Embarrassing Moments On Stage

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 7 Nov 2002 12:28 pm

I’m sure most of you have had embarrassing moments on stage. I’ve had a lot of them, but I think this was the worst of all.

It was my first night on the Opry – 1946. I had been a small-time steel man in a small-time band, and the chance to play the Opry was the crowning moment of my career up to that time. I planned on “wowing” them. I had a really “great” ride chorus worked out for the first song on the play list for the set. Of course, the other steelers were standing at the side of the stage behind the curtain to see how good this new kid might be. But, I planned to show Roy Wiggins, Pete Kirby and the rest of them what steel playing was all about. This was my big DEBUT.

In those days, everyone playing an electric instrument had to plug into an amp that sat on the floor a few feet behind the microphone. The speaker was suspended overhead behind the mike and the engineer controlled the amp from the control booth high on stage left. No one had told me that I needed a long patch cord to reach from my steel to the amp; I had a cord about six feet long. When our turn came to go on stage, I ran out, plugged into the amp, and had to stretch the cord between the steel and the amp. I was playing a National double neck on a home-made stand-up stand made from ¾ inch galvanized pipe.

When time came for my solo, Pee Wee King stepped out to the edge of the stage to call for applause for me. I was beaming with pride: my first solo on the Opry. Pee Wee didn’t think about the cord stretched across in front of him. He jumped out front and started clapping his hands above his head – and my steel suddenly disappeared from in front of me. It was like an arrow shot from a bow. The steel went flying out toward the front row of the audience, and the amp started making the loud “hum” one would expect from a plug jerked from the shielded cable. Redd Stewart, bless his pea pickin’ heart, stepped to the mike and played the instrumental solo. Pee Wee jumped off of the stage, picked the steel up, and passed it back up to me.

What a debut that was!!!!!!!!

CAN ANY OF YOU GUYS TOP THAT ONE FOR EMBARRASSING MOMENTS ON STAGE?

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 7 Nov 2002 12:54 pm

I was uncomfortable when a customer at a gay bar came up to sing a tune. He was wearing leather chaps and nothing else. That would have been OK but he stood 3 inches in front of my steel. What a view!

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 8 Nov 2002 8:19 am

Earnest:

Maybe he just wanted to tell his "friends" he was "hanging out" with the steel man!!!

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 8 Nov 2002 8:25 am

One time while doing a live television show....I took my steel break and thinking I was off-camera, I tuned, picked my nose, scratched my___, and generally looked bored .....but because of a technical problem I remained on camera while the "star" was singing the remainder of the song. I didn't know until the star" turned to me after the song and said: "Gene, looks like you sang that one all the way through".

I almost got fired, but didn't, but I learned a good lesson..... ever since if there is a "red light" on anywhere I conduct myself as if I am on-camera whether I am or not!
www.genejones.com

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 8 Nov 2002 8:32 am

Gene..Ernest,,Roy,,,

BTW Ernest,,,I thought you were great in that movie "From Here To Eternity" what made you quit acting and play guitar???

Good thing that person didnt have a "flatulence attack" you would be a goner. Oh Ernest Im sorry..I thought your name was Borgnine,,,its
these dammed bi-focals again.

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 08 November 2002 at 06:48 PM.]

Ray Jenkins · Post by **Ray Jenkins** » 8 Nov 2002 8:38 am

I tuned, picked my nose, scratched my___,

Gene,where is your___, located?

Ray

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Steeling is still legal in Arizona

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 8 Nov 2002 8:47 am

Ernest
Dont complain,,you could have had an extra vertical lever,,key of "D" as in Richard.

Im laughing,,I just told myself a dirty joke.

John P. Phillips · Post by **John P. Phillips** » 8 Nov 2002 8:49 am

Ray,Probably in oklahoma some where HEHEHE !!![This message was edited by John P.Phillips on 08 November 2002 at 08:51 AM.]

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 8 Nov 2002 9:14 am

Hey, you guys:

I'm leaving for the Jacksonville airport in a few minutes for a 10-day vacation and visit with our brand new 8-day-old grand daughter in Virginia.

Now listen up: When I get back I want to see a lot more stories like the above. C'mon now; here is your chance to ADMIT some of the embarrassing things you have done or seen while on the road, on the stage, etc. but have been keeping your own little secret.

