Late 80's our band was playing a Rehab/recovery xmas party at the Atlanta Apparel Mart Atrium,which was 8 stories high,used for music and fashion events.All the lights were up above so we could see our audience at all times.We had been drinking the audience had not.We were alternating with a DJ,we only needed to play 2 sets,We had 1 good set,one great one.Just had to play those and walk with 1500.00 bucks.Simple enough,right? apparently not,our control freak guitar player insisted on putting Last train to clarksville in the middle of the second set,which we had rehearsed about 6 times,and then we changed the arrangement and played twice in rehearsal.In my experience that is dangerous,until you get the old arrangement out of your head and memorize the new one.I pleaded to not play it but we did.The non drinking crowd did nothing during the first set,by the 5th song of the second set we got them out on the floor,and by the 8th song we had 80 percent of the crowd out there,then we started Last Train, Band had one lead singer two guitars bass and drums,5 instruments total,Last train had 5 different parts to it.At about a minute in we came to the middle 8 or bridge,and someone miscued,and all five of us went into all 5 parts simultaneously.I had heard of a really bad F up referred to as a trainwreck and now I knew why,it was horrible the song was off rythmn,dissonant,and was slowly grinding to a halt,it went on for probably 15 to twenty or so seconds,but of course in stage time that felt like an hour,the guitarists turned around and looked at me and mouthed to stop but I wouldn't,and I was ****ed by this time,it was so bad I when I looked out at the audience they had not only stopped dancing,but I could see the looks of pity on their faces,and it looked like a couple of kids in the audiences were getting ready to cry.I finally popped the snare real hard and stopped and the singer came in with the chorus and we finished the tune but lost the crowd for good.It was the worst train wreck I have ever been in,and the positive is that after that I don't fear them near as much.

Ouch!!!!! Doooooooooode!!!!!!

Man, that there is a perfect example of why it's called a train wreck. I had something very similar happen only it was the singer who was loaded not the band. This guy ate a quaalude before going on stage. Five minutes into the set this guy is all over the place, forgetting lyrics, slurring his speech, speeding up, slowing down. We all tried desperately to follow him but it was mission impossible. We finished the set, (unpaid) and that was the last time we worked with that guy.

Time slows down in a trainwreck. You feel and notice every painful little detail.

I feel for you bro. Many of us, if not all of us, have 'been there' at one time or another. Knock around with bands long enough, stuff like that happens. Turns out you came away with a prize! No more fear of audiences!!! Good stuff.

John

Thanks. I'm an editor in real life.

Here's another:

Ventura, California, 1999. Having just moved to California from the Midwest, I sought out the local blues jam.

I arrive about 30 minutes into it and sit down. A solo guitarist is playing alongside an unmanned kit. A couple of songs later, he starts playing "Melissa" by the Allman Brothers and I can't stand it anymore. I know this is bad form, but I go up there and gesture toward the kit. He shrugs, so I sit down and accompany him ... I played with dynamics and hit every aspect of his arrangement, even though I'd never met him before (and didn't yet know anyone there).

Anyway, I made lots of new friends in short order. That jam was set up so that each set leader could request his accompanists, so I got lots of playing in: Everyone wanted to play with the new guy, and I was having a very lucky night—I knew most of what was put forward and faked the heck out of everything else.

This didn't sit well with the only other drummer who was there, a younger kid in tattoos and leather. I felt bad for him, but it was out of my hands. I deferred to him once, and the jam leader told me not to do so again. He could only play one speed (fast) and one volume (loud). In fact, the kit was open when I arrived because they decided that a few acoustic sets might get him to leave.

So a few hours later, someone calls "Oye Como Va," and off we go. About halfway through, the young drummer returns from the bathroom or a smoke or wherever he was and comes up to me saying, "this is my favorite song, you have to let me play." I was unwilling to stop a grooving performance, so I told him he could play as soon as we finished the current tune, even as the jam leader was trying to wave him off.

This apparently was not satisfactory. The next thing I knew, the kid decked me from the left side, breaking my glasses and knocking me off the throne. About 10 people rushed to subdue him, and one of the cops who arrived later told us that since this was a parole violation, the kid would probably be going back to jail for a few years.

I was in a bit of pain so I was done for the evening. Everyone pleaded with me to return next week, saying that they'd never seen that kid before and that something like this had never happened there.

I did return next week and had a bit of fun. Some of the regular drummers were back, so I didn't play right away. But when I went up there for the first time, I pulled out a catcher's mask and wore it for the first song. Everyone got a big kick out of that, and it led to some fun gigs down the line.

