Re: Worst Gig

[Jack Ely <IMS_ELY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

    Hey, does a 'worst gig' story from an old amateur duffer count?
    
    Let's see, this goes back about ten years. We (The BSHC performing group - 
    more commonly known as the Buckeye Harmonica Band) were invited to play a 
    Christmas program at the Ohio Theatre. Well, this was a real prestige gig 
    for us. The Ohio Theatre is on the national registry of historic buildings 
    and is beautifully restored. Also, renowned theater organist, Dennis James 
    was to open the show on the Mighty Morton Organ (also restored). The organ 
    raises up out of the floor on an elevator - you hear the music then see 
    the organist seated at the keyboard as it raises into view. [jeez! I get 
    chills down my back just thinking about it]. Dennis opened the show and 
    played a couple numbers on the Morton - man what a sound! We were in 
    position behind the curtain with a repertoire of highly polished Christmas 
    and Holiday music. We were ready! Dennis announced us, the curtain rose 
    revealing a packed house. (They could fill this place for a pie eating 
    contest). We went into our opening number - a pretty neat arrangement of 
    Jingle Bells, I might add. And !!HORRORS!! no sound. We all had mikes 
    plugged into our 24 channel Peavey Mark III, 4 Bose 802's, etc, but -- NO 
    SOUND. Our technician frantically checked cables and knobs and switches. 
    He couldn't get too far away as he was also our bass player. We never 
    found the problem but we completed the show. Thank heaven for wonderful 
    acoustics in the theatre, the audience could at least hear a little. But 
    the dynamics were gone, of course the bass and chord didn't carry -- so we 
    laid a pretty big egg that night. Haven't been invited back, yet. Oh, we 
    did find the problem. Seems these sound systems run on electricity and 
    our extension chord got unplugged sometime after the sound check.   :-}
    
         Jack Ely - Columbus, Ohio  --New Addr--> IMS_ELY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx