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..
