Post your worst keyboard load in stories

[Stokely]

And one quick one - getting driven in a golf buggy heading onto the beach for the gig through the underground car park under a hotel - a Lexus taxi/limousine thing with a texting driver hits the buggy side on. Could've easily lost a leg.

 

At least me and the gear were ok, and it was for an Irish society gig with any amount of free Guinness.

 

As an aside, no matter how bad self-driving cars may be (at first at least) I have a hard time believing they'll be worse than the human "drivers" we have right now.

 

If you can safely do so (say as a passenger) look around you at cars just to see how many people are buried in a device, occasionally looking up to make sure they haven't hit anything yet. Apparently as a society our self-worth is based on how "social" we are, all the time, and it would be a disaster to become disconnected even for a short trip to wal-mart. On second thought, maybe don't, as you will be too scared to drive. I sure as HELL woudn't be on a motorcycle these days, despite the fact that I like them.

[lightbg]

Similar to others. 25 years ago a college frat wanted us to play on a cruise around Manhattan island. Quoted them a price and told them 'No Hammond on the boat'. 'But we"ll pay extra'. Quoted another 1K figuring they wouldn"t pay the freight. 'No problem'. Rats, now I gotta do it. Hired my cousins to assist and mind the van.

Got aboard, did the 4 hours. They wanted overtime. They knew upfront all costs, and agreed...... for 2 hours.

 

Back at the pier. The dock is now 12 feet above the boat. I made it no problem, but the drummer was in a rush and his trap case went into the Hudson.

 

Best money I ever made, but thank God for clonewheels.

 

We got paid cash that night.

 

Jake

[NoLights]

We used to play a venue at Old Orchard Beach -- Maine's honky tonk summer hotspot. The club is at the end of a quarter-mile long pier, and you started your load in from a spot that just to the left of the low-rise buildings. It was an afternnon/early evening gig and it was almost always hot. The pier was generally chock-a-block full of tourists who would block your path and be totally oblivious. And I had to make two trips. At the end, the gig was a balcony, accessible by a narrow staircase. And then, during the gig, you faced west directly into the sun and melted. Below, there were a few tables for pub customers, but mostly, you were playing for people who really weren't aware that you were there. Then you got to do it all in reverse at the end.

 

[Docbop]

My first tour as a roadie I worked for Bobby Whitlock right after Derick and the Dominos had split up. Some of Bobby's gear still had the Derick + Dominos stencils on it. The nightmare for me it was I was working alone and Bobby had a chopped Hammond B3 in a Anvil case almost 300 pounds. It was just the band (a great band) and a useless tour manager and myself. We flew that heavy Hammond as luggage, back then giving skycaps big tips you'd could get away with all sorts of stuff. Every night was a nightmare getting that B3 out of the Anvil case and setup because who ever the idiot was that chopped this B3 put the horrible legs from an old RMI piano on it. Sometimes I could get someone to help me set the B3 up on to the legs, but other times I had to slowly tilt it up and hope those legs didn't collapse in. Towards the end of the tour Bobby and I got into it and I quit. Part of my happiness in leaving was the management company didn't replace me and that useless tour manager now had to handle the gear and manage the tour.

 

 

Most my nightmare involve B3's. A local band I worked for played this one bar that was on a 2nd floor all the time. Even with everyone helping getting that B3 up and down that steep staircase was a pain. The worst time though we got a gig at a club that was on the 2nd floor at the end of a mall. We get there and were told we couldn't use the elevator and roll our equipment thru the mall, we had to use a set of fire stairs on outside of mall that was side door of the club. We though okay one flight of stairs again no big deal. We get there the bottom of the stair was at same level of parking garage. It was like almost three flights of stair up to the side door. We were young and dumb and hauled that dam B3 up and down all those stairs.

