The show must go on...

[Chewbubba]

Yesterday I had two performances, probably the most excruciating ones I've ever played. I had the worst migraine headache that I can remember, and I fought the urge to vomit the whole time. It made me about 10 minutes late for rehearsal (we only rehearse 30 minutes on Sundays), but the rest of the guys waited for me before starting (I called ahead and told them I would be late and I'd prolly puke on them when I got there).

 

Anyway, I felt like an idiot standing there, playing, being rather still, fighting the urge to hurl, and wishing someone would accidentally decapitate me. As soon as it was over, I came home and slept on the couch for a few hours.

 

I feel fine today, though. w00t!

 

Anyone else performed while sick as a dog?

[Bottomgottem]

I've called in too sick to gig once or twice in the last 20 years. If I have the flu, or something equally nasty, I'm going pass on a gig. It doesn't look good if you are running to the bathroom every 3rd song. I used to get migraines, but haven't had one in years. Playing wasn't possible with the migraines that I used to get.

 

But if I have a minor ailment, like a common headache or a cold, I'll take the necessary precautions to avoid spreading the germs, put on my man pants, and do the gig. It's very important that you not pass your cold to your band mates. It makes them think poorly of you.

 

Luckily, I rarely get any sort of debilitating illness.

[RHINO_ROB]

Well I was not sick but I had just had 3 teeth pulled. I was on nothing but good old extra strength Tylenol. I played two gigs the next day. One hour around noon for a Toys for Tots drive. The other was a four hour gig that evening. I had to drive so I could not take anything stronger.

 

[EddiePlaysBass]

I called ahead and told them I would be late and I'd prolly puke on them when I got there.

 

I really wish I'd overheard that conversation :grin:

[Phil W]

I've done it once or twice. The last time was all the way on the South Coast and I was very ill. I tried really hard to find a dep but couldn't and I had to do it. Funnily, it was actually a very good gig.

 

The band van broke down there though and if I hadn't cadged a lift home off the keyboard player I'd have still been there the next morning which definitely wouldn't have been fun.

[5 string Mike]

I played once with by back blown out, sitting on a chair, took some Aleive. That sucked. Luckily I didn't have to carry anything. My wife wasn't impressed, because it jacked me out of shape more.

[Phil W]

Yes, it was a similar thing with my wife. She didn't take kindly that I was too sick to do anything else but well enough to play a gig! :grin:

[saxofunk]

The worst experience I had was once when running lights for a dance show on a 70s-era manual control panel. I would set lights for a song, run outside and lose it for a minute, get back in, set the next song and run outside again. Just after intermission was a song that had a complex beginning (well, complex for a high-school kid on a manual board) and I HAD to nail it. I nailed it, ran outside one more time, then turned the rest of the show over to my assistant and went home. Turned out to be anxiety over that one intro. Lessons learned: Train your assistant. Relax, it's just a show.

 

There have been plenty of experience blowing sax when my sinuses decided to act up and drain in all the wrong directions.

 

This sax player is:

a) Emotionally involved in a long note.

b) Supporting the weight of his horn with his shoulders.

c) Opening his airway so the air goes up and the mucus goes down.

d) Trying not to gag.

e) both c & d.

 

http://www.davismusicstudio.com/graphics/sax_player.gif

 

Answer: e

[moot]

I broke my thumb once and waited for 2 days to get the cast so I could play a gig. They had to give it a good yank to "re-break" it and despite the shot for pain I almost passed out.

I've played with a cast on my arm once and my leg twice.

 

I have always played (and worked) sick. My thought has always been if I stay home I'll just be miserable so I may as well do something.

[Chewbubba]

I called ahead and told them I would be late and I'd prolly puke on them when I got there.

 

I really wish I'd overheard that conversation :grin:

 

All he said was, "Fine. See ya in a bit." He either didn't care, or he was mad I was late.

[Chewbubba]

Yes, it was a similar thing with my wife. She didn't take kindly that I was too sick to do anything else but well enough to play a gig! :grin:

 

My wife was also aggravated I went. I think she was more concerned about my ability (or lack of) to drive there.

[moot]

Yes, it was a similar thing with my wife. She didn't take kindly that I was too sick to do anything else but well enough to play a gig! :grin:

 

My wife was also aggravated I went. I think she was more concerned about my ability (or lack of) to drive there.

 

They just don't understand. We have to save energy to put on a show and can't waste it mowing the lawn when we are already drained from sickness.

[Danzilla]

I've played after severly slicing my fretting hand index finger. Thought it was healing pretty well, but needed to change bandages in between sets as it had re-opened.

 

One memorable disaster was with my last band; probably late 2002. We had finally gotten booked to play at a relatively large, well attended venue. Great PA and lights; we were psyched for it. But we all showed up sick in one form or another. One singer was pregnant and really nauseous; the other singer/keyboardist had a major sinus infection; our guitarist had strained his back at work; the drummer had pneumonia; and I had just started a bout with the flu. Surprisingly, we did rather well (I cut out most of my backing vocals). But as soon as the show was over and most people had left, we literally collapsed on the stage. Fortunately, most of us were only a mile or three away.

 

Then there's our recording session. After we finished the instrument tracks, I asked about doing vocals. They all wanted to call it a day and come back for them later. So what happens? The next session, I had bronchitis. Sing a line, turn and cough. Sing a line, turn and hock out something gross. Repeat as necessary. It sucks to be on a tight budget & timeline, and sick.

[The Bear Jew]

Lemmy died 15 years ago, but he's touring now anyway.

[yourlord]

I've never gigged sick or otherwise in dire straights.. Worst I've ever done is practice with the band after having cut my left hand index finger's pad almost to the bone on a computer case.. I had a band-aid, gauze, tape, then several layers of electrical tape on top of that.. I had this big knob on the end of my finger, and I used that to fret the notes.. I really sucked that night, but made it through..

 

 

[jeremy c]

I've played with the flu, on crutches, with bandages on my hand or head, and with various other illnesses.

 

The only time I missed a gig was when I had the flu backstage and simply could not get up and make it to the stage. My temperature was over 101 (Fahrenheit). My wife and her friend had to come get me....one of them to bring me home and the other to bring my car home.

 

I was so sick, I left everything there: my bass and my amp. Fortunately someone else in the band brought the stuff home for me. The keyboard player covered the bass parts that night.

[b5pilot]

Fortunately no (knocks on wood). At least not that ill. Once I was so fatigued that I started dozing off in the middle of a gig though.