... so, Saturday afternoon I'm playing a surprise party at a CC ... the REALLY nice part for me is that it is primarily an Italian membership at this club, and I have been asked to play a LOT of 'Italian' tunes ...so for starters I pull out my Italian book from when I was a kid playing accordion and brush up on those, and then I supplement that with a bunch of tunes by Jerry Vale, Dean Martin, Al Martino, etc, etc ... since I don't REALLY speak Italian, I learn a lot of the lyrics phonetically ...

So I start the gig before the guest of honor arrives - it's a 'surprise' party, - and while I'm playing some background tunes one of the 'principles' for the party comes up and tells me that everyone is a little nervous because the G of H HATES surprise parties, and hates having a fuss made over her ...
Well, the G of H arrives and everyone yells surprise and we break into "Happy Birthday" when the G of H does an about face and runs OUT OF THE HALL !!! ...
It had to be a good ten minutes before somebody convinced her to come back in and when she did she honestly wasn't a 'happy camper' ...
We almost had a party without the G of H !!! ...
t.

T, I have done 50th Anniversaries without the wife being there, sick last minute rushed to hospital.. had a person faint at a surprise party entrance too, a bride get smashed to the ground from behind by a diving bridesmaid trying to catch a bouquet ambulance needed, groom hanging by a chandelier attempting to retrieve the garter thrown off best mans shoulders, whole bridal party falls into the pool during photo session in hotel, naked topless woman jumpmg on stage & full all out brawls too......but no biggie after 40 years, it's par for the course in the life of a gigging musician just keep playing no matter what, get paid & go home



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 03-08-2009).]

I had a wedding where the 2 families didn't get along. The bride got so upset with them that she borrowed a friends car and left the reception. And as aways, no matter what happens, they come up to the musician and say "Keep playing."

Wedding bliss..........

Joe

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Songman55
Joe Ayala

These stories are great!
You guys should put a book together:
"Adventures In Gig Land"

Jay R

Donny,

I agreed to fill in for a guy with a country band playing at a very popular bar in Dallas. Midway through the first set a couple got into an argument over a pool game. The next thing we know the woman is chasing the guy around the pool table and shooting at him. Our lead guitar play liked to strangle himself on the way out - forgot to unplug before running.

We all ran like hell. When I got home I was repacking my gear and discovered a bullet crease on my ride cymble! (I was a drummer in my heyday) I decided right then and there never again would you catch me at a gig where there was sawdust on the floor. Yea, in Texas we really had places like that.

I was on another gig when the place burned down. There were some who never got out.

Hammer

That's the golden rule: No matter what happens, keep playing. If you stop, all the attention gets focused on the fracas.

We played a Navy/Marine base many years ago where we'd be lucky to still be playing an hour into the first set due to tables and chairs flying through the air and the Shore Patrol swinging batons. We never missed a beat.

Thus....the invention of chicken wire.
Eddie

Tony, Sounds like you were at the Alpine CC?

Dean I hear ya! ..... ever gig in places that have a Cyclone fence raised in front of the stage when you started to playto catch flying bottles ?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dnj:
[B] Dean I hear ya! ..... ever gig in places that have a Cyclone fence raised in front of the stage when you started to playto catch flying bottles ?

I played on a Ferry and beer cans were being tossed at us through the portholes. My son-in-laws job, never did that again.

John C.