After playing two shows at church this morning, two embarrassing things happened. This gave me the idea of this thread. Name your embarrassing moments on stage live.

1.) I dropped my pick in the middle of a song and just played with my finger.

2.) In the middle of prayer me and the band got up on stage, well my Les Paul has this switch on it and I turned the knobs on one side to make the switch like an on/off toggle. Well it turned out I forgot to toggle it off. I picked up my guitar and loud noises came throught the auditoruim right in the middle of prayer! It was so embarrassing, the bassist almost died laughing. I dont blame him it was funny as hell!

those arnt mistaks...those are metal!!!!

i have yet to go on a decent stage to really make mistakes...

although i went to this one birthday party that i was invited to(for some reason...) and they told me to do some song. and i'm not really good with songs, so i decided to make a random cover of the song 'pisses me off' by chriss caffery( funny song! listen to it, a line in it says 'starbucks pisses me off! 5 bucks a cup, what the fuck is up!?) and i basically started saying al the things that piss me off in that room, including the guitar(which wasnt mine) having the high E, B, G being the same gauge and tuned wrong, and also the girl whos birthday it was, to some random kid sitting in the corner of the room and staring at the floor....

the mistake was, i got into a fight with the birthday girls boyfriend.

In 2003 I acted on big enough show, when I saw from a stage, that my girl's kissin', and almost f**kin' with another guy! Fortunately for me, it was during solo, I did not sing during that moment. But the solo-guitarist has seen it and has started to do mistakes - he had practically spoiled the song, but I said from a stage, that my girl is a b***h, who's f**kin' near the stage now, and public has humanly understood us.

Well this one time playing, my bass ( as well as everyone else string instruments, ) got detuned by a half step...that was horrible...we left our instruments in our cases near the stage for a few hours and we didnt think it would be a problem. but we didnt have time to do a proper sound check and we were on stage for a minute tuning our instruments...I just said fuck it, and I played the song as I would on standard tuning except a half step up, which was confusing. Oh, and this one time, our singer who was mad stoned, forgot the words to the song...haha, its all good, we were younger and it was funny as hell to me!

Written by Lord TJ on 28.05.2007 at 03:52

1.) I dropped my pick in the middle of a song and just played with my finger.

Although I haven't played live so far, I'm really thinking about getting some kind of adhesive to put on the guitar body and place some spare picks on it. Any tip is welcomed

Once while I was ABOUT to go into my solo (keyboard), I had to change patches right? But I had forgot to remove the 'touch' setting for that particular tone. Thankfully I realized it pretty quickly, but I was just short of breaking the keyboard coz I had to bang on the keys
(keyboardists will know what I'm talking about)

Now Playing: Devin Townsend - Deadhead - [Accelerated Evolution] - [00:06 of 08:06]

Quote:

Although I haven't played live so far, I'm really thinking about getting some kind of adhesive to put on the guitar body and place some spare picks on it. Any tip is welcomed

There is this object you can buy at most guitar shops, its a pick holder that sticks to the body of your guitar wherever you place it. If you have a nice guitar I wouldnt recommend it. Another thing you can do is place picks above the nut in between the strings on the headstock, Kerry King does that.

I would of taken my own advice but im not putting a sticker on my Les Paul, and I only had one pick because I lost my good Dunlops!

Written by Lord TJ on 29.05.2007 at 16:37

Quote:

Although I haven't played live so far, I'm really thinking about getting some kind of adhesive to put on the guitar body and place some spare picks on it. Any tip is welcomed

There is this object you can buy at most guitar shops, its a pick holder that sticks to the body of your guitar wherever you place it. If you have a nice guitar I wouldnt recommend it. Another thing you can do is place picks above the nut in between the strings on the headstock, Kerry King does that.

I would of taken my own advice but im not putting a sticker on my Les Paul, and I only had one pick because I lost my good Dunlops!

humm...depends on what kind of guitar you (wrathchild) have. if you have a strat, or any other guitar, and want a cheap alternative, you can take a look at Van Halen, or Paul Gilbert videos. they took a long strip of duct tape, fold in so it would be sticky on both sides, and stuck 2 strings towards either side of E strings.

that will fuck up your paint(regardless of how good it is) simply becuase tape doesnt always last too long. and would last shorter considering your sweat, mixed with dust, heat and everything...

another alternative is, just like said before, is using a pick holder. if its a matte black guitar, then most likly, the pick holder wont show. but if you're really worried about the paint, then either stick it on the side of the guitar body(but could get in your way), behind the guitar body(but would be problematic to pull out) or behind the headstock(could be a lil annoying considering your non pickin hand would be furthest from the pick holder, and on the wrong side.....)

