The most bizarre gig you've ever had - or close

NickD · 09-06-2009, 11:12 AM

Tony, I would love to hear about your strangest gigs in the NYC area. You know the ones. The ones where at the end of the night you feel like you're walking around in a Salvador Dali painting!

I just came off a gig last night that felt like I was in a movie co-directed by Fredricko Fellini and Tim Burton! It was positively freakish, but I need to chill before I try to find the words to describe it. It was that weird. It wasn't the strangest I've ever done, but it registered about a 9.8 out of ten on the freak-o-meter.

Tony, et al, what are some the absolutely wierdest gigs you've done?

Thanks for sharing!

Peace!

Nick

Solar Bell · 09-06-2009, 11:42 AM

Oneoff the top of my head....

A house party in Beverly Hills, MI, with the quartet

Nice huge home with a huge pool.

By the middle of the first set set, something interesting started to happen, the guests were removing clothes.

Yep it ended up being a nudist pool party for the rich folks.

My keyboard player and drummer joined in the festivities. The guitar player and I stayed with clothes on, despite the encouragement of the guests.

ps

A whole bunch of naked people is not all it's cracked up to be. (no pun intended!)

Long four hours.

kadleck · 09-06-2009, 11:05 PM

Good topic Nick, thanks!

We've all had some weird ones. I know I've had a bunch. In the mid 80's I played in the house band for a transvestite fashion show. It was one of my first gigs in NYC. What a welcome!

Around that same time I was in a wedding band. The band had a Saturday evening gig (which I was not on, so it doesn't officially qualify but it's a great story anyway). Apparently the groom walked in on the bride and his best man having some "fun" in one of the vacant rooms. He said nothing, turned around and left. He went back into the ballroom and asked if he could make a speech. He then politely informed all the guests (including the bride's best friends and family, plus his best man's wife) about what he had witnessed. People started arguing and then fighting. Fists were flying when the police arrived. My band leader said that when she was loading her van to leave about a dozen people in tuxes/gowns were handcuffed to the railing still yelling at each other. Sorry I missed that one!

Tony

Ed Kennedy · 09-06-2009, 11:15 PM

Chicago 1976, the Sister Rita Salvation Show (combating Disco Cancer) in a gay bath house (Man's Country) on the north side. It doesn't get much better than that.

Hey, Nick, the Big Apple has nothing on Chicago for wierdness.

lemons · 09-07-2009, 09:59 AM

Well....about a year ago, I did a burlesque show that featured not only the guinness book record holding sword swallower Natasha Verushka, ("they call me NV", she told me after the show) but a young, very well endowed woman who dressed as a giant lobster. She did a striptease act to Billie Holiday's 1941 recording of "All of Me." At the end of her act, after she had removed her "claws," she poured a giant bowl of gold glitter over herself as if it were melted butter. A unique finish to a unique act.

-Kevin

A.N.A. Mendez · 09-07-2009, 02:04 PM

While still in school we were called on to celebrate the opening of the new town sewer, we played some water music and other pieces that "flowed". As far as I know the plant is still churning away!

FourthPlayer · 09-07-2009, 04:16 PM

Jesus Jones, Tony. I forgot all about that "fashion show" gig. That was my very 1st gig in New York, and it came from a notice on a Manhattan School of Music bulletin board. I remember those "guys" prancing around, but I remember some guys in the band complaining "Hey man, if the gig goes past 7:00 I want more bread" even more. Holy cow, that was a long time ago...
Then there was the renaissance fair gig I did in South Jersey with the tights and slippers with little bells on them. When it came time for the trumpet fanfare, I'm totally spacing out looking at clouds or something. My girlfriend is frantically waving her arms trying, to no avail, to get my attention, Finally, one of the other trumpet players starts playing his part, which was the 3rd or 4th part. That trumpet player who came in was a high school kid named Kelly who went on to Michigan and studied with Ghitalla. Several years ago I heard he was an absolute monster player around Philadelphia. I can't remember his 1st name.
Then there was the gig in Philly where the other trumpet player was a certified schizo... the one where I tried to kill (literally) the drummer... the one where the band showed up at 11:30 pm for a 4:00 am hit ( I got pissed and left about 1:00 and didn't even get fired)... the parades where we forgot the music and just had a good walk... the toy store openings.... the meringue gig in the in the bronx that ended at dawn, when I left the club there was a car across the street engulfed in flames about 20 feet high... and so on and so forth...

