My band was performing in Bowen in north Queensland in Australia at the Kings Beach Hotel. We were playing in ‘High Voltage’ a successful and fun tribute to the great rock band, AC/DC. The band would usually play a 75 minute set with no breaks, no stops. We loved it though. Lots of work but that is what rock is all about!
We were up to about our 7th song in the set list when I noticed our rhythm guitarist had broken a string. No real worries there, I could cover him no problem. About 60 seconds later I myself break a string. No problem. I will just get my spare Gibson SG, be playing again in 45 secs. I look around. No SG- the rhythm player had grabbed it for himself, too lazy to change a string on his guitar!!! Ok, so I think I will very quickly change my own string with the help of our stage roadie. Another 20 seconds goes by. Old mate breaks another string on MY spare guitar…ok boys ya gotta fill in. Drum and bass extension solos, singer doing a bit of improv over the top, no problem UNTIL the bass player blows his A string. As many of you would know most AC/.DC songs are in A. Ok he switches to the E string 5th fret, not as nice a sound but its cool. We are going to be okay. But then the drummer broke his snare skin!!!! This can’t be happening!! Just can’t be!! Apollo 13 didn’t have this much coincidental bad luck!!! By now my string is replaced so we have a 3 string bass, one guitar, a singer looking remotely pissed off and looking for a rock to hide under, and a drummer gesticulating widely for help with his snare but the show goes on. Old mate rhythm player is back on deck and the bass player is going to play 3 strings for at least the next 2 songs until, the roadie goes to truck and get the spare bass (it’s not often bass players break their strings!!). It seemed like he was gone for an eternity.
Finally the snare skin is replaced all guitars are back working. We start up exactly in the spot where we first lost a string and continue as if nothing happened. The song by the way was “Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be.” Very ironic huh?
Now I can see everyone with stage experience saying “well they should have changed their string before the gig!’ Truth was we changed our strings every night, bass strings every 6 gigs!!! We all bought our strings from one supplier and, yep a faulty batch!!
The moral of the story:
Always have spare strings closely accessible, a spare guitar where possible, drummer, at least a spare snare skin or maybe a spare snare drum and also spare kick drum skin and a singer who can remain nonplussed when all hell breaks loose around him!!
Because the show must go on!!
About the author of this article:
matt is a guitar enthusiast who lives and breathes anything guitar related. he’s been playing for a long time and loves talking about guitars with everyone. you can find him frequently playing on his porch. check out free tips, online lessons, and a guitar forum at his site axebay used guitars and online music lessons
