Staying safe on stage

[Lozz196]

4 hours ago, gjones said:

 

Although my comments above were lighthearted, I have played places where the drunken antics of the knuckle dragging, audience were so extreme, that I refused to play there again. It resulted in me getting sacked from the band but my physical wellbeing was more important to me than a gig in a very dodgy pub.

 

So my advice is, if the pub is dodgy, don't play there.

Def agree with this. I`ve only played one place where I thought there might be problems and said afterwards to the band at the time I thought best to not play there again, fortunately they all agreed. I`m not that bothered by bother if that makes sense, but I don`t want my gear trashed, a punch on the chin no sweat, a broken bass would upset me.

[BigRedX]

51 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Def agree with this. I`ve only played one place where I thought there might be problems and said afterwards to the band at the time I thought best to not play there again, fortunately they all agreed. I`m not that bothered by bother if that makes sense, but I don`t want my gear trashed, a punch on the chin no sweat, a broken bass would upset me.

 

For me it's the other way around. A broken bass or other gear can be replaced. What I don't want is an injury that could cause me to miss important gigs or even stop me from playing.

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

Def agree with this. I`ve only played one place where I thought there might be problems and said afterwards to the band at the time I thought best to not play there again, fortunately they all agreed. I`m not that bothered by bother if that makes sense, but I don`t want my gear trashed, a punch on the chin no sweat, a broken bass would upset me.

 

19 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

 

For me it's the other way around. A broken bass or other gear can be replaced. What I don't want is an injury that could cause me to miss important gigs or even stop me from playing.

 

We were booked to play at a pub opposite a cricket ground on a Friday night a few years back. For reasons on which I'm still unclear - although partly because I could walk to the venue - I decided to take my Breedlove Fretless rather than my double bass, which turned out to be a wise move. We got close to the pub and there seemed to be a lot of lads and a few girls from a certain 1970s/80s youth culture milling around, very short hair, Doc Martens, rolled up jeans, Harringtons, Fred Perry shirts........

 

Anyway, got to the pub and it was rammed full with members of said culture. We started setting up and sound checking and it was clear that the volumes/speed of booze being put away, plus the contrast between us and the band this lot had come to see later night, might lead from some mild sarcasm to a bit worse. To his credit the landlord paid us in full and said "Get out while you still can lads, we'll be out of booze soon anyway.....'. We were genuinely relieved, but I would not have wanted to navigate a double bass out of there 

 

But I do remember feeling genuinely quite scared, streets full of skinheads was a little too close to my childhood for comfort, even if most of them were in their 40's  

[Lozz196]

I get that, even though I’ve been part of that scene and never really seen any real bother I can appreciate that to someone on the outside looking in it can look a bit daunting, especially to those who grew up with skinheads running amok and kicking everyones heads in. And yes, they can definitely put the booze away.

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

I get that, even though I’ve been part of that scene and never really seen any real bother I can appreciate that to someone on the outside looking in it can look a bit daunting, especially to those who grew up with skinheads running amok and kicking everyones heads in. And yes, they can definitely put the booze away.

I get that mate, and I doubt there was any trouble that night, but when a landlord suggests you leave in that situation, you leave 👍

[Lozz196]

Def with you there, always best to take a landlords advice re his establishment, especially where safety is concerned.

[chris_b]

In the very early 70's we did a residency on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. It was in Ladbroke Grove and there was usually a punch up on 2 out of the 3 nights. Not just handbags but real John Wayne bar room brawls, tables and chairs and everything. The fights never came our way but the management advised us if we kept playing the fighters would ignore us. And they did!!