New Year's gig stories

[Free For All]

I've got a gig tonight and it should be fairly painless, just playing jazz tunes at a local club. There have been some wild ones in the past though, people seem to treat NYE like Fat Tuesday, the last opportunity for debauchery before the holidays end.

I once got food poisoning and yakked on the bandstand during a New Year's gig. Very embarrassing......I did manage to catch it in my bucket mute, though (the mute was immediately retired). I shouldn't have had that last wafer-thin mint......

Surely there are some good stories giving all the working musicians here....or perhaps some (musicians or not) have experienced New Year's oddities?

[Chuck Nessa]

Happy you are home. "Producers" don't play gigs, so I'm home free to stay out of the way.

[Larry Kart]

Paul no doubt knows the arguably classic New Year's Eve gig trombonist story -- as do many others here, I'm sure. If pressed, I will tell it.

[Harold_Z]

Drummer Kenny Bolds once told me a story of a New Years Eve gig where at midnight he played Auld Land Syne and left the stand. A Patron in the venue shook hands with him and wished him a Happy New Year. While he was still shaking hands with him the patron dropped dead of a heart attack. Happy New Year!.

[Larry Kart]

Better tell it now 'cause I'm going to watch a DVD.

Trombonist gets a last-minute call to sub on a New Year's Eve gig. Afterwards the leader comes up to him and says, "Man, thanks for making it. You sightread the charts perfectly, and your solo spots were really creative. I was very impressed, and I'd like you to play the gig next year." Trombonist says: "Great. Can I leave my horn?"

[Free For All]

Better tell it now 'cause I'm going to watch a DVD.

Trombonist gets a last-minute call to sub on a New Year's Eve gig. Afterwards the leader comes up to him and says, "Man, thanks for making it. You sightread the charts perfectly, and your solo spots were really creative. I was very impressed, and I'd like you to play the gig next year." Trombonist says: "Great. Can I leave my horn?"

.....and when I returned the next year it was still there! But someone had made a lamp out of it.