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 8 Nov 2002 9:49 am

In front of a full house (500) my guitar strap broke and the Les Paul I had borrowed for the gig dropped on my boots. Damage to the headstock, but finished the gig.

In front of another crowd at an outdoor show in Detroit, I charged to the front of the stage to blast them with a hot guitar solo and unplugged myself. Walked back, fetched the cord off the stage floor, finished the solo.

At a festival in the Netherlands my rented Peavey guitar amp started squealing and buzzing during my first solo. Boy was that a long set. I HAD been using a Fender The Twin (I think Ricky Davis uses these for steel), but the record company got cheap on me.

I'll think of some more, though it's hard to top Roy's special Opry moment!!

Drew

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www.newslinkassociates.com
www.drewhoward.com

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 8 Nov 2002 11:22 am

Seems like we did this during the last year or so but here goes: I'm surprised....by some admissions....anytime in a radio studio "the mikes are HOT", no exceptions. The same applies to TV Cameras....YOU are ALWAYS on camera if there is one in the room you're in. Oh well... Many TV stations collect those inappropriate personal actions and then clip them together as out-takes for employee parties and the like.
Playing at an Elks Club, small sized stage and larger sized band, we all had to stand for the 11:00 O'clock hour (or whatever it was). We had been seated on small, extremely light weight fibre glass chairs with small plastic footies on the legs, on a smooth carpeted stage.
Once the formal activity was over, and prior to sitting back down in the chair, I felt for it with the back of my lower leg. It was there, so I sat. Unfortunately for me, I had nudged one back leg off the edge of the stage.
When I sat down, that leg slid further and the chair tipped backward, in slow motion quite like a dump truck, causing me to fall off the stage, landing in a seated position on my back. I wasn't injured, except for my pride, but when the first words I heard were, "take it away...Ray Montee and Steel Guitar Rag".
Of course, with no steel sounds, the band looked back and discovered no steel player.
The crowd displayed LOUD SILENCE....some afraid I'd been hurt; others, thinking I was drunker than a skunk or whatever.
The professional I was, I clamered back up on the stage, and played the rest of the evening without a fault. My face remained RED until after the gig was over and I was at least half way home in my car.[This message was edited by Ray Montee on 20 November 2002 at 09:19 PM.][This message was edited by Ray Montee on 20 November 2002 at 09:28 PM.]

Allan Thompson · Post by **Allan Thompson** » 8 Nov 2002 11:31 am

In the early eighties I was doing a live TV show in London. The TV company supplied all the stage wear including boots!!!! Well got to just about the end of the set when these very pointed boots got stuck between my A & B pedal and I was playing the end tag. What an embarrassment. I laugh about it now.

Gary Jones · Post by **Gary Jones** » 8 Nov 2002 11:42 am

In 1982 or 83 I played a gig at the Caravan East club in Amarillo.The stage was covered in some 70's vintage thick-pile shag carpet. We got to the club a little bit late, so we had to set up in a hurry.
As soon as the first set started I noticed that my steel was playing badly out of tune. I soon discovered that the legs of my steel had sunk down in the carpet to the point that my pedals would not fully depress. I had to play the whole first set like that, before I could adjust my legs to clear the floor.
The really embarrassing thing for me is that nobody seemed to notice, or if they did they didn't say anything to me about it.
Gary Jones, KLVX

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 8 Nov 2002 11:42 am

...Ray that Elks "bell" strikes an embarrasing moment for me also.

The bell is supposed to ring a certain number of times and then stop. Our Drummer, being closest to the bell on the wall, was given the responsibiliy of stopping the bell from ringing after the appropriate number of times.......however, the off switch decided to quit working, so the bell continued to ring, on and on and on, while everyone's head was respectfully bowed and wondering what was going on! It finally stopped when I "unplugged it from the wall". I was the hero of the hour!
www.genejones.com

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 8 Nov 2002 12:29 pm

One morning on live TV from WRAL Raleigh, NC I was to intro a song. The big GE camera was parked right in front of me and raised up as high as it would go on it's pedestal and pointed down at my guitar. I took the count down from the floor manager and as he said three, two, one and pointed at me, I started my first line.

