Boy, I thought I had played in some bad places. I grew up in the hill country and I’ve had guns pulled on me more times than I can count, but I never got shot. Back in the late 70s and early 80s, I played in some rough places with my band, The Skunks. Because we knew so many garage rock songs and could play all night long, we often played in some blue collar bars and redneck dance halls. Sometimes we got threatened. Sometimes friends got mugged or whatever. Bottles and cans thrown at us. We always kept playing if a brawl broke up, my theory being that things would only get worse if we stopped. (Not sure where I got that idea, maybe after the fight in Conroe where one of the combatants got a beer bottle broken over his head but it didn’t phase him at all).
But anyway, the guys in the following story really had it much rougher, and seriously, there’s nothing funny about it, although it is a very well written post. Read the original here:
Musicians Refuse To Play Longer, Get Shot & Killed
posted by Kyle Bylin in Live & Touring
Despite how lovingly we like to talk about fans these days, let’s be honest, some of the time, especially at shows, they’re some of the most obnoxious, rude, and demanding people (read: assholes) you’ve ever met. You’re on stage, jamming with your friends, hoping that the free beer and pizza will be worth your Saturday night. And they’re talking on their cell phones, screaming things toward the stage, and getting drunk and maybe even bumping into your equipment. Reluctant, yet not wholly jaded, you announce that this will be your last song.
The audience boos and cheers in an attempt to get you to play a few extra covers. It’s Saturday night and they’re not done partying yet. You glance over at the sound-tech and he gives you the ‘thumbs up’ motion. OK, you’ll play a few more songs. They go well. And then you say that this song will really be the last song. Again, they boo and cheer, but to no avail. The set is over. In every bar across America, this story is played out thousands of times each weekend.
Well, sadly, if you gig in Mexico, this isn’t always what happens. Members of the band La Excelencia were playing a show in Guadalajara, Mexico. Once their set ended, four drunk men reportedly demanded that they play more songs after their set had ended. For awhile, they did. Around 4am last Monday morning, the group stopped playing. One of the men threw a grenade on stage. He threw a fucking grenade on the stage. People sprinted out of the bar. Amidst all the confusion, two of the band members were shot and killed. The shooters exited the scene.
No one saw the vehicle. Investigators have little to no information.
This is sad story. Why retell it? I’m not sure. There’s nothing funny about it. From time to time, we talk about gigging and the perils of touring. And I think, next time your gigging and the audience is being livid and you’re getting sick of their crap.
Maybe, just maybe, finish the set and eat your large pepperoni pizza and drink tall PBR with a smile. Because you know what? No one threw a grenade at the stage. You’re not dead. I’d say that’s something that anyone can be thankful for.
