The Steel Guitar Forum

Most of us have seen "The Blues Brothers" where the band walks into Bob's Country Bunker and sees the chicken wire. The "cage" also is a prominent feature in Toby Keith's newest video. A number of you have described your gigs from hell before, but I was wondering how many of you have played behind the wire and how did those gigs go?

Mike i have been there and done that,played behind chicken wire for almost a year.When we took our 15 minute break my bar always went with me,saved my butt a couple of times.That bar can put the biggest guy in the bar to sleep,if you know what i mean.The wire will stop the beer bottles but not the beer.I had a plastic cover that i would throw over my steel when a brawl started.Man i sure dont miss that crap.

WAyne

Never played anywhere with chicken wire, but I've played a few places that needed it.
In one place,on a slow night, the bouncers just about outnumbered the customers.

Ken
http://home.ipa.net/~kenwill

Brought back a flood of old memories Mike,so here goes......
It was back around 1971/72 in Ketchican,Alaska at a bar called the "Frontier Bar and Saloon" owned by a big bellied fella named Andy Mackay.It could hold about 150-200 very thirsty souls,usually fishermen and loggers or dock workers as the bar was built on the pier over the water in this part of town,the electricity to the bar would flicker as the building would sway a little when the tide went in and out.....the floors had about 1.5-2 inches of sawdust and the tables were huge slabs of varnished cedar trees with cast iron legs and the main bar was about 20-30 feet long with a ships bell at one end.When that bell rang it meant someone was buying a round for the house....
The loggers and fishermen would usually occupy opposite sides of the bar until a few of the "ladies" would enter, then they would meet in the middle to discuss which group could better look after these maidens....
The stage was about 6 feet off the floor level(for good reason) and each side of the stage was covered in chicken wire,it came in real handy at times.As we were in Alaska,back in those days it was too expensive to return empty beer bottles to Seattle,Wash. so they had empty 45 gallon drums at the bar and the waiters and waitresses would smash the empties into these drums so they could hold more broken glass(what a sound all night long)....
I worked there twice,each time for a period of six months...from Tues. to Thurs we played from 9pm to 3am,then Fri. thru Sun. from 9pm to 4am with Monday nite off.I got a room,all the beer I could drink,and $175.00 @ week, U.S.
One grew up real fast in a place like that and I did an awful lot of playin' which was great.. It wasnt as bad as it sounds but there were some real good brawls in there, and you protected your gear with everything it took, but luckily they never seemed to reach the stage area,thank God, this is not a lie or story, this is the truth,as God was my witness... <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Dale Bessant on 30 September 2003 at 02:26 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Dale Bessant on 30 September 2003 at 02:28 PM.]</p></FONT>

I knew several players in Pennsylvania who had played in such places.
Personally, I played in such a place once, filling in for another band. I forget the name of the place but it was deep in the boonies in the Jersey pine barrens. Nothing was thrown, and it was a quiet night-- but the wire was there.
We generally played in a township where fighting in a bar led to a $200 fine for the first offense and 3 months for the next-- so it was pretty quiet.
I saw only one fight there, and it wasn't much. I wondered why the rhythm suddenly fell apart. I looked over at the band, and they were staring out at the dance floor. I was sitting down (Of course), and when I looked out, all I saw was the legs of a chair being swung. Then the cops came, and took two guys away.
A friend was playing in a bar in South Philly when gunshots broke out. Chicken wire doesn't do much then. He hid behind the upright piano-- which took one of the bullets. He quit the job.

Winnie

One or another incarnation of the Turtle Lounge.
The electrician came in and drilled a hole in the amp's chassis to put in a ground attachment...
while we were in other parts.

We came back and a guy with a drill was just messing with my SVT bass amp, and there was a big old wire hanging off the Twin reverb...
BIG ole wire.
Same as on the house PA... you weren't alowed to use anything else. (but no charge)

The 400lb 6'10" bouncer came up and said..
No ground, no gig, no pay! Eloquent SOB.

They gave us clear raincoats for 2nd and 3rd set usage. And with good reason.

Got pulled over leaving one night smelling like a brewery, I said I was just playing the Turtle,
the cop sniffed my breath REAL close, with a hand between my clothes and his nose.

He said; "no problem, get outa here"!<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 29 September 2003 at 09:42 AM.]</p></FONT>

Great! There HAS to be more, though. Eric West? You other Portland players: Ray, Doug, Larry, Pete? Hey, what about you guys who played in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas back in the fifties and sixties?

Posted twice by mistake.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Mike Winter on 29 September 2003 at 09:37 PM.]</p></FONT>

Early 80's in Emporia Kansas at "The Palace". This place had no bouncer. If a fight broke out it would just continue till it stopped on it's own. Made you think twice before you got involved in one, because nobody was there to stop it.

