Embarrassing gigging moments: whats yours? :)

[alyctes]

All of them...

[chris_b]

We were just finishing my first ever gig, at a youth club, and the singer said, "We'd now like to do the last number".

 

All the lights came on and the caretaker was walking up the room saying, "I wouldn't bother mate. They've all gone home!".

[Greg.Bassman]

11 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Yeah I had to play the rest of the song lying flat on my back - I raised a leg so the audience could see I was still there though

 

[Greg.Bassman]

10 hours ago, nilorius said:

Long, long time ago I had a big gig at some festival on half open stage, and the wind was there. My place on stage was right besides the most popular piano player of our country, 90 years old man, called Maestro. I was playing from the notes and suddenly wind got hard and took a few lists away, i was shocked and run for them to prevent the situation and continue to play. It took about 4 seconds without me and then Maestro turned to me and said - "how can it happen ???". I was in bad mood that day.

These things happen. I had a similar situation, while playing an open-air show, where all the bands set-lists were blown away. AWKWARD! 😮🙂

 

EDIT: After this experience, we learned to tape them down! lol

Edited May 30, 2022 by Greg.Bassman

[Greg.Bassman]

10 hours ago, Leonard Smalls said:

and on the night someone had the bright idea that we should have a few beers

Oh man! I feel for you 🙁. It was actually hard for me to drink and play. I was in a band once where we actually banned alcohol before showtime because we were always rubbish otherwise. Not very rock and roll, but it kept us tight! 😉

[Greg.Bassman]

10 hours ago, Rich said:

we had an intro tape... and then four clicks as our cue into the big opening

Intro tapes and backing tracks can be so awkward. I have been in bands where we had strings and/or brass backing tracks to play alongside. There has been instances where the drummer has missed the count-in OR the band have messed up a section and the backing track would be out of sync with us 🙁.

[Greg.Bassman]

9 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

The jack socket on my Warwick broke in front of a packed Royal Albert Hall audience. Swapped to a Geddy Lee jazz in seconds and all was ok. Never played a Warwick (or the Albert hall!) ever again.

Royal albert… thats cool! Strange for a warwick as they are usually so well built. It happen though, I suppose. The geddy lee jazz is a great bass, so I am sure that you were just fine 🙂.

[Greg.Bassman]

1 hour ago, chris_b said:

We were just finishing my first ever gig, at a youth club, and the singer said, "We'd now like to do the last number".

 

All the lights came on and the caretaker was walking up the room saying, "I wouldn't bother mate. They've all gone home!".

The good ol’ first gig, eh! 🙂 Been there too… and our second gig was the same! Our shows eventually got better though 🙂.

[Greg.Bassman]

I sense that a lot of the stories that will come through will involve the ol’ ‘amber nectar’ [to quote lozz196]! lol 😀.

 

 

[Franticsmurf]

10 hours ago, Greg.Bassman said:

Intro tapes and backing tracks can be so awkward. I have been in bands where we had strings and/or brass backing tracks to play alongside. There has been instances where the drummer has missed the count-in OR the band have messed up a section and the backing track would be out of sync with us 🙁.

I played a duo gig a few years ago where the singer/guitarist was using his phone to play the backing tracks. Some amber nectar may have flowed in his direction (I don't drink). We started on Dakota and I noticed how accurate the backing track was. Then it dawned on me, he'd managed to select the actual Stereophonics song rather than the backing track. Fortunately, the crowd (a rugby club that had just won their league - the amber nectar was gushing rather than flowing) didn't notice and he apologised to me before moving on to the next number (Summer of 69, I think). And yes, that ended up being the full song too. For that and various other reasons mainly to do with the crowd and venue, it remains the worst gig I have ever played although I can now look back and laugh at it. 

[ubit]

39 minutes ago, Franticsmurf said:

I played a duo gig a few years ago where the singer/guitarist was using his phone to play the backing tracks. Some amber nectar may have flowed in his direction (I don't drink). We started on Dakota and I noticed how accurate the backing track was. Then it dawned on me, he'd managed to select the actual Stereophonics song rather than the backing track. Fortunately, the crowd (a rugby club that had just won their league - the amber nectar was gushing rather than flowing) didn't notice and he apologised to me before moving on to the next number (Summer of 69, I think). And yes, that ended up being the full song too. For that and various other reasons mainly to do with the crowd and venue, it remains the worst gig I have ever played although I can now look back and laugh at it. 

 

 

I remember seeing a band years ago in a local bar and one of the girls who was in our company commented on how good they were. I was shocked as it was a guy strumming on an acoustic guitar and a singer playing to full band backing tracks with horns and everything. Hardly taxing.

