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Would you walk out mid-gig?

#22
When I Used to do a lot of fill in gigs and one nighter's, one of the things I ALWAYS carried in my gig bag were sets of foam rubber earplugs. Just because! Have I ever walked out during a gig. Well one time during a gig on April 1st. I stepped up to my mike and said "I'm done you guys suck". Then grabbed by bass walked out the club door. Then I hauled ass around to the rear kitchen door and snuck back in, went back up on stage and started playing the next song. Meanwhile the guitarists who had gone outside to see where I went came running back in, got on stage, gave me the *** look and we finished the song. Then I said April Fools suckers. The drummer laughed but the guitarists were not happy. Trouble was the guitar players really did suck and I left that band a few gigs later. Now there were other times in other situations where I really wanted to just walk out but I never did.
 
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#24
RichSnyder said:
Hopefully I would have done my homework and not ended up in a situation where I’d walk out mid gig.
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I had a saxophone player take meth during a gig and repeatedly got in my face and tried to pick a fight while we were playing. During the break I spoke to the leader and asked him to make a choice; the sax player never played another note with us. Those kinds of circumstances can be difficult to predict. ;)
 
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#25
two fingers said:
If I thought my hearing were being permanently damaged, I would absolutely threaten it. I would say "Either we turn it down some right now or I'm walking out RIGHT NOW."

Granted, in that situation I would have been wearing -32 db plugs anyway. And if -32 plugs weren't enough, you better believe I would have put my foot down.
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-32s not good enough? There couldn’t possibly any patrons left in the establishment at that level. If there were, they would have to give the bar help their drink requests written on note pads… LOL!!
 
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#26
Keep earplugs in the gig bag. I also keep a pair of Eargasms on my keyring in a small metal carrying case. Very handy.

I've never walked out of a gig and hope it never comes to that. Often, you can stick out the gig, or worst-case scenario, dip during a break. It would probably take a lot for me to walk off the stage (I'm talking danger, hate speech, physical altercations, rain/lightning, some combination). It wouldn't be impossible. Just glad it hasn't happened (yet).
 
#27
Jazzdogg said:
I had a saxophone player take meth during a gig and repeatedly got in my face and tried to pick a fight while we were playing. During the break I spoke to the leader and asked him to make a choice; the sax player never played another note with us. Those kinds of circumstances can be difficult to predict. ;)
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Being around hard drugs was a nonstarter for me back in the 70’s after a gig, I went to the green room to change and low and behold the drummer and keyboard players were shooting up something, I didn’t ask and care if they were shooting up reindeer piss, I was done right then and there.
 
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#28
The few performances when I've realized I was in the wrong place with the wrong people (various things leading to that conclusion), I kept my mouth shut and finished out the show. But I didn't come back for more.

It's happened more often in a rehearsal. That's easier; I just begged off, saying I couldn't commit to the project.


Added: I wear ear plugs routinely. I've got customs with attenuators you can change out. I'm OK with -10 or -15 dB inserts for a regular gig. Sometimes I've needed to use -25 dB inserts--but that's just too ...fff... loud for me, and I was headed for the exit.
 
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#29
bwildt said:
This question is related to another thread.
Gig Report. My ears are destroyed.

There were comments from some people about quitting on the spot, mid-gig.

Would you ever quit or leave abandon a band mid-gig? I think in my case, it would need to be something really bad, like personal danger to me to even think about that. Otherwise, I think I could/would stick out a gig instead of getting the band, the crowd, the venue mad at me and possibly ruining my reputation as a trusted, professional musician.

What do you all think?
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There are guitar players who will not even talk to me because I told them too many times to turn down.

When a band gets so loud that it becomes painful noises and ceases to be music I simply stop playing and plug my ears.

Extreme volume at a gig is extremely unprofessional.
 
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#30
I have offered to quit mid gig, but never done it.

The reason I offered is because the drummer complained throughout the first set and keep threatening to unplug one of my cabs. I tried to turn down, but the bandleader kept telling me to turn up. First thing I did on the break was move the cab.

The problem occurred because I had set a cab up behind him, which most drummers like. This one did not like it and was complaining that I was hurting his ears. Pretty funny because he was a real basher, especially after a few drinks. Also part of the reason I set the cab up behind is because he arrived early and spread out on the small stage, which limited available space.

During the first break he kept whining like a little baby. He was inconsolable and refused to accept my apology. He just kept going on and on about how he had never been so disrespected before. It almost seemed like the drummer was going to leave, and he was a good buddy of the bandleader. I told the bandleader I would be happy to leave but he asked me not to.
 
#31
StayLow said:
Does professionalism matter at highly unprofessional gigs played by totally unprofessional bands in crappy venues to clueless drunks?

Context matters, I suggest.
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Professionalism ALWAYS matters. Someone else being unprofessional doesn’t give you license to be unprofessional. You conduct yourself in a professional manner for YOU, not for THEM.
 
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#34
The willingness to storm out of a horror show versus the ramifications of doing so should be a topic discussed beforehand. Never once heard it done. (The talk, not the walk.) I would not leave a gig early unless there was some emergency (illness, power outage, FBI raid, etc.). I would wait until the patrons were out of earshot and then do the Buddy Rich bus routine. As with every other situation, it depends on the circumstances as to how amicable that remains.
 
#38
I have never walked out mid-gig. That is just unprofessional. But I have had more than one occasion over the decades where I said after the gig to find another bass player.
 
#39
I have.

It was a punk gig, mid 80s. A group of "nazi punks" came in and caused issues. The venue management didn't do squat, and fights started breaking out. I unplugged, flipped 'em off, walked off stage, went to the green room, packed up my bass, walked out the back door, and took a bus home.

My bandmates were not pleased. It turned out they were skinhead sympathizers, and I left the band quickly thereafter. I have a low tolerance for hateful stupidity.
 
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