Fluffy615 · 09-07-2009, 11:54 PM

Wow, I did a merengue gig in the Bronx that ended at dawn. I don't think it was the same one though, I don't remember a car in flames.

Vulgano Brother · 09-08-2009, 01:05 AM

Gee, Nick, too bad you had to narrow it to the NYC area. I've got a story invovling a funk band, (half of which were white [hence our name "Eclipse"]) in the 70's playing a Montana mining town. You think the East Bay is tough? Cowboys in pointy boots can out-kick hip souls wearing three-inch soles. Our rig was faster, though.

tedh1951 · 09-08-2009, 01:50 AM

I don't get to play anywhere near NYC - although we had an odd one when I first came back - an ABBA party for school music teachers - they dressed up excessively, got boozed, and we played nothing but ABBA for ever (it seemed).

I had lots of 'help' with my comeback that night - strange markings on the scores (thankfully in pencil) didn't help much with me sight-reading most of it. (Sorry Nick - I hope you don't see this as a hijack). I nearly gave the trumpet away again - immediately.

09-06-2009, 11:12 AM	#1
NickD Forte User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Chicago northern suburbs Posts: 1,049	The most bizarre gig you've ever had - or close Tony, I would love to hear about your strangest gigs in the NYC area. You know the ones. The ones where at the end of the night you feel like you're walking around in a Salvador Dali painting! I just came off a gig last night that felt like I was in a movie co-directed by Fredricko Fellini and Tim Burton! It was positively freakish, but I need to chill before I try to find the words to describe it. It was that weird. It wasn't the strangest I've ever done, but it registered about a 9.8 out of ten on the freak-o-meter. Tony, et al, what are some the absolutely wierdest gigs you've done? Thanks for sharing! Peace! Nick __________________ NickD "Live Webcam Lessons Now Available with NickD" http://www.nickdrozdoff.com http://www.newyorktrumpetcompany.com http://www.myspace.com/nickdrozdoff

09-06-2009, 11:42 AM	#2
Solar Bell Moderator Utimate User Join Date: May 2005 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 5,526	Re: The most bizarre gig you've ever had - or close Oneoff the top of my head.... A house party in Beverly Hills, MI, with the quartet Nice huge home with a huge pool. By the middle of the first set set, something interesting started to happen, the guests were removing clothes. Yep it ended up being a nudist pool party for the rich folks. My keyboard player and drummer joined in the festivities. The guitar player and I stayed with clothes on, despite the encouragement of the guests. ps A whole bunch of naked people is not all it's cracked up to be. (no pun intended!) Long four hours. __________________ Chuck Willard *The Willard of Oz* "Don't be afraid to see what you see." Ronald Reagan The average response time of a 911 call is over 4 minutes. The average speed of my 9mm is 1250 fps *When seconds count....the police are only minutes away.* Last edited by Solar Bell; 09-06-2009 at 11:45 AM.

09-06-2009, 11:05 PM	#3
kadleck Artist in Residence Mezzo Piano User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: new york Posts: 686	Re: The most bizarre gig you've ever had - or close Good topic Nick, thanks! We've all had some weird ones. I know I've had a bunch. In the mid 80's I played in the house band for a transvestite fashion show. It was one of my first gigs in NYC. What a welcome! Around that same time I was in a wedding band. The band had a Saturday evening gig (which I was not on, so it doesn't officially qualify but it's a great story anyway). Apparently the groom walked in on the bride and his best man having some "fun" in one of the vacant rooms. He said nothing, turned around and left. He went back into the ballroom and asked if he could make a speech. He then politely informed all the guests (including the bride's best friends and family, plus his best man's wife) about what he had witnessed. People started arguing and then fighting. Fists were flying when the police arrived. My band leader said that when she was loading her van to leave about a dozen people in tuxes/gowns were handcuffed to the railing still yelling at each other. Sorry I missed that one! Tony

09-06-2009, 11:15 PM	#4
Ed Kennedy Piano User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 299	Re: The most bizarre gig you've ever had - or close Chicago 1976, the Sister Rita Salvation Show (combating Disco Cancer) in a gay bath house (Man's Country) on the north side. It doesn't get much better than that. Hey, Nick, the Big Apple has nothing on Chicago for wierdness.

