The Steel Guitar Forum

Due to the high stress factors involved in being a professional musician and playing a highly technical and complicated machine, such as a steel guitar, have ANY OF YOU........ever fallen asleep on the bandstand and had to be jostled awake to play your part?

Just curious....... This was BEFORE I learned that I was susceptible to Sleep Apnea! I didn't drink or smoke or even talk to strange women (or MEN!).....so I never feared jumping in the car to drive home 10 or 100 miles away after playing an all night dance.
There WERE events where I awoke to full consciousness and was unable to recall what had happened in the preceeding mile or 25 miles or so, of lonely highway.

Scarey!!!

Holy moly! I have never fallen asleep on the bandstand...thats crazy!

Wha...?

Shortly after I left the Lewis and Clark Expedition and hung up my oar FOREVER.......

doctors simply excused these unusual happenings as being "WHITE LINE FEVER", "Self hypnosis" encouraged by the regularly spaced broken white highway centerline, a hyper or hypo thyroid condition, and/or "simple BOREDOM".

When I dozed off during the band's playing of "Tennessee Waltz'.......I was jostled awake and took my turn at "Missouri Waltz". Everyone got a great kick out of my oversight, but true to form, I argued that I did it on purpose so as to have a medley of waltzes. They reasoned my explanation then complimented me on my decision. How 'bout that!

How many of you have ever fallen asleep while playing?

Never while playing, that would be playing in my sleep. Sort of like walking in your sleep.

I have numerous times fallen asleep while the lap steel is on my lap at practice time. It has never fallen off my lap yet.

Aloha,
Don

Years ago, (I'd say about 100 !), I played a 6 nite a week gig with a semi-jazz quartette, (piano, bass, drums and vocalist). You could almost tell the time of nite by the song we played...almost the same stuff nite after nite ! I found myself drowsing on my feet while playing the upright bass...wierd feeling. Could have, but never fell over !

I've been accused of putting audiences to sleep before, but never have I fallen asleep while...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Ha, ha, ha... I was going to say what Brad said.

I play so badly that I close each performance with: "Here is the song you have all been waiting for, the LAST one"!!! The laughter usually wakes up the other half of the audience who is already asleep.

I almost fell asleep playing Sleepwalk once. Suddenly the band was all yelling at me to wake up.

I woke up once while playing in my dreams. It's a shame, too. I sounded like Joaquin Murphey, Jerry Byrd and Herb Remington all rolled into one.

Once (in 1980-s) at 6 hours long wedding gig, but I was asked to play bass then as a substitute

Hey, Tonu--do you know how many bass players it takes to change a light bulb?

one....five....one....five....

NEVER during a performance, but sometimes while practicing, especially mandolin, never Dobro. Only once during a rehearsal...

Yep,Workin long hours in the factory,drivin 45 miles round trip,I got so tired that I sat down on my amp and fell asleep.They said I never missed a beat,but I was let go,for my own good.Worked with a steel player that would often nod off.One time I cranked his amp,when it was his turn to play he became very wide awake.Also a drummer that would fall asleep on a slow song.Shook up a Millers and gave him a bubble bath.I've fallen asleep many times while driving..PJ...

There's a syndrome that causes you to pass out for a few seconds. I can't remember what it's called. When I first started work in accountancy, my boss, who was in his 60s at the time, would be calling over a list to me, and his head would gradually descend to the desk. After about a minute he'd come round and continue calling over the list where he'd left off, completely oblivious to the fact that he had passed out.

The syndrome causes a lot of traffic accidents.

I used to fish a lot off the coast of California. One of the guys that would often be on the same charters as I had a sleep disorder. Unfortunately he fell asleep while driving and was killed.

Please take sleep disorders seriously, they can be deadly. I miss this fishin' buddy.

Rich

no but I have been accused several times cc

Rich Hlaves wrote:I used to fish a lot off the coast of California. One of the guys that would often be on the same charters as I had a sleep disorder. Unfortunately he fell asleep while driving and was killed.

Please take sleep disorders seriously, they can be deadly. I miss this fishin' buddy.

Rich

That's how the original king of western swing died as well. I think his last name was Brown. His first name escapes me. His band was the Musical Brownies. He and Bob Wills actually started out together.

Rich Hlaves wrote:...Please take sleep disorders seriously, they can be deadly. I miss this fishin' buddy.

Yes, sleep disorders are very serious. I was almost killed during the 70s... I drove from Birmingham, England, to Holyhead, Wales, to drop someone off at the ferry to Ireland. On my return journey, driving alone in fog across the Welsh mountains, I passed out for a few seconds, and was awakened as the car bumped down the gulley at the side of the road. Fortunately I didn't hit anything, so I backed back up onto the road, opened all the windows, and took a rest for an hour. Otherwise I wouldn't be writing this now.

Does wishing the job was finished and you were back home and sleeping in bed count?

Had a friend long ago[he's passed on now] his name was Charlie also,fine old style steeler,would sometimes have a few too many shots,sometimes he would doze off around the fourth set,the band leader would say real loud,look at Charlie ya'll,HE'S ASLEEP AT THE STEEL. DYKBC.

Bo Legg wrote:...I just hope I don't snore.

...posted on another thread, but just as relevant here.