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memoirs of your most prolific shows, Jimmy.. I would imagine you DO have some pretty cool stories to tell.. So, here's one of mine from last Saturday night:
Everything started out great.. well, great in that nothing went wrong during the intro.. I was told years ago not to get on people's tables anymore, but I figured, "what are they gonna do? Stop the show?".. So I decided to start the first song on a table with the smoking guitar act... So, I get on the table, I throw the switch for the guitar and launch into Mob Rules by Black Sabbath..
So, I look down and... no smoke.. the smoking guitar malfunctioned.. ok, screw it, lets get wild! I jump off the table and climb back onstage.. I'm tearing it up for about 15 seconds when I decided to run backwards to my amp, which I do all night long EVERY night.. What I didn't see was that somebody had thrown something onstage and I managed to step on it and get completely off balance, falling backward into my 6.5 foot tall amp setup, which kept me from falling down, but made me completely off-balance as I teetered toward the left edge of the stage..
I thought I caught myself - I really did.. I always do.. I have CAT-LIKE reflexes even tho I get off-balance frequently.. but my momentum was too great and I realized there was no way to save myself, so I half fell, half jumped offstage - about a 3 foot drop off the left side of the stage.. People thought it was part of the show - even tho I had just climbed BACK onstage - and I never missed a beat playing, which is rule one, but it was MEGA embarrassing to me and I was extremely lucky I didn't break my leg or ankle or something.. So, I climb back onstage, laughing, right before I launched into the first solo - Mob Rules being my FAVORITE song to play..
So, I couldn't play the solo because when I fell off stage, the high E string (the smallest string) had come out of the saddle on the neck and become embedded in the B string (next string up) saddle rendering those two strings completely out of tune and unplayable.. I couldn't figure it out in the heat of the moment, until I hit a power chord and lifted the guitar up to see what was wrong, and realized what had happened.. quick fix - I just yanked the E string off the B saddle and put it back - back in tune, all is well..
Of course when I did that, I spun around and - again - became off balance and fell into my amp (part of why I'm going to be tested for MS - totally losing my balance) and knocked the microphone used to to mic my amp through the PA off the amp.. I managed to get it fixed and continued the song.. my favorite song.. and I had THREE mishaps on it that could have been disastrous.. I got it together by the second song and plowed forward, but that first song, again, my favorite song to play and opening tune, was a complete disaster for me.. Of course, nobody really noticed anything, even tho I was praying and praying there were no videos.. there was one.. fortunately shot by the drummer's wife, who sent me a copy and promised not to post it on facebook.. WHEW!
Friendship is like peeing your pants.. Everybody can see it, but only you can feel the warmth..
Everything started out great.. well, great in that nothing went wrong during the intro.. I was told years ago not to get on people's tables anymore, but I figured, "what are they gonna do? Stop the show?".. So I decided to start the first song on a table with the smoking guitar act... So, I get on the table, I throw the switch for the guitar and launch into Mob Rules by Black Sabbath..
So, I look down and... no smoke.. the smoking guitar malfunctioned.. ok, screw it, lets get wild! I jump off the table and climb back onstage.. I'm tearing it up for about 15 seconds when I decided to run backwards to my amp, which I do all night long EVERY night.. What I didn't see was that somebody had thrown something onstage and I managed to step on it and get completely off balance, falling backward into my 6.5 foot tall amp setup, which kept me from falling down, but made me completely off-balance as I teetered toward the left edge of the stage..
I thought I caught myself - I really did.. I always do.. I have CAT-LIKE reflexes even tho I get off-balance frequently.. but my momentum was too great and I realized there was no way to save myself, so I half fell, half jumped offstage - about a 3 foot drop off the left side of the stage.. People thought it was part of the show - even tho I had just climbed BACK onstage - and I never missed a beat playing, which is rule one, but it was MEGA embarrassing to me and I was extremely lucky I didn't break my leg or ankle or something.. So, I climb back onstage, laughing, right before I launched into the first solo - Mob Rules being my FAVORITE song to play..
So, I couldn't play the solo because when I fell off stage, the high E string (the smallest string) had come out of the saddle on the neck and become embedded in the B string (next string up) saddle rendering those two strings completely out of tune and unplayable.. I couldn't figure it out in the heat of the moment, until I hit a power chord and lifted the guitar up to see what was wrong, and realized what had happened.. quick fix - I just yanked the E string off the B saddle and put it back - back in tune, all is well..
Of course when I did that, I spun around and - again - became off balance and fell into my amp (part of why I'm going to be tested for MS - totally losing my balance) and knocked the microphone used to to mic my amp through the PA off the amp.. I managed to get it fixed and continued the song.. my favorite song.. and I had THREE mishaps on it that could have been disastrous.. I got it together by the second song and plowed forward, but that first song, again, my favorite song to play and opening tune, was a complete disaster for me.. Of course, nobody really noticed anything, even tho I was praying and praying there were no videos.. there was one.. fortunately shot by the drummer's wife, who sent me a copy and promised not to post it on facebook.. WHEW!
Friendship is like peeing your pants.. Everybody can see it, but only you can feel the warmth..
