Gig Punch-ups

[Pete Academy]

I hear loads of stories of bands playing gigs where they've been fighting or the audience have...some proper punch-ups. I've never actually witnessed anything bad at any of my gigs (maybe I've just been lucky).

Anyone had experiences?

[retroman]

I once saw one of my hero's literally boot a fan of theirs off the stage! Then the bass player, and the drummer tried to bring calm to the situation. I think that the fan had it coming to be honest

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='615937' date='Oct 3 2009, 06:43 PM']I hear loads of stories of bands playing gigs where they've been fighting or the audience have...some proper punch-ups. I've never actually witnessed anything bad at any of my gigs (maybe I've just been lucky).

Anyone had experiences?[/quote]

yep, had to be locked inside a venue for our own safety as there was a riot going on outside. This was a venue outside of Milton Keynes a few years ago. Wolverton I think.

[Protium]

Seen plenty when the Doghouse was in Widnes, and a gig we played at the RAOB in Runcorn the soundguy got a severe battering for being completely useless and then insulting someones mum. All the bands got banned that night for the fight, underage drinking and someone broke all the toilet doors

[pantherairsoft]

Some time ago my old band were lucky enough to land a good support slot with a now (but not so much back then) established band. We were booked for 5 dates.

During the first gig we struggled to hit it off with them as there tour deal included the terms that they MUST have a private dressing room, as such they did not socialise (except the drummer... Who left after the 2nd album).

On the 2nd night, our vocalist decided to voice his opinion to them, telling them that they were 'stuck up anti-social c**ts'. They keyboard player did not like the sound of this and threw a few choice words back, which our intoxicated vocalist decided to answer by swinging a fist and ended in a brawl with the 2 of them rolling on the floor instead of soundchecking.

We were not so politely asked to leave before the doors opened, meaning 5 dates turned into 1, a soundcheck, and a game of fisticuffs.

The name of said band has been left put in case anyone knows them and they recall the event differently ;-)

[silverfoxnik]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='615945' date='Oct 3 2009, 06:48 PM']yep, had to be locked inside a venue for our own safety as there was a riot going on outside. This was a venue outside of Milton Keynes a few years ago. Wolverton I think.[/quote]
Sounds pretty scary!!

We played at Horatio's Bar on Brighton Pier a couple of years ago and there's a karaoke bar next door which is known for being full of very tuneless people who's real talent is boozing..

Two very pissed guys came into the bar after their karaoke performance and started hassling us from the minute we started playing. They kept asking for particular songs, asking to have a go on the drums, the guitar, bass etc, etc.. As well as really winding us up, their constant interjections started to wind the rest of the audience up as well.

Even though they tried to use our gear during the break without asking us, we somehow managed to get through to the last few songs without anything kicking off...Until one of the two guys picked up our guitarists spare guitar, fell backwards and banged into the amp!!

Then all hell broke loose; our keyboard player & guitarist were fighting one of the two guys, members of the audience came up and started rucking with the other guy - it was mayhem! The keyboards went over, one side of the PA fell, a cigarette machine in the corner also went over... Funniest bit was when our guitarist's missus got involved..

In the end, three security blokes finally intervened and kicked the two tw*ts out and we resumed and somehow finished the gig, even playing an extra half-hour at the manager's request and for some extra cash! Looking back, it was something that could have been avoided if the security guys had got involved earlier..

Not surprisingly, we've not been back since!

[Cat Burrito]

Try playing in a Glam / punk band in the early 90s! We played a Skinhead pub in Brockworth in Glocs back in 94 and were literally chased out of town. They threw a bar stool at us and everything. A real chicken wire situation. We did 2 encores because we were so universally hated!

I have to say these days gigging is a much more sedate affair.

[Happy Jack]

We played the Salmon & Ball as our first-ever gig. The gig went straight into band lore as The Battle Of Bethnal Green. How we lasted over an hour before the main fight broke out I'll never know - there had already been so many incidents by that stage.

