may gig #1

[MartinC]

It's been a slow year for gigs, but I just did the third one of the month. They were all memorable for one reason or another. The first one was a solo gig-background music for an appearance of a guy running for attorney general. Super old money swanky private club at the top on nob hill. No amp needed-just a nylon string guitar. I figure i leave my office at five, cruise over, park, stroll in, play in the background for a couple of sets and roll out with three bills. At 5:00 i look at my suit, and realize I forgot my shirt. I have a three piece suit and all I have is a t-shirt. Downbeat is one hour away. I call my wife " could you please bring me a shirt?" Sure, where? I said take the 17th st ramp and I'll meet you just off the off ramp. no, take the next one, the 7th st. one.

I jump on the freeway and , uh oh, stopped traffic. Five minutes later call the wife and say I'm just off the ramp-where are you? She took the wrong ramp-the 17th st one. I tell her now she needs to head to nob hill-I've got 20 minutes to the downbeat. I get to nob hill and am trying to park. I slow down and a guy trying to turn right into my lane stink eyes me. It escalates into a few f-yous being exchanged-the guy stops his car, rolls down the window and screams "your a little man!!!" Um, ok, fine, I've got no time for this. Ten minutes to go.....the agent calls "where the f are you?" I find parking right across the street from the Fairmont hotel, wife pulls up and I shed my shirt right on the street, pull on the dress shirt, tie, and run a block to the club. The agent hustles me into the elevator, and says just go in and start playing.....I go into the room and there are 3 people there. Pull out the guitar and play a chord-the agent gives me the play softer hand signal. And so it goes. I play for 20 minutes and the would be attorney general comes in and talks for 45 minutes. I play 15 more minutes and I'm done. Whew! Thought it was going to be easy.

[tim_7string]

Talk about pressure! Sounds like something out of a movie. whew!

 

I hate being in stressful situations like that. That is one advantage of living out here in a low-population state. We never have big traffic jams. Glad you were able to make it through.

[pickinatit]

I know what you're saying about stressful situations. Back in the day we used to sometimes finish up a Saturday afternoon wedding or banquet and have a Saturday Evening gig on the other side of town. Hustling through the city streets of Baltimore in a three car caravan with only the lead car knowing where we're going / directions to the next gig, bumper to bumper....(if the first car makes the light you ALL have to go thru rule in effect). Luckily my nerves never got the best of me until AFTER we were finished playing. I used to throw up sometimes when the gig was over instead of before the gig LOL.