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Drunk/stoned bar gig stories.

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Pt

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Apr 12, 2013, 4:53:30 PM4/12/13
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I started playing in bars and clubs in the 60's.
The 60's was a time of peace and love and heavy drinking, good weed
and bar fights.
The whole band was either drunk, stoned or both at every gig but so
was the audience.
They loved us.
One night at a seedy joint a fight broke out.
The whole place was fighting then a shot rang out.
A bullet went through the bass drum just missing the gonads of our
drummer.
We were out of there in a flash, even left our instruments on the
stage but we came back the next morning to pick them up and get paid.
That was when we all decided that we would not drink or smoke at gigs.
After that we became a good band.
What's your story?

Pt

the_cat

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Apr 12, 2013, 5:53:35 PM4/12/13
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( 70's) We never got shot at, never drank - and I would NEVER leave my
gear out of sight . Me(bass back then) and the drummer usually
scouted out the hot chicks for an after hrs party... : 0 - e

Gregory Rochford

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Apr 13, 2013, 11:02:30 AM4/13/13
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On 4/12/2013 3:53 PM, Pt wrote:
> What's your story?
>
Last weekend, Saturday night, college bar in Lubbock TX, we're just
finishing Layla (about to go into the piano coda), when everyone starts
leaving. This is at 1:30, so the bar is open for another 30 minutes.
Then we hear "Mace!". Some jerk decided it would be fun to spray mace
in the crowd. That was about the time it reached the stage.

Apparently this happens a couple times a year at this bar, but the first
time for us.

best
gr

fourstring

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Apr 13, 2013, 11:16:30 AM4/13/13
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"Pt" wrote in message
news:588baeb4-2a6c-4159...@r6g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
Once upon a time, many years ago (!) our very busy and
top-earning showband was playing a posh corporate gig.
There was a free bar and the interval dragged on for an
hour and a half with speeches. A dangerous combination.

By the time we went back on some of the guys were severely
over-lubricated including the guitarist.

The first couple of numbers hung together but then the leader
called 'Goodbye to Love', the Carpenter's number with the iconic
guitar solo which D had off perfectly...until tonight.

It totally fell apart after 4 bars causing the rest of us to corpse
in hysterics. Totally unprofessional but hilarious at the time.

Luckily the punters thought it was funny too but it was a lesson learnt
and never happened again.

Back in my pro days heavy boozing on gigs was the norm and a lot of
my contemporaries from those days are now dead.
I've never had the booze habit but used to enjoy a couple of tokes
I must admit but was never out of control, merely mellow!

Happy daze.


-C-
Anything is possible if you don't
know what you're talking about

Derek Tearne

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Apr 13, 2013, 7:03:00 PM4/13/13
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Neighbours don't like the noise?

We played a wedding gig last night, and there was a very clear note in
the instructions that the band stop at 11:45 ( we actually stopped at
more like 11:56 ). My assumption was that the venue gets a lot of
complaints from the neighbours.

Afterwards the venue owner congratulated us, wanted some business cards
(which is always a good thing at a wedding venue) and said, gleefully,
that there had been no complaints from the neighbours.

Which I took to mean that the neighbours liked us, although apparently
it was probably that we weren't too loud. Now, an 11 piece band with
horns in a room where every bass note/drum kick boomed disturbingly (I
got that mostly under control by the end of the first set[1]), is never
going to be what I'd call 'quiet' - so it makes me wonder just how load
the average wedding band/DJ *is* these days.

--- Derek

[1] One of those weird acoustic things where you play a note, especially
a note below G, and half a second later it comes back at you way louder
than it started out. I ended up taking most of the bass out of the EQ
and turning the underneath speaker on the Ten2 down to 50% - it still
boomed a bit, but not to the point that everything else was completely
swamped. If we play there again I'll experiment a bit more with the low
frequency cut. Unfortunately there was no time for any serious sound
check before hand.