On the flip side, we used to play as a two piece, bass and guitar with a drum machine. This guy said to us "turn off your machine and let's hear what you can really play." I said it's a drum machine mate. We are playing live but he wasn't convinced.

[Pea Turgh]

Oh I got a couple of peaches.  Simple, but massively effecting destroying my confidence for that gig.

 

1.  Early days of gigging, maybe ‘97.  Some Battle Of The Bands thing in a uni bar.  Funky number, everything but the vocals drop out, I try to start a crowd clap.  Despite my flailing arms, nobody in the audience joined in. 

 

2. Much more recent (age has not bestowed me with wisdom) at a decent venue, just us playing to an almost sold out crowd.

A little tipsy, tried to moonwalk on to the stage for our 2nd half.  Knocked both my basses over.

Edited May 31, 2022 by Pea Turgh

[Franticsmurf]

1 hour ago, ubit said:

 

 

I remember seeing a band years ago in a local bar and one of the girls who was in our company commented on how good they were. I was shocked as it was a guy strumming on an acoustic guitar and a singer playing to full band backing tracks with horns and everything. Hardly taxing.

On the flip side, we used to play as a two piece, bass and guitar with a drum machine. This guy said to us "turn off your machine and let's hear what you can really play." I said it's a drum machine mate. We are playing live but he wasn't convinced.

I never liked playing with backing tracks but I eased my conscience a little by making my own wherever possible, usually drums, bass (I usually played guitar in the duo), keys and any spot effects (brass etc). We had a drum machine too, and did the same as you for some of the songs. 

[ubit]

I have nothing against backing tracks but this band was more or less completely backing tracks with singing and an acoustic over the top. Basically Karaoke.

If I could find backing with just rhythm and some fillers like horns I would be tempted as we are guitar bass and drums but I haven't the first clue as to where to get these and how to trigger them.

[Franticsmurf]

8 minutes ago, ubit said:

I have nothing against backing tracks but this band was more or less completely backing tracks with singing and an acoustic over the top. Basically Karaoke.

If I could find backing with just rhythm and some fillers like horns I would be tempted as we are guitar bass and drums but I haven't the first clue as to where to get these and how to trigger them.

The singer (who did a lot of solo work too) used this site. Try the 'Custom' link - there are samples to listen to. I've tried it a few times but I'm no expert. You can 'mix' the tracks - taking out instrumentation you don't want.

 

Edited May 31, 2022 by Franticsmurf

[Greg.Bassman]

22 hours ago, Franticsmurf said:

Then it dawned on me, he'd managed to select the actual Stereophonics song rather than the backing track.

This is too funny! 😆 It reminds of a band that opened up for my band once. They had backing tracks with a click running all the way through. For whatever reason, the drummer had not separated the click from the backing track, and so the sound of the click was coming through the front of house as well! Now that I look back, it was so funny. I remember thinking to myself ‘Whoever is playing the wooden blocks is dead tight!’, only to look around, see that no one was and realised it was the click! 😆

[Greg.Bassman]

22 hours ago, ubit said:

 

 

I remember seeing a band years ago in a local bar and one of the girls who was in our company commented on how good they were. I was shocked as it was a guy strumming on an acoustic guitar and a singer playing to full band backing tracks with horns and everything. Hardly taxing.

On the flip side, we used to play as a two piece, bass and guitar with a drum machine. This guy said to us "turn off your machine and let's hear what you can really play." I said it's a drum machine mate. We are playing live but he wasn't convinced.

Yes. I knew a keyboard player once, who would use a synthesiser and a drum machine to play shows. Pretty good really. He would start the drum machine, loop a bassline, play some lead and sing. But people weren’t always convinced and sceptical. I suppose the thought that the drum was something else.

[Greg.Bassman]

21 hours ago, Pea Turgh said:

1.  Early days of gigging, maybe ‘97.  Some Battle Of The Bands thing in a uni bar.  Funky number, everything but the vocals drop out, I try to start a crowd clap.  Despite my flailing arms, nobody in the audience joined in.

One of the worst ones is try to start a call and response with the crowd, but they do not sing back. You sing the feed line but… [tumbleweed] 😆.

 

21 hours ago, Pea Turgh said:

2. Much more recent (age has not bestowed me with wisdom) at a decent venue, just us playing to an almost sold out crowd.

A little tipsy, tried to moonwalk on to the stage for our 2nd half.  Knocked both my basses over.

This tickled me! So funny to imagine. I wish I was there to see this! 😂

 

 

[Chienmortbb]

On 30/05/2022 at 10:11, Lozz196 said:

Being rather well fuelled of the amber nectar I fell over on stage once whilst performing like a rock star.

Taught me a valuable lesson that, which was stand still then you can drink bucketloads.

Can the words "Amber Nectar" be used in the same sentance as "Rock Star"?

