DU musicians who've played New Year's Eve gigs... Any special memories of those gigs you'd like to share?

[highplainsdem]

[jmbar2]

1. Twas a very long time ago, but...

We used to take bets on which guys or couples would get into fights later in the evening. Obviously, we were not exactly a class act.

[highplainsdem]

3. I'm guessing you mean just you band members taking bets among yourselves, rather than letting the

crowd in on the betting (which could probably start some fights). Unless any of you were betting way too much, I'd say it was smart of you to keep an eye on whoever in the crowd was likely to cause trouble.

[jmbar2]

17. Exactly right

Not monetary bets, mostly defensive. It was usually a couple, one flirting, and then an emotional blowup. We would play soothing songs when that happened.

[ProfessorGAC]

15. We Had A Very Nice Atmosphere

We were kind of big deal in the bars & it was a big show. Big sound system, several dozen lights, spotlight, fog, pyro.
And, we wore suits. So, the women liked us. As a result, their husbands or boyfriends dressed up, because the women were decked out.
Guys flying solo mostly knew to dress nice or the glammed out single women wouldn't give them the time of day.
I think that led to us playing nearly 1,600 gigs together & saw exactly 2 fights ever.
We got pretty lucky in this area.

[Freddie]

2. DH and I played in a "big band" in the 80s and 90s

Him on trumpet, me on sax. We’d play the stuff the Greatest Generation loved - Glenn Miller, etc. Fun to play - still is, but that generation is almost gone, and the music they loved is more of an artifact than entertainment.
We’d play at a local country club and get home at 3 am stinking of cigarettes but with a nice amount of cash in the pocket. Haven’t played one of those in about 20 years.

[highplainsdem]

5. Good memories (well, except for the cigarette smoke). And very good music.

The last year and a half of my mom's life, she was in a nursing home, an Alzheimers ward. I bought her a lot of CDs, including big band music, and the staff asked if they could play them in the cafeteria, which doubled as a lounge. I was happy that they were happy with the music. There would occasionally be musicians visiting to entertain the residents, but not very often.

[PJMcK]

4. Two stories

While in college, I played piano in bars, clubs, homes and any other place someone would pay me and offer an adult beverage. One New Year's, I was hired to play a private party at a very upscale penthouse apartment in New York City. The hosts had a beautiful Baldwin grand piano in their living room which had large windows looking out over Central Park. My repertoire included holiday songs and classics from the American songbook in a light jazz style. I took requests, of course, since I'd often get additional tips. I was in the music business, after all!

There were about 40-50 guests and they were enjoying the evening boisterously. Some time after midnight, two ladies who had over imbibed were hanging around the piano jabbering loudly. Suddenly, one woman lost grip of her drink under the open piano lid. The other woman grabbed for the glass but hit the stick holding up the lid which crashed down on her arm while the drink soaked the sound board! The lady's arm was seriously hurt and she left with her husband to get help. I cleaned up the piano as best I could but I gave the hosts the number for a piano technician that I knew. They were very generous before I went home and enjoyed New Year's alone.

Another year, I was hired to play keyboards in a mid-sized combo. The group had a woodwind player who played saxes, clarinet and flute, a trumpeter, a trombonist and the rhythm section was electric piano/synthesizer, bass and drums. The bassist was the leader and she also sang with a sultry belt. The gig was on a large party boat out of Ft. Lauderdale and we played arrangements of standards and holiday stuff she brought. There were maybe 30 guests and 5 or 6 crew.

Once again, alcohol was involved. We were playing our last set and the crowd was dancing up a storm. During a cover of an up-tempo Earth, Wind and Fire song, a couple dancing on the fantail lost their footing and fell overboard. We couldn't see what had happened so we kept jamming on while most people kept dancing. Finally, the man overboard klaxon started blazing and we thought it would be best to stop playing. The crew were amazing in rescuing the couple but the party was pretty much over. As the boat returned to its berth, we played Auld Lang Syne in a dirge-like style. Not the most joyous New Year's Eve but I still got paid!

[highplainsdem]

8. Wow. Two NYE gigs with alcohol causing serious problems.

I hope there wasn't permanent damage to that grand piano or the arm of the woman who brought the lid down on herself. It was good of you to give the hosts the phone number of a piano technician who could help them.

As for the couple who danced off that party boat... Thank God they were rescued. I'd hate to be in the water at night off the Florida coast - especially if there was any chance others on the boat might've been chumming the water tossing food overboard. I have a brother who vacations almost every year along the Emerald Coast, and he believes his family is perfectly safe wading or kayaking near shore, that sharks don't get very close. I sent him some videos of hammerheads.

[PJMcK]

18. It might not have been as dangerous as I told the story

When the couple went OB, we were in the Intracoastal Waterway which is really not much more than a canal. It doesn't have a lot of current and certainly no waves to speak of. They were rescued without a lot of danger. Still, a MOB is one of the most scary boating accidents.

[crud]

6. I have a New Years eve gig tonight!

VFW hall. I play drums and I am sitting in with a funk band. Sorry I don't have any stories, yet. Thanks for posting this. I also play in a 30's 40's standards band, and we play at care homes. But recently we have been getting dinner gigs, so the music still has an audience. They are calling us a jazz band.

