Mismatched Disaster Gigs

[Bluewine]

In the spirit of fun share a few stories about gigs for whatever reason went bad.

Could be poor communication between the band and the venue, bad night, equipment failures, wrong venue or crowd for your band.

Blue

[Len_derby]

Ok Blue, I'll start us off.

About 10 years ago a duo I was playing in had a Sunday evening gig at a pub venue. The pub has long had a reputation for music and the whole town is in a very popular biker destination. When we arrived there were people milling around outside the door. The whole building was dark and shut down.  We were told that the landlord had 'done a runner' with the takings from a busy Friday and Saturday.  We stood around not knowing quite what to do when one of the frustrated customers said 'I'm a warden for the church next door, I'll have to call the vicar, but if he says ok will you play there?'. He said yes, so we did. A bit weird, not everyone came in, we made no money but lots of friends.

[Bluewine]

4 minutes ago, Len_derby said:

Ok Blue, I'll start us off.

About 10 years ago a duo I was playing in had a Sunday evening gig at a pub venue. The pub has long had a reputation for music and the whole town is in a very popular biker destination. When we arrived there were people milling around outside the door. The whole building was dark and shut down.  We were told that the landlord had 'done a runner' with the takings from a busy Friday and Saturday.  We stood around not knowing quite what to do when one of the frustrated customers said 'I'm a warden for the church next door, I'll have to call the vicar, but if he says ok will you play there?'. He said yes, so we did. A bit weird, not everyone came in, we made no money but lots of friends.

Not a complete disaster.

I've had pretty good luck with Sunday afternoon biker bar gigs, 3:00-7:00. Sunday nights kind of scare me. It's not a traditional gig night for bar gigs. Not in the States, not  now. 

However it used to be. Sunday night gigs were not uncommon. Back in the 60s even 70s you could gig 7 nights a week. If you busted your butt you could make 18k on the side.

Blue

[Bluewine]

My story is from a Wednesday night gig. Another untraditional gig night.

We we're called last minute to fill in for a band that cancelled. No big deal, right.

Thing is, it was a country music venue that books national country headliners. We're a local, regional at best 70s style hard rock band.

These crowd if you could call it a crowd we're folks that wanted to line dance and show off their nifty hats, jeans and boots 

How can I put this? Got it! They hated us.Very embarrassing.

But the pay was nice.

Blue

 

 

Edited April 2, 2018 by Bluewine

[casapete]

1 minute ago, Bluewine said:

My story is from a Wednesday night gig. Another untraditional gig night.

We we're called last minute to fill in for a band that cancelled. No big deal, right.

Thing is, it was a country music venue that books national country headliners. We're a local, regional at best 70s style hard rock band.

These crowd if you could call it a crowd we're folks that wanted to line dance and show off their nifty hats, jean and boots 

How can I put this? Got it! They hated us.Very embarrassing.

But the pay was nice.

Blue

 

 

Sounds like the famous chicken wire scene in The Blues Brothers!

[Bluewine]

Just now, casapete said:

Sounds like the famous chicken wire scene in The Blues Brothers!

It was worse.

Blue

[SICbass]

Our 70s disco band, complete with  Saturday Night Fever costumes and Afros got booked to play a Harley Davidson Club night. 1 or 2 of the girls danced. The several hundred men stayed outside in the bar. But hey, they didn‘t trash the place ☺️

[billynoband]

Sorry to name drop. Not my band but. In the early 80s U2 played a local bikers pub music venue. I watched Bono dressed in tight trousers and fluffy jacket trying to persuade a small group of Hells Angels outside in the beer garden to come in and watch. Is that mismatched enough. 

[Bluewine]

4 minutes ago, SICbass said:

Our 70s disco band, complete with  Saturday Night Fever costumes and Afros got booked to play a Harley Davidson Club night. 1 or 2 of the girls danced. The several hundred men stayed outside in the bar. But hey, they didn‘t trash the place ☺️

Not a complete disaster, but close.

We've always been challenged when the bar is in another room or distanced from the band.

Blue

[Painy]

Got booked for a private gig - 40th birthday party - but the chap said all his biker mates from his club would be there and we could expect 200+ people to be there.

Arrived at the address he gave us for the venue and were a bit confused at first as we couldn't see and pubs, halls, hotels or anything that looked like a venue for a party - just a big council housing estate.

He then comes out of his garden gate and calls us into his small back garden where he's just about managed to fit an old army mess tent for us to play in.

We got to play for him and his immediate family (literally him, his wife, 2 kids and his elderly parents). Turns out he didn't even own a motorcycle let alone be in a biker club - or apparently have any friends.

The low point of the evening (although only one of many) was when he got into a fist fight with one of his neighbours over the noise.

The high point was watching his elderly parents slow dancing romantically and not letting the fact that we were playing Paranoid at the time put them off.

 

[T-Bay]

11 minutes ago, Painy said:

Got booked for a private gig - 40th birthday party - but the chap said all his biker mates from his club would be there and we could expect 200+ people to be there.