I was really tense and when the big GE emblem on the front of the camera decided at the same time as I began my intro, to break loose, it fell right on my E9th neck. The sound alone was enough to scare you but to my mind the whole camera was coming down and I was getting out of there.

The director cut to a commercial immediately and when they got me back to the station and into the studio, we did it again with no problems. If it hadn't been the dead of winter and snowing outside, I think I'd still be running. Clyde Moody asked me what took me so long.....I replied: Getting back !!

Regards, Paul

[This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 08 November 2002 at 12:31 PM.][This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 08 November 2002 at 12:32 PM.]

compuserve · Post by **compuserve** » 8 Nov 2002 1:13 pm

I hope!!!! this dont make you feel sick but I can remember playing at a club many years ago when i had a touch of the wind so i let it rip .I knew it would not be heard above the band but the problem was it did not stop there , I think you know what happend ,that was bad enough but our stage cloths were a very light tan so when i stood up i had to walk with my hands behind me all the way to the loo.There i removed my pants and washed the effected area the best i could .Then i was cleaning myself over the sink when a guy walked in looked at me and said you dont see that to often,and i replied by saying no its not that often that i have too ,But i look back and i still think they were the good old days.I hope MR bOb dont think this is to smutty and!!! i sure hope it dont happen again.

GOD BLESS JIM.
MSA CLASSIC PV STEREO CHOROUS [This message was edited by compuserve on 11 November 2002 at 03:14 PM.]

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 8 Nov 2002 1:24 pm

Thank you, Compuserve, for sharing that with us.

compuserve · Post by **compuserve** » 8 Nov 2002 1:46 pm

Please bOb if my last post is a bit naughty and in bad taste please remove it if you wish i will understand.The last thing i want do is offend anyone {but it sure was embarrassing.!!!!}JIM.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 8 Nov 2002 2:00 pm

Earnest - You CRACK me up!

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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

Gary Jones · Post by **Gary Jones** » 8 Nov 2002 2:02 pm

Thats funny, I always heard that the English have a "dry" sense of humor.

compuserve · Post by **compuserve** » 8 Nov 2002 2:10 pm

Yes Garry we do have good dry sense of humor but my pants were far from dry on that night.

God Bless JIM.

mickd · Post by **mickd** » 8 Nov 2002 3:00 pm

I was in a country/pop duo a long time back and we turned up for a new gig in a South London pub one night and there was still noone there when it was time to start the set. The manager told us to play on anyway, so we did, and, after a while a party of 4 turned up and sat right in front of the stage. We played a few numbers and then we came to the Beatles song 'With A Little Help From My Friends'. As we sang the line 'what would you do if I sang out of tune, would yout stand up & walk out on me' they got up and walked out ! We couldn't finish the number, we just cracked up. And we weren't even out of tune, honest

mickd · Post by **mickd** » 8 Nov 2002 3:05 pm

Compuserve - I just read your post and cracked up all over again

. It doesnt get much more embarrassing than that

- sounds like you'd be a natural on Mike Perlowin's 'new invention' (see thread in Pedal Steel)[This message was edited by mickd on 08 November 2002 at 03:14 PM.]

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 8 Nov 2002 6:30 pm

Back in my keyboard playing days I used a folding step stool to sit on. It was the kind that had two steps and I sat on the top step.

About halfway through the gig one night, the step stool collapsed and folded inward on itself, with me in the middle.

It(we) didn't fall over, so there I was, hands and feet pointing in the air, kinda like a vertical chair sandwitch.

The music stopped. I couldn't move or get out and it took a couple of people to get me upright and remove me from the jaws of that stool. Later someone from the crowd said, "Great act. Are you gonna do that tommorrow night?"

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 8 Nov 2002 6:53 pm

Ernest
Once again,,Im sorry,I did think you were the
movie actor Ernest Borgnine.

Its these dammed bi-focals again.

When I look down I see something big,,when I look up,I see something small.

When I first got them I had to go and wee wee
I looked down and I saw a big one and when I looked up I saw a little one,,I knew the "big one" wasn't mine
so I put it back. Im sorry.

Yeah I know,,,,you think Im all wet.[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 08 November 2002 at 07:02 PM.]