Strange Wedding Gig Stories?
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GC
- 5 valves
- Posts: 1800
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 5:52 am
- Location: Rome, GA (between Rosedale and Armuchee)
Two favorite memories
We played for four weddings for a rich family with five kids. We had a previous engagement on the fifth one, and we really hated to miss it. After three of the weddings they gave everyone in the band a bottle of Korbel Brut champagne to take home.
On the third one, everyone was pretty much ripped after about an hour. The entire wedding party, plus the bride's grandparents, the minister, and a fourth of the guests ended up in the pool. It wasn't voluntary in many of the cases, but everyone was a good sport. They had to pay a pretty penny for ruined formal wear, but they didn't care.
About five years later, we were playing in a room that only had one available power outlet for our PA, bass and keyboard rigs, and stand lights. We cranked up to a reasonable volume level, hit a loud spot, and lost power. After this happened about five times in 15 minutes, we found out that they were powering five food warmers off the same circuit that the band was using. They ran a 100 foot power cable to the other end of the building for us to make sure that we were the only ones on the circuit. It buzzed like mad because of a ground loop, but at least we were able to keep playing.
On the third one, everyone was pretty much ripped after about an hour. The entire wedding party, plus the bride's grandparents, the minister, and a fourth of the guests ended up in the pool. It wasn't voluntary in many of the cases, but everyone was a good sport. They had to pay a pretty penny for ruined formal wear, but they didn't care.
About five years later, we were playing in a room that only had one available power outlet for our PA, bass and keyboard rigs, and stand lights. We cranked up to a reasonable volume level, hit a loud spot, and lost power. After this happened about five times in 15 minutes, we found out that they were powering five food warmers off the same circuit that the band was using. They ran a 100 foot power cable to the other end of the building for us to make sure that we were the only ones on the circuit. It buzzed like mad because of a ground loop, but at least we were able to keep playing.
JP/Sterling 377 compensating Eb; Warburton "The Grail" T.G.4, RM-9 7.8, Yamaha 66D4; for sale > 1914 Conn Monster Eb (my avatar), ca. 1905 Fillmore Bros 1/4-size Eb, Bach 42B trombone
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scottw
- 5 valves
- Posts: 1519
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 8:39 am
- Location: South Jersey
Pretty much like the very last wedding I ever played: The crowd got all liquored up, fights started, and things started flying through the air, many in our direction on the stand. We did what any self-respecting musicians would do: we pulled as much equipment as we could with us over the back of the stand and hunkered down for 20-30 minutes while the crowd went nuts throwing punches, chairs, tables, etc. When the cops cleared the room and we came out of our hidey-hole, it looked like a war had been fought in the ballroom. I decided right then that I was not having enough fun playing weddings for $100. a night to put up with this kind of crap!tofu wrote:The place was really hot, folks were packed in and the crowd was well boozed up. Half way through the chicken dance a server drops a plate. The crowd apparently takes this as a sign
and every guest in the place grabs every available plate & glass and smashes it against the floor. The place is up for grabs -- the owners and staff come rushing in and really get into it with the out of control crowd.
Fortunately, we learned long ago to get paid in advance and quickly got our stuff together and headed for the door. As we headed out of the parking lot a whole fleet of Chicago's finest were pulling up to the door. No idea what the final outcome was, but we laughed all the way home.
Bearin' up!
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GC
- 5 valves
- Posts: 1800
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 5:52 am
- Location: Rome, GA (between Rosedale and Armuchee)
I've been lucky. The only fight I've seen at a reception was after the garter and bouquet were tossed. The guy who caught the garter was putting it on the girl who caught the bouquet and got a little too friendly. His fiancee ran out, decked him, and kept beating him with her purse.
JP/Sterling 377 compensating Eb; Warburton "The Grail" T.G.4, RM-9 7.8, Yamaha 66D4; for sale > 1914 Conn Monster Eb (my avatar), ca. 1905 Fillmore Bros 1/4-size Eb, Bach 42B trombone
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Dennis K.
- bugler
- Posts: 158
- Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 2:59 pm
- Location: Dallas
I played a wedding once with a VERY direct trumpet player. We were about to start the prelude when the M.O.B came into the loft and said "I'm sorry, we forgot the check."
The trumpet player said "well That's a problem, isn't it?" He took his mouthpiece out of his horn, put his horn in his case and was about to leave. The M.O.B. said, in a very panicky voice, "I'll be right back!!!!" The entire quintet was paid in $1's, $5's and $10's.
My wife is a violinist and she has some good ones. Like the bride who processed to the Aggie War Hymn and recessed to "We all Live in a Yellow Submarine."
Or, the wedding where they specifically told her "No Sacred Music." It was out in the woods with crystals and ornaments hanging in the trees, everyone dressed in black, lit by candles mounted in skulls. Th string quartet set up facing each other to keep a lookout in case they were to be sacrificed.
This one sounds like there ought to be a good joke in it. A friend played for a Jewish Lesbian Wedding, officiated by a Renegade Rabbi. Both women were in wedding dresses.
The trumpet player said "well That's a problem, isn't it?" He took his mouthpiece out of his horn, put his horn in his case and was about to leave. The M.O.B. said, in a very panicky voice, "I'll be right back!!!!" The entire quintet was paid in $1's, $5's and $10's.
My wife is a violinist and she has some good ones. Like the bride who processed to the Aggie War Hymn and recessed to "We all Live in a Yellow Submarine."
Or, the wedding where they specifically told her "No Sacred Music." It was out in the woods with crystals and ornaments hanging in the trees, everyone dressed in black, lit by candles mounted in skulls. Th string quartet set up facing each other to keep a lookout in case they were to be sacrificed.
This one sounds like there ought to be a good joke in it. A friend played for a Jewish Lesbian Wedding, officiated by a Renegade Rabbi. Both women were in wedding dresses.
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Steve Marcus
- pro musician
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- Location: Chicago area
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OK, maybe not a joke, but a question (slightly OT--sorry Sean. Consider it for the good of the thread...) At a traditional Jewish wedding, the groom breaks the glass at the end of the ceremony. Who had the honors at the wedding that you described?Dennis K. wrote:This one sounds like there ought to be a good joke in it. A friend played for a Jewish Lesbian Wedding, officiated by a Renegade Rabbi. Both women were in wedding dresses.