10 minutes into the second set it all kicked off with a massive punch-up leading to an attempted glassing, which resulted inevitably in the clown with the glass slashing all the veins in his own hand, blood everywhere.

The landlord kicked the trouble makers out, bolted and barricaded one of the two doors, and then stood guard in the other for the rest of the gig looking like an extra from a Die Hard movie with blood spattered liberally across his chest.

I'm not making this up, you know.

Half the punters were so shocked by the violence that they left, which meant that we played our last 30 minutes to a small audience of people who liked our music enough to want to stay, and we played in what felt like [i]Fort Apache - The Bronx[/i]. It was bloody wonderful.

After the gig, the landlord was particularly keen to make sure he had our contact details, so as to be sure that he would be able to re-book us.

[Mr. Foxen]

Best gig we played in Bournemouth, everything went great, no screw ups aside from the guitar cutting out, and me smoothly chording all my parts to fill out till it was sorted (our set was one long song), we played tightly and awesomely. Problem is we just played at about 40bpm between 3 grindcore bands (one minute 160bpm songs).

As I sweatily packed up my stuff, a dude who looked like he might be the grown up version of a guy I hated from school waners up to me and says 'Are you in the band that just played?" good question, as I have just been stood in front of you for half an hour making loud noise and am now putting an instrument away.

"Yep"

"What even was that, it was like grindcore but really slow?" - another great statement, grindcore mostly defined by being fast.

"Was it loud?"

"Yeah, but it was really slow and dirgey"

"Yeah, awesome, that's Doom, totally what we are going for, slow loud and dirgey"

"but its crap, there wasn't even any riffs"

"Fairly sure there were riffs, was just playing them, spelt out pretty slowly, should be easy enough to catch"

"I used to be in a band that was like 9 Inch nails so I know what a good tune is, and you are really bad"

"right, might wanna take that up with the guy who writes the music, the angry bearded chap over there." - Just spotted my lady approaching.

Then the chap goes over and gives the same spiel to the guitarist, we've just played a raging set, he was ok to staart with, but the guy insistent on telling him how we were crap, after several wanrings to shut up and go away, he dropped the 'There weren't even any riffs" line and got punched in the face. He responded to this with "How dare you?" then more angry bearded men persuaded him maybe going away was a good plan.

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='615968' date='Oct 3 2009, 07:06 PM']Sounds pretty scary!!

We played at Horatio's Bar on Brighton Pier a couple of years ago and there's a karaoke bar next door which is known for being full of very tuneless people who's real talent is boozing..

Two very pissed guys came into the bar after their karaoke performance and started hassling us from the minute we started playing. They kept asking for particular songs, asking to have a go on the drums, the guitar, bass etc, etc.. As well as really winding us up, their constant interjections started to wind the rest of the audience up as well.

Even though they tried to use our gear during the break without asking us, we somehow managed to get through to the last few songs without anything kicking off...Until one of the two guys picked up our guitarists spare guitar, fell backwards and banged into the amp!!

Then all hell broke loose; our keyboard player & guitarist were fighting one of the two guys, members of the audience came up and started rucking with the other guy - it was mayhem! The keyboards went over, one side of the PA fell, a cigarette machine in the corner also went over... Funniest bit was when our guitarist's missus got involved..

In the end, three security blokes finally intervened and kicked the two tw*ts out and we resumed and somehow finished the gig, even playing an extra half-hour at the manager's request and for some extra cash! Looking back, it was something that could have been avoided if the security guys had got involved earlier..

Not surprisingly, we've not been back since![/quote]

[Pete Academy]

Great stories....I'm envious!

[The Funk]

Haven't had any yet - but I did ask WHUFC for a support slot with one of his bands.

