Pro band technical difficulties and bloopers

[Heisenberg]

I've been watching a lot of Metallica videos recently. What happened in this particular show kinda surprised me. James' pickup selector totally takes a dump in Fade to Black, right before his big riff toward the last 3rd of the song. You can see him panic a bit before finally getting it to kick in. I thought I was the only one that experienced this stuff haha. This stuff is bound to happen sooner or later but when it happens to a major act like Metallica, it's a bit shocking, considering their caliber of gear, backup systems, etc.

I know there's plenty of other "flubs and bloopers", for lack of a better term, from other bands. Post some more!

Check it out though, FFWD to 28:26.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82St7NEu4G0[/ame]

 

[ElCamino]

A lot of folks don't know that James Hetfield is a Wahlberg.

 

[SJJMcGhee]

Life on the road is hard on the gear, there's bound to be some issues along the way. I'd say how you deal with them marks you out as a pro or someone who's chopping chords for a hobby.

 

[Ed B]

It definitely happens. I've been to a few shows where something technical happened.

Last time I saw Janes Addition there was an amp issue. They joked about it. It didn't last long but it did make them omit "3 days" from there setlist that night. Bastards!!!

I also saw it happen to Marilyn Manson. I didn't notice right away but it sounded like an instrumental version of one of his big songs. Forget which one but it turned out it was instrumental. His mic wasn't working. He was singing but there was no vocals. He fist handle it as professionally as Farrell. He threw a mic stand and the sound guy and stormed off. Came back about 10 minutes later.

 

[Rich]

I've learned that you can eliminate 99% of patch cable issues by not using George L's solderless kits.

 

[GitFiddle]

...I know there's plenty of other "flubs and bloopers", for lack of a better term, from other bands. Post some more!...

I always got a kick out of this one @ 0:30
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Eg95vF72k"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Eg95vF72k[/ame]

 

[Kamen_Kaiju]

the G chord in 'Don't Cry' by GnR

Beautiful A minor arpeggio, beautiful D minor arpeggio,..

Then a buzzing/rattling/clanking/BZZZT of a G chord.

 

[Engel]

I always got a kick out of this one @ 0:30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Eg95vF72k

As many times as I've watched that, I never noticed it. Total pro's, and bad assets.

 

[Davio]

A lot of folks don't know that James Hetfield is a Wahlberg.

So you are saying that Ginger Wahlberg changed his name?

 

[Heisenberg]

the G chord in 'Don't Cry' by GnR

Beautiful A minor arpeggio, beautiful D minor arpeggio,..

Then a buzzing/rattling/clanking/BZZZT of a G chord.

"BZZZT" - I thought that was just Axl wheezing...

 

[Nard]

I saw a Queen tribute a few years ago and the guitarist had a huge fail at the start of the show. Smoke and dry ice filled the stage, lights flashing and crisscrossing everywhere and the opening strains of One Vision building to a crescendo. Up steps Brian Mays doppelgänger for the opening riff and......nothing! Few pops and crackles but no fireworks. Didn't get it back till midway through the first bridge section. He was bang on for the rest of the gig though.

 

[Rowdymoon]

I have posted this before but this is how it's done.....pro's all around....

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZSefNl2MpA[/ame]

 

[CosmicCowboy]

I have posted this before but this is how it's done.....pro's all around....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZSefNl2MpA

There's a fairly similar video of Doobie Brothers doing China Grove. Not a string break, some other technical issue. Handled much the same way.

I was at a Galactic Cowboys/King's X show in Nashville and the bass amp went out. I believe it might have been a blown tube.

 

[Bytor1958]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdBZLguuKec[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC_ASJHX5r8[/ame]

 

[Kidcotton]

Was at this show once...big production - metal band from the 80's I think. They had these sort of cocoons that the band members had to escape (be born) from during a major hit song. Well, the bass player got trapped and didn't get out until right at the end of the song. Total pro though, kept playing while trapped in this trasparent cocoon.

That's how I remember it anyway. The 80's were blurry.

RnR.

 

[wildstage98]

i've seen the metallica one before...absolutely hilarious as he punches the switch. some of these are hilarious.

 

[Guitarhack]

Switches, levers, knobs, guitars, guitar techs,....B.B. was so bad he changed his own damn string in the middle of a song (starts around 3:30).

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P27tTNP7SFc[/ame]

 

[Big John]

True story: last year a friend in the midwest was mixing monitors for a Night Ranger show. During a little break, Kelly Keagy (drummer) lost his IEM signal right before Sister Christian. His drum tech frantically waved my buddy over away from his mixer to try and figure it out. After about 10 seconds, Keagy took off his belt pack and hurled it. Top-of-line Sennheiser unit smashed to bits. After my buddy hooked up another Sennheiser unit (brand new) and still no signal, the drum tech hand over a spare set of ear buds. Worked fine. The whole thing was caught on video from my buddy's iPhone that he secretly mounted at his station. Right before the bus pulled out, the owner of the P.A. rental house blocked the bus and demanded that the tour manager get off the bus. He showed the TM the smashing video and said that if he wasn't paid for the Sennheiser right now then he was calling the cops. The TM whipped out the cash. He also told the TM to "tell Keagy to smash his own fvcking equipment next time."

 

[rockstar232007]

I always got a kick out of this one @ 0:30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Eg95vF72k

I have the exact same strap Eric is using in this vid.

Btw,

 

[GitFiddle]

Way on back in the 80s, playing with a touring country band, we had a big gig opening for The Bellamy Brothers and T.G. Shepherd. Big concert hall with a wood plank stage. The stage was highly polished to a mirror finish. It was also slick as ice, with leather soled boots.

After our show we went out front to watch T.G. Shepherd. They had a big intro with smoke filled stage and mystical looking deep blue lights. While some pre-recorded intro was playing the band members were running across stage in the fog, to their spots. In the fog, the guitar player fell flat on his belly and slid across the entire stage coming to a stop in front of his amp. He jumped up to his feet grabbed his guitar like a boss and started playing. Then the lights came up and off they went.