Having had the honor and pleasure to start my playing when just 15 in all adult bands, I can truthfully say that I've not experienced the types of condiitons described here. Back in those days, most of the guys were married and each was a mentor to me as well as a chaperone(sp?).
I played in the areas' largest, finest and most respected dance hall....The Division Street Corral. Our crowds "averaged" 750 per night with as many as 1,500 on various occasions. Families brought their little kids along. Most were dressed nicely in fine clothes. No alcohol allowed, except in cars in the parking lot. Parking guards, ticket seller and collectors were all off-duty deputy sheriffs. Seldom ever, a fight. When a stranger would pop-up in less than appropriate attire (something like many of today's musicians might wear on stage)he would be watched closely and at the first hint of misconduct he was sent packing.
Likewise, the live radio broadcasts, television shows and street dances were always lots of fun.....(I've always felt that the appearance of the band and their conduct had a positive impact on their audience). Why even at the state pen, we never had a single act of violence....occur.
The most violence I've ever seen would be while packing out my gear at the close of the dance. There would always be some red neck that had locked his keys in his car and you'd see him struggling across the now vacant parking lot with a large chunk of concrete raised high above his head as he'd approach his vehicle. THEN......crash, right thro' the windshield. Couldn't believe it then or now. Not smart enough to pry open a wingwindow or whatever.....but the loud
and proud scream of "I'll get the damn things now"....could always be heard.
I've lived a sheltered life, I'm sure.

The "chicken wire" scene can also be seen in the movie "Roadhouse" with Patrick Swayze.
I believe its the Kevin Healy band playin' when the *&%$@ starts flyin'.

I played in a band at the Star Restaurant in the early '70's where we didn't have chicken wire but wished we did... Had to grab the gear and duck a few times. Scary stuff for an 18 year old.

I played a road gig in Decatur, IL in the mid seventies behind chicken wire, apparently put there to encourage the patrons to throw empties at the band. One run there was enough... In the "dumbest moves ever" category, playing in my first band at a Michigan racetrack for the centerfield after-race party, after several encores, our drummer told the clamouring drunken masses that she "supposed we could play a few more if we got paid a bit more" prompting an avalance of thrown quarters, nickles and assorted keys. Black eyes, dinged guitars... at least the drum set suffered the most damage. Ya gotta love 'em.

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C'mon by and visit!- www.markvanallen.com
My Bands: Sugarland Kate and the Retreads Kecia Garland Band Shane Bridges Band Dell Conner Blues Band

Now that I think of it, another interesting thing happened at that same racetrack gig- we had loaded in before the races and parked our (very tall camper) truck at the end of a line of cars in the infield parking. A short time later I noticed a strange looking fellow kind of staring at our truck with his head tilted over to one side. As I walked up to him, he said "you might want to move that truck". I thought about it for a minute, went and got the keys and pulled it down to the other end of the lot. Middle of the second race a car leaves the track, rolls over a couple of times and completely demolishes three or four cars in the parking area, right where the truck had been...

Ray, you brought back some great memories when you mentioned Division St. Corral. I also remember Tiny Dumonts. I ran around with
Buddy Fite and we once played a Grange hall in St Helens that had chicken wire over the front of the stage. We thought it was for some kind of childrens play or somthing. Later in the evening when the bottles started flying, we were glad it was there.
As many of you that knew Buddy probably know of his passing this last year. He was
a great, great jazz guitarist and played steel by pulling the strings with his fingers behind the bar ! I miss you Buddy, RIP.
Dave

Back in the West Texas oilpatch days (late 60's-early 70's) the potential for violence was always there and was often realized, but the band was usually safe...well, we got a lot of threats for not knowing certain songs or eyeing Bubba's girlfriend, but they seldom got carried out.

ALL the bars I played in catered to a rough clientele. You could count on bad fights breaking out on the dance floor, some of which the participants would be drug away from with permanent-damage-type injuries. I played in one bar out in the sticks that actually had the wire but didn't need it; most of the rest of them needed the wire but didn't have it.

Rougher than the honkytonks were occasional private parties thrown by good-ole-boys who suddenly had money, out in the country where the partiers knew it would take the law 30-40 minutes to get there.

Then there was the "Damned Few" biker bar in west Odessa...

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GFI S-12 extended E9

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Emmett Roch on 02 October 2003 at 02:58 AM.]</p></FONT>

Played a few gigs back in the early seventies at a bar close to College Station, Tx (home to Tx A&M) - believe the bar's name was Lakeview Inn. It had the chicken wire - and needed it. Just part of the lore of playing live music, huh!
Gary

<SMALL>Then there was the "Damned Few" biker bar in west Odessa </SMALL>

Emmett,remember"The Post",right down from The Stardust.The Post was after hours but didn't have the wire.No one ever seemed to want to bother the band and was careful during the fights to keep away from the bandstand.That always amazed me.
Ray


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Steeling is still legal in Arizona


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ray Jenkins on 02 October 2003 at 12:42 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ray and Emmett...Played 'em all you've mentioned....We just finished a 4 night gig at The Stardust...It has been remodeled and has a super sound system...Same family "Lawyer" owns it.. No "joe palookaville" in there now...Has 2 of the biggest 'good ole boys' for bouncers you've ever seen...

