Wierdest Gig Ever

[agedhorse]

A few years ago, I got paid a large amount of money to do nothing for an opera diva. I was paid to set my system up get everything all set in anticipation of her arrival, sit by while she communicated spiritually with the room to see if she would even use PA. If it was a good day (for everyone I understand), she would dismiss the sound company and do the gig unamplified. Her rteputation preceeded her, and she was known to react unfavorably to uncooperative sound people. I was paid the big bucks to be polite, dress noice, be cooperative and say yes mame... but of course... no problem... it's been my pleasure. The happier I made her, the more I got paid. I felt dirty for a week afterwards!

[B. Adams]

I wouldn't feel guilty for a second for sucking every penny I could from one of those big-headed opera bitches, and anyone who gives somebody like that a check. Althogh many of them, contrary to popular belief, are in fact very polite and professional, the ones that are bad are really bad. They have no respect whatsoever for the people who make their jobs possible.

 

Just out of curiousity, who was it? I won't name names, since I guess that seems like the best way to be, but the worst (female singer) I've ever worked with had the initials of S.G.... But I'm sure I could think of a few others if I wanted to.

[agedhorse]

I believe she was the only diva ever banned from the Met! I actually found her to be quite nice to work with, but it could have been a "good day".

[agedhorse]

Mark - I used to do the Shirelles with the Will Porter band backing them up. Will used to back up a number of those types of acts and it was a great band... always enjoyed the shows. Best in my memory was when Will's band backed up Mary Wells. We did a rehearsal date and then the first show of her come-back after many years of not performing. Not a dry eye in the house... hit after hit, unbelievable how much material she was successful with. Quite a career, just like the Shirelles, Coasters, Drifters, Platters, Chubby Checker, Supremes, Ink Spots, Kingston Trio, PP&M, etc. Nothing like today's one-hit-wonders... and the music is still great music 40+ years later.

[J the D]

Quite honestly I am not at all surprised the band was able to pick things up that quickly. I get called in for pick up gigs like this several times per year, with and without charts. We would have been spending our soundcheck/rehearsal time making sure we had all the changes and bridges down pat. When the show began you would have thought we were their band.

[Tommy Tune]

Just book a gig in N.J. Something strange is going to happen. Every time that I've played in Jersey, some wierdo has done something that made the band look at each other and probably think "Did you just see that ?" Your mileage may vary but mine hasn't.

[Kennykeys]

Wierdest gig ever? A few years ago, after the breakup of the U.S.S.R., a group of Russian "bankers" were here on my island for a week long holiday (along with their own escorts, a bevy of young Russian models.) They stayed at the most exspensive resort on the island. Each night they reserved a different restaurant and/or part of a different resort. They had a chartered a 150 ft. mega-yacht that was anchored off each night's venue. The night we played (just a regular bar type cover band), there was a pan band (steel drums) for warm-up, then a local DJ, then a kick-boxing exhibition (with full sized ring) flown in from France, then us, then dinner, then their own DJ, then a staged fireworks show complete with a beach invasion (with helicopter) and blowing up of "pirate" ship in the bay, then their own 5-piece band flown in from St. Petersberg. And every night was similar, but with different acts/entertainment.

The wierd part? They were extermely reserved, like a convention of CPA's. They hardly clapped or got excited by anything. We played a total of three songs (easy going, Dock of the Bay, a Marley number, etc) and then the Italian tour co-ordinator told us that was fine, and now it was time for speeches or testimonials or something (several members of the group with long speeches, again with hardly any response from their own.) IIRC, each guy in our band made something like $150.00 per song! Not the most I've ever made in a night, but definitely the most I've ever made PER SONG.

[Tommy Tune]

I had a 4 pc. band that made $5200 for doing a New Years gig. It was for a large Hotel chain. Somehow an agent called us and asked if we were interested. At the time we were mostly a modern rock band. So, the manager of this Hotel comes out to see us at a gig and was totally {censored} faced. This guy was silly drunk. Anyway, we wind up booking the gig. We get there really early, get all set up. It's like 45 minutes till show time and no one is anywhere in site. It's now 30 minutes till show time.........still no one there. Finally, with about 10 minutes till showtime, someone yells "There here." 5 minutes later the doors open up and about 30 couples come through the door. I didn't see a soul under the age of 65. OH {censored} What are we gonna do now? I think we opened up with Low by Cracker. I could tell that they had no clue. We knew a few dance tunes and we did them all in the second set. People danced but we knew that we had nothing else to give them in the 3rd set. So, we just spun records that we borrowed from a DJ upstairs for the rest of the night. It was ugly but it taught us a valuable lesson and our song list has since done a complete 180 degree turn. We still do modern stuff but now we try to keep the current top 40 stuff flowing and the bulk of what we do is dancable rock, 70's stuff or funky stuff.