fun thread

[keymandoguy]

what has been your most embarrasing moment ? Please keep it to music and band themes. I played a break where I couldnt hear what I was playing on stage and I know I hit some wrong notes. Forunately it was a small audience. I have no Idea what i sounded like but I know it wasnt good. Pick it clean. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[John Flynn]

I've told this one before, so aplogies to those that have heard it, but it is still my fave:

I was part of a music ensemble for an important church service held jointly by three congregations. The ensemble was a combination of music groups from all three churches. We had two rehearsals, then the big event. We were all playing acoustic, with shared mikes. The "headliner" was to be some regional "star" who only went by one name. We'll call her "Melinda" to protect the guilty. I was not familiar with her, but she was spoken of in reverent, hushed tones by other church musicians. Well, Melinda skipped both the rehearsals, much to everyone's chagrin. Then, the day of the event, we are about to start and Melinda is not there.

With 30 seconds to go, in rushes this Janis Jopin-looking gal, dressed like she stepped out of a time machine from Woodstock #1. She whips out this nylon string guitar, with peace stickers all over it and feathers hanging from the headstock. She jams a patch cord in the tailpiece (remember the rest of us are shared mike/acoustic), she plugs the other end of the cord in an open jack in the sound board and she shoves the slider all the way to the stop. With 5 seconds to go, she steps up to the music stand, where the sheet music for the first tune is ready to go. The service starts and everyone, including Melinda, hits the first chord in unison.

Unfortunately, what Melinda missed in rehearsal and didn't observe in her grand entrance, was that we were all capo'ed up one fret. Melinda was not capo'ed. Cranked at full volume, she was a half step off from the rest of the group. Was she embarrassed? Sadly, no. She kept on going and the whole rest of the group had to do a clumsy scramble. The singers shifted key, I whipped off my capo and the piano just had to stop. Melinda finished the tune very satisfied with herself, while the rest of us were in shock in front of our combined congregations.

[Eugene]

I played an outdoor wedding where my chamber group (myself and two flutes) was seated in a gazebo. The processional was to be the despised Canon by Pachelbel. In spite of rehearsals and coaching for pace, the bride charged down the "aisle" at a clip that did not allow me to even get through two cycles of the progression...then the pastor began his spiel. I didn't see any of this because I was seated behind a column of the gazebo. I continued to play until I was flagged to silence because the ceremony was underway. Jheesh! I heard from the wedding planner that that couple had divorced...I knew they should have paced themselves!

[John Rosett]

when i was about 24, i was completely heart broken over a young lady. i was playing in a little band at a party that she was also at, and i got pretty drunk. when the band took a break, i grabbed the mic and tearfully dedicated some sappy song to her, which i then sang. badly.
that has to be the most embarrasing moment of my life, and i'm glad that everyone else there was as drunk as i was, and i'm glad it was over 20 years ago.
john

[Steve G]

One night about twenty years ago a man and woman asked me to sit in with them and play some lead at an open mic night. I forgot my capo and the first tune was in F#. I don't think I'd ever played in that key before. But before I could say "uhhhhhhmm" we were off and running. I tried to play it safe with pentatonics but it did'nt work too good and I got lost. Anyway, after the tune I said I was sorry and they said "you should be."

[mancmando]

I was playing some rhythm guitar for an Irish gig in Manchester UK in an Irish club. It was a Saturday night, and late on all the cream of Manchesters' irish musicians turned up (there are lots of world class irish musicians in Manchester and they'd been at various other gigs in and around town).

Towards the end of the evening everyone got up on stage, and to finish the evening off suddenly the organisers decided we should play the Irish National Anthem - a tune which I'm totally unfamiliar with (i'm not irish), and it turned out it had some pretty weird chords in it, ie not really buskable. Anyhow, I made a complete hash of it surrounded by all these amazing Irish players, and this didn't go unnoticed.

