BS: Your funniest gig anecdote

Subject: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Deni
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 03:21 PM

OK. After reading the best and worst gig threads, I'd love to hear all your funniest anecdotes about anything music-related. Doesn't really have to be a gig, that was just the shortest word.

I'll start the ball rolling...after I've heard a few of yours.

DIG DEEP PLEASE

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Jim Krause
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 03:58 PM

A few years back, a group I was touring with had a booking at a VA (Veteran's Administration) hospital in the Chicago area. About two or three numbers before the end of the show, the frontman of the group always did what we called The Tape Pitch. He had several comedy routines, monologues really about why the audience needed to buy our product.

Well this time, in front of all these disabled veterans he was waxing eloquent in his best comedic style. And as he was well into his spiel a look of horror slowly crept over his face, and he began to falter. He realized to his utter chagrin that the patients at the hospital hadn't a dime to their names, and couldn't buy a recording no matter the price. I thought I'd die laughing. So I immediately turned around and pretended to blow my nose.

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Pseudolus
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 04:08 PM

I often play at the Nursing Home that my Dad stays at. He really likes it when I come out to play. Anyway, one time I was playing and this woman was singing EVERYTHING with me. She didn't need to know words or tune, she just kept singing. My Dad was giving her dirty looks but she kept singing. In between songs I said to my dad, "what do you want me to play, Dad?"....and he says very loudly, "Play something she doesn't know!!!!!!" Loved it!!

Frank

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: tiggerdooley
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 04:20 PM

I can't do a blue clicky, but I've told this one on another thread. We were playing an open mic night, and this guy was being a real drunken asshole all night. Part of the way through our first song, he falls onto the tiny stage, almost knocks over tiny me, and almost smashes my teeth with the mic stand. I didn't stop singing - not once - and all of a sudden, as he lay floundering on the floor, I kicked him in the head. Full force!!!!! (Well, as much force as a girl of my stature can give.) As I've said before, I'm quite the pacifist, and I give people a lot of chances, but this night, I just saw red. The crowd loved it and they paid more attention to our music than open mic crowds normally do!!! I got a round of applause and handshakes - all while we finished the set!! And people still come up to me and say he deserved it.

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 05:08 PM

Warning..X RATED POST.

A VERY famous Toronto Guitar player (and eccentric) played a whole set at the Riverboat Coffee House with his fly open and his union member dangling.

How did he manage this practical joke (!?) without being hauled off the stage? I still marvel at his inventiveness (if not his sense of good taste).

We were a quartet, using one mike. He stood (sort of) behind each of us at different times, and when taking a break or singing harmony he'd turn sideways. At times he just held his instrument strategically.

We (in the band) noticed what was going on as soon as we reached the stage, and as the group leader, I didn't know what to do (after I'd gotten over the giggles). Figured he'd "put it away" after the first song...but no. He kept the choreography going for 20 minutes. I'd kill to have THAT amount of nerve. (I'd use it differently though!)

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Dug
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 05:45 PM

I was playing in an Irish band in a pub in Sydney with some mates of mine that I hadn't seen for a while. One of the blokes was singing the song The Nightingale and we launched into a full blooded multi harmony rendition of the chorus "..and they kissed so sweet and tenderly as the clung to each other" just as a fight broke out in the crowd. These two guys were clinging to each other and rolling around punching bejaysus out of each other. We kept playing and when the chorus rolled around again we all collapsed laughing, still playing. I was on the floor playing my fiddle and crying as was the guitarist. It was hysterical.

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Nemesis
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 07:03 PM

This isn't terrrible hysterical - only mildly amusing. We Hilary, Alan and Jennifer, entered a talent show recently to have a crack at some prize money - after much debate we thought we'd simplified matters of a band name - deciding on the unpretentious copout of amalgamating our intials HAJ! We thought...

At the end of proceedings a deep and expectant hush fell over the audience and fellow competitors, the lady MC stepped up to the mic and announced " the winners are

...........................Hag!"

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: campfire
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 07:38 PM

I wasn't performing, but I saw this happen.