My worst gig happened when I was all of 15 years old. Every time I even think about it it makes my stomach ache. I may tell it one day....but not now. Car Driving2

O - this is not only a perfect time to talk about what happened, these are the perfect people to share it with.

We're all drummers here, if anybody is going to understand, we will. You've been reading the stories, you're not alone. In one way or another, we've all had to deal with mistakes, train wrecks, hostile people or even plain vanilla public humiliation. That gig in Atlanta I talked about was not the only time a band I was playing in got booed off the stage. Nobody was throwing vegetables or beer bottles, but it hurt just as much as if they had.

If you feel safe with us, you can share your horror story with us. Like I said in my first post... "...get it out... get your therapy. Talk about it!"

I knew what I was saying when I wrote it. It makes you feel better sometimes to talk about stuff that makes you squirm inside when you think about because it allows you to get it out, to listen to yourself, and hopefully to gain a little perspective on it. Kind of put it in its proper place. Where it doesn't control you anymore. If you can't talk about it yet, I (we) understand. But you would be so much better off if you could de-fuse it by venting. Talking stuff out really helps. So does the feedback you'll get from your peers.

Just us drummers here. We've all been there buddy.

John

Q - How can you tell if the stage a band is playing on is level?

A - The drool is coming out of -both sides- of the drummers mouth! lol

i've had a few that i wouldn't consider to be the worst gig ever, but memorable.

i remember one in a small pub in worcester(england), where the area the band played in was in a little alcove by the window, all of 8ft wide!!....and with us being a 5 piece rock outfit, we had a lot of stuff!! i had the obligatory cage system( hanging down cymbals, the lot), 2 guitarists and bass, each with 2x4x12" cabs, and 2x 4ft high 200watt PA speakers.

so, like i say,we're in a narrow alcove. the only place we could put the cabs(all 6 of them!) was behind me!!! i couldn't hear a thing!! not even my own snare!!...." but you could hear the singer with those big speakers" i hear you all shout!! NO! they were 30ft in front of me, at the front of the corridor we were sardined into!! we got through it though, and a bonus for the night, i had a tech to break my kit down and put it in the van! lovely.

another one i could mention, was in nottingham. a 3 hour drive, two flights of stairs, with said PA speakers!!!, our payment was to come from the crowd paying on the door. TWO people turned up, so we didn't have the heart to charge them, so that was our crowd for the night!! we played our set though,like the true professionals we were, albeit through a haze of beer and wine!! finished, packed away, back down the 2 flights of stairs, to be greeted by the owner who wanted his £50 fee for the hire of the room. we weren't told this by our manager, so we told him to give us ten minutes while we pack the van up, then we'd get his money from the glove box. our van had never taken off so quick...ever!! i'll never forget the sight of the owner, in cut off jeans-shorts, running after us!!

i could be here all night telling you stories, others include turning up to a pubin london, with our van on the back of a recovery truck! one where i fell through the back of the curtain behind the drum riser!

all great days!

> i'll never forget the sight of the owner, in cut off jeans-shorts, running after us!!

Jake & Elwood would have been proud!

"You're The Good Ole' Boys? Those boys left outta here owing me a lot of money for beer!" LOL

I had a bass drum and rack tom fall off a low riser once and while I went into a cold panic, the drunks in the club all cheered when it happened. They must have been thinking I was doing a Keith Moon or something - that it was intentional. I was totally freaked out over my poor drums. But they thought it was great, a part of the "show."

John

another one i remember was far from a worst gig, in fact it's one of my favourites.

we got to support a band called Magnum, at a club in the midlands.

it was a great day, we hung out with the band, they watched us soundcheck, we watched them, told stories, a really good time.

show time came, and i took a glance out of the wings, to see if we were going out to our usual empty room, with the crowd being pasted to outer perimeter of the room.

i was wrong!! it was rammed to the max!! people leaning on the stage, which we'd never experienced before.

so, the minutes curtain call rung out, and we readied ourselves! full of nerves, adrenalin, and a very naive, or more, young enthusiasm-filled daydream of - this is it, we're going to get our break!! this time next year....

the gig was brilliant!!! our practicing really paid off!! and with the crowd giving us a very kind and raucous cheer, i couldn't help but try out a bit of rock star posing!! i took centre stage, bowed, then lobbed my sticks into the crowd! i'd always wanted to do that!!

only to hear them rattle on the floor!! ha ha ha!! nobody wants the support bands sticks eh!! lol!!!

brilliant memories!!!

Great stuff! Thanks for sharing that. lol

John