--
Derek Tearne - de...@url.co.nz
Vitamin S: improvisation from New Zealand http://www.vitamin-s.co.nz/
d'Groove: 12 piece party/covers band http://www.dGroove.co.nz/

Gregory Rochford

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Apr 16, 2013, 2:50:05 PM4/16/13
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On 4/13/2013 6:03 PM, Derek Tearne wrote:
> Gregory Rochford <gregory_...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>> On 4/12/2013 3:53 PM, Pt wrote:
>>> What's your story?
>>>
>> Last weekend, Saturday night, college bar in Lubbock TX, we're just
>> finishing Layla (about to go into the piano coda), when everyone starts
>> leaving. This is at 1:30, so the bar is open for another 30 minutes.
>> Then we hear "Mace!". Some jerk decided it would be fun to spray mace
>> in the crowd. That was about the time it reached the stage.
>>
>> Apparently this happens a couple times a year at this bar, but the first
>> time for us
>
> Neighbours don't like the noise?

Nope. Business district. All the other stores on the block are closed
by then.

Just some asshole college student.

best
gr

klaw

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Apr 17, 2013, 2:32:10 PM4/17/13
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I don't remember...

*e#c

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Apr 19, 2013, 11:10:20 PM4/19/13
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Ive had the " standing behind the chickenwire while a beerbottle
smashes against it " deal.

Started lipping off at a goof, who turned out to be a Biker. He comes
over and starts to rage on me, while I sit there, wondering why I
opened my mouth. All of a sudden, a VERY large Trucker shows up...I
figure Im a goner, but it turns out the Trucker had my back, and was
going to trash the Biker if he touched me. I never found this out till
after the Gig was over, and we went back to our Motel Room. Ended up
partying with the truckers all night.

That was in Winnepeg Manitoba, circa 1980

Tim

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Apr 20, 2013, 3:50:22 PM4/20/13
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I remember back on the old 'pit' that there was an ebay auction of
either a Gibson EB or some clone that had an actual bullet shot into
the body. I don't remember what the story was behind the shot-up bass,
but some member bought it, and confirmed it had a .22 stuck in it.

Tim

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Apr 20, 2013, 3:52:49 PM4/20/13
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On Apr 13, 10:02 am, Gregory Rochford <gregory_rochf...@sbcglobal.net>
wrote:
Not sure about there, but in some states, mace is for a defense only
purpose. Some weasel spraying it for the heck of it on somebody or
especially in a crowd, could have assault charges in order.

BW

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Apr 21, 2013, 11:27:43 AM4/21/13
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That's funny... sort of. I've always thought (during my lots-of-bar-
gigs-days) that my Fender could deflect something if I needed it to.
Bullet (small caliber), knife, beer bottle, fist. And I know it would
give it's life to save mine. It's the kind of love we have for each
other. I'm glad neither of us had to make that kind of sacrifice for
the other.

benj

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Apr 23, 2013, 1:24:10 AM4/23/13
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On Sun, 21 Apr 2013 08:27:43 -0700, BW wrote:

> That's funny... sort of. I've always thought (during my lots-of-bar-
> gigs-days) that my Fender could deflect something if I needed it to.
> Bullet (small caliber), knife, beer bottle, fist. And I know it would
> give it's life to save mine. It's the kind of love we have for each
> other. I'm glad neither of us had to make that kind of sacrifice for
> the other.

You had BETTER be glad it didn't have to give it's life.

At our gun club we ran a series of test on a SOLID Wooden door (thick as
a Fender) for our education classes. Bad news. EVERY caliber went through
the door. Most interesting was what a shot gun did to the door. Fender
would be a reasonable deflector for the other things, though.

Brian Running

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Apr 26, 2013, 10:29:18 AM4/26/13
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> What's your story?

How about a heart attack story instead? I was subbing with a band playing a private party at a swanky country club. The place had two adjacent ballrooms, and there were parties going on in each one. We and the dancers were just getting warmed up when an old guy in a tux comes walking out of the adjoining ballroom, walks into the middle of our dance floor, suddenly clutches his chest, does a half-pirouette, and wham! goes down hard. He's out, and turning purple. We kept playing for a few bars, until it was clear that we had a situation on our hands. The dancers cleared, and a few people rushed over to him. One said she was an RN, and she checked for a pulse. She said there was no pulse, and she and another started CPR. After a while, the RN checked for a pulse again, none. Everyone figured the guy was a goner, and about this time an old broad in furs and jewelry came walking in from where the old guy had come, and started saying, loudly, "Get away from him! He does this all the time! He'll be fine, get away from him." Sure enough, after a little while, and about the time the paramedics arrived, the guy revived, and sat up. It was like watching Lazarus, the RN was sure he was dead. The EMTs came over to put him on the gurney and haul him to the hospital, and the old woman kept shouting, "He's fine! Leave him alone! He does this all the time!! Leave him alone!" They hauled him out to the ambulance, and we had nothing to do but count off the next song and continue. But I'm here to tell you, a heart attack in the middle of your dance floor will kill the partying mood for the rest of the night. Most of the dancers didn't return, and the party just kind of fizzled.