A solo performer was singing and playing guitar on a harbor cruise ship. Midway through the set, the waves got a bit rough, and the boat was pitching more than normal. The vocal mike started to tip over, and, rather than let it fall to the ground, the performer caught it IN HIS MOUTH. The lyrics got a little rough to understand, but he never stopped playing. He righted the mike, put his foot on the base, and finished the song.

campfire

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Hawker
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 07:39 PM

Demi,
The funniest gig anecdote.... not sure, funniest night in ages has to be between the Friday evening and the Saturday evening at Wadebridge Folk Festival 2000 - Not all the campers on the camp site though it was as funny as we did though! - especially the Quasimodo impression........
I would just like to register my apologies to all those who suffered a sleepless night having to listen to our hysterical laughter!
Lucy

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: John P
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 08:57 PM

We once had a gig in the women's handbag department at the Bon Marche department store. It was two hours of one funny moment after another.

In front of a large crowd at a major folk festival, my wife and music partner Anna was singing "The Trees Grow High" and when she came to the line about "all the young boys playing at the ball", she inadvertently substituted "playing with their balls".

I used to be in a band that did psuedo-medieval humorous songs. We were playing in a tavern and there was a drunken heckler there. One gets to expect that if one plays in taverns, but this guy was a drunken medieval musicologist who wanted to scream at us about all the mistakes we were making in historical authenticity.

We were auditioning for a gig at a tavern's open mic when Anna caught a fingerpick in the guitar strings and shot it into the audience like a slingshot. We got the gig anyway . . .

John Peekstok

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Apr 01 - 07:51 AM

The night I did the "Vomit Blues" (don't ask) with a bucket and bird seed in my hand clenched over my mouth. The just LOVED it when the seed dribbled out the heel of of my hand.
not.

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: KitKat
Date: 04 Apr 01 - 08:05 AM

I was at a Don McLean concert in Reading, when a member of the audience rolled out of the first floor balcony, narrowly missed the huge bank of Bose speakers and landed just in front of the stage. D Mc was totally professional and carried on playing while the St John's ambulance folk carried him away.

I found out afterwards that the guy had had a tad too much to drink, needed to get to the loo and thought it would be quicker to try and climb from one balcony to the next, not realising there was a two-foot gap between them. He got away woth a broken collarbone.

There's a moral in there somewhere!

Kit Kat

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Apr 01 - 08:08 AM

Here's 2 memorable gigs

First one was a wedding where the meal was in progress when we arrived and they were "listening" to a string quartet. Not much talking naturally. When I went up to the best man to ask him what dance the bride and groom wanted to begin with it turned out he was profoundly deaf! ...as were the entire wedding party and guests. This was a real challenge not only because circle dances were definitely ruled out but also because there was no way to tell the punters when the next dance was going to start. Funny to look back on but 3 hours of hell !!!

Second was an upmarket wedding in London. All very posh. In the break we observed the bride sneaking off with the best man. We kept quiet and then Mummy asked us half an our later if we had seen the bride as they wanted to cut the cake. We kept quiet and then 5 minutes later a very blushing bride was dragged back into the room. It was announced that there would be no cake cutting and that the bride and groom were leaving !!!

Many more but those are 2 of the best

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Troll
Date: 04 Apr 01 - 09:39 AM

We were playing a festival in 1971 as an old-time string band. I was an aspiring fiddler and the other members had decided that I was finally good enough to play onstage.
The big moment came, I picked up my fiddle, walked to the mike, tucked fiddle beneath chin, raised my bow,...and the fingerboard fell off!
First the band-led by the regular fiddler- started laughing, then the audience joined in. Soon everyone was alaughing including me. I put the fiddle away, picked up my giutar, and we did something elas.
The great fiddler, Tommy Jarrel was in the audience and he told me after the show that he had never seen that happen in all his years of playing. When I asked him what he would have done, he shrugged and said," Same as you probably."

troll

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 04 Apr 01 - 02:35 PM

My band was opening for Richie Furay (originally with the Buffalo Springfield) to a packed house at a rock club outside Chicago. The stage manager told us that they would introduce us and they would begin to raise the curtain as we started our first song. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the blah, blah, blah is proud to present Cactus Jack!!" We launched into our first song (complete with three-part harmony) and, as the curtain started to go up, it hooked the boom stand on our Bass players microphone. As the curtain ascended so did the mic! I looked over to see Mike, our bassist, manfully trying to free the mic stand with one hand and play the bass with the other, while continuing to sing his part. With a little help from an observant stage-hand, he did it, too. What a way to start a set!