 

Last B3 story was when I worked that Yes tour we had a B3 but only had a organ carrier and shipping blankets for protection. A Avil case was ordered for it, but Avil couldn't have it ready for awhile. Finally done Anvil shipped the case to us on the road and this huge bright orange case arrives. The case was used the first night and it was great it had big wheels so rolling on the truck was easy. The second night we have it because of it size we had it sitting right against the back of the stage. Breaking down something happened and one of the big guys on the crew fell off the back of the stage, lucky for him he fell onto the top of the brand new B3 Anvil case. The top of the case caved in and broke his fall so he was okay, but the Anvil case was now unusable the top all cracked and smashed down. So back on the phone to Anvil to get the case repaired.

 

Working with B3 is a pain, but they sound so good!!!

[Threadslayer]

Working with B3 is a pain, but they sound so good!!!

That's really it. In all the years I spent hauling a B3 and Leslie around to gigs, outside of low level grumbling and cussing, none of my bandmates or roadies ever really complained about moving them. Everybody just loved that sound.

[Red Ranger]

We used to play a venue at Old Orchard Beach -- Maine's honky tonk summer hotspot. The club is at the end of a quarter-mile long pier, and you started your load in from a spot that just to the left of the low-rise buildings. It was an afternnon/early evening gig and it was almost always hot. The pier was generally chock-a-block full of tourists who would block your path and be totally oblivious. And I had to make two trips. At the end, the gig was a balcony, accessible by a narrow staircase. And then, during the gig, you faced west directly into the sun and melted. Below, there were a few tables for pub customers, but mostly, you were playing for people who really weren't aware that you were there. Then you got to do it all in reverse at the end.

 

Old Orchard Beach was my least favorite load-in too! Our gigs went from 9:30pm-1:30am, so during load-out, all the side venues on the pier would be piling their garbage and empty beer bottles into the walkway for removal. Added fun to navigate around all that with overstuffed carts, while the maintenance crew hosed down the deck. Speaking of the deck, the old, warped planks of the pier are perpendicular to the direction of travel, so the cart rattles & bumps all the way out and back. After 4 trips over the pier & 4 hours of playing (with the structure swaying all night long in the waves), it was still a 2-hr drive home for me. I hated that gig.

[TyPie]

Long time lurker here. LOVE this thread! (Can relate to every post)

 

1. Can"t remember the venue from years back, but it was an old, historically significant building for a wedding reception. We did the typical schlep of the equipment from the parking lot, through the kitchen, to a very narrow wooden stairway, complete with handrails. Destination? A tiny postage stamp sized 'balcony" over-looking the dining room where we needed to fit 5 pieces with full drum kit, keys rig, guitar rig, and 2 horn players. The only way we could fit, was to position the drummer"s throne DIRECTLY inside a small restroom, which opened to the balcony.

My comment to drummer: 'how perfectly fittingâ¦..'. Wouldn"t speak to me the rest of the night.

 

2. I do 2-3 gigs a year at a private club, upper east side, NYC. Schlepp gear for 5 pieces from the street, double-parked (there is rarely street parking available), a ½ block to the rear of the building where there is a TINY service elevator (designed for MAYBE 2 people). We are on the 3rd floor. BUT, the elevator door automatically closes after 5 seconds. We place a heavy case for a door stop. The elevator BELL then loudly sounds when the door is blocked. Club manager runs down, SCREAMING at top of lungs to NOT block the elevator door! So, we wind up THROWING the equipment in as fast as possible before door keeps closing to make a full load.

 

Go to park the car 2 city blocks away ($60.00 to park for the duration.)

End of gig, reverse the process.

On one of my recent trips, on a very busy NYC weekend, officials decide to CLOSE most lanes of the Lincoln Tunnel! Took no less than 4-1/2 hours of complete gridlock (in every direction), a foot at a time, to get from the upper east side of Manhattan to the Lincoln Tunnel, I kid you NOT!

[SamuelBLupowitz]

My first tour as a roadie I worked for Bobby Whitlock right after Derick and the Dominos had split up. Some of Bobby's gear still had the Derick + Dominos stencils on it. . . . Towards the end of the tour Bobby and I got into it and I quit. . . . when I worked that Yes tour . . .

Unlimited beverage of your choice on me for more of these stories.