I guess the worst dive I ever played was here in Big Spring in the late 40's and early 50's...A place called the Ace of Clubs on the west highway...Had the chicken wire, 2 X 4 frames and all..Every bit was necessary to get in a 4 -5 hour gig..Played with an old boy named "Lefty"..For you who are familiar with the old band, after Lefty came here from Artesia, NM, the lead guitar player was a super guy named Billy Madre and I understand he just passed..Billy and some of the guys chipped in and sent Lefty to Fort Worth to record his first session.. Just PotPouri for some of you...

FRED

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The spirit be with you!
If it aint got a steel, it aint real

The only players that really need "chicken wire"
are "chicken steelers" !!!

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<img src=http://home.hvc.rr.com/jsganz/ChickenSteelers.jpg>


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jay Ganz on 04 October 2003 at 07:12 AM.]</p></FONT>

Palyed a Dance Hall in Dansbury,Texas that still had chicken wire aronud the bandstand.That was in 71 & 72. Owner closed it up a few years back. Met some of best people in that club, just couldn't get along wioth each other.Old Hall had history for days. Erenst Tube, Hank Thompson, Ray Price, OLe Bob Wills, Kitty Wells,even George Jones played this place.Still have fond memories of those old Dance Halls
Oh Yea almost forgot the Halls in Rosenburg,Tx.and Schroeder,Tx.( west of Victoria)

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Daniel J. Cormier
Mullen D-10 8/7,Mullen 8/5 , Peavey Sessions 400 Limited wedge,Nasville 1000,Peavey Nashville 400. http://www.cajunsteelguitar.com


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Daniel J. Cormier on 03 October 2003 at 11:15 AM.]</p></FONT>

Ray & Fred, don't forget "Earl's" and going back a few more years, the "D&D Corral"...

I'm sorry to hear about Bill Madry passing on. I used to love his Hank Thompson-days stories, and his remark to our drummer one night: "Boy, you sound like you're buildin' a house!"

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Oh yeah, the "Western Girl Lounge" out on West Hwy 80 in Odessa, the "Texas Bar" in Pecos, the "Torch Club" in Midland...

Those were the days, but I'm glad they're over LOL!

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GFI S-12 extended E9

I've been in a "chicken-wire" bar, (it was either in Detroit, or Troy), but never really played in one. I <u>have</u> played, as some others have stated, in bars where it was probably needed! I worked in Baltimore's infamous "Elmer's Club", at Light and Pratt, which was one of the original "biker-bars". More than a few times, the owner (Elmer Greenwald) would have patrons riding their Harleys in one door and out the other...with Elmer in hot pursuit after them---with a baseball bat, or an axe-handle. Both of which were standard "behind the bar acoutrements". At closing time, he also woke up passed-out drunks with an electric cattle-prod. Always worked too! They had a few shootings and stabbings, and lotsa fights, but I don't recall anyone ever actually dying in the place. It was a rough, loud, rather unclean place, but it did have atmosphere. Usually, there was a strange sort of "comaraderie" amongst the clientele, who normally fit into four different categories; bikers, truckers, longshoremen, or musicians.

With the possible exception of payment-collectors from the local music store (Fred Walker's), nobody ever bothered the band. Ol' Elmer took care of his friends!

Crenshaw County was the roughest county in Alabama. A place called Boderfords pool. You stepout the door in one step was the swimming pool.A lot of the people came in wet.
One night at a table a man said some bad words, the guy next to him ask him to not make bad talk as there was a lady present, the bad talker said if she was a lady she would not be here. 7 on one side and 8 on the other, that was some fight.
We played louder and louder, ( orcastraded fights must have came from here), bear bottles were flying, whoop whopp crash. One hit by me. The back window was 8 feet off the ground, when I landed the lead guitar player who claimed to be rough and tumble , landed on me. some night.

ernie

Don't remember any chicken wire, and I'm really dissapointed at the lack of good fights in my 24 years. A couple of them on the bandstand... but that's another story..

I played a two week gig at the Dodge City Saloon in Calgary in 88 where they had about 20 feet of hay bales out in front of us to deflect those fun loving canadians. A bounces named Pierre with a huge pair of Nikes handled any bouncing that needed to be done * with his feet*. It was the most amazing thing, called Sabot, I think.

In Calgary there are and were some nice clubs, but the DCS certainly wasn't one of them. Syringes in the parking lots, and the halls all smelled pretty strong. I guess they cleaned them with ammonia....

I'm thinking...

EJL