Annoying audience members

abrackas

Active member
Last night we were playing a show and a drunk woman kept saying she wanted to sing in between songs. Unfortunately the gig was not well attended and most of the people near the stage were her and her friends. Another band member finally invited her up and it was a disaster. She didn’t want to leave after I told her thanks but eventually did. Her husband was one of the ones in her entourage and there wasn’t any security.

It was awkward as hell almost like we couldn’t get control of the situation. Anyone else have similar stories and how you handled it? Maybe some recommendations.

Thanks
 
Anytime I am playing and someone yells out play some SLAYER!! or alternatively, FREEBIRD!! It got old 15 years ago, and was never funny to begin with.
 
Yeah, had the same thing happen to me a few times. I kept thinking she was going to fall into the drums (which would have been funny :yes:) or knock over an amp (which would not have been funny :no: ). Tried to ignore it as best I could... around the same time, I used to use a couple of picks attached to a Makita to make noise with. :confused: I ended up chasing one of them off the stage with it (which was definitely funny). :LOL: :LOL:
 
sutepaj":bqzhy97c said:
Anytime I am playing and someone yells out play some SLAYER!! or alternatively, FREEBIRD!!
Ah shit man thats me with a few beers in me lol... Stryper came to Hawaii once, and put on a great show. It was a small venue maybe 250 people, I had too... " Play some SLAYER!!!! "

The bassist Tim Gaines approaches the mic and said "We hear no evil" and pretty much everybody started cracking up including the band. It was pretty funny.
 
errrrrl":26xvdhlo said:
sutepaj":26xvdhlo said:
Anytime I am playing and someone yells out play some SLAYER!! or alternatively, FREEBIRD!!
Ah shit man thats me with a few beers in me lol... Stryper came to Hawaii once, and put on a great show. It was a small venue maybe 250 people, I had too... " Play some SLAYER!!!! "

The bassist Tim Gaines approaches the mic and said "We hear no evil" and pretty much everybody started cracking up including the band. It was pretty funny.
Hilarious! poor Stryper, they were always gonna be a target for that shit, lol.
 
abrackas":3jyeahp9 said:
Last night we were playing a show and a drunk woman kept saying she wanted to sing in between songs.

I always tell them "sorry, but we can only use people in the union."
 
Anyone that can actually sing is not going to pester you about getting on stage while you are in the middle of a performance. I tell them no, without explanation. If that doesn't work, I tell them no again, only louder, then beat them with a rolled up newspaper. What we are talking about here are drunk chicks that cant stand the fact that something else in the room is the center of attention. Drunks and gear are a bad mix. Drunk chics that think they are God's gift to "Mustang Sally" and mics are a bad mix. Lose, lose proposition.
 
I learned over 20 yrs ago that unless you know them, they aren't going to come up. Always a disaster.
I usually ask them, "what songs do you sing?" They mention a few, and I say sorry we don't do those. Even if he/she picks one from the set list, I say we don't do that one anymore and haven't updated the list.
Lol
 
The answer is no.

If it’s late and there’s only a couple people left in the club, run a verse and a chorus and then just end it. Tell them they did great and move on.
 
voodooradio1":1xbxgxc4 said:
Anyone that can actually sing is not going to pester you about getting on stage while you are in the middle of a performance. I tell them no, without explanation. If that doesn't work, I tell them no again, only louder, then beat them with a rolled up newspaper. What we are talking about here are drunk chicks that cant stand the fact that something else in the room is the center of attention. Drunks and gear are a bad mix. Drunk chics that think they are God's gift to "Mustang Sally" and mics are a bad mix. Lose, lose proposition.

I went on a cruise once and there was an older gentlemen on the cruise that was with his entourage by the pool and the bandstand every day. He actually could sing, but because he was successful in singing Mustang Sally (perhaps the worst song ever put to plastic) the entire cruise ship was treated to his rendition every.fucking.set.every.damned.day. I wanted to shoot myself in the head by day two.
 
Just last weekend we had a guy walk up to the stage as we were about to start another set and say “you fucking assholes playing you’re 90’s shit”. I looked at my bass player because I assumed it was someone he knew. But then he asked me “did that guy just call us fucking assholes?” Then it was obvious he didn’t know us. Some people just amaze me. :confused:
 
My band was doing a show back in the 90s and someone yelled "Play some Backstreet Boys!!!" not realizing that at band practice we would always dick around as a joke and sing boyband songs. So then I said something like "You asked for it" and then we start "Every-bo-day, Yeaaahhh, Rock Your Bod-ayy, Yeahhhh, Everybody, rock yo body right, Backstreets back, alright!! and the whole crowd starts laughing and the guy said "Get off the F**ing Stage!!" LOL!
 
LP Freak":2csteezc said:
Just last weekend we had a guy walk up to the stage as we were about to start another set and say “you fucking assholes playing you’re 90’s shit”. I looked at my bass player because I assumed it was someone he knew. But then he asked me “did that guy just call us fucking assholes?” Then it was obvious he didn’t know us. Some people just amaze me. :confused:

You should have said, "yeah you'll love this one, it's asshole related. Its called "my guitar neck extracted from your colon"
 
romanianreaper":1wd1v66t said:
LP Freak":1wd1v66t said:
Just last weekend we had a guy walk up to the stage as we were about to start another set and say “you fucking assholes playing you’re 90’s shit”. I looked at my bass player because I assumed it was someone he knew. But then he asked me “did that guy just call us fucking assholes?” Then it was obvious he didn’t know us. Some people just amaze me. :confused:

You should have said, "yeah you'll love this one, it's asshole related. Its called "my guitar neck extracted from your colon"
Yea, no shit. He walked away though before we figured out what just happen.
 
Always say. "We have been hired by the establishment and they get the band they hired that does not include unexpected guest performances. If they go and ask the club or security then it's on them and if it gets out of hand they usually want to keep the even few patrons they have. Or they ask the customers to "leave the band alone this isn't open mic or karaoke"
 
sutepaj":3p0mt6hk said:
Anytime I am playing and someone yells out play some SLAYER!! or alternatively, FREEBIRD!! It got old 15 years ago, and was never funny to begin with.

The key is to either have a Skynyrd song in the style of Slayer or a Slayer song in the style of Skynyrd ready to go. :LOL: :LOL:
 
This happens almost every show. Everyone in the band knows how to handle it. We just tell them we have expensive gear and we can't risk having anyone come up and damage it. That usually works but sometimes you get a tough guy husband or whatever and you have to deal with that but usually it's just a random drunk. The Freebird/Slayer thing happens to every band, just have to deal with it.
 
Couple years ago we learned "Porn Star Dancing". Good tune, brought a lot out to the dance floor...until at one the the clubs, there's a weight bearing post on the left side of the stage, just in front that the club has covered with carpet. As soon as that song starts some drunk chick starts pole dancing to the tune.
Sounds fun right?? Yeah real fun until the wives/girlfriends see what's going on. Needless to say that song was dropped from the set pretty quick.
Lol
 
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