BW

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Apr 26, 2013, 4:12:20 PM4/26/13
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On Apr 26, 10:29 am, Brian Running <running.br...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > What's your story?
>
> How about a heart attack story instead?  I was subbing with a band playing a private party at a swanky country club.  The place had two adjacent ballrooms, and there were parties going on in each one.  We and the dancers were just getting warmed up when an old guy in a tux comes walking out of the adjoining ballroom, walks into the middle of our dance floor, suddenly clutches his chest, does a half-pirouette, and wham! goes down hard.  He's out, and turning purple.  We kept playing for a few bars, until it was clear that we had a situation on our hands.  The dancers cleared, and a few people rushed over to him.  One said she was an RN, and she checked for a pulse.  She said there was no pulse, and she and another started CPR.  After a while, the RN checked for a pulse again, none.  Everyone figured the guy was a goner, and about this time an old broad in furs and jewelry came walking in from where the old guy had come, and started saying, loudly, "Get away from him!  He does this all the time!  He'll be fine, get away from him."  Sure enough, after a little while, and about the time the paramedics arrived, the guy revived, and sat up.  It was like watching Lazarus, the RN was sure he was dead.  The EMTs came over to put him on the gurney and haul him to the hospital, and the old woman kept shouting, "He's fine!  Leave him alone!  He does this all the time!!  Leave him alone!"  They hauled him out to the ambulance, and we had nothing to do but count off the next song and continue.  But I'm here to tell you, a heart attack in the middle of your dance floor will kill the partying mood for the rest of the night.  Most of the dancers didn't return, and the party just kind of fizzled.

Brian,
I'm in no way saying that what you described didn't happen as you
described it, but I think there has to be more to the story. If he's
had multiple heart attacks that knock him out cold with no pulse, hard
to believe he'd still be alive. I just don't know.

Claude V. Lucas

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Apr 26, 2013, 4:25:04 PM4/26/13
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In article <09c367b7-fb0f-422f...@d6g2000yqi.googlegroups.com>,
If we're doing heart attacks along with the drunks and stoners,
once my very best friend at the time finished a set in front
of a fairly large crowd, walked off stage, handed his bass to
somebody and was dead before he hit the floor...

Not much humor in that one...

Derek Tearne

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Apr 26, 2013, 6:04:59 PM4/26/13
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BW <barryb...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Brian,
> I'm in no way saying that what you described didn't happen as you
> described it, but I think there has to be more to the story. If he's
> had multiple heart attacks that knock him out cold with no pulse, hard
> to believe he'd still be alive. I just don't know.

I think the obvious conclusion is that he wasn't having a heart attack.
He must have some condition which causes him to faint, and for his pulse
to either drop of become so shallow it is difficult to detect.

Exactly what that condition is, I would not hazard a guess - but I'm
guessing nobody in the band ever called the hospital to find out.
Dollars to donuts the condition isn't any kind of cardiac arrest.

--- Derek

BW

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Apr 27, 2013, 9:50:03 AM4/27/13
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On Apr 26, 6:04 pm, de...@url.co.nz (Derek Tearne) wrote:
> BW <barrybass...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Brian,
> > I'm in no way saying that what you described didn't happen as you
> > described it, but I think there has to be more to the story. If he's
> > had multiple heart attacks that knock him out cold with no pulse, hard
> > to believe he'd still be alive. I just don't know.
>
> I think the obvious conclusion is that he wasn't having a heart attack.
> He must have some condition which causes him to faint, and for his pulse
> to either drop of become so shallow it is difficult to detect.
>
> Exactly what that condition is, I would not hazard a guess - but I'm
> guessing nobody in the band ever called the hospital to find out.
> Dollars to donuts the condition isn't any kind of cardiac arrest.
>
> --- Derek
>
> --
> Derek Tearne - de...@url.co.nz
> Vitamin S: improvisation from New Zealandhttp://www.vitamin-s.co.nz/
> d'Groove: 12 piece party/covers bandhttp://www.dGroove.co.nz/