[agitato]

Just curious. Did anyone have any issues/incidents gigging with/moving a Yamaha CP70B and/or a Yamaha CS80? I gigged with both of those, they sounded awesome/played wonderfully, HOWEVER, (was in my 20s so I dealt with it) the WEIGHT and the fact I needed help I (am relatively short/uncoordinated to begin with) to get either of them out of their road cases and set up (attaching the harp to the grand's action, then putting the 80 on top of the grand, (tons of fun). Also had to take the 80 in for repairs numerous times as it wasn't the most reliable board at the time, one of the repair trips, was by myself and got my ankle caught between the front cement stoop (of my apt.) with the 80 in it's case on top of my ankle. Was trying to get the 80 in my VW bus from the front stoop,(of my apt. at the time) and apparently couldn't get enough leverage to load it in. I yelled for help and a neighbor lady got someone to lift the 80 off of my foot. I thought my foot was OK, so I drove the hour's drive to the repair shop and when I got there and got the 80 in, my foot started to throb. long story shorter, I wound up with a slight fracture to the bone that connects to the ankle, and was in a cast and on crutches for 8 weeks. They were great keyboards, though.

[SamuelBLupowitz]

I wound up with a slight fracture to the bone that connects to the ankle, and was in a cast and on crutches for 8 weeks. They were great keyboards, though.

And that, my friends, is the difference between a normal person... and a keyboard player!

[mate stubb]

I never gigged a CP70/80, but in addition to my Hammond I carried a Baldwin ElectroPro - because, you know, keyboard player!

 

It combined the weight of both pieces of the Yamaha into one, for added fun.

 

http://www.alphabeck.co.uk/hoep/images/balwin_ep.jpg

 

Then for added hilarity, I built a road coffin for it. At least it had wheels...

[Moonglow]

You know, this thread sort of makes me feel good. Perhaps something to do with a shared/collective experience involving resilience and overcoming adversity. Relevant/timely attributes.

[Threadslayer]

but in addition to my Hammond I carried a Baldwin ElectroPro -

It combined the weight of both pieces of the Yamaha into one, for added fun.

 

I had one of those too, but I don't remember it being that heavy or hard to move - at least compared to my B3.

[Bill H.]

^ I had an Electro-Pro too. It was way easier to transport than the CP-80 that replaced it. It had casters, and most of the time I'd roll it in and out myself.

 

One CP-80 horror story that sticks out was a Best Western in my piano bar days. When I took the gig I did not realize that the lounge was not on street level, and the service elevator was not big enough to just roll it in. The piano pieces had to come out of their cases and set on end in order to fit.

 

I actually had a routine down where I could set up that CP-80 by myself if needed. But not this time.

 

Wow is it weird to read what I put down 11 years ago in this thread. But it's true... all of it.

[Moonglow]

Here"s a CP-70 story that actually helped with a persistent load-out situation, although perhaps not in the best way. Back in my band"s heyday there was this weird, dorky, awkward, and sort of creepy dude that used to follow us around. We referred to him internally (i.e., among the band) as 'Weird Dave.' He would always stick around after our shows and talk to us while we were trying to pack up. We would usually talk to him for a couple of minutes, thanking him for coming out to hear us, etc., but we had a ton of gear back then (huge PA, lights, etc.) and would be hustling to get the hell out of there...and he would frequently be in our path of work, get in the way, etc. He would often ask if there was anything he could do to help, but we"d say, 'thanks Dave, we got this.' Then on one particular occasion, Weird Dave asked if he could help with something, just as I was breaking-down my CP-70. I had the harp section tilted up on its hinges, perpendicular to the action, so I said 'sure, grab that handle on the side and we"ll lift this off and set it on the ground.' Well poor Weird Dave had no idea how heavy this thing was, and right when we lifted it off the hinges, his eyes bugged out of his head. Then just as we set it down, he must have lost his footing and fell backwards. I mean he wiped-out. I think he may have even conked his head on a nearby railing or something. He slowly got up, staggered around for a bit, and then wondered away. I believe that was the last we ever saw of him.

