The worst concert venue?

[JessopSmythe]

We played last weekend at quite a posh dinner. The band was asked to play some music to greet the guests as they arrived and to play for a short while after the meal. During the meal, background music was supplied by a string trio who actually got to go inside the venue. Our "stage" can be seen towards the right of the main building. Talk about favouritism :?

 

[Okiedokie of Oz]

At the opening of the Mt Larcom Show weekend before last, we had to do a duet with chainsaws at our lovely open air venue. The gig before that, we were on the "donut pad" at the speedway during the Gladstone show!

 

[Well Worth It]

Comberbach flippin' Fête 'Marquee'. (Thanks BMB :wink: )
Cold, wet, long, and very dull.
Only played 2/3 numbers, then got bored of waiting for the PA to finish his life story and the band upped and left.
Class.

 

[Liz Courts]

During the meal, background music was supplied by a string trio who actually got to go inside the venue.

The string trio got to go inside the venue?! :shock: ...unbelievable :x

 

[lynchie]

The stone entrance to belvoir castle, at 9pm, in the middle of winter... probably the coldest I've ever been, and no one was even listening anyway...

 

[amgray]

A 3 metre wide terrace running across the rear of the British Embassy in Tokyo (open to the elements) as the rain buckets down (big time), 25 brass players and three percussionists plus gear trying to entertain Diplomats, Japanese cabinet members and dignitaries from all over the globe as part of the Queens Official birthday celebrations.

 

[Majoresteve]

a string trio

:twisted: :twisted:

oh well better luck next time!

 

[bigmamabadger]

Comberbach flippin' Fête 'Marquee'. (Thanks BMB :wink: )
Cold, wet, long, and very dull.
Only played 2/3 numbers, then got bored of waiting for the PA to finish his life story and the band upped and left.
Class.

Ah, but you forgot the fact that we also had to compete with the bagpipes. Sorry, strangled cat. :evil:
BMB
xx

 

[jambo]

When in a youth band we did a concert on top af a slag heap (Liverton Mines) North Yorkshire.

No idea why as there was us and a photographer from the local rag there, bizzar! :?

 

[2nd man down]

Although the venue is quite good, playing in the torrential downpour that kicked off Brighouse march contest last sunday was not funny.

Played for a certain Pigeon fanciers club last Christmas...we weren't small with feathers so they weren't interested in us in the slightest.

We proved that we could "home" tho, got the hell out of there as soon as we could.

 

[nickjones]

I have to say the Clock Tower in Mostyn is a sucky venue......it is now a school for Clowns..I kid u not..Weird doing a 24 hour sponsered blow then trying to get a kip after in loads of juggling equipment...bad memories of playing sweet ginger bread man there.....UGH..... :lol: :shock:

 

[Well Worth It]

At least it was dry though, Nick!
I think we just had an overdose that day.

 

[sparkling_quavers]

The worst place I have ever played was Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. It's a little 'bandstand' in the middle of the forest up a muddy hill!!!!! :? The 'Bandstand' is tiny and has a massive stone island in the middle- we had to put the kit on the stone island and sit everyone else around the edge :shock: Apparently the acoustics are really good around the estate but the playing conditions are awful!!!!

 

[Naomi McFadyen]

I remember doing a gig with Saltash about 4 years ago at a fete... we were put in a silly little tent where people could also sit inside and eat... the people in the tent (funnily enough) started to complain about how loud the music was... not the best of venues really.

 

[AJSOP]

we do an afternoon every year at our local cremetorium. Always a warm welcome!

 

[Maestro]

The worst gig I have ever done was at the end of Southend pier.
The damned train wasn't working, and it was a long walk with all the gear, especially as I was on Percussion party at the time. :evil:

 

[tubafran]

Worst Venue

The worst place I have ever played was Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. It's a little 'bandstand' in the middle of the forest up a muddy hill!!!!!

Think some common sense must now prevail at Chatsworth - in the summer bands now play in the Rose Garden just above the house at the side of large open grass area - loads of people when the weather's fine. If not you play under a covered area between the greenhouses - a little cramped but at least its dry. In the winter the bands play in the court-yard adjacent to the the restaurant - again always very busy.

Chatsworth was voted by Channel 4 as the most popular Stately Home this year. We are always happy to play there and usually go two or three times a year. (That should guarantee us a few more bookings next year )

 

[tubafran]

Worst Venue

The worst venue that I recall playing at with Killamarsh was the Metro Centre, Gateshead (well maybe the shortest performance anyway).

We were touring Northumberland and had permission to play in the Metro Centre on the lower level adjacent to the escalators. 5 minutes into the playing when we get stopped by security guards holding a decibel meter. We were informed that we were in breach of the rules as we were playing above 85db :? . We were then informed that if we persisted in playing above this level they would have no option but to turn off the "amplification". We persisted and they wandered round looking for something to turn off - as they couldn't find it we were told to leave forthwith. Not been back since.

 

[bigmamabadger]

There was (is?) a Youth Music festival in Shrewsbury and our front row always started off the parade from the castle with a fanfare. Someone decided it would be really cute if the cornets could climb up a crumbling wall and onto the remains of the arch over the gateway about 10 feet up and play the fanfare from there (Salli probably remembers this!).
By the time it came round to my turn this was discovered to be dangerous so we were placed on top of an earth bank above a flowerbed about 5 feet up. After many years of accident-free fanfaring guess who fell backwards off the earth bank into the flowerbed....
BMB
xx

 

[2nd man down]

I have a new venue for this one...not for the venue itself but for some of the locals...We played at Cross Flats Park in Leeds yesterday and to cut a long story short ended up calling the police and having arrested one of the local stone throwing Asian youths.

We now have a lovely stone shaped dint to have removed from one of our Bb Basses, but the little sod has a police record now (if he didn't already!) so all was not lost.

Hope he enjoyed his cell.
Needless to say the Band is pressing full charges.