I just had the strongest recollection about a heart-stopping moment years ago.
Does anyone remember the band Kick? Years and years ago, they came to play at our school, and a few of us bands got to open for them. Gear was thin on the ground, so most of us got to use Kick's amps. I played bass on one song, so for that song I got to use Kick's bassist's amp. I can't remember if it was a stack or if he just had the speaker cabinet perched atop the road case, but anyway it was in a stack formation.
As we played the song I moseyed on over to the mic to do a bit of BVs and felt a tug on the guitar - it was a short lead and I was pulling on the amp! I looked over and this beautiful (and expensive!) amp was teetering, leaning perilously! Arrrrgh! I took a step back towards it of course and then just started praying. Miraculously it stayed in place, and I was spared (1) embarrassment on stage; (2) a beating from the Kick bassist; and (3) having to pay for any damage.
Gigs are full of adventure - triumphs and disasters. I'd love to hear of some of the near misses youse have had.
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Well, back in 6th form I was winger for ...
Well, back in 6th form I was winger for one of our school rugby teams while simultaneously playing lead guitar in the school rock band. The rugby team was practising for a big game against our hated rivals, Collegiate College, while band was rehearsing for one of two spots our school had landed at a massive interschool 'festival of culture' (or something) being held at the Wanganui War Memorial Hall, only a few days after the game. We were going to perform Iron Maiden's 'Afraid To Shoot Strangers' as a political comment on Operation Desert Storm (LMAO!). The school Kapa Haka group had the other spot... pretty random, huh?
Anyway, I've told the story somewhere else, but halfway through the game a gigantic, red-eyed, Collegiate prop who got the ball on the burst was carving his way through our backline like a bowling ball- soon it was me VS him. I could tackle well, and I was fairly big for a winger back then, so I thought I could take him- as I went in for the tackle, he jerked his knee straight up into my collarbone- we came down in a heap, he got up, I didn't- when I tried, I was pinned straight back down to the turf by the worst pain I've ever felt. But not too bad, it was a greenstick.
4 days to go and I was resting my right side as much as I could. I didn't want to let the band down, but the principal called me into his office to ask me whether we were going to pull out of the festival- I didn't know. So, that lunchtime I went to the practise room to see if I could handle wearing a guitar, and as carefully as I could I slipped the strap over my shoulder. Well what do you know- the weight of the strap on a right handed guitar is completely supported by your left shoulder- I WAS FINE! As long as I wasn't too vigorous with my strumming arm, I could easily play without any pain!
The festival was a complete success- we blew the wigs off the front row with our 'Maiden cover! I'll remember that night for the rest of my life. Awwwww... ;-)
Ha! Good one. I remember one of the ...
Ha! Good one. I remember one of the guys in another of our school's bands broke his leg playing league. It was funny watching them play: they were a metal-ish band and everyone was stalking the stage dressed in black... except for this one guy who played sitting down with a shining white cast on his leg! That band was bloody good, tho'.
No real disasters to speak of, but back ...
No real disasters to speak of, but back in one of our first gigs, as a little 15 year old weiner, I thanked 'the bogans up the front'. The word bogan was new to me and I hadn't quite worked out that it's not what you call massive dreadlocked tattooed dudes. They looked fairly unhappy with me and I was perplexed until someone took me aside and explained my folly.
Do you wanna get your facts straight ...
Do you wanna get your facts straight before you slag off my band?
1. We have never done a school function, and I would know cause I started the band in the first place.
2. We have never performed with gear that is 'thin off the ground' I wouldnt say buying a $40,000 PA system or my Emulator 3 sampling keyboard (costing $9000 second hand back then) is having gear that is 'thin off the ground'
Maybe you are getting confused with another band who were around called "KIK"? They were some old guys from Napier.
Anyway, it was not us - fact.
Is it just me or did the original post ...
Is it just me or did the original post make it sound like the other bands were lacking equipment, not Kick?
(Side questions: where the hell does someone get $40,000 to buy a PA with? Is that a usual thing for a band to own?)
// Is it just me or did the original ...
// Is it just me or did the original post make
// it sound like the other bands were lacking equipment, not Kick?
if you read carefully you might.
//if you read carefully you ...
//if you read carefully you might.
Sorry, my mistake. I should know better than to actually think before posting...
For the PA we got a bank loan and paid ...
For the PA we got a bank loan and paid it off over 5 years.
If I've got it wrong about who had the 'thin gear' comments, apologies to Harsh Bloke.
Hi there - surprised to see this post ...
Hi there - surprised to see this post alive again after so long. It was a bit of a conversation killer at the time...
First and foremost: no slagging intended at all. Apologies for any offence taken. If anything, we spotty youths were happy to have actual professional musicians among us.
As for gear, indeed our gear was thin on the ground; Kick's (Kik's??) was awesome.
I could've sworn it was Kick, but as (1) it was around 1991 and (2) you are adamant it wasn't, now I'm not so sure. I remember the band in question opened up with a copy of AC/DC's Are You Ready... does that sound like you guys? It was said at the time that one of the guys from the band had attended KBHS and that's how we managed to get them to appear.
If it wasn't Kick, then sorry for the mistaken identity. But man, it was brown-trousers time when that amp started leaning...