[Tom C]

One time we were playing at a local bar. There was an older fellow who was sitting at the bar for hours. As we were playing, I would watch every so often when he would try get get off his bar stool and fall to the ground. We would all start to chuckle and somebody would help him up. Later we asked if we can drive him home. As we walked him up to his front door, he wife opened it. We told her what happened and she was very appreciatitive and said "Oh thanks alot, but where's his wheelchair?" dahdah-domp (Drum and symbol)

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[straight-a]

I was at a show about 20 years ago and we had just kicked off a song and I saw out of the corner of my eye that the guitar player was still putting on his capo. We stopped and restarted, and when it came time for me to start singing, I was totally blank. Couldn't even remember the name of the song, much less the words. Boy, did I want to crawl off the stage. The crowd was very kind and supportive, though. Still, I cringe at the thought of it.

[Salty Dog]

This past summer (that wasn't, in the northeast), I accompanied (on mandolin) my wife and a friend who sang "How Great Thou Art" as a church special. #At the end, I had worked out simple high-string mandolin ending. #This was strictly acoustical, nothing electronic. #When the ladies stopped singing, the congregation started clapping and I couldn't hear myself. #My fingers were moving and my brain was scrambling to figure out what was wrong. #I have yet to play the tape as I haven't a clue as to what I played but I remember my scrambling brain telling me to stop as soon as possible.

[ShaneJ]

A LONG time ago, I was singing occasionally at Johnny High's "opry" show in Ft. Worth. #One weekend I was singing, and when I got there just before the show, Johnny told me that I was going to sing "Ace In The Hole" by George Strait instead of the other song that I had sent in and was prepared for. #Well, I knew the song just fine, so I figured "no problem". #I didn't get a chance to run through it with the house band. #When I got through the opening chorus and started to go into the first verse, the band's licks sounded like they were leading back into the chorus, and it threw me. #They went right into the verse without any vocals, and I stood in the spotlight in front of 3,000 or so people with what had to be a pretty pathetically funny look on my red face. #I jumped back in when the verse was over and did fine after that, but it was pretty dang embarrassing in front of such a big crowd.

That night, Leon Rausche - former singer for Bob Wills - was there, and I got to visit with him backstage. #Also, a previous Miss Texas and the girl that won the Miss Texas pageant a couple months later were on the show too. #So, simpathy from a couple pretty girls and a long-time hero made it a pretty cool night afterall. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[mandobob]

High School senior year (78) band director worked in Santana's Europa as a band plus guitar piece for me and marching band. Big Thanksgiving day football game, I marched empty handed out thru the first tune, and on cue walked up to my amp just as someone 'accidently' unplugged the extension cord. I stood much to the amusement of the crowd, in silence. Europa finishes without guitar solo, and as I unstrap the guitar, on comes my amp pilot light. Never found out who did it. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[Amanda Lynn]

This didn't happen to me, but it happened to a former boyfriend, and I was in the audience and was embarrassed for him (or maybe just embarrassed that I knew him??). He was performing with his band at a quiet folk club. Between songs, he turned around and bent over to exchange his banjo for his guitar, which was on a stand behind him. As he bent over, he passed gas, and his rear end was just inches from the microphone at the time!

[ShaneJ]

Oh, man! Now that one wins the prize, Amanda Lynn!!

[duuuude]

Was he outa tune? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Tim Saxton]

For me, I was playing at an open mike at the Darrington Bluegrass festival. The song we had practiced was in what ever key it was in. I took my break in the wrong key. Thank goodness I was able to gracefully recover.

Tim

i did a capo in the wrong key once on the guitar at a battle of the bands in highschool... wooo but no one picked up on it but the band i swear.... hahaha
another time i played sat in on a couple of tunes with some rocked out jazzy middle easterny guys at a bar and they said the first tune is in D minor.. i said great, thats a good key for mando! then they call me up and i get all geared up for the tune, and they start ROCKIN and i dont mean in a rockin good way, i mean in a loud distorted way, and they were in a totaly different key, different song etc! and never told me! the song was all riffed out and they obviously knew all the riffs and i didnt, i sat there just staring at the ceiling waiting for the tune to end....
when i was younger i played first cello in an orchestra, so i was front row right on the edge of the stage, and i wore a pair of those old black and red checkerd vans, and i didnt think anyone was gonna look at my feet, but EVERYONE commented on my sneaks........ my fellow players were pretty miffed about it too. but hey! i was first cello!!!! so whatever! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif