The show must go on
My band
was performing in Bowen in north Queensland, from memory I think it was the
Kings Beach Hotel, we playing in 'High Voltage' a successful and fun tribute to
AC/DC. The band would usually play straight thru a 75 minute set, no breaks, no
stops.
We were up
to about our 7th song in the set list when I noticed our rhythm
guitarist had broken a string. No real worries there I could cover him no
problem. About 60 seconds later I myself break a string. No problem, me thinks I
will get my spare Gibson SG, be playing again in 45 secs....look around. No SG,
old mate rhythm player has grabbed it for himself, too lazy to change a string
on his guitar!!! Ok, so I think I will very quickly change my own string with
the help of our stage roadie... another 20 seconds goes by. Old mate breaks
another string on MY spare guitar...ok boys ya gotta fill in. drum and bass
extension solos, singer doing a bit of improv over the top, no problem....UNTIL..
bass player blows his A string....as many of you would know most AC/.DC songs are
in A. Ok he switches to the E string 5th fret...not as nice a sound
but its cool.......we are going to be okay....oh dear.. Drummer has broken his snare
skin!!!! This can't be happening!! Just can't be!! Apollo 13 didn't have this
much coincidental bad luck!!!!...By now my string is replaced so we have a 3
string bass, one guitar, a singer looking remotely pissed off and looking for a
rock to hide under, and a drummer gesticulating widely for help with his snare....but the show goes on. Old mate rhythm player is back on deck and the bass player is going to play 3 strings for at least the next 2 songs until, the roadie goes to truck and get the spare bass (not often bass players break strings!!).
Finally the
snare skin is replaced all guitars are back working. We start up exactly in the spot where we first lost a string and continue as if nothing happened...never a break in the song... just a pile of improve in the middle section the shows goes on!!!
The song by the way was "Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be."
Now I can see everyone with stage experience saying "well they should have changed their string before the gig!" Truth was we changed our strings every night, bass strings every 6 gigs!!! We all bought our strings from one supplier and, yep a faulty batch!!
The moral:
always have spare strings closely accessible, a spare guitar where possible, drummer, at least a spare snare skin or maybe a spare snare drum and also spare kick drum skin and a singer who can remain nonplussed when all hell breaks loose around him!!
The
show must go on!!