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 04 Apr 01 - 02:51 PM

a guitar player friend related a story. He used to do gigs in bars with another musician who would sometimes leave a window open so he could get in later and rob the place. One time the guy decided to have a drink(s) from the bar and the owner found him passed out behind the bar in the morning. petr

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Noreen
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 07:55 AM

We were playing at a ceili after the wedding of two friends in Liverpool (a banjo player marrying a button accordion player…) The accordion player started off the music with her accordion strapped on over her long white finery.

Well, the music was going great, Guinness flowing, enthusiastic dancing filling the room in front of the low stage, when husband noticed that one of the musicians had dropped a plectrum onto the floor. So without leaving his seat, mid-tune, said husband fished onto the floor with his fiddle bow to retrieve the pick, just as an enthusiastic dancer chose that split second to occupy the same piece of floor space with a foot.

Needless to say, the cost of repairing the bow was rather greater that the cost of replacing a lost plectrum.

(He had a spare bow, so everything carried on!)

Noreen

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Willie-O
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 10:01 AM

I played fiddle at a firewalk wedding ceremony a couple of years ago. I do not recommend combining a firewalk and a nuptial ceremony, with dancing afterwards. You need to have complete concentration to complete a firewalk successfully--and there are just too many "energy distractions" at a wedding. Such as the bride's grandmother wondering what in the Sam Hill is going on here....

The bride and the groom spent the rest of the evening having their feet bathed...we had a great jam but they didn't dance much! (They are still together though, I saw them last month.) The worst afflicted feet belonged to the firewalking "minister", who suffered in private, not apparently much inclined to socialize with the wedding party....

Willie-O

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: GUEST,ApparentDefense
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 11:52 AM

Working in a singing group on stage at the Playboy Club-Atlanta 1967. The song was We Shall Walk Through The Valley-a semi-rousing spiritual. At one particularly joyous moment, a guy in the audience stands up, reaches into his jacket, pulls out a pistol, points it at the stage and mumbles something about blasphemous yankees singing about the Lord in a place like The Playboy Club.

Imagine five guys trying to hide behind each other. Still singing, of course...strummin' our asses off.

Troupers 'til the end.

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: GUEST,dan keding
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 06:12 PM

Neighbors, It was too many years ago but it was a gig not to forget. I'd been really sick with a bad case of the flu - fever, chills, head ache, muscle ache - you all know the feeling. I should have stayed home but I didn't. I went to the gig because, as we all have experienced, I needed the money. For the first time in years I actually sat while I sang and told stories. I was in the middle of this long ballad when suddenly I fell asleep - just slumped over the guitar and dozed off. I woke before I opened my eyes and I knew what I'd done but wasn't quite sure what the audience was doing. I slowly raised my head and the whole audience was very quietly looking at me, sometimes whispering among themselves. I finsihed the set and quickly left the stage. I asked one of my friends how long I was "out" and he said about five or six minutes. He said the audience just sat and waited for me to wake up and finish, but they waited quietly so I'd wake up naturally. Audiences just don't come any better than that.

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 08:11 PM

Hi. Ma fazoo here. I remember once playing to a convention of undertakers. the owner of the inn where we were booked for the summer told us "They're very sensitive about their occupation, be careful what you sing." Of course from that moment on neither cranky yankee nor I could think of anything else. Ever realize how many folksongs mention or are actually about death? So we started out with the Long Black Veil, ended with frankie abnd johnnie and in between sang every dead song we knew. The men in black loved it.
I once beat up a man who was headed for the stage while cranky was singing. the guitar was lying on the floor, and as he passed me, I heard him mutter"I think I'll go pissh in the guitar." I was up and he was in his seat in a heartbeat. Not really such a feat when you know that I'm almost 6' and he was about 5'4' and very short on balance. He sat 3 tables away from me for the rest of the evening muttering things like, "I can whip her with one hand tied behind my back". Did Cranky come to my rescue? What do you think? He did cheer me on, but kept on singin'. What a guy!. What a pro!!
Kendall, this really belongs in another thread, but I think I'd like to be chained to you and 'spaw, sinsull and kat and Sean Connery. (He looks tough, and could probably umpire all the fights you and cranky and 'spaw could get into. )

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Deckman
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 04:05 PM

I was asked to perform at an outdoor wedding, by a beautiful lakeshore. When the couple wanted to get things started, I strummed a chord on my guitar and started singing. As I started the first verse, and the people were gathering into a half circle facing the lake, we all saw a large flock of ducks paddling over. They reached the shore, continued on land, and gathered around the brides feet. They cocked their heads, were very quiet, as if listening to my song. When the music stopped, they all looked at each other, quacked loudly back and forth, waddled back into the water and paddled away. We were all so stunned there was silence until I cracked up. We all laughed so long the minister had to get everyone's attention again. (Unfortunatly I forget what song I was singing, but I can still see those ducks)! CHEERS, Bob (deckman) Nelson

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Dave Wynn
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 07:51 PM

......Doing a barn dance in a real potato barn...We were playing on the back of a farm trailer and as we got into the first dance we noticed the dust (from the barn floor) slowly rising about the dancers...By the second dance it was foggy to their waists....at the third all we could see (from our elevated position) was the heads of the dancers moving up and down with the beat in a surreal fog of dust and arc lights...(god knows what it did to my reeds....) we spend most of the night trying to laugh in sync with the drummer....

Spot

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 11:48 PM

Some funny things Happened at The Black Pearl Tavern in Newport. One night A "Biker" New to Newport's "Viking Riders" (we call them "Heck'"s Angels) They are a very nice Motorcyscle club. This Newcomer had obvious thought that he had just joined an outlaw club. He strolled into the "Pearl" waring a leather jacket with chrome grommets and chains and all. He was also wearing sunglasses. Now in the old days, Commercial Fishermen as well as U.S Senators (Pell) The King of Greece, Frank Sinatra and th e Local Navy Base Swab Jockeys . Just to drop a few names. Whoi all seemed to k now as they came in the door that they fit. It was not unusual to see a two days bearded Fisherman and Senator Pell talking about Baseball or something. The atmosphere was very casual and easy. I've never seen any other place like it. Those that didn't fit seemed to know it as soon as they alked in the door and left. Well, as soon as this biker came in and started looking for a place to sit, everyone started quietly copmmenting on his attire, just loud enough to be sure he heard. I was on break, as he passed by I said to someone at our table, gee look at those chrome grommets in the bottom of his jacket. (they were about size 8) Do you think he puts a laniard in them and ties himself to the Bike? The whole place,as everyone commented, and got the giggles. So. He angrilly turned around and left. Just before closing, he came back with a few of the local bikers. One of them knew me and knew that I was a Karate student. So I shook hands with him and a couple of the others. Tshey all had a drink, disrupted nothing, and left. The New "Baddass" Viking stayed behind and seethed. He came up to the stage and started insulting me, which gave ME the giggles. This is the moment I knew that I'd ARRIVED in my Karate training and that a Black belt wasn't far away. (Im now ranked "GoDan" in the Shotokan style) (5th degree) He started saying all kinds of things about my "Sex crazed" Mother, whjo's been dead since 1932. He was yelling, "Shipwreck" the parrot, started screeching, "Hello Polly", and I fianally said, "Yeah I know all that, we've been trying to get her to change, but, you know Mom!!! He got so mad he took off his sunglasses, crushed them under his heel and angrilly stomped out of the place as everyone eruptted into gales of laughter.

G'night
Jody Gibson.

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Kaleea
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 12:03 AM

It was the 60's & our teen band was hired to play the school for the blind in a nearby town. We played our standard playlist & came to the next one. I started playing the intro & sang: "Are the stars out tonight? I can't tell if it's cloudy or bright . . ." when I realized I was about to broach the subject of blindness & infuriate or embarass all the kids at the school but it was too late & I had to continue singing . . ."cause I only have eyes, for you, Dear. . ." It was the hit of the night-they loved it!

