HI guys,

...just want to share this with you...

Last night I played at the local club (at some village,hamlet,country, don't know any words to describe it) with my band and two very drunk (there were about 100 more drunkies) people coused a FIGHT. We were frustrated because there was 50 000 Euros of equipment on the stage! Two guys (from other village) were beaten by the 20 or 30 local persons ...when the klub personals get them out of the klub there was blood anywhere... Tonight we'll play agin at that place and there will be revange... Those guys are so primitive and I don't know what to espect... acctualy I know - two rival villages will beat each other to death beside my PA,light and other gear... that's the "dream" (nightmare) of any musician...

Did you have similar situations? Is this normal? I saw many fights but nothing like this.

Best regards from Zagreb, Croatia
sLOWER



[This message has been edited by sLOWER (edited 05-07-2005).]

GO BACK TONIGHT!!!!!!

I DON'T think so.......
Plead a prior engagement mate!

Let's hope we hear from you tomorrow.

VERY best wishes

Trevor

If people got aggressive then they are able to do everything we can't imagine. The situation that you've described seems to me like a 'typical' small village scene. People in dark minds come to a concert - always thinking that this is a big party - drinking too much alcohol and then loosing control.
If there are one or two aggressives then the crowd will stop them but if the crowd is drunken too then the dynamite will explode...

In some cases the band has the chance to communicate with the crowd because they all did come to see the BAND. But in the case you've mentioned above I think you only can run for your lifes...

I hope you won't live to see the same tonight. A strong and charismatic front man could have a chance to intercept those aggravations but at the end...if someone mad wants to beat someone else then you can't stop him...without a gun...or better kick'em in his gonads and then run awayyyyyyyyyy...

Good luck for your next gig!!! Maybe you will need some security guards in front of the stage like we've seen it in big concerts...

It's sad but true!!!
Fortunality it's not the standard for our society...
------------------
Greetings from Frankfurt (Germany),
Sheriff ;-)

[This message has been edited by Sheriff (edited 05-07-2005).]

I'll see what will happen tonight... I don't like to play small village gigs... I have filling that I'm playing for the INDIANS!! Like to play only when I'm in the mood for party and have a few of drinks...and when all of my private friends are there... Where have gone those days when I had a normal bend and played a gigs in the town, for normal, culture people... without having to play folk,folk and nothing but the folk... nowadays,only thing that is better than before is good sounding system, all other equipment and money... Where did joy for playing desapired???

sLOWER

I would be very hesitant about going back in
to do anything let alone setting up expensive equimtment to perform for that bunck of drunken loons.....
Tony Rome

Unfortunately, alcohol makes some individuals very aggressive, while others consume it moderately, enjoy the enening and have a good time dancing to the music. When the situation gets out of hand, it's time for you to get out of that venue. That's one of the many reasons I no longer perform in local nite-clubs. No more contending with drunks, fights, cigarette smoke, and most of all--low pay. For me, it's private parties, nursing homes, retirement banquets, assisted living centers, etc., places where you are well paid, the audiences love the music, you get home at a decent hour and more often than not, book several more jobs from the one you just played.

Gary

Sure helps to reinforce my feelings about not playing bars anymore.

Except this one, of course. Boy, wouldn't this be a great place to jam...

Don't blame it on the Indians, we were here first.
DonM

I'm sory,I didn't mean to offend anybody... I was thinking on scenes from American movies...

Once again, I'm offering my apology if I offend anyone.

sLOWER

"Ten little indians...!"
Noo, just kidding...
Those western movies were really baaaaaad...

I think it's a general problem in society and not only in small villages that some people's brain drop out for a few minutes (or hours). In the most cases it is caused by alcohol but in some other cases it is more than this...

In some rock concerts - especially in punk scenes - there's a modern 'gag' called 'stage-diving'. Hey, the stage is MY area!!!
They are running across the border line and then...woops...they're jumping head forth into the crowd.
Can you imagine? They're not normal in their brain, aren't they? That's absolutely dangerous for the people in the crowd who can't go beside because there's already standing someone...
But they do it just for fun. Hey, what a kind of fun should it be to lie in a puddle of blood and broken teeth? Maybe those people need a head shot to short their ailment?
I'm afraid, it's only a question of humility...

------------------
Greetings from Frankfurt (Germany),
Sheriff ;-)

If you feel you want to or need to go back tonight, then by all means talk to the manager and explain that if he can't protect you then you're out of there. I don't care how much the job pays, it's not enough to replace equipment or an injured band member.

Sheriff....It all has to do with your BRAIN ON DRUGS....thereby making it a LACK OF BRAIN
Tony Rome

Well said, Cassp! 100% YES!!!

Slower, if you have a choice then take it!!!

...guys...I'm ready to go to gig...or whatever it is...small village hear I come!!!

sLOWER

Good luck, Slower!!!
I hope we will read further more out of your feather...

Maybe...
...the blue minds of yesterday
has gone so far away...

Comm'on sing with me...

This post takes me back to a lot of years.
I was playing in this band at this dance hall and I always wondered why the upright piano was on rollers until one night a riot broke out between a LOT of people. I just turned the piano a 1/4 turn and had a fort and all of us got down on the floor and hid behind the piano.
I also worked a club where the piano bar was in the corner and there was lots of room to hide underneath this grand piano. The only other problem in this club was the Boss's wife. I finally had to quit. It was a good gig too. It only paid union scale of $10.00 a night but the tips could be awesome when everyone had a great day at the horse race track, Santa Anita just down the street a ways.
Bebop

No offense taken. If you need help tonight, I'll bring a war party to help you.
DonM

Sorry to hear about your situation, Slower. Nobody needs that crap. Hopefully, you're on a high enough stage to avoid all that stuff. You know where not to book again.

"Oh man, look at those cavemen go! They're in the freakiest show!" -- David Bowie, Life On Mars.

Hey, Slower,

How did it go last night? Did things calm down a little?

Playing in dance clubs in New York, we see this nonsense all the time.

If the club owner cannot guarantee the safety of your equipment and the band members, I would not play there -- it's in the contract.

Also, when this nonsense starts, we immediately STOP playing. Unfortunately, music seems to add fuel to the alcohol fire and dead silence seems to quiet things down. We also threaten to walk off stage if the nonsense doesn't stop.

I threaten to start singing

Good one, that's our plan "B" MrEd.

Plan "C" is to threaten to dance!

""Also, when this nonsense starts, we immediately STOP playing. Unfortunately, music seems to add fuel to the alcohol fire and dead silence seems to quiet things down. We also threaten to walk off stage if the nonsense doesn't stop.""

Now what does that say about today's music!. Think about when the Titanic went down and the band carried on playing until the bitter end. In my young day, (NOT on the Titanic I hasten to add) we were expected to carry on playing through the mayhem to help to CALM the situation, not inflame it.

I seem to remember some old poet or other wrote something about music having charm to soothe the savage beast ( or breast if you prefer it).

I am a bit worried that we haven't yet heard from Slower after his gig though!!!

Fingers crossed
Trevor

I think it is a sad fact of this business. There are no good paying gigs I know of where alcohol isn't involved. If I could work 9-5 Mon - Fri and do what I do for the same money, I would in a second--and I probably wouldn't be single again!