09-07-2009, 09:59 AM	#5
lemons Pianissimo User Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 52	Re: The most bizarre gig you've ever had - or close Well....about a year ago, I did a burlesque show that featured not only the guinness book record holding sword swallower Natasha Verushka, ("they call me NV", she told me after the show) but a young, very well endowed woman who dressed as a giant lobster. She did a striptease act to Billie Holiday's 1941 recording of "All of Me." At the end of her act, after she had removed her "claws," she poured a giant bowl of gold glitter over herself as if it were melted butter. A unique finish to a unique act. -Kevin

09-07-2009, 02:04 PM	#6
A.N.A. Mendez Forte User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 1,246	Re: The most bizarre gig you've ever had - or close While still in school we were called on to celebrate the opening of the new town sewer, we played some water music and other pieces that "flowed". As far as I know the plant is still churning away! __________________ (Above) Alexanders ragtime band-circa 1960 "Baby, I'm already the coolest, and the hippist, now you want me to be on time too?" Buddy Love "We appointed all our worst generals to command our armies, and our best generals to edit our newspapers." Robert E. Lee

09-07-2009, 04:16 PM	#7
FourthPlayer New Friend Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 20	Re: The most bizarre gig you've ever had - or close Jesus Jones, Tony. I forgot all about that "fashion show" gig. That was my very 1st gig in New York, and it came from a notice on a Manhattan School of Music bulletin board. I remember those "guys" prancing around, but I remember some guys in the band complaining "Hey man, if the gig goes past 7:00 I want more bread" even more. Holy cow, that was a long time ago... Then there was the renaissance fair gig I did in South Jersey with the tights and slippers with little bells on them. When it came time for the trumpet fanfare, I'm totally spacing out looking at clouds or something. My girlfriend is frantically waving her arms trying, to no avail, to get my attention, Finally, one of the other trumpet players starts playing his part, which was the 3rd or 4th part. That trumpet player who came in was a high school kid named Kelly who went on to Michigan and studied with Ghitalla. Several years ago I heard he was an absolute monster player around Philadelphia. I can't remember his 1st name. Then there was the gig in Philly where the other trumpet player was a certified schizo... the one where I tried to kill (literally) the drummer... the one where the band showed up at 11:30 pm for a 4:00 am hit ( I got pissed and left about 1:00 and didn't even get fired)... the parades where we forgot the music and just had a good walk... the toy store openings.... the meringue gig in the in the bronx that ended at dawn, when I left the club there was a car across the street engulfed in flames about 20 feet high... and so on and so forth...

09-07-2009, 11:54 PM	#8
Fluffy615 Piano User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 261	Re: The most bizarre gig you've ever had - or close Wow, I did a merengue gig in the Bronx that ended at dawn. I don't think it was the same one though, I don't remember a car in flames. __________________ Live Long and Prosper The black is the notes, the white is the page.....play the black!!

09-08-2009, 01:05 AM	#9
Vulgano Brother Moderator Fortissimo User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Parts Unknown Posts: 4,253	Re: The most bizarre gig you've ever had - or close Gee, Nick, too bad you had to narrow it to the NYC area. I've got a story invovling a funk band, (half of which were white [hence our name "Eclipse"]) in the 70's playing a Montana mining town. You think the East Bay is tough? Cowboys in pointy boots can out-kick hip souls wearing three-inch soles. Our rig was faster, though. __________________ "A tool good enough to be so used and not too good" C.S. Lewis That Hideous Strength www.letsbuildhope.org

09-08-2009, 01:50 AM	#10
tedh1951 Forte User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,420	Re: The most bizarre gig you've ever had - or close I don't get to play anywhere near NYC - although we had an odd one when I first came back - an ABBA party for school music teachers - they dressed up excessively, got boozed, and we played nothing but ABBA for ever (it seemed). I had lots of 'help' with my comeback that night - strange markings on the scores (thankfully in pencil) didn't help much with me sight-reading most of it. (Sorry Nick - I hope you don't see this as a hijack). I nearly gave the trumpet away again - immediately. __________________ . Ted

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