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Deckman
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 03:15 AM

100 years ago, when I was a performer in a religous chorus in College, we performed "The White Pilgrim." We toured various churches and presented this folk based story/song. I was the 'White Pilgrim', and as such, at the point of my death, I was to leave the sanctuary, playing my guitar and singing, while sneaking out the back door. I was then supposed to run around the building, enter the church through the front doors, and at the appropriate time, re-enter the sanctuary, again singing my theme song. Only this once, the front doors were locked and I couldn't get back in! I ran to the side of the building, saw an open window, and sang as loudly as I could while cars were streaming by me on the busy city street. I'm told that the congregation was very moved, and I got an "A" plus from the chorus Director for good thinking! CHEERS Bob(deckman) Nelson

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: jimmydemoonlight
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 12:07 PM

i loved de one about de ducks by de lakeshore and it reminded me of a similar incident of my own experience , when i was a young enthusiastic musician (now i`m just an old enthusiastic musician ) my pals invitd me to join them for a weekend in a large country house( and of course i would be welcome to bring my guitar ! ) we had finished dinner and i was invited to play as an after dinner treat for the gathering. i was only too happy to oblige my very good friends and duly fished out my beloved clasical guitar to play my favourite piece of the moment . a beautiful minuet by Fernando Sor . now you must know , if you have ever played for irish audiences , that to strike up a tune in their presence is a signal to instantly start chatting away ninety to the dozen, which this company duly did. i was seated at the top of the table and at the far end , between the husband and wife , was the family labrador dog , who just looked at me all the while i played (never howled once ! ) i finished the tune and removed the guitar from across my knee . with that the labrador walked from his place and placed his paw and his head on my knee as if to say , " well i was listening and thank you! "

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 12:12 PM

while playing "Baby, Let me follow you down" , mike stand slowly collapsed for final double chorus,leading me to limbo lower and lower "following the mic down" until I was on the floor. The drummer's girlfriend sittin upfront in front of me was laughin so hard she was crying, she could see it wasn't intentional .Everyone else thought it was a planned stupid gag. A friend after the set told me it was hoakie stunt.I aint sure he believed it wasn't, even after I told him.

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: menzze
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 12:46 PM

In 1987 we had a couple of gigs in Bretagne, the main one was for 15th anniversary of a regatta called "Les 24 heures de la voile" organized by Frederic Perennes at the age of 73. He booked us without even knowing a song just believing the words of some of his friends.
It was really a succes, more than 6ooo spectators,radio, tv etc.
Some weeks before a friend of mine tried to get some gigs for us in Tregastel during an event called "La Semaine de le Music" organized by one of the administrators of the village, a guy wearing his nose real high. He refused to book us because for what kind of reason ever.
To me it is very important that people understand what I sing and as many Germans or in this case Frenchies don't speak English I tried to give a short summit of each song in the beginnnig of it. Well,that works out fine in Germany but my French is not too good and while announcing a love song I wanted to say: this is a song for all people in love which in French means "pour tous les amoureux" but said instead, whithout even remarking it, "pour tous les amouretts". Not too funny so far but Amouretts was the name of this administrator who did not want to book us. A lot of people from the village already had called him a fool and idiot for not having booked "Oaktree" and then hearing this from stage everyone around him exploded laughing.
I was told this later after the show by a friend who stood right beside this man. He said to me that was the best response ever given to this arrogant person, maybe right because I wasn't aware of what I was saying.
I still have to grin when I remember that.

menzze

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 01:07 AM

Well, I don't suppose this really qualifies as a funny gig, but about forty years ago, Caroline and I were invited to sing at a banquet for the Vermont Artificial Breeders Association. We decided to open the program with the lovely English song "I Sowed the Seeds of Love." Nobody seemed to get it. Ah, well...

Sandy

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Max
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 05:10 PM

This is just more strange than funny. I just started gigging again, and had a show on Thursday. Went quite well by the way. Before the show, I was getting ready to record it with my minidisc (ended up forgetting to unpause it) but I put some extra AA batteries in my pants pocket in case the minidisc ran low. So about 3/4 the way through my set, in the middle of a song, I feel a burning on my leg. Couldn't think of anything that would create heat in my pocket, so I though it might be my keys poking at me. So, still in the middle of the song, I start shaking my leg to rearange the keys or stop the pain that I was feeling. Didn't help. So when the song was done, I stood up, reached into my pocket to find 3 AA batteries hot enough to burn my fingers as I removed them and dropped them to the floor. People wondered what I was doing. Didn't seem to hurt my leg too much at the time, but when I got home and dropped trou, there was a hell of a burn on my leg the exact size of a AA battery. This was almost a week ago, and it still smarts and created a hell of a scab. A friend told me that me and my plugged in Martin completed a circuit and I was charging the batteries during my set.