[Greg.Bassman]

20 hours ago, Franticsmurf said:

I never liked playing with backing tracks but I eased my conscience a little by making my own wherever possible, usually drums, bass (I usually played guitar in the duo), keys and any spot effects (brass etc). We had a drum machine too, and did the same as you for some of the songs. 

I have done it a lot with brass. While it is nice to have the real thing, at the end of the day, it is less people to split the money with. There, I said it! lol 😜

[Greg.Bassman]

20 hours ago, ubit said:

I have nothing against backing tracks but this band was more or less completely backing tracks with singing and an acoustic over the top. Basically Karaoke.

If I could find backing with just rhythm and some fillers like horns I would be tempted as we are guitar bass and drums but I haven't the first clue as to where to get these and how to trigger them.

They can be a little fiddly sometimes, admittedly. It can be tricking to find good sounds on a budget too. The more realistic brass and string libraries, for example, can be quite expensive. Unless you have a friend that can do it on the cheap and knows about that sort of thing.

[Greg.Bassman]

9 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

Can the words "Amber Nectar" be used in the same sentance as "Rock Star"?

As in the energy drink? If so, yes for me. I do not drink alcohol, but a few swigs of caffeine and I am H.Y.P.E.R! I play ever song a million bpm and do not blink for the entirety of the show. What can I say? 😆

 

 

[ezbass]

My moments come from when I was playing guitar. The first, I was playing the Crystal Palace Bowl and a really big stage for the first time. We started the first song, which opened with my playing the song’s signature riff, I then went for my Woodstock moment and ran across stage, my normally quite long lead wasn’t that long it turned out, as I pulled it out of my pedal board. Fortunately, I made it back and plugged in again (which could be heard on the recording) just in time to play the riff again. The second time was with the same band, but this time on a much smaller stage. Suddenly, I had no no sound, yet everything was plugged in and all indicator lights showed all was working. It turns out that due to my movements (I had had a wee drink or three) my lead had snaked around the level control of my OD pedal and had turned it right down (perhaps this was a critique of my playing).

[Greg.Bassman]

1 hour ago, ezbass said:

My moments come from when I was playing guitar. The first, I was playing the Crystal Palace Bowl and a really big stage for the first time. We started the first song, which opened with my playing the song’s signature riff, I then went for my Woodstock moment and ran across stage, my normally quite long lead wasn’t that long it turned out, as I pulled it out of my pedal board. Fortunately, I made it back and plugged in again (which could be heard on the recording) just in time to play the riff again. The second time was with the same band, but this time on a much smaller stage. Suddenly, I had no no sound, yet everything was plugged in and all indicator lights showed all was working. It turns out that due to my movements (I had had a wee drink or three) my lead had snaked around the level control of my OD pedal and had turned it right down (perhaps this was a critique of my playing).

The famous cable blunder 😉. I have a cable story. I remember having a wireless pack for the longest time, and on the one occasion that I had to use a cable, I forgot. Thinking that I was wireless, I decided to leap toward the front of the stage to interact with the audience, but as you can imagine, I did not get very far when I was yanked back. I managed to catch my balance, thank goodness. Can you imagine if I had fallen over as well! 😄

 

 

Edited June 1, 2022 by Greg.Bassman

[Franticsmurf]

We were playing at a social club event as a 5 piece. It was a nice venue with a large stage and a decent dressing room. We set up early and retired to the dressing room until the inevitable bingo was over. For whatever reason, we missed the end of the bingo and so we took to the stage as the compare was finishing his intro. I had the set list on the floor along with my pedals and I had to shift them forward as I'd moved them for the bingo caller. I was still kicking the pedals into place when the drummer counted us in. No problem - I knew the song so I played the required notes while adjusting the pedal. But something was wrong and I looked over the singer (the usual source of any random changes). He had his head down and it looked as if he was crying. No sign of the vocals. I checked over my shoulder to the drummer (he was my reference point if things were going astray) but he was also hunched over and shaking. I couldn't see the keyboard player but I could tell from what he was playing that something wasn't right. The rhythm guitarist to my right was facing away from the crowd and wouldn't meet my eye. I looked up at the dance floor and saw what was causing the distraction. 

 

The only people on the dancefloor were a couple. She was a large, white-haired lady in a bright pink plastic/vinyl (I never actually found out which) short dress which was very close fitting and therefore bulging in far too many places. He was an elderly gentleman, short, bald and in serious danger of being battered by his partner's bust, which was not adequately controlled by her outfit. The rest of the audience had sensibly left them to it and were laughing almost as much as our singer, drummer, keys player, rhythm guitarist and eventually, bass player. We managed to pull ourselves together and finish the first song without too much trouble but none of us could look at each other for the rest of the first set.