[Dixielandjazz] worst gig

[Trumpetom at aol.com]

My big band did an outside wedding at a winery/hotel in Temecula  California. 
Bride and groom were walking  in the procession toward the  gazebo; the house 
keyboard player's instrument started acting up during "Here  Comes the 
Bride". It sounded like airplanes crashing, parrots squawking, thunder  claps, etc. 
He stopped trying to play, but the noises continued until he  unplugged it. 
The house public address system failed during the ceremony. Nobody  could hear 
the ceremony. One of my musicians showed up in his new  Mercedes with one 
corner of the car parked slightly in the fire lane; he poo  pooed my suggestion to 
move his car. During the reception we heard an alarm from  the hotel 
building...it continued for about a half hour (apparently the  maintenance man was 
taking a siesta). It was a multi story stucco building. The  outside walls of the 
building began to "weep" water about fifteen feet from the  ground through the 
cracks in the stucco from the inside fire sprinklers.  Evidently the water 
filled the entire cavity in the outside wall area. We found  out later that was 
the end of the building the wedding party was staying for the  event with all 
their clothing and wedding gifts. Here came the fire trucks:  crash, screech 
when the fire engine shoved the Mercedes out of the way.  There never was a 
fire. Apparently there was a malfunction of the system. The  Fire Department cut 
all power to the entire compound. It was dark, no lights for  the band, no amp 
for the singer, no amps for the Fender Bass or Keyboard. End of  music! The 
hotel staff brought candles during the meal. The guests and the  servers ate 
wonderful catered food. The band received Subway soggy sandwiches  made hours 
beforehand. When we were dismissed by the father of the bride,  the only light 
we had for breaking down the stands and music was my single cell  penlight 
flashlight and a few candles. It was nearly total darkness. I lost a  couple 58 
series microphones in the darkness that night. The bride's father  disappeared 
with our $2000. As I got down to the main road, I saw the lights  come back on. 
Most of us ate at McDonalds. We chased the father for about a  month before 
finally getting the money. Every word of this is true. Can anybody  top my gig 
from hell?!!!
 
Tom Loeb
_www.hotsytotsyboys.com_ (http://www.hotsytotsyboys.com) 
 
**************From Wall Street to Main Street and everywhere in between, stay 
up-to-date with the latest news. (http://aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000023)