#1689621 - 09/19/06 11:00 AM
Scariest Gig Ever?
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Jeff Klopmeyer
10k Club
Registered: 10/13/00
Posts: 16821
Loc: Redondo Beach,CA,UNITED STATES
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As I tend to bring up far too often, I've been a musician for 34 years, and a band member since I was 12 (seriously). I started paying at parties shortly thereafter, and playing clubs as soon as I looked old enough to get in. So, let's say I've been gigging for somewhere in the range of 25 years. Yikes.
Anyway, in all that time, 95% of my gigs have been happy and peaceful events. Even when we've played supposedly sketchy places (biker bars, really bad neighborhoods, etc.), everything usually turns out fine.
I can only think of a few gigs that were truly, and justfiably, frightening. One in particular involved a) a knife fight in the club between sets, b) a couple of guys hanging around our trailer in an obvious attempt to steal our gear, and c) a woman being saved from a minor beating (and an attempted rape) in the parking lot after the show.
It was terrible. I find that I can easily handle things like bad sound systems, hecklers, gear problems, drunks in the audience, bar managers trying to cheat us, and so on. But it's the stuff happening peripherally that really bums me out, and makes you think twice about ever playing a particular venue or event again.
What are some of your scary gig stories?
- Jeff
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#1689622 - 09/20/06 04:59 AM
Re: Scariest Gig Ever?
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fingertalkin
Gold Member
Registered: 11/14/05
Posts: 587
Loc: Dumfries VA
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I wasn't in the band when they played for the Hell's Angels. But apparently the SWAT team came and ended our set a little earlier than anticipated. Supposedly all "hell" broke lose after that.
We have been invited to play for the "same" but "different" group of people early on in October. Should be interesting 
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#1689623 - 09/25/06 09:20 AM
Re: Scariest Gig Ever?
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Ed Coury
Platinum Member
Registered: 11/28/03
Posts: 1033
Loc: Detroit area
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1982, somewhere in West Virginia. A big popular club with 3 bands playing on different stages. It was allegedly operated by a "family'-run business.
After playing for 2 hours we were told that we were "done", and there would be no pay. Of course, our leader protested. At this point a large, burly, angry man appeared and suggested what might happen if we didn't pack-up and leave immediately. Not wishing to see my equipment or myself floating in the nearby river, I suggested to my bandmates that we leave -- NOW.
_________________________
"Oh yeah, I've got two hands here." (Viv Savage)
"Mr. Blu... Mr. Blutarsky: Zero POINT zero." (Dean Vernon Wormer)
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#1689624 - 10/11/06 05:02 AM
Re: Scariest Gig Ever?
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fingertalkin
Gold Member
Registered: 11/14/05
Posts: 587
Loc: Dumfries VA
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Yeah, we definitely played for a biker "club" over the weekend. I was surely intimidated. I just don't know if it was because of the in house "security" down the street, guarding the clubhouse, or making sure we paid for our drinks. In reality, they weren't bad people. Just wouldn't want to cross them. One of them is actually giving us 6 flight cases for buying three large pizzas for his crew at work. What a bargain.
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#1689625 - 10/20/06 01:57 PM
Re: Scariest Gig Ever?
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rowens55_dup1
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Registered: 08/26/01
Posts: 3
Loc: MD
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Hmmm...let's see. Opening for the Ramones in College Park, Md approximately 1980 and having ashtrays and bottles thrown at us. We packed up after three songs. This was right out of the Blues Brothers except we didn't have the chicken wire in front of us.
Whew!!! Tough Crowd that night....Thank God I'm still laughing about that one...
_________________________
Too Old To Rock And Roll,
To Young To Die
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