Have you ever forgotten you had a gig?

fastonebaz

Have you ever forgotten you had a gig and you suddenly remember it when your band mates call you from the venue asking where you are? 

I've come close a few times but not actually missed one. 

Grangousier

I was on the way to the station a few weeks ago to get a train to Brighton for the gig when the singer called to ask me where I was. I didn't at first notice there was a silent, but heavily implied, "the hell" between "where" and "I".

It was OK in the end, I don't think a soundcheck would have made that much difference, and I can set up in five minutes these days, but still not good turning up two and a half hours late. I'll pay more attention to the emails in the future.  

pintspiller

Not yet.

ICBM

No, but I have had to stop halfway down the street and go back because I forgot to put my bass in the car .

bluechargeboy

I've forgotten band practice once or twice but not a gig.

We did double book ourselves once and had to make a late cancellation. The cancelled venue were furious, don't do this!!

Danny1969

I've double booked myself loads of time's with 2 bands on the same night ..... then had to find myself a dep for one of the bands at the last moment. That's caused a few issues

fastonebaz

Some cautionary tales here.  

EricTheWeary

Definitely our bassist had. Fortunately he was just settling down for a night in front of the TV and got to the gig on time ( thus avoiding loading in the PA, etc). 

lukedlb

Yep, recording session with no drummer. He didn’t answer his phone so we sent the bass player to his home to find him in his underwear getting ready for bed at 9 in the morning having spent the night up drinking in an effort to prepare his body clock for what he believed was a night of recording beginning at 9 pm. A few coffees later and a cold shower, he was in the studio knocking out a cracking drum track. 

maltingsaudio

lukedlb said:

Yep, recording session with no drummer. He didn’t answer his phone so we sent the bass player to his home to find him in his underwear getting ready for bed at 9 in the morning having spent the night up drinking in an effort to prepare his body clock for what he believed was a night of recording beginning at 9 pm. A few coffees later and a cold shower, he was in the studio knocking out a cracking drum track. 

Ah the infamous 9 till 4 shift!

Mark1960

No but... our bass player at the time dropped his bass (he was a clumsey fucker) at a gig, and couldn't get it to work, so I had to dash home to lend him my spare bass, just getting back 5 mins before the start.

stickyfiddle

No, but I once got prepped and ready for an audition 2 days early. Got everything in the car and for some reason thought to double check the time & date just before driving. Felt a little daft, but much better than 2 days wrong in the other direction...

Lestratcaster

No, never.

But have seen multiple drummers forget about rehearsals.

viz

Played at Wireless once and thought it was Wireless London, but it was Wireless Birmingham. Found out that morning as I was setting off to get the train to London. 

EricTheWeary

viz said:

Played at Wireless once and thought it was Wireless London, but it was Wireless Birmingham. Found out that morning as I was setting off to get the train to London. 

That was another one our bassist did - went to a pub with the same name but not where we were playing. He did eventually work it out, thankfully just the other side of Birmingham and not half way across the country so he still made the gig ( and avoided loading in,etc, hmmm...).

midiman1962

Slightly off topic , but over 20 years ago drove through Derbyshire to a gig near Manchester. In those days i was playing keys, there was a guitar player and girl singer in the trio - bass and drums on midifile. When the guitar case was opened there was no guitar in there - the guitarist had forgotten to put it in ! After considering the options including getting him to dance around "Bez" style for 2x45 minutes, it was decided that he would "mime" one of my keyboards to get us through the gig.
As a last resort he asked the assembling audience if anyone could "lend" him a guitar. I was absolutely gutted when some fellow came forward who just happened to collect vintage electric guitars who lived local and asked what he would like to borrow from "the collection"....

Grunfeld

Nope, but I've turned up at the wrong venue thanks to my drummer's inability to read a map, set up, and then a barmaid asked if we were new members of their regular house band....  You get that long pause where me and the drummer just look at each other as the penny drops.... "oohhhhhh shiiiiiiiiiitt!"

And I've forgotten to pack my guitars before now.... and rather than a night of improv and mime I've hoofed it home and back just in time.  A checklist is your friend.  But you've got to remember to read it.  And by "you", I mean "me." 

fastonebaz

This could become a new book lol

Phil_C

Has anybody ever forgotten their guitar?

merlin

I did a gig once where I'd left my tackle in my other keks. Only eunuch gig I've done and I won't be doing any more, once was enough. 

Seriously guys, haven't you got diaries? 

koneguitarist

Had a few near misses, went to work in Yeovil at 8am on a Friday morning, said to boss, need to be finishing on time, not early but on time which was 3:30pm. said ok can you just fix a door in Carmarthen West Wales. which in a van is about 4 hours drive each way. so I said no way, I will be getting there at 12 and will hit all traffic coming back across Bridge. 
Long and short of it, had to do job, got to my house in Sherborne filthy grease all over me etc. Mrs had loaded car and my country clothes and I raced to Exeter, got there at 8:07 for a 8:15 start, 45 min slot 15 min break repeat twice and I was shattered. Could hardly keep my eyes open on way back I was so stressed out.