or....you know those wrist bands that are for charity that say 'live strong' or 'support brest cancer' or 'out of the shadows...' or other random things that come in all sorts of colors? it prolly wont fit on a les paul, or mocking bird, but you can force it to sit on the horn closer to the lower E on a strat. depends on different material, some are really stretchy, others are really stubborn. the stubborn ones usually snap easy, the stretch ones are more flexible, so they dont require much strenght. i did that with my strat, and shoved picks between the band and the guitar. and have done the same with my rhoads here(though it doenst show in the picture. i have black picks up front. red on the side, and ithink glow in the dar, and more fancy picks on the back...):

@soliloquy: great suggestion man, though it won't work as good with strats, since the horns are too narrow for the wristbands to stay put. putting spare picks on your headstock would be a good idea, but you'll have to find a way to keep them from falling. the best solution i think would be to put them in some kind of container on top of the body or headstock, as you're holding the guitar in usual playing position, horizontally.

as for mistakes, back in october when i was a guitar noob i tried to play "breaking the law" on my acoustic in front of my class, i screwed up the beginning about 3 times, but i finally got it right, and almost improvised my way through it, and then when the 2nd chorus stopped, i also stopped, but to remember which part was next, but they thought i ended it so i had to leave it right there. looked like a bad jam session, but i didn't really fuck up the whole tune

Written by Soliloquy on 29.05.2007 at 19:06

Written by Lord TJ on 29.05.2007 at 16:37

Quote:

Although I haven't played live so far, I'm really thinking about getting some kind of adhesive to put on the guitar body and place some spare picks on it. Any tip is welcomed

There is this object you can buy at most guitar shops, its a pick holder that sticks to the body of your guitar wherever you place it. If you have a nice guitar I wouldnt recommend it. Another thing you can do is place picks above the nut in between the strings on the headstock, Kerry King does that.

I would of taken my own advice but im not putting a sticker on my Les Paul, and I only had one pick because I lost my good Dunlops!

humm...depends on what kind of guitar you (wrathchild) have. if you have a strat, or any other guitar, and want a cheap alternative, you can take a look at Van Halen, or Paul Gilbert videos. they took a long strip of duct tape, fold in so it would be sticky on both sides, and stuck 2 strings towards either side of E strings.

that will fuck up your paint(regardless of how good it is) simply becuase tape doesnt always last too long. and would last shorter considering your sweat, mixed with dust, heat and everything...

another alternative is, just like said before, is using a pick holder. if its a matte black guitar, then most likly, the pick holder wont show. but if you're really worried about the paint, then either stick it on the side of the guitar body(but could get in your way), behind the guitar body(but would be problematic to pull out) or behind the headstock(could be a lil annoying considering your non pickin hand would be furthest from the pick holder, and on the wrong side.....)

or....you know those wrist bands that are for charity that say 'live strong' or 'support brest cancer' or 'out of the shadows...' or other random things that come in all sorts of colors? it prolly wont fit on a les paul, or mocking bird, but you can force it to sit on the horn closer to the lower E on a strat. depends on different material, some are really stretchy, others are really stubborn. the stubborn ones usually snap easy, the stretch ones are more flexible, so they dont require much strenght. i did that with my strat, and shoved picks between the band and the guitar. and have done the same with my rhoads here(though it doenst show in the picture. i have black picks up front. red on the side, and ithink glow in the dar, and more fancy picks on the back...):

sometimes on guitars with pickguards, you can squeeze the pick between the body and the pickguard. double-sided tape could also be used.

My drum teacher told me about this gig he went to a while ago, the guy who was drumming dropped his drumstick and it rolled across the stage during a song... he didn't have any spares so he had to actually get up and get it while the other band members were playing... total fuck up hahaha

Oh yeah and this isnt really embarrassing, but kinda freaky.. my drum teacher was playing at a gig and as he was playing really fast, he nicked his knuckle on the rim of a tom and he bled all over his drum kit and cymbals... when he finished playing there was blood all over the drums and heaps of guys were taking pictures of it and saying stuff like "that is SO hardcore" hahahaha

Written by Savage Messiah on 01.06.2007 at 03:12

my drum teacher was playing at a gig and as he was playing really fast, he nicked his knuckle on the rim of a tom and he bled all over his drum kit and cymbals... when he finished playing there was blood all over the drums

That happens to me more often than i'd like to admit. That's how my first band came up with the name "Bloodstick" - i somehow busted my knuckle and bled all over the stick and snare drum. Ok, truth be told it was just a couple of drops, not really a bloodbath, but hey, it was kinda' "hardcore"

As for embaressing mistakes, quite a lot of times i lose sticks or the tips break off. If i don't have a replacement i usually just play the bass/snare patern - no cymbals and stop the song as soon as possible.

