Tweet
Reading on another thread about Grim Reaper, with their singer's tumble, made me think about the various Spinal Tap moments I have seen over the years. Here's a few to start, let's have yours:
1. UFO, Sheffield, Feb 1998. Pete Way is just as you all can picture him, sweaty, scrawny, hair everywhere, peering out from under his fringe like an Old English Sheepdog, Gibson T-bird round his knees as he stumbles round the stage, appearing ever-so-slightly out of his tree. At the end of a song, he decides to spin round a few times, but rather than coming out of it looking rock 'n' roll, he came out looking Derek Smalls, the bass being below his knee level having toppled him over in a tangle of bass, strap and guitar cable, flat on his back. A roadie had to scurry out from the side to unravel him, as Schenker tried to proceed with a moody serious solo spot with this comedy playing out behind him. Hilarious, and Schenker left (again) a couple of shows later!
2. Motley Crue, couple of years ago. Birmingham NEC. In the second part of their show, some scantily clad girlies descended from the Big Top on trapezes, whereupon they cavorted and danced away among the band. Half-way through the song, I became aware that one of the trapezes had only dropped a couple of feet from the top, leaving the poor dancer stranded high and dry. Cue one scruffy oik from the crew clambering up a wire rope ladder at the side of the stage to tug and yank at the hoist motor until it freed itself and lowered the girl to the stage.
I still can't be 100% certain it wasn't a spoof, it was just soooooooooo Spinal Tap. Maybe it happened at every show and I fell for it. (I know people who still swear blind that they saw a roadie fall from a lighting truss during a Metallica gig a few years ago, convinced it was a genuine accident)
I can't confirm the dancer on the trapeze reached the stage just in time for the end of the song and the others ascending back into the Big Top, perhaps that bit's just my imagination!
3. Finally, I own a PA company and from time to time work FOH. One particular band I worked with had an intro cued from an on-stage sampler, which played as they emerged from the smoke, banks of MACs sweeping round slowly like searchlights. Very dramatic, very atmospheric, and when they were all in postion and hit the first chord, very powerful.
One night I was awoken by a frantic tapping on the van window by the lighting tech, who babbled that the intro had played, the suspense had built, they had stepped up to their mics.......to silence. Embarrassed, they shuffled about the stage and despatched said tech to find out why. Obviously, the reason was because I had left the FOH desk all muted, and retired for 40 winks in the van. It was their fault for starting the show without ensuring the engineer was ready and aware, especially when they hadn't bothered to give him (me) a running order!
As I burst through the fire escape, escorted by doormen, the crowd roared, I stopped and bowed!
The band cleared the stage, and did their whole intro routine again, though I fear the full effect was lost somewhat! They fucking rocked though, and we all emerged smiling!
1. UFO, Sheffield, Feb 1998. Pete Way is just as you all can picture him, sweaty, scrawny, hair everywhere, peering out from under his fringe like an Old English Sheepdog, Gibson T-bird round his knees as he stumbles round the stage, appearing ever-so-slightly out of his tree. At the end of a song, he decides to spin round a few times, but rather than coming out of it looking rock 'n' roll, he came out looking Derek Smalls, the bass being below his knee level having toppled him over in a tangle of bass, strap and guitar cable, flat on his back. A roadie had to scurry out from the side to unravel him, as Schenker tried to proceed with a moody serious solo spot with this comedy playing out behind him. Hilarious, and Schenker left (again) a couple of shows later!
2. Motley Crue, couple of years ago. Birmingham NEC. In the second part of their show, some scantily clad girlies descended from the Big Top on trapezes, whereupon they cavorted and danced away among the band. Half-way through the song, I became aware that one of the trapezes had only dropped a couple of feet from the top, leaving the poor dancer stranded high and dry. Cue one scruffy oik from the crew clambering up a wire rope ladder at the side of the stage to tug and yank at the hoist motor until it freed itself and lowered the girl to the stage.
I still can't be 100% certain it wasn't a spoof, it was just soooooooooo Spinal Tap. Maybe it happened at every show and I fell for it. (I know people who still swear blind that they saw a roadie fall from a lighting truss during a Metallica gig a few years ago, convinced it was a genuine accident)
I can't confirm the dancer on the trapeze reached the stage just in time for the end of the song and the others ascending back into the Big Top, perhaps that bit's just my imagination!
3. Finally, I own a PA company and from time to time work FOH. One particular band I worked with had an intro cued from an on-stage sampler, which played as they emerged from the smoke, banks of MACs sweeping round slowly like searchlights. Very dramatic, very atmospheric, and when they were all in postion and hit the first chord, very powerful.
One night I was awoken by a frantic tapping on the van window by the lighting tech, who babbled that the intro had played, the suspense had built, they had stepped up to their mics.......to silence. Embarrassed, they shuffled about the stage and despatched said tech to find out why. Obviously, the reason was because I had left the FOH desk all muted, and retired for 40 winks in the van. It was their fault for starting the show without ensuring the engineer was ready and aware, especially when they hadn't bothered to give him (me) a running order!
As I burst through the fire escape, escorted by doormen, the crowd roared, I stopped and bowed!
The band cleared the stage, and did their whole intro routine again, though I fear the full effect was lost somewhat! They fucking rocked though, and we all emerged smiling!
Comment