Forums > General Topics > Studio & Stage >
Nastiest Place you've played?
Discussion in 'Studio & Stage' started by Boogie, Nov 19, 2017.
Boogie SuperD
I'm jealous of those that play nice venues with their clean stages, smart and courteous sound men and hot chicks. Those are cool and inspiring gigs. But what about the other side of the coin? The other-side-of-the-tracks bars and roadhouses that probably haven't seen a county health inspector in 25 years? Tell your stories and show your pics!
Here's a start...
This one has a nice stage and great sound support team, but the neighborhood is downright scary.
More on the way...
#1 Boogie, Nov 19, 2017
ScottR, charliefrench and sergiodeblanc like this.
bodia Authorities said.....best leave it.....unsolved
That's an easy one for me; MA Pete's basement when he had four empty guitar hangers.
#2 bodia, Nov 19, 2017
dogrocketp, ScottR, DreamTheaterRules and 2 others like this.
bodia said: ↑
*spitscoffee*
You can see the bar that held up the chicken wire on the ceiling in the background of this setup pic...that stage floor had more stains than the hourly motel next door.
Alnus Rubra, ScottR, sergiodeblanc and 1 other person like this.
Boogie said: ↑
You can see the bar that held up the chicken wire on the ceiling in the background of this setup pic...
Hope Mr. Clean didn't get dirty at that place!
Boogie likes this.
More crime scene stage carpeting...
This place was as nasty as our sound system!
ScottR and charliefrench like this.
...and this place...just look at the dress code!!!
The bugs in my rig were scared off by the roaches in this place!
dogrocketp, ScottR, bodia and 2 others like this.
toothace We've got, you know, armadillos in our trousers.
#7 toothace, Nov 19, 2017
HANGAR18, [email protected], ScottR and 2 others like this.
andy474x Knows the Drill
Ugh, gosh - don't get me started man! The scene for my band's type of music is not great in our city. We're doing more studio/demo stuff right now, like a more relaxed version of what we were, and I like it so much more! No more crappy venues. But, off the top of my head - An old defunct bank brought back to life on an occasional basis, the basement under a crazy cougar's doublewide trailer (didn't realize that til we got there), complete with late teen/early 20's, gaming system laden bedroom with velvet bedsheets in plain view of the stage, a couple of old mechanic shops... fun times. In a "looking back" kind of way. I'll get some pics later if I can.
#8 andy474x, Nov 19, 2017
ScottR, bodia, charliefrench and 1 other person like this.
veinbuster Freeze zone
Ok, I got this. Let's call it: One Night in Kippawa.
The gig is in a small town just across the border. It's main reason for existing is the liquor laws are more liberal. When we arrived, the owner told us he couldn't afford to keep the kitchen open and pay us. The choice as clear, because nobody was going to hang around at 2am for an extra plate of fries.
As we set up, the drummer got very nervous about the clientele, enough so that he strapped the biggest knife he could find to his bass drum. To be fair, the guys coming in with their pay checks were spoiling for a chance to prove who was the top of the heap. They were loud and were divided regarding whether they wanted loud fighting music or something that might draw a couple of women into the place.
I think we managed to strike a decent balance. Mid way through the second set one guy got very loud with his girl friend and a chair few through the air, luckily not hitting anyone. Then I was surprised to see the guy was gentlemanly enough not to hit the girl. Instead he started fighting a pillar holding up the roof. He tired out after a few minutes and a couple of friends took him outside to cool off. Late in the fourth set, he walks back in with both hands covered in white gauze and calmly sits down like it was just another Friday night.
#9 veinbuster, Nov 19, 2017
ScottR, Ovibos, bodia and 3 others like this.
matonanjin New Member
I played bass in a rock band in High School. Decades (5?) ago! Our manager booked us a gig in this tiny little town in the town hall. Curious. It turns out a chapter of Hell's Angels had rented the town hall for a party. All went well and there was no problems. Other than some of the things going on had four high school kids wide eyed! It was a two night gig and after the first night we debated on whether to pack up our gear or just leave it for the next night. Why we even considered leaving it I don't know. We packed it up. The next morning I got a call from our drummer who said, "Quick. Turn on the news!". A rival gang showed up and there was a huge fight. They largely destroyed the town hall. Of course in sleepy, rural Nebraska this made the lead news story.
We didn't play the second night nor get paid.
#10 matonanjin, Nov 19, 2017
HANGAR18, ScottR, veinbuster and 3 others like this.
dmatthews Dave's not here...
In the underground parking lot...
of a housing co-op...
#11 dmatthews, Nov 19, 2017
ScottR, Boogie and bodia like this.
Glide-bpm We were small but we were slow...
Wolf Track Inn, West Ashley, SC.......
You could scrape the tar and nicotine off the ceiling and the walls... literally....
#12 Glide-bpm, Dec 11, 2017
ScottR and Boogie like this.
Dusty Chalk alberngruppenführer
Not my gig, but a friend of mine's -- Moose Lodge #1315. Egad, everyone there smoked, I could not get away from it. I'm still waiting to get diagnosed with cancer.
I still feel like I have one foot in the grave ever since that night.
#13 Dusty Chalk, Dec 11, 2017
markd21, ScottR and Boogie like this.
django49 New Member
Filthy McNasty's in North Hollywood at midnight(?)
#14 django49, Dec 11, 2017
dogrocketp, Boogie, GuitarDrummer and 1 other person like this.
ScottR If nobody saw it, it didn't happen.
Two words fellas...Tetanus Shots.
Hey, look at the bright side...you guys were the band...I went to those kinds of places to meet chicks...What?! it seemed like a good idea at the time(s)
#15 ScottR, Dec 11, 2017
Alnus Rubra Loving nature's wonders
Picture the scene.
It's the late '90s, I had driven 120 miles from home to the gig.
My friend Stu, came out to my car, telling me he'd left his guitars outside his house. He asked if I'd brought two guitars, which I had.
The venue was a function suite in a shopping mall. Up about a zillion stairs.
The dressing room looked like Keith Moon had been there the previous night. The carpet had some very dubious stains on it (seems to be a similar universal theme).
The gig was for the Women's Netball Federation! Strangely, some very pretty ladies played netball that year! We played to an all female audience!! (Small mercies)
As the evening went on and the wine flowed, the ladies were dancing and we had our own backing dancers!
As we packed up and took the gear back down Everest, I went to my car and discovered a gentleman showing his lady a good time over the bonnet (hood)!
I asked them politely to refrain from scratching the paintwork! They moved to a nearby loading bay and continued.
The car was loaded to the backing track of "Feel like making Love" for real.
Just a nasty way to end the night!
I should explain, Stu lived in a terraced house where the front door only locked from inside, so he put his guitars behind a small brick wall surrounding his front garden. So out of sight, until he came from the back band put them in his car.
His guitars were still there when he got home. It was testament to the era and the town we lived in.
Happy times!!
#16 Alnus Rubra, Dec 11, 2017
dmatthews and ScottR like this.
sergiodeblanc Get in, loser, we're going shopping.
It was a beautiful building, but I believe I told y'all about that time I played an "adult actress" event... full on "insertion" videos playing on huge projectors behind us.
#17 sergiodeblanc, Dec 11, 2017
LSchefman, Boogie, Elliot and 3 others like this.
walrus New Member
sergiodeblanc said: ↑
And what was the set list??
#18 walrus, Dec 12, 2017
walrus said: ↑
Originals.
Did it sound kinda like....baw, chicka, baw, waw....sorry, not sorry...I couldn't help my self.
eclecticsynergy and Alnus Rubra like this.