Arrived at the address he gave us for the venue and were a bit confused at first as we couldn't see and pubs, halls, hotels or anything that looked like a venue for a party - just a big council housing estate.

He then comes out of his garden gate and calls us into his small back garden where he's just about managed to fit an old army mess tent for us to play in.

We got to play for him and his immediate family (literally him, his wife, 2 kids and his elderly parents). Turns out he didn't even own a motorcycle let alone be in a biker club - or apparently have any friends.

The low point of the evening (although only one of many) was when he got into a fist fight with one of his neighbours over the noise.

The high point was watching his elderly parents slow dancing romantically and not letting the fact that we were playing Paranoid at the time put them off.

 

That will take some beating.

[Bluewine]

26 minutes ago, Painy said:

Got booked for a private gig - 40th birthday party - but the chap said all his biker mates from his club would be there and we could expect 200+ people to be there.

Arrived at the address he gave us for the venue and were a bit confused at first as we couldn't see and pubs, halls, hotels or anything that looked like a venue for a party - just a big council housing estate.

He then comes out of his garden gate and calls us into his small back garden where he's just about managed to fit an old army mess tent for us to play in.

We got to play for him and his immediate family (literally him, his wife, 2 kids and his elderly parents). Turns out he didn't even own a motorcycle let alone be in a biker club - or apparently have any friends.

The low point of the evening (although only one of many) was when he got into a fist fight with one of his neighbours over the noise.

The high point was watching his elderly parents slow dancing romantically and not letting the fact that we were playing Paranoid at the time put them off.

 

OMG, hilarious!

I have to be honest, we've always died at private events (anniversaries, weddings, backyard parties).

The host has usually seen us at a bar gig flips and wants us to play a private party. Never thinking that there's a high probability his guests might not be into it.

We're pretty honest with these folks and sometimes subtly discourage them.

Blue

Edited April 2, 2018 by Bluewine

[SICbass]

21 minutes ago, Painy said:

Got booked for a private gig - 40th birthday party - but the chap said all his biker mates from his club would be there and we could expect 200+ people to be there.

Arrived at the address he gave us for the venue and were a bit confused at first as we couldn't see and pubs, halls, hotels or anything that looked like a venue for a party - just a big council housing estate.

He then comes out of his garden gate and calls us into his small back garden where he's just about managed to fit an old army mess tent for us to play in.

We got to play for him and his immediate family (literally him, his wife, 2 kids and his elderly parents). Turns out he didn't even own a motorcycle let alone be in a biker club - or apparently have any friends.

The low point of the evening (although only one of many) was when he got into a fist fight with one of his neighbours over the noise.

The high point was watching his elderly parents slow dancing romantically and not letting the fact that we were playing Paranoid at the time put them off.

 

Class 👍

[Raymondo]

Not so much a disaster but definitely mismatched ......

On  millennium eve my 80's tribute duo were booked (at a very nice fee plus beer and accommodation I might add!)  to play a pub in Milton Keynes.

we set up to the sound of the (also booked) DJ playing dance music ...the sort that has strange names like house and techno and there are hardly any lyrics ( you might be able to tell that I know little of this genre  )

We did hope that it was just some personal preference music before the gig started but ..no.....

When we played we filled the dance floor with people enjoying Frankie goes to Hollywood, Culture club, Spandau Ballet type tunes ...as soon as we finished ...the DJ emptied the room, and I do mean emptied, with his "dance" stuff.

The landlord asked us to let him finish the night and play through the "brining in the new year " ..... so we had a great time outside (with most of the punters watching the various  fireworks displays in the night sky, and drinking free beer until closing time.

It transpired that the Landlord and his staff wanted the techno stuff but booked us for his punters

[gjones]

Many years ago, I was asked if my band would play the Inland Revenue (UK version of the IRS), fraud squad's, Christmas party.

I had to turn them down.

 

That would most definitely be 'The wrong crowd' for my then band 

[mrtcat]

Some crazy woman booked us (via an agent we have since parted company with) to play a 60th bday party. The address was something like "Fawson Hall". Turned out that was the name she called her 2 bed semi in milton Keynes. We arrived in pouring rain to be told we would be playing in the garden which was approx 5m x 8m. We were shoehorned in under a pergola but as there was no cover anywhere else in the garden all the guests (about 20 max) stayed in the dining room with the patio doors open. She paid over £800 for the privilege. Tried to book us again this year but luckily we're already booked on the date she wants. 

Video evidence :

 

[BreadBin]

^^ great sound on that video 

[mrtcat]

11 minutes ago, BreadBin said:

^^ great sound on that video 

Thanks, it's taken from the mixer because we don't use backline. Makes small spaces so much easier to work in (both size and volume wise) and also helps make foh much cleaner.

