TubeNet

This evening I was booked to play Brahms Academic Festival Overture and Dvorak 6 with an orchestra I had not played previously. I had in my diary the concert being 7:30pm and arrived at venue, a church at 7:05pm to be amazed to hear music. When I went in the door they were already playing AFO and to my horror I realised they had started at 7pm. I scanned the scene and thought maybe I could get in down the side in time to play the grand finale. I made my way down to the nave trying not to attract the audience and got out my tuba. But problem, the door way through to stage was only 12 inches wide. I tried but no way was I going to get my PT15 F through there. Then I noticed the window beside was slightly wider, may 14 inches. By wriggling the tuba sideways I managed to get the 16.5 inch bell through, but I needed someone to take tuba the other side. I beckoned to the nearest member of the choir there for the following choral work and she kindly took my tuba while I slipped through the narrow door to sit down with just 5 bars before my grand entry.

It must have been hilarious to the audience seeing this tuba wriggling through window onto the stage midway through piece - and this from someone who normally does not even put his tuba down during performance to distract from the music.

In the interval I apologised to the conductor who said he realised what had happened kindly adding "it made us appreciate your superb tuba even more when you eventually came in".

The treasurer paying my fee joked that they should dock money as I had not played the whole concert.

Dvorak 6 in the second half I played complete and without incident, getting a thumb up from the jovial conductor for the tuba solo in the last movement.

And when I checked my emails, it was not my fault, I was told the concert started at 7:30pm!

A friend afterwards took pictures of the tuba and small opening in reconstruction. I will post once I receive.

PS Lucky I had not taken the Neptune

Jonathan, that is my nightmare...and certainly funny in retrospect. It sounds like you handled it about as well as it could be done -- most of all, nailing your part and making them forget that you were "late."

If you get called to sub for them again, you are pretty much required now to show up early/on time and enter through that same window again.

Hehehe! Thanks for sharing!

What a great story! I'm not sure I would have had the presence of mind to handle it as well as you apparently did. Thanks for sharing. (I have to agree with Bort.)

Great story! I might have just sat in the audience and played from there...

Great story, especially considering that Neptune posted it a 5:31 pm, two hours before the gig was supposed to start. -Must be a time zone thing, or else a time warp.

Today I showed up about 40 minutes early for a quartet gig at a high school "Senior Breakfast". The instructions indicated that we would play from 11:30 am to 12:30pm.
The school was wide open but empty. When we called, we learned that it was going to be 11:30 PM to 12:30 AM. Doesn't everybody eat breakfast then?

I once turned up to the wrong funeral... Tuba in tow.

/MEMORIES = ARRRRRRRRRGH

Art Hovey wrote:Great story, especially considering that Neptune posted it a 5:31 pm, two hours before the gig was supposed to start. -Must be a time zone thing, or else a time warp.

Neptune is in the UK. Whether that constitutes a time zone thing or a time warp? Still your pick.

K

Reminds me of an Easter morning church gig years ago when the trombone player showed up 1/2 hour late, unshaven and hung over, and then proceeded to play flawlessly. There are those of us who obsess over gig preparation and show up hours before downbeat, and others who show up just in time (or later) and play better than I could ever hope to play. (Yes, I'm jealous!)

saktoons wrote:Reminds me of an Easter morning church gig years ago when the trombone player showed up 1/2 hour late, unshaven and hung over, and then proceeded to play flawlessly. There are those of us who obsess over gig preparation and show up hours before downbeat, and others who show up just in time (or later) and play better than I could ever hope to play. (Yes, I'm jealous!)

This points out one of the great mysteries of musical life. Personally, overall I do a lot better when I have adequate prep time. However, I have learned how to function with virtually no lead time.

The worst feeling in music performance is being late. It's worse than bombing a lick.

Knowing that you are going to be late while stuck in traffic is sickening. That's why I always plan to arrive 45 mins early and add 15 mins for traffic. I can't stand that feeling.

Sympathies for the mix up. Even when it's not you're fault, you still feel bad about it. Hope posting about it helps wipe it from your thoughts.

Pictures showing my problem trying to get tuba in!

Real time reportage or reconstruction?

Klaus

imperialbari wrote:Real time reportage or reconstruction?

Reconstruction after concert

Neptune wrote:

imperialbari wrote:Real time reportage or reconstruction?

Reconstruction after concert

Probably at a time when there weren't too many spectators!

imperialbari wrote:Real time reportage or reconstruction?

Klaus

Obvious reconstruction because the second photo looks more like a grin than a grimace

Neptune wrote:Pictures showing my problem trying to get tuba in!

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7: 13 & 14, English Standard Version.

Does bloke approach my suspicion this is all an advertising campaign for the small tubas?

K

imperialbari wrote:Does bloke approach my suspicion this is all an advertising campaign for the small tubas

Don't go anywhere without one, never know when you might need it!!! Actually if I had gone back to car for small tuba I would have been too late anyway.

Much better advertising for the small tubas is how they attract the ladies - Yes, the ladies love them - real chick magnets

Neptune wrote:Much better advertising for the small tubas is how they attract the ladies - Yes, the ladies love them - real chick magnets

Jonathan, I have no patent on writing your timeline, but my senility isn't more developed than I know Mei entered your life before the travel tuba did. Wasn't the latter bought exactly because of the long stay with mei's family?

K