Worst injury received while playing bass

[coyote1]

Not me, but the bassist (I was the drummer) in my second band ever, back in high school, got totally stoned and drunk at our third gig. We played a local party. Set up in the host’s driveway, where there was a basketball pole. Bassist started moving weirdly, and ran face-first into that pole and knocked himself out.

We stopped playing of course. But as soon as we determined he would survive, we continued the show without him.

 

[J Wilson]

So we're really rocking and I spin around and BAM nailed myself in the head with the counterweight of a big Atlas studio boom.

Headache just wouldn't go away and I'm getting spooked.

Go down to the emergency room, they look at it and hear the story, so they decide they want to Cat Scan my head. They did.

I'm waiting for the radiologist to come out and tell me
me . . . and when he does he says they need to do it again.

My heart sank, and all kinds of crazy worries set in. They do it again and ask me to wait. Now I'm really spooked . . .

FINALLY he comes out and says you're fine, we had to refocus the machine as we've never seen anybody with that big a head.

I was still bitching about it a few years later when I started riding motorcycles and had to buy 2XL helmets!

 

[JimB52]

Damp stage, ungrounded electricity...
You get the picture.

 

[PapaBearBass]

I used to play in a hippy jam band in Oregon and during the load out I was pulling my 4x10 cab off the stage and dislocated my pelvis. One of the worst pains I’ve ever experienced

 

[Rabidhamster]

Practiced slap bass unplugged a long time, which is a dumb thing to do btw, and my thumb went numb for so many months I thought it was permanent.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

I once had a stool break on me and sent me flying backwards onto my pedalboard, smacking my head on the corner of my pedaltrain. Got stabbed all down my back by the knobs on my pedals and ended up rupturing a small cyst on the back of my head that was undetectable at the time, that blew up to the size of a baseball the following day, which I had to get sucked out, that wasn’t fun at all. Just had some bruises on my back besides that. No damage to my pedals besides a bent pot on my DD3!

 

[rodl2005]

Dislocated knee
Keyboardist got too gone and fell on me. Back when keyboards were heavy too

 

[Appogee]

Our guitarist told me that, when I stood next to him on stage, it looked like we were trying to imitate Status Quo.

That really injured my pride.

 

[mdlewis]

The United States Army. 155mm

Those guns are very loud. I don't know how you can hear anything after that. My one exposure left me deaf for hours.

As for playing, permanent tinnitus is by far the worst. Early on, there were plenty of physical injuries as fights between band members used to break out on stage during shows. I often think people came to see us because of the craziness on stage rather than the music, but it was punk music after all.

 

[hbarcat]

While playing bass on a dark stage, I tripped over a floor monitor and pitched sideways off the front of the stage, which was about 2 feet above the dance floor.

I got the wind knocked out of me and couldn't breathe, plus there was an agonizing pain in my ribs, but I somehow avoided damaging my bass and continued playing while laying on my back on the concrete floor.

When the song ended a minute later, I staggered back to my feet and climbed back on stage to the sarcastically exaggerated applause of the crowd.

Fortunately, I was relatively young and athletic at the time and was active in hard contact sports so I was used to being knocked around and beaten up.

If I did that today, I'd be spending a week in the hospital.

 

[BoogieZK]

Not my injury but the singer's.
I was playing in a rock/heavy band with friends and we had a new singer, young, drugged but damn talented.
During the 2nd song of our setlist, the singer jumped from the ridiculusly low stage and burst one of his knee.

Everyone heard the "Krunch" noise but he was so drugged he kept singing the song and finished the set barely noticing the amount of damage.

He even drove back to his house (Manual transmission so both foot needed) and added a synovial effusion to his knee.

For myself, i have a fairly bad balance and always try to keep myself out of trouble and injuries.
So no fun stories to tell.

 

[tubedude]

Tinnitus, repetitive stress right hand, the normal long term stuff.
The worst was a butt hurt when the new guitar player didn't appreciate the full spectral content of my 6 string fretless!

 

[flatwound62p]

Knocked unconscious and had my head smashed through the windscreen when my Peavey 1x15 cab migrated suddenly from the back seat to the front seat in a post-gig car accident.

This was early 1980s so, technically, I think that makes me the inventor of the in-ear monitor.

 

[albertus]

three gigs in one day, loading and unloading equipment from the van(serious P.A.). by the the mid of the third gig my right hand decided to fist itself in a closed position. I was shouting "REFLEX! REFLEX" to the manager (that is a spray used by sportspeople when they have a strain here in Spain). that worked for a little time. then my hand cramped again. asked a pick to the guitar player (never played one before) and finished the gig doing my best.
I avoid heavy lifting since then

 

[Jscriv]

My singer landed on my head once attempting to jump me during a break in a song. I had no idea of his plans until I was almost knocked out. Pure undercarriage to the back of my head. Pretty sure my chiropractor undid some of it yesterday. I've been knocked over and ran through multiple times over the years. Still playing dumb punk/skacore!

 

[DrBnz]

When I first started out I had plenty - back, neck, shoulder, wrist, fingers have all been over-strained. Facts are it takes certain physical characteristics to play bass. Until you develop the muscle sets required, its a little painful. But afterwards its been limited to finger strain, so I learned to use a pick.

 

[MrLenny1]

Hearing loss from loud guitars, smashing drums & idiot
sound men.
Paying for it dearly with significant hearing loss
and $6000.00 hearing aides.

 

[SemiDriven]

Early on, there were plenty of physical injuries as fights between band members used to break out on stage during shows. I often think people came to see us because of the craziness on stage rather than the music, but it was punk music after all.

Hmmm...my band is contemplating new ways in which we can attract an audience.

Most of the time we get along just fine...but we have our moments.

 

[evanrunyon]

Long term? Quadriceps tendonitis from standing with poor posture. Nastiest on-stage? Multiple popped blood blisters on right hand during a bluegrass gig before I really knew about gut strings and was too stubborn to drop out.

 

[GazzBass]

I came off my bicycle and shattered my right wrist, broke two fingers on my left hand and popped out my shoulder. I ended up in hospital and had a couple of operations. The Doc said I'd never play again (he was wrong). I was in a cast for about 3 months. The band weren't happy. We had a load of gigs booked. After their initial sympathy, they found a new bass player and moved on. Oh well. lol