...and I'm curious about his arm candy who didn't want anyone to do
anything. Perhaps she was really hoping for "the big one".

sln

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Apr 27, 2013, 3:29:36 PM4/27/13
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On 04/26/2013 03:04 PM, Derek Tearne wrote:
> BW <barryb...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> Brian,
>> I'm in no way saying that what you described didn't happen as you
>> described it, but I think there has to be more to the story. If he's
>> had multiple heart attacks that knock him out cold with no pulse, hard
>> to believe he'd still be alive. I just don't know.
>
> I think the obvious conclusion is that he wasn't having a heart attack.
> He must have some condition which causes him to faint, and for his pulse
> to either drop of become so shallow it is difficult to detect.
>
> Exactly what that condition is, I would not hazard a guess - but I'm
> guessing nobody in the band ever called the hospital to find out.
> Dollars to donuts the condition isn't any kind of cardiac arrest.
>

IANAD, but it sounds to me a little like a vasovagal episode. It can be
rather disturbing to those around you when it happens. My father has
had this happen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasovagal_response

sln

--
======================================================================
Mr. Shannon Nelson Parents can't afford to be squeamish.
sln - at - onemain dot com

Mark Bluemel

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May 7, 2013, 3:06:43 AM5/7/13
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On 26/04/2013 21:25, Claude V. Lucas wrote:
>
> If we're doing heart attacks along with the drunks and stoners,
> once my very best friend at the time finished a set in front
> of a fairly large crowd, walked off stage, handed his bass to
> somebody and was dead before he hit the floor...
>
> Not much humor in that one...

A colleague of mine, who I also knew as a local morris dancer, went
similarly. The side was dancing in a town square, walked off after a
dance and he just went - again dead before he hit the ground.

May not have a lot of humour, but in many ways a good way to go, don't
you think? You're doing something you enjoy and you go with very little
knowledge that it's happening...

And the funeral was amazing - the priest let the morris men dance a
tribute in the Abbey.

Claude V. Lucas

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May 7, 2013, 7:48:06 AM5/7/13
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In article <kma8v4$7sn$1...@dont-email.me>,
Mark Bluemel <mark_b...@pobox.com> wrote:
>On 26/04/2013 21:25, Claude V. Lucas wrote:
>>
>> If we're doing heart attacks along with the drunks and stoners,
>> once my very best friend at the time finished a set in front
>> of a fairly large crowd, walked off stage, handed his bass to
>> somebody and was dead before he hit the floor...
>>
>> Not much humor in that one...
>
>A colleague of mine, who I also knew as a local morris dancer, went
>similarly. The side was dancing in a town square, walked off after a
>dance and he just went - again dead before he hit the ground.
>
>May not have a lot of humour, but in many ways a good way to go, don't
>you think? You're doing something you enjoy and you go with very little
>knowledge that it's happening...

Yeah.

>
>And the funeral was amazing - the priest let the morris men dance a
>tribute in the Abbey.
>

Gary's was depressing...

klaw

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May 7, 2013, 12:49:08 PM5/7/13
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never heard of a morris dancer before this post and I've heard it twice today since reading this earlier. once here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQzvpzxJ7iE in reference to 'a taste of honey' and a friend of mine mentioned a friend who does that. funny...

fourstring

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May 7, 2013, 4:32:09 PM5/7/13
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"klaw" wrote in message
news:a281df8d-7007-4134...@googlegroups.com...
There's only one question you need to ask about Morris dancing.
Why??

klaw

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May 7, 2013, 5:52:26 PM5/7/13
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any worse than boot scootin'?

Sam Wilson

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May 8, 2013, 5:31:44 AM5/8/13
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In article <zwdit.5742$pv1....@fx04.fr7>,
"fourstring" <fours...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

> "klaw" wrote in message
> news:a281df8d-7007-4134...@googlegroups.com...
>
> > never heard of a morris dancer before this post and I've heard it twice
> > today since reading this earlier. once here
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQzvpzxJ7iE in reference to 'a taste of
> > honey' and a friend of mine >mentioned a friend who does that. funny...
>
> There's only one question you need to ask about Morris dancing.
> Why??

<http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=101;t=
000319;p=0>

Sam

--
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
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