shizznit Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) I played a last minute gig last night at a social club in the infamous Gurnos district of Merthyr Tydfil. If anyone doesn't know about the reputation of this place, google it! I won't publically state which venue it was because I don't believe in doing that (PM if you want to know). We are usually a 9-piece outfit and luckily all of us were available, but 2 of the members refused to do the gig because of the location (percussionist and sax). We could still do the gig without them, the money they were offering was ok, so we decided to do it. We got to the venue, unpacked the cars and set up the stage. All appeared to be well, the staf were quite friendly and we were thinking to ourselves what was all the fuss about from the other two guys that refused to play the gig. That was until we finished the line check and popped out for a quick smoke. When we walked back in a bloke grabbed my arm in the main hall we were playing in and said... Him - "It's my birthday tomorrow...can you play some Elvis for me?" Me - "Sorry mate...we don't know any Elvis. We're a soul band" Him - "Well, you’re a useless bunch c**** then aren't you?" (that alone made my blood boil because I can't stand that word) Me - "We don't learn songs we don't need to play because people expect a soul band to play soul music...not rock 'n' roll" Him - “I have paid for my ticket tonight…you should play what I want”. Me - “Nah…it doesn’t work out that way mate…we are not a juke box”. Him - "If you don't play any Elvis tonight I am going to wait for you outside and stab you in the f***ing eye!" Me - (stared back him with no comment) Him - "I'm a f***ing nutter me...I'll do it!" My guitar player has seen that look from me before and knew that he had to pull me away from him. We tried finding the manager to tell him that I was physically threatened by one of the punters, but he was nowhere to be seen. I had a drink to calm myself down and got on with the first set. After playing for an hour in front of a very despondent audience that usually prefer bands that play Sex On Fire, one of our singers stayed on the stage to keep an eye over the kit and we proceeded to go outside for another smoke. I was then chased down the hallway leading to the exit by the wife of ‘the nutter’ hurling abuse at me. If that wasn’t enough the punters outside in the smoking area were also abusive towards us because they didn’t like the music we were playing. We promptly went back inside to play the second set with every intention to pack up early and get out of Dodge as soon as humanly possible. Some idiot kept coming on to the stage to grab a mic and barked some incomprehensible nonsense over us. We could have stopped, but because of the hostile atmosphere we thought that would have been a bad idea and just tolerated it. We finished the set with the same lack of enthusiasm as the audience, ‘the nutter’ was eyeballing me whilst packing down my rig and the lads made sure I wasn’t left alone when loading the cars. I didn’t even wait to get my cash…as soon as my kit was in the car I put my foot down all the way back to Cardiff. Not often I will rag my Golf GTI, but I certainly blew off the cobwebs last night! [i]**Just received a text from my guitar player whilst typing this post and he said that our drummer (who is of West Indies descent) was also racially abused last night whilst packing his car***[/i] Hence to say that this venue is on our black list and we will not be returning there in the future. I am glad that it didn’t get physical last night, but I haven’t had to put up with that much intimidation at a gig before and has made me more selective about which bookings we will take on. This particular agency that found us the gig give us regular work, but don’t check the venues first. Unfortunately, they have placed us in a few venues that are not suited for us on many levels, so we are considering kicking them into touch. Above all else, the personal safety of the band is paramount. Some gigs in infamous districts are simply just not worth the aggro or the money. [i](sorry if I have caused any offense to any BC members that live this area of Wales...I just don't like being physically threatened and intimidated whilst doing my job, or my fellow band members for that matter. I am not painting everyone from Gurnos with the same brush and hopefully this will never happen again to any other artist/band in that venue)[/i] Edited March 7, 2012 by shizznit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Whow !!! bit of a nightmare scenario. You did well to get outa there in one piece. Also think you probably did the right thing. I've never had that kind of experience so can only imagine how you fealt. Would it have been a wise move to contact the local police and inform them of what happened for their future referance. Our local Police are pretty good and generally take an interest in most things without always putting on their official head. I would obviously have waited till i left the scene first before calling them. The owner of the venue can get into trouble for that kind of issue. Now go have a few beers and wind down a little before the next gig. Cheers Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) Hmmm..... been in some dodgy places in the west of Scotland too. Unfortunately, phoning the police is simply not the done thing - it would actually make it worse (the police are, of course, mostly useless and you would definitely get stabbed or a kicking). Having said that, most of these nutters are full of sh*t and getting into a conversation with them is too complicated for them. What you should have said is, "sure mate, we'll play anything you like". He won't notice you didn't