[Bilbo]

I did a gig once where this Polish guy (I knew him) starts having a go at his missus at the back of the bar and six Portuguese guys grabbed him three on each side, picked him up kicking and screaming, walked him through the crowd carrying him above their heads (I had to turn sideways to let them past - I was still playing) out into the street, laid him on the floor and walked back in, leaving the bouncer to prevent his re-entry into the venue. No anger, no grief, no blood and guts, just assertive removal. Noone got hurt, even the Polish guy. It was a lesson in mature crowd control. Beautiful. I like Portuguese people - they know how to have a good time without getting leary.

[iamapirate]

We played a gig where there was a couple arguing literally throwing glasses and pool balls at each other. Needless to say we carried on playing - what a waste of good beer!

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='The Funk' post='616024' date='Oct 3 2009, 08:12 PM']Haven't had any yet - but I did ask WHUFC for a support slot with one of his bands. [/quote]



Although on a serious note, how do you know WHUFC hasn't got a sharp badge/patch etc?

[WalMan]

Memories of inter band fighting date back a way to the first punky originals band. Guitard was a bit of a shorthouse with a chip who could throw wobblies at will.

We were playing a pub around Easter and for some reason he decided it would be good to hand out Easter eggs to the crowd - don't ask, I cannot think [i]WHAT[/i] possessed him. So he brings a bag of mini eggs along. Gig is going OK and the vocalist takes give the audience Easter eggs to mean lobbing handfuls in their general direction. Not what guitard had in mind at all and he proceeded to put his guitar down and walk of in a hissy fit. Cue end of gig ad a blazing and frankly ridiculous slanging match. He left shrtly after as I recall.

As for punters we've seen a few that looked a bit like an Andy Capp bundle

[YouMa]

I did a soundman job for a gig in county durham not realising that it was some kind of skrewdriver skinhead affair,it was terrifying when they kicked off with each other.Believe me these people are bizarre,however i pulled.Even weirder.

[The Funk]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='616111' date='Oct 3 2009, 10:59 PM']Although on a serious note, how do you know WHUFC hasn't got a sharp badge/patch etc?[/quote]

I don't even know what that means

[niceguyhomer]

When I played guitar in a rock band, we did a biker's rally near Bradford. We'd just come off and were standing to the side of the stage chatting. There was a couple slow dancing near the stage and I looked across nervously to them when the guy strumbled backwards over the 2ft high stage and knocked over the other guitarist's Les Paul Premium Plus which fell over knocking his SG, which fell over knocking his Jackson (USA).

Nearly 5 grand's worth of guitars got damaged (but none of them seriously). Next thing, the other guitarist (second dan black belt - Shotokan / short fuse) flies over to confront (erm..kill) this large hairy biker.

I had visions of a riot starting with 300 bikers in the hall so I jumped in between 'em and did my best scouse calm down calm down bit and luckily it worked. Could have been nasty that one.

It kicked off a few times at gigs when I was with the soul band but luckily we never got involved.

[JTUK]

None involving the band that I can recall, but I did see a squaddie have a charge at someone from right across the room..he went wailing at this guy like a banshee at full pelt but didn't see the knee-level height glass coffee table in front of him and that poleaxed him ....straight down onto his face

That was so funny, best tackle ever... and by a coffeee table...!!!!!! If he hadn't been so drunk, he would have broken something for sure..and maybe he did anyway..
He sure looked a mess... just as well the other guy didn't smack him about as well...

Edited October 4, 2009 by JTUK

[foal30]

part of the pubs covers deal in NZ is to "play to the buses" which means you map your night out on what time the bus tour's are hitting your particular pub.

one night we got a mean beans all in brawl with two competing Hens Night Buses
vicious some of it
it was before 10 as well so who knows how many more venue's has the pleasure of these two sets of drunk tramps turning up on their door. If it was blokes the Cops would have halted it with batons and dogs at the first round.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='retroman' post='615944' date='Oct 3 2009, 06:48 PM']I once saw one of my hero's literally boot a fan of theirs off the stage! [/quote]

I remember once trying to climb onto a stage and being denied by the sole of Miles Hunt's boot in my face.

I did one gig as a stand-in on bass for some lads from college who had a little hardcore punk band, and we didn't play a single song - they'd decided they were going to put on a protest about the venue instead and they'd scrawled slogans all over themselves in marker, I had no idea what was going on and we were all removed from the stage by security after about fifteen minutes of it, but not before the sound guy had put their mics through pitch shifters and made them look utterly ridiculous.

I remember playing a little festival (think it was a benefit for something or other) where the singer from the band before us was climbing around on the lighting rig, the crew asked him to pack it in a few times and eventually pulled the plug on them, at which point the singer flipped out and went and punched the sound guy knocking his two front teeth out and requiring stitches in his knuckles, so off they both went to hospital. I half-knew this guy and I'd heard his reputation before, I was giving his girlfriend bass lessons at the time but I decided she should find another teacher after that. He was a proper nasty bastard that one.

Another gig at a place where they didn't usually have bands on, stage was a six inch high platform at one side of the room and there were way too many people in there, our crackhead trombonist accidentally popped a guy on the bridge of his nose with his slide and was immediately dragged into the crowd by pissed-up frat boys, but luckily they were ejected by security before any punches were thrown.

And there was the full-on inter-band punch-up which I sort-of started and the rest of my band won for me back stage at the Tradewinds that time, but I already mentioned that in another thread.

[gafbass02]

Had a fight onstage with the keyboard player as a youth! It was over my stage volume and started in the last song. We yelled at each other as we left the stage, carried on in the dressing room and as 400 plus people yelled for more we yelled at each other back onto the stage, where he punched me and I picked up the drum stool to belt him back only to be scooped up by our massive lighting guy and told to PLAY!!

Same venue there was a fight with thecsupport band once who wanted a bigger cut cause 'we already had good gear'?!!??!
And I had a bit of a set too with my ex's new fella who started giving me grief over her unaware shoulde as I played. I lept off the stage (transmitter) and had a bit of a ruck/shouting match before she dragged him out.

Didn't drop a single note !!! :-D

I'm calmer now!

[xilddx]

Bloody hell, there are some good stories on here!

Mine's not so nice. A long, long time ago when I lived in Wales, we were sound checking in the afternoon. me and the drummer sat down with a pint. The singer and bassist (I was a guitarist back then) wife and husband, were still on stage when we saw husband send a very powerful swinging punch into his wife's eye. No idea to this day what it was about, she was hurt pretty badly. I was numb for the rest of the day. I went to the dressing room half an hour later, they were in there, hubby doing that usual wife-beater sh*t of saying sorry and I love you, and was I roundly told to f*** off by the singer. We did the gig.

I was young then, but if that happened now, I'm not sure how I would react, apart from instantly leaving the band of course, probably screaming at him with rage. I think I would want to remove the man's testicles. He's dead now anyway.

[WHUFC BASS]

[quote name='The Funk' post='616024' date='Oct 3 2009, 08:12 PM']Haven't had any yet - but I did ask WHUFC for a support slot with one of his bands. [/quote]

Ha ha... you'd love it. Bring a crash helmet though...

We've seen our fair share of violence in the past, one memorable gig saw around 100 Flemish and French speaking Belgian skinheads kicking the crap out of each other just before we went on. After they got nicked there was another off in the middle of our set.

Another night the promoter asked the singer to tell the crowd to stop fighting to which he told the promoter "f*** off c***, who do you think I am? Jimmy Pursey or something?" quality night.

Played in Finland and saw two Finnish skinheads virtually demolish the venue and everyone in it. They knocked one of the bouncers out who came round, got up, cs gassed one of them in the face and proceeded to smash the granny out of this head-case.

After playing in Sweden last year we had a set-to with a load of Polish Nazi (yeah work that one out) skinheads who don't like us very much at all due to our singer taking on a load of their mates one drunken night. There's a picture of him floating about with a boot mark on his face somewhere.