The Nightmare Gig

[Lou Coppolino]

I have a lot of guitars.

I bring more than one to a gig.

Who would have thought that the tube pins in my amp needed to be cleaned of rust.

My amp was going in and out.

I brought one amp to the gig.

I did the rest of the gig by playing through the PA.

I wanted to go home.

 

[loudnlousy]

Sorry to hear of your mishap.
Murphy`s law.
I usually carry a second amp to the gig to avoid just that.

 

[Lou Coppolino]

Sorry to hear of your mishap.
Murphy`s law.
I usually carry a second amp to the gig to avoid just that.

I've been using a (sometimes) mic'd Marshall Class 5 Combo.

When mic'd, I use my pedalboard and the amp is rarely turned past 1/4 volume.

 

[Pops]

Murphy is always lurking.

 

[Lou Coppolino]

Murphy is always lurking.

Magilicuty Law:

Murphy is an optemist.

 

[Falconetti]

Sorry to hear of your amp troubles Lou. I also carry a spare guitar but only one amp. I have had an amp problem on only a handful of occasions in over 20 years and i always made it through the gig. Not worth carrying the spare amp based on those stats to my mind …..unless someone carries it for you. In that situation….bring a spare for the spare

 

[nickurso]

I’ve had amps go out at gigs before and yes I ran through the pa. I don’t like doing it but I’m a pinch I’ve done it

 

[Lou Coppolino]

I now carry a Strymon Iridium pedal in my gig bag.

 

[JC higgy]

Yep,had to play through the PA a few times myself.
On one of those occasions my tone was actually cool.

 

[oneforsorrow]

We’re on a hiatus from gigging but I took to keeping my Catalinbread F55 pedal as a standby in case I had to go direct. If we go back to full time touring again, I plan to pick up an Iridium or similar. I was fortunate for all those years that my amps always performed as needed.

 

[gentlemanbass]

Played a beer hall - unknown to us - arrive start playing - stage is just on the floor in corner of large cavernous room - by midnight the crowd is collectively intoxicated in a way I have never seen before. Woman wander through the group - one strips bare while hanging off the guitarist.

Then a fight breaks out - and one patron is beaten badly - blood everywhere- and then the entire room breaks into violence. Bottles-and furniture flying - people flying across the room - and we continue to play as it was too dangerous to leave our corner and as we finish the set the crowd dies down.

We say to the bartender I guess that’s it. - and he says we had already been paid - very generously- for three sets and one more set.

Two days later they called back and said it had gone well and would we do another engagement.

 

[swivel]

Isn't that normal? The thing you bring a backup for never fails.... Been grateful I bought that little Crate Powerblock for $60 on sale at GC many times . I've never had to use it, but the bassist used it twice and once it was used as a PA amp!

 

[swivel]

Played a bar once back when I played with another guitarist, who was superb on harmonica. This buxom woman was hot for him, but he wasn't having any of it. She gets on stage at break trying to give hime a big kiss.... she has a big herpes on her lip....

 

[dspellman]

Played a beer hall - unknown to us - arrive start playing - stage is just on the floor in corner of large cavernous room - by midnight the crowd is collectively intoxicated in a way I have never seen before. Woman wander through the group - one strips bare while hanging off the guitarist.

Then a fight breaks out - and one patron is beaten badly - blood everywhere- and then the entire room breaks into violence. Bottles-and furniture flying - people flying across the room - and we continue to play as it was too dangerous to leave our corner and as we finish the set the crowd dies down.

We say to the bartender I guess that’s it. - and he says we had already been paid - very generously- for three sets and one more set.

Two days later they called back and said it had gone well and would we do another engagement.

That's just Friday Night at the first place I ever played.
The good news is that we were set up behind the bar on a very small stage. We had to duck occasionally, but that's about it.
It was usually a girlfriend that caused the fight (which was just an excuse for everyone else to join in) and she'd leave telling him she never wanted to see him again.

The next night she'd be back with both of them bruised and bandaged, and we'd ask her, "Why are you with him?"
And the answer was usually, "Cause he's mah mayan."

Until our drummer took her home...

 

[ruger9]

I carry a spare amp, but I have been considering replacing it with one of the new, tiny, solid state amps that are available now... like this one...

Not necessarily THIS one, but there are several "nano amp heads" out there now... Vox, Bogner, H&K...

Hughes & Kettner Spirit Of Vintage 25-watt Nano Amp

25-watt Micro Guitar Amp Head with Spirit Tone Generator, Sagging Control, Emulated DI Output, and Unfiltered Line Out

www.sweetwater.com

 

[GlenP]

I now carry a Strymon Iridium pedal in my gig bag.

I usually bring a Tech21 Blonde as a DI for the PA as an alternative to the amp for similar reasons.

My nightmare gig had nothing to do with any gear failure, some shirtless tattooed guy picks up a bar stool and threatened another guy with it. He got thrown out by the owner/barkeep who was much smaller than him, but stood his ground and authority. It was a little dicey there for a minute. Apparently that was a routine occurrence with that individual. I was playing acoustic, but wish I had my Telecaster as a backup, it could have turned into a Black Crowes stage rush situation there.

 

[Snakum]

Played a beer hall - unknown to us - arrive start playing - stage is just on the floor in corner of large cavernous room - by midnight the crowd is collectively intoxicated in a way I have never seen before. Woman wander through the group - one strips bare while hanging off the guitarist.

Then a fight breaks out - and one patron is beaten badly - blood everywhere- and then the entire room breaks into violence. Bottles-and furniture flying - people flying across the room - and we continue to play as it was too dangerous to leave our corner and as we finish the set the crowd dies down.

We say to the bartender I guess that’s it. - and he says we had already been paid - very generously- for three sets and one more set.

Two days later they called back and said it had gone well and would we do another engagement.

I see we play the same clubs.

 

[TSims1]

I now carry a Strymon Iridium pedal in my gig bag.

Which IS my amp for several reasons. Lol

 

[Londoner]

I once had a Fender G-DEC I used for practise and the occasional very small gig.
On one gig I took it to, it packed up, completely dead. Tried switching on and off a few times to no avail, so played the rest of the gig through the PA.
Got home, switched it on, and it was perfect!
Got rid of it after that.

 

[gentlemanbass]

That's just Friday Night at the first place I ever played.
The good news is that we were set up behind the bar on a very small stage. We had to duck occasionally, but that's about it.
It was usually a girlfriend that caused the fight (which was just an excuse for everyone else to join in) and she'd leave telling him she never wanted to see him again.

The next night she'd be back with both of them bruised and bandaged, and we'd ask her, "Why are you with him?"
And the answer was usually, "Cause he's mah mayan."

Until our drummer took her home...

Re the reengagement - the guitarist and drummer were no strangers to drink and tough bars - they drank straight from jugs - no time for glasses. The guitarist always amzed me as he was an incredible player even intoxicated. Drummer- tempo not so much.

The guitarist booked it - I refused - he couldn't get the regular subs on bass to do it, as they knew the place.

They played as a duo - got the same money as we got for three -apparently the bar knew the score as well.

A patron at that gig was removed on a stretcher - and they said it was worse overall.

I just don't have the constitution for that sort of thing. Even they after the second time said it was a bit too scary.

Apparently, a large woman tried dragging the guitarist home - only to be saved by the bar tender. When I know every guy in the room and more than half the women could make mincemeat out of me - and depending on their constantly fluctuating mood/s - and I hate the saying - but "I just didn't feel safe".