Brain Farts

[Boodang]

Last weekend's gig was a great reminder that your brain is capable of letting you down at the most inauspicious of moments without warning. Playing a party gig, quite big and swanky, outdoor proper stage, sound system and engineer, separate dancefloor area for the DJ, fully catered and about 500 people. First number was going to be Sunshine of Your Love as it's a good starter for 10 to get us warmed up, no tricky bits and just gets us settled in. The host gives a big announcement to kick off proceedings and introduces the band with great fanfare (he knows us, so he was quite enthusiastic), all eyes turn to our guitarist for the starting riff.... try one, wrong key, we laugh, try two, wrong riff, not so funny, try three, complete garbage, now not funny.... so, started the riff on the bass, band joins in, guitarist remembers riff, all is well. 

Easiest riff of the gig but as the guitarist said afterwards, for some reason he had a brain fart with a complete disconnect between brain and fingers. The rest of the gig went really well, so not long before we got into our stride and put the start behind us. Amusingly, I was recording the gig on a new Zoom Q2n 4k I''ve just bought (this was its first outing), so much to the embarrassment of the guitarist we now have the worst start to a gig in glorious 4K!

Happily things like this don't happen too often but I'm sure others here must have had some excruciating moments like this!

[asingardenof]

Yep, I've had a few:

• Playing in the wrong key for an entire song because I forgot we weren't playing in the same key as the original
• Turning down the volume between songs when I had to do something that would have caused noise, then forgetting to turn it back up again when I started playing
• My mind wandering and forgetting what it is I was playing and having to drop out for a bar to refocus

[Doctor J]

Yeah, been there. Playing guitar, in a one-guitar Metal band, in the final of a competition to play at Wacken, I completely forgot the song at the end of the first verse, which was especially unfortunate as I wrote the song. After a few bars of faffing around, hoping my fingers would remember what to do, and after multiple frantic and confused looks from the rest of the band, I remembered what was going on and stumbled into the second verse. Very embarassing.

[Franticsmurf]

We launched into 'How Long' - the only song of the evening that I sang. Midway through the verse I become aware that something was wrong but as I was concentrating on singing and playing the bass line, I wasn't sure what it was. Into the chorus and I could just make out that the guitarist was still in the verse. I'm not sure where the mistake originated, but the guitarist (who was also the main singer) was notorious for 'winging it' and there were a few other problems from him  with songs that didn't resemble the rehearsal versions during that gig, as revealed by the GoPro footage. Knowing the guitarist's stubborn streak, I stopped singing and allowed him to catch up. Meanwhile the drummer, also aware of the situation, played generic 4/4 patterns until everyone synchronised again. We got a clap so it must have sounded ok out front. 😬

[MKay]

Very clearly instructed that the band I was desperate to play a song with, (got all excited), played all their songs in E flat. Duly noted and then proceeded to tune to E....Was never asked if I wished to play with them again! 

[Norris]

Done it a few times over the years

 

What song are we playing?

What key is it in?

Where are we in the song?

What is this thing round my neck?

Who/where am I?

 

Try not to ever be confident in what you are doing - that's when the gremlins of incompetence strike!

[Downunderwonder]

Drummer counted off double time. Hotshot trumpet players played the intro thing double time. So singer comes in like a card carrying member of The Chipmunks. I wanted to put down the bass and go get a beer.

 

That would have brought it to a swift halt and what I should have done. Instead I did my best to double time it and drag it back to regular time. Only about 25% effective.

 

After that the drummer got a tablet app with the set programmed so it could never happen again.

[Franticsmurf]

I've told this one elsewhere. Three piece playing a holiday park with a proper stage so at the very last minute (as we're being introduced)  the singer/guitarist decides he wants to start the set with him on his own playing 'Knocking on Heaven's Door', and me and the drummer are to walk on stage behind him and start playing after the chorus. We're not happy, but he goes on and starts. Very quickly it's obvious he's gone off too quick and sure enough, the 'Knock knock knocking on heavens' door' line is delivered at just less than the speed of a woodpecker creating a new home. Needless to say we allowed him to enjoy his own brain fart and only came on for the second song. 😀  

[nilorius]

Brains controls every muscle, nerve, eyes, etc in humans body. Brains are difficult and not explained what, how and when. From his side, i would try to attend a neurologist as soon as possible.