and if he does swear blind you did and claim he must have been outside for a fag. Just don't get into arguments with these low-lives!! I was told once something along the lines that if I didn't support the right football team I wasn't getting out of the place alive. I just laughed and said I was from England where they don't have proper football Note to dmmcombe7 above who appears to live 10 mins up the road from me.... stay away from Viewpark Edited March 7, 2012 by thepurpleblob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodyratm Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Thats pretty mental. I'd have have reported them. I'd also name and shame the venue - if enough people bugger off the gigs, the management might listen then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I was about to say "name and shame" it, but caught myself The matter should be reported to the police. It's not the done thing on the night, maybe, when an appearance is liable to work against your best chances of getting out in one piece - but after the fact, at some safe distance, get it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropzone Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Used to regularly play a pub in Crawley that was a bit like that, but was our best payer for a while. Always fightsand agro and you had to shift your gear through the pub. I was really happy when we dropped it for venues that actually appreciate music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodyratm Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 [quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1331125232' post='1568008'] Hmmm..... been in some dodgy places in the west of Scotland too. Unfortunately, phoning the police is simply not the done thing - it would actually make it worse (the police are, of course, mostly useless and you would definitely get stabbed or a kicking). Having said that, most of these nutters are full of sh*t and getting into a conversation with them is too complicated for them. What you should have said is, "sure mate, we'll play anything you like". He won't notice you didn't and if he does swear blind you did and claim he must have been outside for a fag. Just don't get into arguments with these low-lives!! I was told once something along the lines that if I didn't support the right football team I wasn't getting out of the place alive. I just laughed and said I was from England where they don't have proper football Note to dmmcombe7 above who appears to live 10 mins up the road from me.... stay away from Viewpark [/quote] Heh I played a venue in Glasgow that seemed to accodate for skinhead nazi's! Major fear when one shouted "I'll HAE THE BASS PLAYER!" No. No you will not. *Run away* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Horton Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 There is no need for that sort of behaviour, i would name and shame the venue in the hope that it might help to reduce future nasty situations. I am glad everyone got out of the place in one piece Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 It's funny the gigs you get through agents who should know better. I would tell your agent you're not going back and why. We did a gig in a club we'd played before and gone down a storm. Only the second time we played the enertainments manager kept telling us people didn't like what we were playing and to play some rock and roll. Despite having a full dance floor all night. Though on that occasion it was our drummer who was going to initiate the violence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) Apparently life expectancy in [url="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1356247/Gurnos-Merthyr-Tydfil-The-British-estate-healthy-life-expectancy-just-58-8-years.html"]Gurnos[/url] is 58!! WTF do they do to themselves there ?. (Nice pic of the Gurnos Social club in that link. I've heard that they are big Elvis fans there. ) Edited March 7, 2012 by daz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) Well... not quite [i]life expectancy[/i] - but, rather, [i]healthy life. [/i]They're expected to lead healthy lives up until that point, on average. I don't know about the rest of you, but I was aiming to bat for a little longer. But yeah, it's a well-renowned shithole. No work, no prospects, nothing. Well, apart from crime. Edited March 7, 2012 by Gust0o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) It seems rough, but no rougher than a thousand other estates in the UK. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCojVp-7rX8[/media] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--TL3JHl0Iw&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--TL3JHl0Iw&feature=related[/url] Edited March 7, 2012 by daz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamPodmore Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 We've had fights outside gigs (Not involving band members for the most part) before, fights inside the venue. Our singer was attacked when packing up at a charity festival do (Bare in mind this was 4 in the afternoon) by someone who liked his girlfriend, the same guy has a friend who attacked me a few months ago, but conveniently 2 police officers happened to be riding into the park at that moment. Liam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Oh, and sorry if I'm a little down on that part of Wales - my lot are from Flint, hence the 'gobby Scouser' tag Nothing like a bit of North/South banter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) Don't get me wrong, I don't come from a privileged upbringing and I was raised in Cardiff Docks which also has a savoury rep, but I do treat folks with less than what I do with respect and non-judgement because