Would you walk out mid-gig?

[Pings Bass]

Shots fired, I'm out.

Short of that, I'm kind of old school in the biz; the show must go on.

That said, I'm extremely picky about the gigs I'll take. I have walked out mid rehearsal. Bands with issues are usually going to show you those issues before the gig, unless it's just a pickup gig without a rehearsal.

 

[matthewbrown]

Yes.

I have.

After the 'shots fired' call went in.

Yes! One of the earliest gigs I played ended suddenly when a brawl broke out that involved quite a number of people and the police showed up. In South Florida; I was 15 years old. The place is still in business, nearly five decades later.

 

[devnulljp]

I could see myself quitting a band at the end of the night.

I've done that. Skeezy dive I would never have agreed to play, a drunk & stoned guitarist, final straw was every time he flubbed (often) he would lean into the mic and say 'the bass player is a jazz guy so he hits those jazz notes'
Finished the gig, went home and that was that. The drummer quit that night too.

 

[Wisebass]

Hi folks

Would you ever quit or leave abandon a band mid-gig?

hi bwildt

Not for the volume issues you mentioned in the other thread!

Like I posted in the other thread. You need a serious conversation about noise!!!!

Don't play again until that problem is solved!

I have offered to quit mid gig, but never done it.

Hi Wasi

Next time make them an offer they can't refuse!

Professionalism ALWAYS matters.

hi lfmn16

Yep! And professionalism goes two ways!

If your band is too loud and dangerous, I will put these (mid gig if I have to!)

Don't tell me anything about the dresscode!

I have a low tolerance for hateful stupidity.

Hallo Volker

Bingo! gib nazis keine chance!!!

bleeding from her ear

hi Bunk McNulty

I guess that was a really really rrally loud gig!



Would I ever walk mid gig?

Today probably not. I have a helmet and ear protectors in my car and IEM on my gigs.

25 years ago? Rock and roll! I never had to. (talking is better than running away!)



may the bass be with you

wise(b)ass

 

[primusfan1989]

I would do everything in my power to finish the gig. Ive left right before a gig, Ive quit immediately following a gig, but I would not want to walk out mid gig, its just bad form. The show must go on

 

[The Bass Clef]

I had a band member rage quit in the middle of a gig a few years ago. But he was just a harmonica player and sadly, I didn’t even notice until the song was over and he was walking off the stage with his amp in hand, haha. I thought he just had somewhere to be and started into the next song. Even more sadly, he got his ass kicked in the parking lot afterwards for being a jerk to someone else and he lost a tooth over it. He was going through a tough time with his wife (they’re now divorced) and apparently, the straw that broke the camel’s back in terms of him going full meltdown was our drummer telling him during the song that his harmonica sounded really weird (because he was running it through a flange pedal that he had never done before then).

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Hi folks

wise(b)ass

hi Bunk McNulty

I guess that was a really really rrally loud gig!

I appreciate the joke, but I can't laugh too much: I left out the important detail: Her husband cold-cocked her because she was dancing with another guy. Cops took him away.

 

[fhm555]

I could see myself quitting a band at the end of the night.

BTDT, no regrets.

 

[Yellow Bang66]

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?

Although Ive felt like it, I probably would not. Unless I felt like I was in danger,physiical harm. Last band itwas only anger & irratation at 1 member that made me waana Bolt, But I never did at/during a gig! yeah it was the drummer! he had his stupid way of getting under my skin! I quit after a blow up type argument band meeting! I got fed up & quit. choosing to rather been bandless than to go on with a delusional dummy! I guess if iwas in pain oe fear for my life Id bolt mi gig! otherwise I probably could wait til after.eventhough it was bad I consider myself pretty tolerate of idiots, but its continues to get shorter & shorter!

 

[MichelD]

It would have to be really really bad. I have a strange, deep seated personality flaw. If I say I'm going to do something, then I stick with it. I'm an ex commercial fisherman and I can think of three different boats I really should have quit off of in mid-season, but despite the fact that the captains and conditons were intolerable, I somehow felt a responsibility to stay.

 

[lfmn16]

hi lfmn16

Yep! And professionalism goes two ways!

If your band is too loud and dangerous, I will put these (mid gig if I have to!)

I agree 100% that you should never put yourself or or health at risk.I don’t think there is anything unprofessional about walking out on a gig to ensure your personal safety.

I was answering “Does professionalism matter at highly unprofessional gigs played by totally unprofessional bands in crappy venues to clueless drunks?” IMHO those are not health or safety issues and not reasons for walking out.

 

[dwagner]

Seems like 95% of TBers have tinnitus, so I don’t think they have the judgement to preserve their hearing.

 

[lfmn16]

Right, so don’t join a totally unprofessional band comprised totally of unprofessional musicians performing in venues that do not present professional entertainment and one will never have this unprofessional problem!

Exactly. If you lay down with dogs don’t cry that you woke up with fleas.

 

[RVRSCO]

Yeah, I’ve done it before a long time ago when I was in my late teens early 20’s. Bad situation and some really crummy stuff going on in the band. Wasn’t worth it. With that said, being older and wiser now hopefully those types of situations can be avoid by talking about the problems.

 

[lfmn16]

Seems like 95% of TBers have tinnitus, so I don’t think they have the judgement to preserve their hearing.

Actually we’re exactly the ones that have the experience to lecture. Many of us wouldn’t be in this position if we’d been warned about the consequences of not protecting our hearing.

 

[Acoop]

When my kids were small I did a few painful gigs to pay for diapers, etc, but never quit mid-flight. ... I had a good friend quit his gig, because the girl singer flipped out on stage. ... And that would have been tempting. ... I think I'd just go zen and quit later.

 

[Wisebass]

I can't laugh too much

I appreciate your comment! (as always)

I never walked mid gig (because the band sucks)

but I stopped playing (a bunch of times) when folks got abusive.

Reacting to the audience is our job. IMO

I am sure that not everybody will agree with that (sadly)

"The show must go on" is okay when my feelings are hurt.

It is not okay when somebody in my audience gets hurt!

Violence has no place on my gigs!

greetings

Wise

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

I've thought seriously about it quite a few times... it's hard to make an abrupt exit with a bass and a rig.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Seems like 95% of TBers have tinnitus, so I don’t think they have the judgement to preserve their hearing.

History repeats itself, I guess. But I'd like to give a warning.

 

[Bonecat]

Hell, my whole band left mid-gig once. Small town bar, seemed like nice people. Was going fine until the manager’s father walked in meth’d beyond belief and tweakin’ big time. Toothless took some irrational dislike to a song we were doing, stepped onto the stage and tried to grab our female lead singer and then tried to swing at our lead guitarist when he stepped between them. Someone wrestled him out and we all said nope, loaded out, and never looked back. Place closed a few weeks later and has not been missed…