[Bluewine]

33 minutes ago, mrtcat said:

Some crazy woman booked us (via an agent we have since parted company with) to play a 60th bday party. The address was something like "Fawson Hall". Turned out that was the name she called her 2 bed semi in milton Keynes. We arrived in pouring rain to be told we would be playing in the garden which was approx 5m x 8m. We were shoehorned in under a pergola but as there was no cover anywhere else in the garden all the guests (about 20 max) stayed in the dining room with the patio doors open. She paid over £800 for the privilege. Tried to book us again this year but luckily we're already booked on the date she wants. 

Video evidence :

 

Nice !

Blue

[NickD]

Years ago, doing the British forces circuit in Germany...

A massive Officers summer ball, an all night job in a series of huge marquees, with a lavish dinner to start, ending with a Champagne breakfast at 7am. It's once a year, they all put money into it, the ladies spend a fortune on ballgowns, and they're really up for a good time. Our first set was around midnight, to be followed by another band from the same agency. We were a 70s glam rock caberet thing... wigs, makeup, lycra, platform soles and a strap-on Richard customised with microphone innards... best not to ask!😂

If was frenzied, and fun, and sweaty, we left them panting for more. We knew our audience and we knew our job.

Next band up... An ELO tribute, a really subtle, arty ELO tribute. They were incredible, imaginative and excellent musicians. I loved them... but they might as well have been the worst band in the world. They were in every way 'better' than us, but they just dropped the feeling in the room for an hour, just when the alcohol is taking over and they needed keeping on their feet. You could easily spot the musicians in the room... as they were the only people left watching.

We managed to pull things back together in our second set in the early hours, only to be followed by a longer and artier set from these guys with dramatic vignettes and album tracks and long musical segues between them. So much work had gone into it, that much was clear, but they had no business being there. It can't have been good for them, being outgunned buy a haphazard team of snotty, smutty 20 something rockers, and it made it bloody tough for us in that second set too.

 

 

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, Bluewine said:

I have to be honest, we've always died at private events (anniversaries, weddings, backyard parties).

I always get concerned about it but have been really lucky with those sort of events

[Dom in Dorset]

A few years ago we played at an outdoor event in a large car park. It was a warm early evening , there were food stall, families , a nice good natured gathering.
The first band on were deafeningly loud and rather bland heavy rock trio playing mostly original songs and the crowd were doing their best to ignore them! It didn't help that the front man was being ultra cool and not saying a damn thing to engage the punters. After each song ended the 500+ crowd ignored them and got on with whatever conversations they were trying to have above the music. Not one clap, not one cheer, nothing. To add insult to injury they overran by about ten minutes and got no reaction even after completing their set. We were thrown on stage and immediately told the sound man that we didn't need to be as loud. We do original folk/rock music and opened with an easy going country sounding song (played at an even slower tempo than usual) that also served as our sound check.....a huge round of applause followed and the rest of the gig went from strength to strength. People turned around to watch and listen , children and families sat down at the from, people danced. For us a great gig.

[mikel]

Back in the early 70s we were booked to play a Xmas party for one of the huge, now sadly defunct, department stores in Newcastle. The venue was the Rainbow Room, a vast throwback to another era. Not sure who booked us,I think the bass players mum worked knew someone and said we had a band. We played all originals, a sort of rock/prog mix of highly un dancable shoe gazing stuff. We were given a huge dressing room and served a big buffet by two young ladies in black uniforms complete with white frilly aprons.

We walked on stage to a room full of tables each sitting about 12 people, all formal and all in suits and evening dresses. There must have been 250 people all eating. We smashed into the first number,  we were always loud but the gravity of the weird situation got to us and we played louder and faster than usual. We waited for the stony silence that must surely greet the end of the first song, and were greeted with loud applause. Shocked? you bet. We went down a storm and I still have no idea why. But we flatly refused to do anything like it again. Hardly our target audience by a long strech .

[casapete]

1 hour ago, NickD said:

Next band up... An ELO tribute, a really subtle, arty ELO tribute. They were incredible, imaginative and excellent musicians. I loved them... but they might as well have been the worst band in the world. They were in every way 'better' than us, but they just dropped the feeling in the room for an hour, just when the alcohol is taking over and they needed keeping on their feet. You could easily spot the musicians in the room... as they were the only people left watching

In my ELO tribute band (not the one you mention thank goodness...) we occasionally get asked to perform at private functions, usually

by people who are fans of ELO stuff. We always decline, on the basis that most of the audience won't be.

 

[T-Bay]

Just now, casapete said:

In my ELO tribute band (not the one you mention thank goodness...) we occasionally get asked to perform at private functions, usually

by people who are fans of ELO stuff. We always decline, on the basis that most of the audience won't be.

 

Best way I think, for both parties involved. We went to a friends wedding a few years ago where the brides mother had pretty much insisted on an obscure Scottish folk band she loved. Sadly no one apart from the brides mother and her friend liked them. I tried to stay and watch for a while feeling sorry for the band but they were very ‘niche’ and I gave up. In the end there were two people in the bar loving it and 150 people outside on the lawn bored stiff. The band looked very deflated when they loaded out at the end of the night.