gig, and figure out how to do it later.
Great story. It reminded me of a show my son's band did several years ago. They were also a Dead oriented psychedelic blues band and somehow got booked into a mountain jam bluegrass festival. From the moment these five longhairs with electric guitars walked on stage there were stonefaced frowns on the older crowd's faces. On top of that their band would always drag along 50 or so deadhead kids, who proceeded to dance and twirl in front of the stage. To say their traveling hippie circus went over poorly with the majority of the hundreds of others in attendance was an understatement.
BTW, I like your music style a LOT!
A few years ago we played on the evening of a national public holiday in one of our regular venues which is usually fine. Not this time, they had been "on it" since early morning and by the time we took our first break..... Well the mens room was ankle deep with a mixture of vomit and ... stuff. By a miracle I was wearing combat boots so I waded to a stall, then another. Every toilet was filled with schooner glasses. I ended up using the ladies.
Next set I saw a body out the corner of my eye as it flew through the air at about chest height. I covered up my Duesenberg (hollow body, angled hedstock, eeep) just in time to see the pa fall over into the drum set, just missing drummer. At that moment a small riot broke out at the front of the venue and the police closed it all down.
Still, got to knock off early and we got paid in full, so can't really complain.
Mike
Next set I saw a body out the corner of my eye as it flew through the air at about chest height. I covered up my Duesenberg (hollow body, angled hedstock, eeep) just in time to see the pa fall over into the drum set, just missing drummer. At that moment a small riot broke out at the front of the venue and the police closed it all down.
Still, got to knock off early and we got paid in full, so can't really complain.
Mike
I was in an original band in the early 2000's. Recorded an album that got some press and we set out to play everywhere we could locally. Lead singer was doing the bookings and was expanding the area we were playing.
He set up two gigs on two consecutive nights over the state border. The drive was about an hour and a half each way.
First gig we show up and find out it's really just an audition to play there again. We get 25 minutes to play in front of the doorman and bartender who would let the Manager know if we showed up on time and were worth asking back.
It was kind of depressing but we were home by 10 that night.
The next night we show up to this weird underground place.....literally....the place was a building where the upper floors had burned but the basement was intact. There were like 9 bands on the bill that night. Our spot was a little after 8 PM. All of us showed up on time and ready to play but since the lead-singer was running late we got bumped to the last spot...we wouldn't start until 12:45.
The whole thing was like an assembly line the whole night:
-bands would show up halfway to near the end of the previous bands set
-bands would set up and their fans would show up
-bands would play, fans would cheer,
-bands would finish and literally within minutes every single fan was gone
No one stayed in that place any longer than they needed to. Bands didn't hang out, socialize, etc. Patrons were there for one thing and then were gone. I literally watched entire bands and fanbase show up in one group and leave in one group.
So after being there for 5 hours we go to set up. Bartender is looking at us weird and I suspect it's because we couldn't get anyone to come out and wait five hours to see us.
Start playing and after the first song bartender pulls the plug. Sound guy running the show erred on knowing what time the place was allowed to stay open and have music. We'd spent five hours to play for three minutes because the lead-singer couldn't get there on time and the sound guy thought that they could be open until 2 AM when it was actually only 1 AM.
That was the beginning of the end with that band. It just spiraled out and things got worse. We shared a rehearsal room with another band whom I would pay rent directly to, usually on a night they were rehearsing. When I walked in with money in hand they looked at me weird. The lead-singer in my band had told him that the band was over so we wouldn't need the room anymore. He didn't think to tell me or anyone else first.
He set up two gigs on two consecutive nights over the state border. The drive was about an hour and a half each way.
First gig we show up and find out it's really just an audition to play there again. We get 25 minutes to play in front of the doorman and bartender who would let the Manager know if we showed up on time and were worth asking back.
It was kind of depressing but we were home by 10 that night.
The next night we show up to this weird underground place.....literally....the place was a building where the upper floors had burned but the basement was intact. There were like 9 bands on the bill that night. Our spot was a little after 8 PM. All of us showed up on time and ready to play but since the lead-singer was running late we got bumped to the last spot...we wouldn't start until 12:45.
