[HeavyWeather77]

Oklahoma City gigs aren't usually my cup of tea. For some reason something always goes wrong.

By the time I got to my Friday gig I was already tired from the drive up from Denton, and was not exactly looking forward to the next several hours of playing party music for rich people in a hotel ballroom. I set up my Mark VI tenor, clipped on my mic, and played some notes. I put on my in-ear monitor only to find the battery dead. Well, I'd better go get another nine volt from the sound guy, right? I put my tenor down on the stand and head across stage... forgetting that the clip-on mic was still attached to to receiver in my pocket. Down comes the tenor.

Crap, not cool, but whatever, it's happened before and it's a solid horn, probably no damage, right? I play a few more notes to check.... and the octave key is bent into the body. Oh boy. I can open the octave vent, but when I take my thumb off the key, it just stays open. I have to close it manually. This is going to be a long gig.

I try to fix it, to no avail. I'm stuck playing the entire gig without an octave key; I just have to voice everything up with my air. Which actually turns out to be REALLY good practice, on the upside. I have to focus on air so much more than I usually do that my sound really benefits. But my tenor, my baby! What did I do to you??

Borrowed a horn for Saturday's gig, going on tour with just alto/sop this week, so... well, she needed an overhaul anyway. Time to take her into the shop. Dents... repairs... resale value.... crap.... Oklahoma City gigs...

 

[ving]

Too bad--I hate it when stuf like that happens--another reason not to use a clip on! Actually, because of stuff like that happening on gigs like that I now use my Buescher Aristocrat for pop gigs--and actually have found that horn to work better voice-wise, who knew....

 

[fballatore]

You mean it's OK to knock your tenor over on an in-town gig?

Seriously - hope your horn is OK.

 

[hakukani]

Too bad--I hate it when stuf like that happens--another reason not to use a clip on! Actually, because of stuff like that happening on gigs like that I now use my Buescher Aristocrat for pop gigs--and actually have found that horn to work better voice-wise, who knew....

...or another reason not to use in-ears.

Nine volt batteries Ewwww.

Sorry 'bout your horn, man. I had my alto fall off a stand awhile back. Now I don't worry about how pretty it is.

 

[ratracer]

Texas ---> Oklahoma
Oklahoma ---> Texas

Man, something don't add up here. These two mix like oil and water! I think your MVI is Texan and it's just getting back at you! It's trying to tell you somphun!

 

[wersax]

HeavyWeather77, I feel your pain. I had the same thing happen to me nearly 10 years ago at a New Year's gig. I walked off stage to pay my bar tab, while leaving my horns on stage on their stands, thinking nothing of it. I left the wired bell mic on the bell of the tenor; the wire from the mic extended across the far end of the stage. Sure enough, when I returned, my tenor was on the stage and bent. Ouch! It cost $80 to get it fixed, (friend price), but I learned my lesson. On big stages with show bands I use a wireless, for everything else I use a stand mic. Works for me.....daryl

 

[HeavyWeather77]

Thanks for commiserating, folks. I know all this stuff just comes from the adventurous life of a musician, whatever, battle scars. Fortunately my horn isn't a pretty one, relacquer and all. But I love it just the same.

Don't get me started on Oklahoma, horn damage aside. I'm from New Mexico and Texas is the only thing we make fun of more than Oklahoma... of course, I live in Texas now.... god, what am I doing??? Get me to New York!!!!

Or at least a stretch of the Rockies. Man, I miss mountains.

 

[ratracer]

Thanks for commiserating, folks. I know all this stuff just comes from the adventurous life of a musician, whatever, battle scars. Fortunately my horn isn't a pretty one, relacquer and all. But I love it just the same.

Don't get me started on Oklahoma, horn damage aside. I'm from New Mexico and Texas is the only thing we make fun of more than Oklahoma... of course, I live in Texas now.... god, what am I doing??? Get me to New York!!!!

Or at least a stretch of the Rockies. Man, I miss mountains.

The commiserating just keeps on... You're from New Mexico, living in Texax, playing in Oklahoma. Man, I sense some bad karma here!

Didn't know there was so much "love" between New Mexico and Texas. Have to file that away for future reference. My time in Texas was spent in the Northeast where all you heard about was the rivalry between either Texas and Arkansas or Texas and Oklahoma.

Now, living in the Rockies, that would be way too cool. Anywhere between Colorado Springs or Ft. Collins would be awesome! I'm sure you know of some other locales but those are the ones I'm fairly familiar with.

 

[sjz75]

First of all, this is the best thread title I've ever seen. Secondly, I had to play a two+ hour gig last summer (on bari, w/a salsa band) with no octave key - literally. I play an old Dolnet bari which still needs a lot of work, and when I took the horn out of the case, I realized that THE ENTIRE OCTAVE KEY ASSEMBLY had come unsoldered. You're right, it is really good practice. It also feels really strange to put your thumb down where the 8ve key is supposed to be and... there's nothing there.

Thirdly, I need to go back to sleep or something.

 

[jazzbluescat]

Same with me, the solder holding the saddle on the gooseneck broke. I tied the key down with a red bandana and did the gig. It drew some attention, but the alternative would've been a snotty white hanky.

 

[hakukani]

First of all, this is the best thread title I've ever seen. Secondly, I had to play a two+ hour gig last summer (on bari, w/a salsa band) with no octave key - literally. I play an old Dolnet bari which still needs a lot of work, and when I took the horn out of the case, I realized that THE ENTIRE OCTAVE KEY ASSEMBLY had come unsoldered. You're right, it is really good practice. It also feels really strange to put your thumb down where the 8ve key is supposed to be and... there's nothing there.

Thirdly, I need to go back to sleep or something.

Wow, I'm impressed. How do you do the choreography with a salsa band with a bari strapped to you?

 

[sjz75]

Wow, I'm impressed. How do you do the choreography with a salsa band with a bari strapped to you?

Good question! It's a workout. I've gotten pretty good at, ah, replacing most of the calories I burn, though.

 

[ArnoG]

Stupid me i laid my MKVI down on a folding chair came back just in time to watch the guitar player knock it over
hit the floor on the bottom of the horn and laid over on it's side knocked the right plate keys down enough so nothing would close---finished the gig on a Bundy----Thank God the neck survived and a great repairman put it back togather----last overhaul i just had the reminder dent taken out.

 

[sjz75]

---finished the gig on a Bundy----

You deserve some type of award.

 

[ArnoG]

You deserve some type of award.

After the damage i was sooo sick i just pucked in the bundy the rest of the nite