I know what it is like to live in an area that is not affluent. However, I do believe that you have to give respect to earn respect and that has nothing to do with social class and living environment. The trouble with me is that I don't back down when threatened. I have met many idiots whilst doing gigs that push it a bit too far, but I am getting a bit wiser and self controlled as my hair is turning grey! Edited March 7, 2012 by shizznit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louisthebass Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Glad you got yourselves out of there relatively unscathed. I've been lucky in 26 years that I've never been personally threatened on a gig, but I guess that there will be a first time at some point. I've seen the odd punch up here and there between punters, but that was a long time ago. Punters need to remember that they have the right to vote with their feet (i.e. walking out of the place) if they don't like what they hear. They shouldn't be threatening people (fellow punters or musos) with violence (verbal or otherwise). If I know I'm going to play somewhere a bit "iffy" (rare), I usually take a bass that I wouldn't miss[b] if [/b]I needed something to defend myself with... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Sounds a terrible tale. We don't do rough pubs and are known to be more than a bit picky in this regard. We need to put something into the gig so that sort of place would never work for us... We die on our feet when going through the motions... and that is from the band outwards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Eeep! The Gurnos! I've heard and seen too much of that place to ever want to step foot in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judo Chop Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 [quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1331132227' post='1568163'] Oh, and sorry if I'm a little down on that part of Wales - my lot are from Flint, hence the 'gobby Scouser' tag Nothing like a bit of North/South banter [/quote] Small world, I'm from Mold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musophilr Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Not condoning the bad behaviour, but if you [i]will[/i] play soul to a rock'n'roll audience ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I think re the racial abuse, the venue should be reported to the Police. Re the agency booking you there - tell them that you`ll no longer consider the venue. Re the being threatened, we`ve had that in my band (most of my bands actually, as probably many of us on here have), usually by drunks, and found the best way is to to not back down, and when playing keep your eyes on them all night. Not that staring them out business, but making sure they don`t catch you off guard. However, they usually think you are staring at them, and the gobby runts invariably back down - it seems they think that anyone who stares at them for 2 hours isn`t afraid of a bit of rough and tumble, so they take it elsewhere. Loudmouthed bullies mainly, and we all know bullies don`t like to be stood up to, as they invariably get found out. I`ve found mostly through life, people who are going to cause violence don`t feel the need to announce it. Someone telling me they`re going to hit me doesn`t concern me. Who are they trying the most to convince they`re hard, me, or themselves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexbasscat Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) [b]Please tell everyone the name of the venue, to help with the personal safety of other BC'ers. [/b] It would really help musicians in general if more of us knew about places like this. We could then respond appropriately, in whichever way we deem fit at the time. Forewarned is forearmed etc ... I've played a venue in Enfield North London, scenario very similar to this. I flat out refused to go back. The drummer said he wouldn't mind returning. My reply was along the lines of 'you'll be doing it with a different bass player then'. No point in naming that venue, as it's now closed down. Don't accept this kind of thing, Weeks or months in a hospital bed, or worse, isn't worth the money from a gig. All IMO of course ! [size=5]Please tell everyone the name and location of the venue. It will be in everyone's interest.[/size] Edited March 7, 2012 by essexbasscat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LemonCello Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I'd appreciate knowing the name of the venue as we'll be out gigging soon. Pm will be fine. My old Bass tutor has done a couple of gigs in the Merthyr Labour Club without incident but we'll definately be swerving the Gurnos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveK Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 So, this place has a bad reputation, you were verbally and physically abused, you were threatened with a stabbing in the eye, you received further abuse, you were intimidated on stage... You really should be naming this place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 [quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1331145885' post='1568507'] So, this place has a bad reputation, you were verbally and physically abused, you were threatened with a stabbing in the eye, you received further abuse, you were intimidated on stage... You really should be naming this place. [/quote] You're right! I can't believe people have to go through that sh*t with these f***ed up individuals. There's naming and shaming about not getting properly paid at venues, or being pissed about in other ways, why not this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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