[Dixielandjazz] Free Booze and Food on a Gig

[Robert S. Ringwald]

I have been an Oakland Raiders fan since the team was first organized in the 
late 50s or early 60s.  By coincidence, about the time I moved to 
Tinsel-Town, the Raiders did the same.

About the time I moved back to Northern California, The Raiders followed me 
back.

While in Los Angeles, Horace Height Jr. had the contract for providing all 
of the music at the Raider home games in the Los Angeles Coliseum.  This 
included all of the bands playing outside the Coliseum before the games.

I got a call to play banjo in one of the Dixieland bands.  Unfortunately at 
the time, I was away on location with my daughter who was filming a movie. 
She being underage, by law had to have a parent or guardian with her while 
working in the film and TV industry.  Thus I missed the steady gig which ran 
about 14 years or so.  However, I was first call sub on the gig and worked a 
lot of the games.

 We worked, strolling around the Coliseum  from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  We 
ended up at the press gate for the last half hour.

Every game, 5 minutes before kick off, Magic Johnson and friends would come 
through the press gate.  I remember the weekend he got married back east. 
He got married on Saturday.  We were taking bets as to whether he would be 
at the game the next day.  Sure enough, at five minutes to one, there he was 
with a group of friends and no wife in sight...
But I digress.

For any of you musicians who have worked such gigs, you know the kind of 
tailgate partying that goes on.  Every place we went we were offered food 
and drink.  Some folks had the most elaborate setups with a chef, tables, 
crystal, white table cloths, a complete bar, fine wines, etc.  Everyone had 
food and liquor regardless if it was being prepared there, or out of a 
cooler.

I especially remember Christmas time with the hot Swedish drinks, Grog or 
whatever it was -- Whew!

The leader was a studio bass trombone player.  On this gig he was playing 
tuba and did not like to play too much.  Seems as if we would play one song 
every 20 minutes.  The raiders didn't care.  The band would get ansy, 
wanting to play more.

But, talk about food and drink!!!

--Bob (My glass must have a hole in it!) Ringwald K6YBV
916/806-9551
www.ringwald.com
--
Leader, The Fulton Street Jazz Band
www.fultonstreetjazz.com
--
The Boondockers (jazz and Comedy)
www.theboondockers.com

"Good breeding consists of concealing how much we think of ourselves
and how little we think of the other person." --Mark Twain
 --