technical difficulties in concert

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At last night's George Clinton/P-Funk show in my little 'burg, half the board and/or amps suddenly went out. Fortunately, they were already some 2 1/2 hours into the show, and the fans got more than their money's worth. The Funkateers finished by jamming on "Whole Lotta Shakin'" (!?!?) through the monitors and then got on outta Dodge.

This unexpected snag may have been one of the highlights of the show (at least for those of us up front -- folks in the rear probably couldn't hear it). GC shook a leg with be-yoo-tiful new backup singer Kim Manning, and Blackbyrd McKnight & Eric McFadden looked, um, perplexed but amused to be playing those rock-n-roll riffs.

Any tales on ILM of bands that have transcended or succumbed to on-stage equipment glitches?

― briania, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

From Joy Division's "Preston" CD: "All of the sound is going through the bass amp..."

I've seen it on TV: Trent Reznor apparently gets pretty pissed off when equipment doesn't work - so he destroys it.

And I think I've seen Mike Watt break a bass string "once or twice" ...

― Dave225, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

One of the funniest things I've ever seen at a gig was on the Ramones' first British tour in 1977. They'd been playing for a bit, then the sound cut out. They all stood around looking at each other, not knowing what to do, until a call from backstage, when they all traipsed off. Twenty minutes of technicians playing with wires, then the Ramones come back on, and take up their former positions, legs widespread of course. They all stare at the same spot to the right until a shout comes, at which they all restart. Not a word, not a sign of sentience.

― Martin Skidmore, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think that's a great example of transcendence. The Ramones walk on, plug in, and the noise happens organically -- any acknowledgement of "the man behind the curtain" would spoil that effect.

― briania, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

January of last year, in the middle Chris Lee's first show in Baltimore, which blew me away and made me an instant fan, he breaks a guitar string, and as he changes it, the bassist & drummer improvise a jam around the "So Fresh, So Clean" hook, this being even a bit before that track was a single, i think i may've been the only head in the house who spotted it.

― al, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Morphine, UCI, 1993 or so. Sound cuts out for one of the instruments. Band confers, asks audience, "Do you want to hear us play without power?" Audience agrees, and the performance continues just fine.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I once saw Win playing the Sheffield Leadmill on the "Freaky Trigger" tour (oddly enough) and about five songs in, Davey Henderson stopped midsong, said "All our machines have broken down, we can't go on" and the band trouped off, never to be seen again. At least that's how I remember it. Didn't even offer a refund or an apology either. Shame. I mentally noted never to rely so much on machinery for a gig.

― Rob M, Tuesday, 23 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Thom Yorke had a hissy fit when Jonny Greenwood's guitar went kaput in Belfast last September during 'I might be wrong', they were already about 3/4 of the way through the song but started it again from the beginning.

― Leigh, Tuesday, 23 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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