The whole thing was like an assembly line the whole night:
-bands would show up halfway to near the end of the previous bands set
-bands would set up and their fans would show up
-bands would play, fans would cheer,
-bands would finish and literally within minutes every single fan was gone
No one stayed in that place any longer than they needed to. Bands didn't hang out, socialize, etc. Patrons were there for one thing and then were gone. I literally watched entire bands and fanbase show up in one group and leave in one group.
So after being there for 5 hours we go to set up. Bartender is looking at us weird and I suspect it's because we couldn't get anyone to come out and wait five hours to see us.
Start playing and after the first song bartender pulls the plug. Sound guy running the show erred on knowing what time the place was allowed to stay open and have music. We'd spent five hours to play for three minutes because the lead-singer couldn't get there on time and the sound guy thought that they could be open until 2 AM when it was actually only 1 AM.
That was the beginning of the end with that band. It just spiraled out and things got worse. We shared a rehearsal room with another band whom I would pay rent directly to, usually on a night they were rehearsing. When I walked in with money in hand they looked at me weird. The lead-singer in my band had told him that the band was over so we wouldn't need the room anymore. He didn't think to tell me or anyone else first.
One of my old bands was once booked by a friend to do the "after-party" once the headliner was through playing. It was local so we figured what the hey. Our friend's band (featuring our guitarist) would also play and whilst they were somewhat heavier in sound, we figured it would work out. This is a good time to mention that we played 60s-era rock'n'roll and rockabilly.
First band: loud, heavy, hardcore metal.
Second band (our friends): Punkrock
Third band: Loud, heavy punkrock with metalcore influences
We: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis...
We had an arrangement of Johnny B Goode that basically gave me one hand free, so I used to drink a beer while playing that song. People tended to like that. Except now I didn't have a hand free to catch my microphone as it fell sideways. That was the third or fourth song in. Two songs later, a beer bottle very nearly hit our singer in the head so we announced it as our last song and called it a night. Tough crowd!
First band: loud, heavy, hardcore metal.
Second band (our friends): Punkrock
Third band: Loud, heavy punkrock with metalcore influences
We: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis...
We had an arrangement of Johnny B Goode that basically gave me one hand free, so I used to drink a beer while playing that song. People tended to like that. Except now I didn't have a hand free to catch my microphone as it fell sideways. That was the third or fourth song in. Two songs later, a beer bottle very nearly hit our singer in the head so we announced it as our last song and called it a night. Tough crowd!
My worst? I won't go into details, but the highlights include multiple pools of the guitarist's blood on the stage, vomit all over the front row, me getting punched very hard in the forehead, and a pitcher of beer poured into my bass amp (SVT-II Pro at the time). Let's just say that there was a single band member responsible for these highlights; he was "dismissed" from the band and quite literally never heard from again.
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Not my gig, but I was doing FOH.
Outdoor county fair gig in one of those nifty trailers that hydrollically folds out in a really nice stage.
The promoter tells me there's a storm a couple of miles away, and that I should determine if the band has to come off the stage. I looked out on the horizon, walked over to the stage, and said 'Play one more, then say goodnight'.
Just then a bolt of lightning hit a swing set about 200 yards away, mangling it into modern art.
New orders- Get off the stage right now!!
30 foot high metal stage, in the middle of a field, with a 6' copper ground rod pounded in.
Outdoor county fair gig in one of those nifty trailers that hydrollically folds out in a really nice stage.
The promoter tells me there's a storm a couple of miles away, and that I should determine if the band has to come off the stage. I looked out on the horizon, walked over to the stage, and said 'Play one more, then say goodnight'.
Just then a bolt of lightning hit a swing set about 200 yards away, mangling it into modern art.
New orders- Get off the stage right now!!
30 foot high metal stage, in the middle of a field, with a 6' copper ground rod pounded in.
- Sep 4, 2010
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the city-slicker zydeco band i was in, booked for what came out to be a 'country festival' in the middle of nowhere. Everyone in there dressed up in home-made western outfits and line dancing. We play our set, at zydeco tempos twice of your average achy breaky heart. Line dancers nonetheless keep doing their moves, sweat dripping all over their faces, it is like watching a slapstick movie. Set is over. Noone says a word to us, good or bad. Weeeeeeeeird people.
