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So here's a great one from ast years' tour down to the South.
The band was gigging around the Fla. Keys. A lot of folks were still recovering from the hurricane but we were still very well accomodated for the most part.
While doing a gig in Big Pine Key @ The Big Pine House of Blues the keyboardist (who shall at this time remain nameless) blows the amp head to his Leslie. No biggie, he plugs in direct to the p.a. and the show goes on.
We head down to Keywest for a 4 show engagement at the Green Parrot.
Key West is all that everyone says it is and more! They put us up in a really cool little bungalo right around the corner from the strip and half a block from the beach, all is right with the world. Then upon setup the keys player remembers the amp head is blown. The sound man says he's gaot a GK800rb head that he can use and so they go with that. Here's the problem as I see it, the GK800 is an 800 watt amp that's gonna be powering a Leslie cab. The amp that blew was a 65 watt amp. The 800 is waayyyy too powerful for that cab. I mention this to him and am told(you're gonna love this one) "What the Hell do you know?, you just hit things with sticks! Fine. I take a deep breath and hope for the best.
We start the first set of the first show, and not 4 bars into the tune I smell smoke. I look over to the bassist and he's sniffin' the air and yelling in my ear "electrical fire!" I look over at the Leslie cab and there are flames actually shooting out of it!!! Finally I get the keyboardists attention and when he sees the flames, he begins to smack the cab with his hand trying to put out the fire inside it. The flames actually go out for a moment only to be followed by a huge plume of smoke and more flames!!!!!
It's at this time that the audience sees the smoke and thinks it's part of the show!!! They think we are using pyrotechnics on stage!! They're pumping their fists and screaming in approoval. The keyboardist walks off stage to the kitchen, grabs a fire extinguisher and begins spraying the damn thing all over the place. This causes the audience to further erupt.
Now I don't know how many of you have ever gotten a wiff of the crap that comes out of a fire extinguisher, but let me tell you, it's nasty stuff!!!
And certainly not what I want to be breathing when I'm playing my drums. I reach down and pick up my towel and hold it to my face. Keep in mind we're still playing while all this is happening!!! The guitarist and band leader is up on the bar and doesn't know anything is wrong!!!!! As the cloud settles from the spray it leaves a deposit of white powder all over my drums and foot pedals, luckily not on my cymbals.
Fortunately, we were able to finish the gigs at the club and move on to better days, for a short time anyway. I came to find out later that the whole episode was being broadcast worldwide from a webcam point at the stage. I wish I could get a tape of it! That would be priceless!!!!
Hope you enjoyed this and it wasn't too long winded, I've got a million of 'em
~Peace~
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