Ok, here’s another awkward situation:  You’re playing a gig in a small venue and the crowd is loving it.  During your set break, an certain brave soul approaches you and asks, “do you know Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show?”  You know the answer is yes, but you don’t want to play it.  In the spirit of honesty you reply, “I know it, but I don’t think I know it well enough to play it on stage.”  Then the inquirer persists, “We’ll I know it and I could Sing it if the Band can play it.”  Of course the band can play it but is this guy really going to get up and sing it?  You think, does anyone have the nerve to be that pushy?  He must  be drunk because no sane person would make such a suggestion.  So, in hopes that he forgets the whole thing you get the band back on stage and avoid the imposer who is standing in the front row waiting to be called on stage to sing his drunk heart out in front of your crowd.  As the night wears on, the person becomes more and more persistent and you don’t want to have to deal with someone making a scene, so you finally give in and invite him on stage to humiliate himself, and of course he does.  It’s terrible and you and your very accommodating band grin and bear it while this guy ruins the energy and sucks the excitement out of your music and intention.

This happens a lot in small venues.  I had someone get on stage one time to sing Midnight Rider and she told a 10 minute story that rambled on and on about why the song meant so much to her.  I also had someone bring his harmonica and insisted on playing with the band for one song, then another, then another, then he just planted himself on stage for the rest of the night.  None of us had the heart to ask him to leave.  I learned at the end of the night that he does that a lot as an attempt to appear to be in the band so he can get on the band booze tab.  Of course, we don’t have a booze tab, so the joke was on him.  I have people who want to sing harmony with me, I have people who try to out sing me from the audience.  It’s ridiculous, but it comes with the territory.

As stated yesterday, some people don’t understand that the band on stage is working and they have a responsibility to put on a show that represents their abilities and talent.  And furthermore, when people drink, they get brave and they think ideas that are totally inappropriate are totally normal.  Let me just say, none of this is normal and none of this is ok.  I know you don’t like to say no and you don’t like to be the person who turns down a puppy-eyed audience member who wants to feel special for a brief moment, but you just have to and here’s how:

Tell these people that “the management does not allow any more than the performing band to be on the stage at any time.”  This can be a safety issue, a sound issue, or anything else you can think of.  Just say, “Oh man I would love to have you join us on stage, but we’re not allowed to have guests on stage.  We’ve been warned by the management so we don’t want to get in trouble.  I hope you enjoy the music anyhow.”  Make sure the management knows your policy and get everyone working for the venue on the same page.  You’ll never have to deal with this issue again.  And you won’t become known as the band who will let just any ol’ yahoo play.