Well this was in a small gig for my band, I was doing a fast sole and of course showing off with my guitar when by mistake I unplugged my guitar......and well the solo ended tragically and I almost died of embarrassement

Written by Valentin B on 29.05.2007 at 20:08

... back in october when i was a guitar noob

And now, a whole 7 months later, you're a regular Herman Li, aren't you?

well, lol i'm not any more a noob, i know some medium-difficulty rhythm guitar stuff like priest's "the sentinel" so i'm no herman li(lol i'd prefer being malmsteen but have it your way)

Well, I havnt played any real shows or anything, but one time my band was playing at a fairly crowded party, and I saw out of the corner of my eye some very hot girls watching me, and since its rare to have girls eyeing the drummer (its usually the lead singer or lead guitarist) it went to my head, so I started showing off going crazy behind the kit trying to play like Chuck Biscuits, then like something out of a cartoon, when I was looking sideways at these girls I nailed myself in the eye with my drumstick which made me throw my body weight back my stool tipped and I fell backwards kicking over the snare and knocking over my high hat, luckily it looked so cartoony everyone thought I did it on purpose, and it made those girls laugh so in the end it all sort of worked out for me.

I played a show the other day, and my guitar totally screwed up, so i had too go fiddle with the amp and the lead right in the middle of the intro......


But i dont think you cant go all your life playing gigs without at least a dozen stuff ups, thats just how it is!

I was playing a cover of sanitarium (welcome home) and it was on the bits where it uses tons of reverb and a clean tone.
I then presided to move around a bit and accidently stepped on the distortion pedal immediately hitting the calm crowd with a punch of heaviness, and these whern't just ant random fans they were metallica fans and knew exactly what i had done.

Not good but we laughed after!!

What are the chances your cable falls out of the jack? Did that ever happen to anybody? Should the cable be wrapped in some intricate manner, just to play it safe?

I was playing keyboard one time, but then during a solo bit I somehow hit the Arp switch which automatically put on a drum beat and some computerized rapper saying 'yo, yo, whatup'...

Thank god it was only a gig in front of friends :

not so much MY mistake...
smack in the middle of the most important part, a string broke and hit me in the eye.

Written by NECURATU on 13.06.2007 at 10:22

What are the chances your cable falls out of the jack? Did that ever happen to anybody? Should the cable be wrapped in some intricate manner, just to play it safe?

Ive seen that happen quite a bit with my band members (luckily never on stage or playing a show or anything) and what they do is have the cable going upwards and go over the strap peg before hanging down, rather than having the cable hanging straight down, understand? Like have the cable going on the inside of the strap instead of just hanging straight from the jack.

Oh yes, I understood. Thanks!

Written by Doc G. on 15.06.2007 at 04:10

Written by NECURATU on 13.06.2007 at 10:22

What are the chances your cable falls out of the jack? Did that ever happen to anybody? Should the cable be wrapped in some intricate manner, just to play it safe?

Ive seen that happen quite a bit with my band members (luckily never on stage or playing a show or anything) and what they do is have the cable going upwards and go over the strap peg before hanging down, rather than having the cable hanging straight down, understand? Like have the cable going on the inside of the strap instead of just hanging straight from the jack.

I'd also recommend doing the same thing with your amp too, put the cable through the handle on top of the amp and then into the input, if you get what I mean. My guitarist was walking behind me across the stage and he caught his feet on me lead. It snapped the input off and the inside was damaged too, and now I've gotta take it to get repaired.

Geez, I almot forgot an embarassing moment, we did a symphonic cover of my immortal ( dont ask ) and when it came for the time for one of the female vocalists to sing, the girl starting giggling because she is a silly girl, who saw everyone she knows looking at her and she couldnt take it

Written by [user id=2943] on 18.06.2007 at 13:48

I'd also recommend doing the same thing with your amp too, put the cable through the handle on top of the amp and then into the input, if you get what I mean. My guitarist was walking behind me across the stage and he caught his feet on me lead. It snapped the input off and the inside was damaged too, and now I've gotta take it to get repaired.

So let me see...i stick it in the amp...then through the handle...then it goes all the way through my strap and then it hits home in the guitar. (say, how expensive and reliable is one of those wireless systems anyway?)

This was few years ago, on a classical guitar concert - I was to play one or two songs, and while I was sitting in the audience, waitng for my turn, I realized that I forgot the song pretty much, and all guitars were beyond my reach, I knew the first half of the song, and the rest just got wiped out!! I went to play it, got to the part where I didnt know to continue and just strucked Em chord and left..... haah
And later when some beginer friend asked me: "What if i fuck it up??" I said: "just struck th Em and leave!" ahahahahha

Well, I haven't played live yet. But I remember one time my band was playing at a small birthday party. Everything was fine, I was playing "Hello, Helicopter!" by Office Of Strategic Influence, and like something out of Tom & Jerry, I lost my voice for almost 5 or 6 sec, It was really really embarrassing.

@Ed Hunter: very good solution .

@Ed Hunter -- My former guitar tutor said exactly the same thing and even better is Em whole scale plus A minor scale , that will do the trick hehehehee , I remember doing that in several cases

First of all, the place we were playing at was an unventilated skate park with no air conditioning in the middle of summer. Well, we set up our gear and started playing. I play rhythm guitar in the band I was in. After about the second song, my A string popped... it just so happened that I didn't bring any back up strings. So the lead guitar player just got pissed off and stopped playing and left the show. Very embarrassing.