[Steve Nathan]

I haven't read all the posts, but in 1969-71 I was in a band with 2 keyboard players. We had a Hammond D and a full size upright piano. Played mostly in one club for a year and then moved to another, but occasionally we'd take something outside. Hard to forget carrying a real piano and a D up a flight of stairs (with the drummer bitching but not helping the whole time). Do I win anything?

[16251]

One of worst moves my band used to do was this converted church. Hall was located on second floor, no elevator. Back stairs move in. Very steep, around 20 stairs. Once reached there was a 6 ft. stage. OK, so it was a Friday night and I was home which was about 12 miles from function hall. I was home watching TV and got this call from band leader asking where I was. It was the only time I ever messed up a gig date; I had thought it was a Saturday gig. At time of call from band leader the reception was starting in about 30 minutes and it was lightly snowing and there was a covering on the streets but to early for plows to be out.

 

I quickly packed my car, weighted piano, synth, two amps, etc. No garage. I dressed my tux, no shower. Drove in snow as fast as I could. Got to venue. Got a little help from band up the steep stairs, then I had to use additional stairs to stage through small door. It would of looked bad if I used front of stage and rest of band taking up the space.

 

As it turned out wedding party was late and start time was delayed. Also, playing on 6 ft stage sucked as the dance floor was in middle and away from stage, so interaction with the people was virtually impossible, which makes the gig last forever.

 

If anyone lives in MA, maybe you've played at this venue. It's in Topsfield on Rt 97.

[Al Quinn]

It was a party on a boat out of the South Street Seaport in Manhattan. Parked the car, loaded my gear on the cart, pushed it a few blocks to the boat, found out the boat had engine problems and was out of operation, the band and guests were told to go to Brooklyn to get on another boat, pushed my gear back to the car, drove to Brooklyn, load in was a PITA (as it always in on a boat).

 

This would have likely been less painful if we had cellphones but it was before they were commonplace. On a brighter note that gig was great. Playing music for happy people on a boat circling Manhattan on a beautiful day into night is a great experience!

[StanC]

Playing at a carnival there was a threat of rain, but half of the stage was covered for an accessible refuge if needed. Sure enough, here comes the rain! Frantically dismantling to get under cover. But now here comes a former bandmate and her entourage from a previous band of our leader stealing our refuge in order to organize a benefit for him who was battling cancer. It was an admirable effort of course, but execution left much to be desired. My entire rig was soaked since the crowd prevented me from getting under cover. Got everything home and dried out - luckily no permanent damage. Just the emotion storm of fear, anxiety and anger.

[Morizzle]

I've been reading through this whole thread thinking how incredibly fortunate I was these things never happened to me, but the other thread regarding Crumar Mojos just made me remember a little story.

 

I used to play a couple of gigs a year in a small city in the Netherlands. I actually once saw kanker playing there with a blues band. It's a very pretty and rustic place with narrow cobblestone streets. They've done the smart thing to prioritize bicycle traffic and pedestrians, so for public transport and travelling by car, there's basically just one very long one way street through the inner city, and that's it. Of course, the venue was right in the middle of the inner city. Setup time would always be after 9pm, with downbeat just around 10 (for those of you who are wondering, yes, it was a jazz gig, plug and play style).

 

When I arrived by car one evening, the lil' road through the city center was closed for some sort of maintenance work. I think they were decorating the streets with christmas lights. It's a smart tactic for 99.9% percent of the population to have these kinds of things done at night - the roads are clear during rush hour and the workers can work without traffic - but not that great for late night gigging jazz organ players...

I tried some alleys and sideways, but there was no getting through. So I parked the car, took a deep breath, put the Crumar Mojo organ on my back. Yes, the original soft case came with backpack-straps. I had always wondered what for. Apparently for that particular night. Picked up the stand with my left and a friggin QSC K10 with my right and walked about a mile to the venue. I had to stop every other minute to rest and change hands for the heavy amp. I arrived at the venue sweating like a marathon runner and of course it kinda sucked playing with hurting hands from all the schlepp. Thank god they had beer!

[Joe Muscara]

Picked up the stand with my left and a friggin QSC K10 with my right and walked about a mile to the venue. I had to stop every other minute to rest and change hands for the heavy amp. I arrived at the venue sweating like a marathon runner and of course it kinda sucked playing with hurting hands from all the schlepp. Thank god they had beer!

I see since then you've been working out, just in case it happens again. right?

[Morizzle]

Picked up the stand with my left and a friggin QSC K10 with my right and walked about a mile to the venue. I had to stop every other minute to rest and change hands for the heavy amp. I arrived at the venue sweating like a marathon runner and of course it kinda sucked playing with hurting hands from all the schlepp. Thank god they had beer!

I see since then you've been working out, just in case it happens again. right?

 

Not only that, it is also the only way how I work out anymore.

[EscapeRocks]

Had removed my Roland FA-08 from case, and was carrying it to the stage to put on the stand.

 

I tripped on something, and lost grip of the board. It fell, face down, like buttered toast, onto the carpet stage. A very audible "thunkkkkk"

 

Oh crap. Picked it back up and put it on the stand. Just a little scratch on the end cap. Fired it up and everything worked...whew. It was solid for the next 3 years I owned. Despite plastic, it was well built

[dodonnell]

Back in the 70's I arrived at the gig with my 3 piece to play a wedding at St. Michaels Hall in Schererville, Indiana. (There are several St. Michaels Halls in that area). Walked in and was surprised to see a 12 pieces group setting up on stage. Baby grand piano, Hammond B-3, lights, huge PA. Checked my contract and it had the correct address. Went up to the bride and groom and asked if they had hired another band. They said, no, but that they were surprised to see such a large band, and assumed that it was me. Approached the band, and asked if they were sure that they had the right venue. They said yes, but the leader went to his guitar case to look at the contract. He wasn't happy......

 

Duane OD

[Moonglow]

Back in the 70's I arrived at the gig with my 3 piece to play a wedding at St. Michaels Hall in Schererville, Indiana. (There are several St. Michaels Halls in that area). Walked in and was surprised to see a 12 pieces group setting up on stage. Baby grand piano, Hammond B-3, lights, huge PA. Checked my contract and it had the correct address. Went up to the bride and groom and asked if they had hired another band. They said, no, but that they were surprised to see such a large band, and assumed that it was me. Approached the band, and asked if they were sure that they had the right venue. They said yes, but the leader went to his guitar case to look at the contract. He wasn't happy......

 

Duane OD

Wow! I had a similar experience in Schererville, Indiana...except the halls were named "St. George" and it was my band that got the details wrong. I actually posted about this a few years ago (sans hall name) in another epic thread, Craziest Thing Ever Said to You at a Gig. Anyhow, after setting up our gear for approximately 45 minutes at the "first" St. George hall, the mother of the bride comes up and asks us if we were "The Travelers" (not the name of our band). Turns out we were to supposed to be at the "other" St. George hall across town. Man, did we ever high-tail it out of there. IIRC, we started the gig at St. George #2 on time.

 

Moral: Double-check hall address when playing in Schererville, Indiana.

[AWkeys]

2. I do 2-3 gigs a year at a private club, upper east side, NYC. Schlepp gear for 5 pieces from the street, double-parked (there is rarely street parking available), a ½ block to the rear of the building where there is a TINY service elevator (designed for MAYBE 2 people). We are on the 3rd floor. BUT, the elevator door automatically closes after 5 seconds. We place a heavy case for a door stop. The elevator BELL then loudly sounds when the door is blocked. Club manager runs down, SCREAMING at top of lungs to NOT block the elevator door! So, we wind up THROWING the equipment in as fast as possible before door keeps closing to make a full load.

 

Go to park the car 2 city blocks away ($60.00 to park for the duration.)

End of gig, reverse the process.

