Worst performance experience

[dwstout]

Not your worst performance but the worst experience.

A friend and I played at a combination senior citizen/nursing home/rehab/continuing care facility every month. One evening, "Clarence" got up right after a song and came up to us and said "You guys really sink. No one here likes you here." Then walked over to some women and shook his cane in her face. The staff was absent. We never went back.

What's yours?

[Oldguy64]

The first time I played in don't of people, I played Garth Brooks "The Thumder Rolls".
It is a song I had down, I played it well. Sang it better.
There was one guy in the crowd that started heckling me mercilessly.
I'm about as far from cowboy as you can get visually. And this cat ruined my first time playing out.
I finished the song. Got scattered applause.
That was nearly twenty years ago. I still don't care to play solo.

[Glennwillow]

Actually, I could probably put a list together about a bunch of bad things that happened over my 5 decades of playing and performing -- the guy who wouldn't pay us, the loud-mouthed heckler in the crowd, the lousy PA system, the thunderstorm that poured on us at the outdoor festival while we were attached to a bunch of electrical equipment -- but, really, I try not to think about these negatives. The positives I have experienced over the years have far outweighed the negatives, so why dwell on them?

- Glenn

[Cone Head]

Ever get electrocuted by a vocal mic?

[lodi_55]

Playing in front of 250-300 people at a winery. 100 degree weather made my finger-style pieces pretty awful and my Bose L1 cut out about 10 times (due to their circuit overloading). Not a good performance day, but a good learning day.

Originally Posted by Cone Head

Ever get electrocuted by a vocal mic?

Yup. Lotsa times back in the day, playing rock with junky, poorly grounded equipment. Hate that.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Cone Head

Ever get electrocuted by a vocal mic?

Yes; it's enough to make a person forget the lyrics!

- Glenn

[Willy D]

Had a number of doozies over years as in fist fights, brawls and other stupid stuff. However, I think the worst was one my first gigs in a bar in the 70's. The place was pretty seedy. We had topless dancers on either end of the stage. You know, that kinda place.
One night in the middle of a set, we notice a sweet looking little old lady dressed in a house coat and slippers, walking with a cane - making her way across the floor. We had just started our intro to "Layla" in our best Derek and the Dominoes imitation. Just as the intro crescendoed, the little old lady throws her cane across the dance floor, sprang into the air, tucked into a forward summersault, and rose, standing to her full stature - grasped the lapels of her house coat, extended her arms to their fullest wingspan ... and there we were, utterly entranced and staring at a 90 year old "full Monty"

[Bowedup]

I've been taking lessons for a couple years but gave never played for anyone other than family. A couple nights ago I got pulled onstage during a Vegas showgirls show, dressed up like Elvis behind the curtains and they told me to play along with the girls for a song. Right as I walk thru the curtain they hand me a black dreadnaught.....up until this point I was pretty uneasy about being pulled on stage as part of the act, but when they handed me the guitar I started thinking "heh I can play, I bet they won't suspect that, this will be fun!". Keep in mind its very dark backstage.....

So I walk thru the curtain dressed in an Elvis cape, glasses, and wig behind 8 showgirls in nothing but their g strings and heels onto the stage only to realize they gave me a guitar with no strings!!! Chance to impress all gone, I did my best air guitar got my souvenir pic afterwards. Oh well, at least I can say everyone applauded! Might have been the topless showgirls though...lol

Scott

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by Cone Head

Ever get electrocuted by a vocal mic?

Yes, as a matter of fact, when I was a teen. At that moment the mic's grille caught in my braces as well. Separation anxiety. End of mic.

Bob

[taylormark]

I really admire the folks that can preform on stage. I have been playing for about 4 years.
I have done a couple of small open mic's and have had mixed results with my fingers shaking and making the simplest songs a challenge , luckily I recorded the audio and the recordings sound much better than I remembed. Makes me more appreciate the folks that able to put on a good show.

[pieterh]

Yeah - we had a band when we were at school which carried on off and on for a couple of years afterwards (the bass player went on to become a fairly successful songwriter). I can't remember who got us the gig but we ended up playing two or three half hour sets at a strip club. It was pretty seedy and the girls were just going through the motions (if you'll excuse the expression) and the guys in the audience weren't much more enthusiastic. We did get paid though how much I can't recall, this was 30 years ago (I must have been all of eighteen years old!).

[tadol]

Well, not the worst by any means, but we just played a backyard bbq, and had to lug all our equipment down, around the house to a small stage they set up. While that was nice, it was pretty small, and when we got the drummer, guest pedal steel player, bassist and 2 guitars, and a guest vocal mic all set up, it was pretty durn tight up there - couldn't turn without clearing it with the guy on either side first. Then we started playing about 5, only to have the sun coming over our backs and reflecting off our iPads so strongly we couldn't see them - one even shut down due to heat. Got a lot better after the sun set. So I can't say we were at our best, but we had fun, the crowd seemed to enjoy us, and it was a great luau -

But carrying all that equipment back up 2 stories around the side of the house late that evening -

[flaggerphil]

Originally Posted by Cone Head

Ever get electrocuted by a vocal mic?

Yep. 'Bout knocked me off the stage.

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Yes, as a matter of fact, when I was a teen. At that moment the mic's grille caught in my braces as well. Separation anxiety. End of mic.

Bob

Oh my goodness gracious