So be advised, don't gig with batteries in your pocket.

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Jeri
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 05:18 PM

Is that a double-A in your pocket, or...

Max, you ever wonder if that's how Elvis got started?

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Cantrip
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 05:47 PM

The funniest will definately take a moments thought, but here's one while I think.

A few years ago, I played with a band called Burach. We were just finishing off a badly promoted, badly attended tour (this does happen to everyone sometime, right?) of England. Come the final night, we found ourselves in Washington, Tyne and Wear, walking onstage in front of an audience of 2 (that's t-w-o!). They seemed to be enjoying themselves, though, so we gave of our best, to be greeted with rapturous (if minimalist) applause from one of the two in particular. Come the break we thought, what the hell, let's get to know the audience personally, they seem nice.
Turned out our fan was almost completely deaf and, for no adequately explained reason, thought he'd come to see Fairport Convention, a band he'd clearly never seen before, even in photos.

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 05:48 PM

My mate and I were booked for St Patricks night at a pub in Bradford. When we arrived an hour and a half early, the landlord offered us Anything we liked,which we took to mean illegal substances, or if not he would pick us out a woman! Naturally we declined, but it cheered us up for the whole night. We may be planning a reunion next year.

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 06:17 PM

The four of us signed on to be wallpaper three weekends straight during the California Sesquicentennial thing. We played dockside to wile away the hours for folks standing in long lines to visit the visiting sailing ships. Anyway, the last day of the six we were there there was a christening or some stupid thing that two of the group absolutely had to attend for family reasons, so it was down to a duet. In the afternoon, though, a banjo player happened along and he sat in for a very enjoyable afternoon. Fast forward about four months and I get a call from someone who saw "us" in San Diego and would we play for their association, and there's a budget, so this is cool. When we get there the contact person is very surprised that there are four of us, not three. Figured it out yet? Only call-back we get is when half the regulars are gone and someone else sits in. Lesson in humility number one.

CC

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 06:23 PM

The four of us signed on for three weekends during the California Sesquicentennial. We played dockside to wile away the hours for folks in line to visit the sailing ships. The last day, though, there there was a christening that two of us absolutely had to attend for family reasons, so it was down to a duet. In the afternoon, a banjo player happened along and sat in with us. Fast forward four months and I get a call from someone who saw "us" and would we play for his club. When we get there the contact person is very surprised that there are four of us, not three. Duh. Only call-back we get is when half the regulars are gone and someone else sits in. Lesson in humility number one.

CC

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: Morticia
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 06:44 PM

We played a pub one night that was known for Karaoke ( spit) rather than live music. About half way through the first set a rather inebriated young gentleman insists that we let his girl friend up to sing as ...and I quote," she had really great voice".( please imagine the slurring).Not at all phased since I am courting a Storm Warning 10 cold and could use a break, I said" bring her on".
So, you are probably way ahead of me when I tell you that she sounded like a cat in a spin dryer, but the best of it was that she was FURIOUS when she found we didn't have the words on a screen and openly disbelieving when we explained that we usually just learned the words.Gotta laugh.....haven't you?

Subject: RE: BS: Your funniest gig anecdote
From: bill\sables
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 06:47 PM

I played with a band in the early eighties with a singer who thought he was God,s gift to woman. One night in Hull Irish club he decided to make the great entry and got the MC to announce us while the curtains were shut, then we would start to play and as the curtains opened he would make his entry. Well it sounded OK so we started playing and the curtains opened taking with them the two PA speakers. His great entry consisted of him running from side to side trying to catch them.
Another night at the same club the MC, who was a bit of a pillock, and had the annoying habit of singing "The Party's Over" after we had finished with an encore, so we decided to fix him for sure. As the last tune I started to play the Irish National Anthem (The Soldiers Song) and all the audience stood to attention and sang along. Now anyone who plays to Irish audiences knows you never do anything after their anthem, but the MC didn't. As usual he started to sing "The Party's Over" as five or six big Irishmen marched to the front of the stage and carried him shoulder high and deposited him outside the door.