[ProfessorGAC]

9. For 2 Summers...

...I did a piano bar thing.
My former jazz coach had a regular Saturday night/Sunday afternoon gig at this Italian joint.
In the summers, he'd head to Vegas to play in house bands while regular piano players were on vacation. A week in each casino for 10 weeks.
The prior 2 years the replacement guy did not get along with the owner, so he was a "no way".
My former coach recommended me, as I was now 17 going on 18. The owner liked me, so I got it.
Had 4 or 5 fake books and played there for 10 weeks for each year.
It was a true piano bar. People sitting right there at the piano drinking while waiting on their table or having an after dinner cocktail. I was only getting paid sub-minimum wage, but probably made $45 or $50 in tips each day. So, about $13/hour, which wasn't bad in the mid 70s.
I tamed my jazz instincts a bit, but I still wouldn't say I played the songs straight.

[highplainsdem]

12. "Had 4 or 5 fake books"?????

It sounds like a fun gig for a kid...though I winced reading that the owner paid you sub-minimum wage.

[ProfessorGAC]

14. Paid Like A Tipped Worker

I knew what tips were likely to be, because my forner coach knew. With minimum wage only about $2.60/ hour, it didn't make much difference when tips were $12 an hour.
I was working as a janitor in a banquet hall and was getting around four bucks and hour, so $13 was a lot.
My first job as a chemist only paid the equivalent of $5 an hour. An extra $100 a week was a lot of money to me, then.

[crud]

23. Sounds like some great memories

Hope you are still playing! I once filled in for a drummer who went on vacation. This was while I lived in Dallas in 1976. It was at a stripper club where they had a juke box with a massive sound system which the drummer played along with for added dynamics and bumps where appropriate. An experience I'll never forget.

[ProfessorGAC]

24. Play, Yes

Perform no
But I play piano & guitar, 30-45 minyes each,every day.
Just recently a local brew pub started having open mic/jam nights every other Wednesday.
Starts pretty early, too.
They suspended it for December but starting again now in January. I went the last one in November. Didn't take anything, but met the guys that show up & the 2 guys that run it.
Pretty nice crowd, so I may go from time to time. I know that my material will be different than what others are doing.

[crud]

25. I went a long time without performing.

Then got in to a rock band about 15 years ago. It's a ton of work for little monitory rewards, but it's fun and keeps me busy.

[ProfessorGAC]

26. I Payed Over...

...2,000 gigs in my life. Over 1,500 were with the same band!
That last band was progressive pop, so I had tons to do on keys. Reasonably complicated stuff.
I just don't have the energy or desire to do anything requiring a commitment.
You're in a band; super cool for you! Hope things go well.
It's just not my thing anymore, I guess. Was for a long time. Must be burnout.

[highplainsdem]

10. Cool! I hope the gig goes really well!

[PJMcK]

19. Play well!

Remember how lucky you are to have the talent to play drums and the opportunity to showcase your abilities!

Happy New Year, crud!

[highplainsdem]

21. How did it go? Hope it was fun!

[crud]

22. It turned out pretty good

Great older crowd, loved the set list, dancers all evening. We got fed, and had an hour break while they did their charity raffle. set list included songs like Brick House, Uptown funk, boogie oogie oogie, etc. Fun for the drummer, but kind of monotonous, but they let me sing background vocals so it was more fun. We managed a short rendition of Aul Lange zine (sic), ended with Celebration. Lots of hard back beats and cow bell brought out the dancers. Got some fist bumps from my band mates so that was great too. Thanks for asking.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. My Best One

We used to play the same place each NYE. For at least 12 years.
The room was smaller than most places we played, but it wasn't tiny either. Could fit maybe 180 people. However, it was so close to where we all lived that we could set up a few days early, play, then go back for gear a few more days later.
It was so close to our house, that tge band and closest fans would come over for an after party that STARTED at 2:15 in tge morning.
Anyway, one year a guy who was feeling a bit too good, came up to the front of the stage (beginning of our 2nd set, there was an opening act). He's talking to the guitarist and started whining about us not doing the kind of songs he likes. (Everybody knew what they were going to get if they came to hear us, but that didn't matter to him.)
He finally dropped the line "I paid to get in here, you know." The guitar player, without missing a beat says "How much did it cost to get in?" Guy says "Six bucks". Guitar player looks at me; I hand him a five & a one. He turns to the guy and says "Here. Now it's cost you nothing. Go home."
He stayed but left us alone.
The kicker: he wanted to hear some country music. So, we told the crowd "A guy said we needed to do more country music. So, we're going to do a country song. We decided on Ireland" and then did a U2 song.

[highplainsdem]

11. I love that - especially your doing a U2 song! And how perfect that you could have an after party at

your place!

Don't know which U2 song you played, but your post just reminded me that I haven't heard any of their music for a while.

[ProfessorGAC]

13. Not Sure

But, I think there's a good chance it was Desire. (If it was, I would have played very jangly guitar and did the harmonica part on a sampler.)

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[highplainsdem]

16. Great song!

[PJMcK]

20. I love that story!

I might have given the guy $12. $6 for his cover charge and $6 for cab fare along with a kindly "Fuck Off!"