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Pet Peeve
Hi Mona and Lisa;
After watching the “Baby Be Mine” video I thought of a question. As you can maybe tell by now, I’m a little bit of a gear head. One of my pet peeves is if someone picks up my guitar and starts to play it without asking permission. This usually happens when we play for a crowd and we are on a break. It is a casual setting and sometimes people (and sometimes friends) will pick up my guitar and starts playing it. I don’t usually say anything, but deep down inside I cringe a little.
So, I was wondering if you have ever run into that situation and what you have done. I’ve noticed from the pics that the Cavern Club looks like tight quarters and may be just as casual. Mike.
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14 Replies
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Hi Mike,
Oh how I can relate to that. We usually don’t mind if it happens amongst friends or fellow musicians (depending on the circumstances) but what really grinds my gears is if it happens with strangers or people that wouldn’t have a clue whether it’s something I’m okay with. Get your greasy fingers off my guitar, sir! It always depends on how rude I feel they are, if they’re drunk, etc.
You’re right, the Cavern Club can get very crowded and a bit chaotic at times. Right after finishing our set to go on a break we once had a guy run on stage and grab one of our guitars to pose with it for a photo. Thankfully security sorted it out quickly or he would have had to fight off two livid twins 😉 You wouldn’t go to a dentist and start playing around with the equipment or fix yourself a sandwich in the kitchen of your favourite restaurant, would you? 🙂
Thankfully those incidents were few and far between, and most people are very respectful and polite. Secure backstage areas help too!
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Hi Lisa;
Thank you for the response. You are most kind. I think most people who have instruments feel this way.
I have one horror story that is sorta related…….. my wife plays the violin and she has a violin that was made in 1796. It is not a Stradivarius but if I remember correctly it was made somewhere in Austria (coincidence). Anyway…..one night after we finished playing she put the violin in her stand (actually a miniature version of a guitar stand). There was one guy who came on stage who should not have been there and he was a big guy who weighed over 250 pounds. Well, he stumbled near my wife’s violin and almost stepped squarely on the violin and the stand. She and I have been married 37 years and I know well the expressions on her face. But, that night she had a new expression when this happened…….kinda a mix between “dead to me” toward him and fear. Since then, she plays her backup violin most times and saves the “classic” for special occasions. Mike.
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Lisa, that would be quite upsetting if a stranger came up and took the liberty of touching one of your instruments on stage. Some pretty inconsiderate people sometimes, especially the one who thought they could take pictures with one of your guitars. A good trained backstage guard dog might come in handy 🙂
Mike, your wife’s 1796 violin sounds like quite the precious instrument. That would have been around when Beethoven wrote his 9th Symphony. I’m glad to hear nothing happened to it that evening. That violin is a piece of music history and precious art.
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Hi Mike… Good Q… And I love Lisa ‘s reply… And as for your wife’ s near Classic Violin demise due to carelessness of jerk variety ..Snart for using only backup for daily use and save real gem for those special occasions where it can be handled with care and watched over like a hawk… As for Lisa’s experience… I’d of been livid and knowing me… when really ticked off… A few nice choice words and Irish-Celtic fire temper to boot .. Just because I’m just a tad under 5 feet tall… Do Not push my wee Angry buttons… Lol…. I agree with Lisa… Having good security around and having your equipment with Hawkeyes on it as much as possible…. I’m sorry that jerk varieties had invaded disrespectful on your equipment turfs….
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WOW Lisa! Someone jumped on stage and grabbed one your guitars to pose? Talk about a lot of, um, shall we say nerve! I’m guessing they were drunk. That would have ticked me off real good. Glad security was on top of things. I worry more about some clown trying to be “fresh” with one of you 2 girls honestly. I’m not a dad but I guess I still have dad instincts.
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“I worry more about some clown trying to be “fresh” with one of you 2 girls honestly.”
I’d pity anyone trying to mess with either Lisa or Mona! I believe they’d be very assertive in such circumstances and would have plenty of back up if needed anyway!
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Yeah, I imagine the other MLT band members would be there to assist…..maybe even Rudi and a few of the fans would be protective. Mike.
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Well yes the guys would jump in and I’m sure Rudi would run to help as well. I’m sure they’re ready to defend them and thought about the possibilities. Kudos to those security folks by the way.
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Yes indeed, the wrath of the fans would come down on anyone trying to mess with the Twins!
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God help any “dumb___” that tries to mess with the twins…
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I could see fans lining up to take a whack at anyone who tried to do anything to the twins…….much like that scene in “Airplane!”. Mike.
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This is a head scratcher. I don’t know what possesses someone to go and pick up a performer’s instrument, but it’s never a musician, no matter how drunk. It’s always some clueless-clumsy-drink-spilling-bull-in-a-china-shop that does something that moronic. I used to go frequently to the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood, which is a small music venue (not a hotel) with great acts and a very small stage -with no backstage- just a couple of feet higher than the audience floor. Almost invariably during the breaks, the artists stood right in front of the stage guarding their gear from meandering fools, while pretending to be chatting to fans/friends.
Straight and simple…
My Guitars, My Hands. Your Hands, Your Pockets. -
Now Lisa, I think your younger sister just might have the solution to your dilemma. Watch at about the 1.04 minute mark:
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That happened to me once, when I was a sound man for a band, on break had a drunk messing with the settings on the board, needless to say I wasnt happy at all about it. Had their butt tossed out, just could not believe someone would mess with that or someones instrument for that matter either.
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