On one of my recent trips, on a very busy NYC weekend, officials decide to CLOSE most lanes of the Lincoln Tunnel! Took no less than 4-1/2 hours of complete gridlock (in every direction), a foot at a time, to get from the upper east side of Manhattan to the Lincoln Tunnel, I kid you NOT!

 

 

Those types of load-ins/outs are all over NYC. Had almost the exact same experience doing a corporate gig at a hotel right off of Columbus Circle. What a PITA!

[AWkeys]

1. I remember many times in the 90s carrying my Peavey KB300 up and down icy fire escapes. Good news was that amp could take quite the beating!

 

2. Another "we don't give a s*** about musicians" was at some wedding mill in Great Neck, LI. Musicians have to load in from some loading dock on one side of the building, put their equipment in an ancient little dumbwaiter that is shared with the kitchen (greasy, food detritus everywhere) located in a very narrow hallway on the other side of the building, then walk back by the loading dock to access the stairwell that brings you up to the second level where you retrieve your gear and lug it again to a far-away ballroom. End of the night after all the guests leave, you are still not allowed to use the front elevator. I actually did anyway, and the front doors were locked and I couldn't exit the building that way. Talk about a**hole management!

 

3. A good news story. I threw my back out and had a rehearsal in NYC with a killer band. Caught a ride into the city and had run to a couple studios with my ride (the guitarist and band leader) as we had to park the car and walk everywhere. Luckily, my Nord Electro 73 in its gig bag on my back ended up putting whatever was off kilter back in line and I felt great afterward!

 

4. Every time I load in to any gig these days, I say a little private "thank you" for smaller, lighter equipment and the Rock-N-Roller multi-cart! That thing is a Godsend, I'll tell you!

[Docbop]

Back in the 70's I arrived at the gig with my 3 piece to play a wedding at St. Michaels Hall in Schererville, Indiana. (There are several St. Michaels Halls in that area). Walked in and was surprised to see a 12 pieces group setting up on stage. Baby grand piano, Hammond B-3, lights, huge PA. Checked my contract and it had the correct address. Went up to the bride and groom and asked if they had hired another band. They said, no, but that they were surprised to see such a large band, and assumed that it was me. Approached the band, and asked if they were sure that they had the right venue. They said yes, but the leader went to his guitar case to look at the contract. He wasn't happy......

Duane OD

 

One of the my favorite concerts I saw was because of the double booking. Shrine Auditorial in L.A. and I had tickets to see Bob Marley. It gets announced on the radio the day of the show the Shrine screwed up and book Marley and another name act. Keep listen because they hadn't figured out what to do. A couple hours later its announced Bob Marley show is being moved to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. I was excited because the SM Civic is only about fifteen minutes from where I lived so don't have to deal with driving to downtown L.A.. Then I start thinking what are they going to do about the assigned seating? Get to the show and they decide to just raise the floor level and no seats and make it festival style. That was perfect got to go up to front for awhile and people dancing and having a great time on the floor and later when me and my girl want to get mellow there are permanente seats in the back of the auditorium. Seeing Bob Marley festival style was so much better that being stuck in one seat.

[TommyRude]

Not a gig load in story, but a house load in-out. Way back when, I lived in Studio City (L.A. area), in a 1-bedroom guest house on the side of the mountain off Coldwater Canyon. To get to the guesthouse from the street you had to open this big wooden gate and go down a steep & narrow flight of old raggedy stone stairs. At that time, I had this Anvil 24-space shock mount flight case LOADED with amps, effects, mixers, samplers, you-name-it, that thing must have weighed 300+ lbs.

 

Crazy young keyboard player me - would slide that monster out of the van and drag it up and down those stairs solo, for several years. Going either direction was nuts - a one step at a time power lift or power drop. Every time was a near death experience.

[Docbop]

Way back when, I lived in Studio City (L.A. area), in a 1-bedroom guest house on the side of the mountain off Coldwater Canyon.

 

You were by the original Dick Grove School of Music where I attended and worked for almost ten years. We were across the street from the Sportsman's Lodge. That coffee shop on corner of Coldwater and Ventura was always full of Grove students.