Should the Show Go On No Matter What?

Lots of us band members have the innate determination that the show must go on no matter what.  Sometimes it shouldn’t.

It’s happened to me twice where a band member nearly passed out during the gig.  Once, a drummer, who had been having heart problems, was told by his doctor to relax and take it easy.  In his opinion, playing a gig was relaxing and taking it easy. 

It was during a wedding.  He told us that he had to stop playing and he needed to go lay down.  We were in a hotel and the band had a hang out room.  So we stopped and played the canned music while he rested.  We apologized to the couple for stopping during their dinner and said our drummer wasn’t feeling well and we had a replacement coming.   Just so happened that the groom was a doctor and all of his friends at the wedding were doctors.  They came marching down the hall like soldiers to go check on him. 

An ambulance was called, pulse and blood pressure was taken and the drummer spilled the beans about how his doctor told him not to do anything, not to play, yada yada yada.  They offered to bring him into the hospital and he refused.  He lay there quietly for about an hour until he felt restored enough to make the hour long trip back home. 

Meanwhile, the band didn’t have the versatility to do some nice jazz with keyboards and a vocalist or guitarist, or anything.  If the full band wasn’t playing, they refused to play anything.  So, the wedding party goes on without live music and though I had a friend who could show up in 20 minutes to play drums, the group insisted on waiting 1 1/2 hours for another drummer who was “familiar with the music” to make the trip down to play.  We were doing cover tunes.  Pretty much all musicians were familiar with the top-40 stuff we were playing.

Well, long story short – the drummer arrived; we played the remaining time.  Later on the wedded couple sued the agent for the amount of down time that the band had. 

Another time, another gig, the bass player literally passed out on stage.  He wasn’t drunk; he wasn’t high; he was sick.  He decided he’d play the gig sick.  Again, we have this feeling within us that the show must go on!   We don’t want to disappoint the clubs, the fans, and the other band members who are usually counting on whatever money is being made from the gig.

But, this situation again resulted in an ambulance arrival – only this time the guy was taken to the hospital.  The keyboard player was his best friend and stayed with him at the hospital.

Needless the say, the gig was over.  The rest of us packed up the equipment and had to suck it up because we didn’t get paid.  It didn’t matter that we showed up, set up and got through two songs.  The club owner was pissed because now he was stuck without live music for the night.  Had we been able to keep the keyboard player, we could have gotten through the gig relatively easily.  

A return date was out of the question; that’s one club lost.  

Oh well.

I did one gig that I had to drug myself up (with medication) to get through it.  I had injured my back and was bed ridden.  But, the show must go on.  There’s something about live music and getting into that zone that seems to (at least in my case anyway) to eliminate whatever physical ailments you’re feeling.  That day, I couldn’t walk well without assistance because of the pain, I couldn’t go up and down the stairs to the stage without escort, but once the music hit – it was on.  My body worked and it moved easily without pain.  However, when the set was over, the crowd cheered, the music stopped, I stood at the top of the back stage stairs looking down because I was unable to make it down by myself.  My older son was off in the distance and I called to him.  He came running and helped me down the stairs and into the car.  I was driven home and promptly went back to being crippled and laid up in bed. My family thought I was crazy.  But, the show must go on. 

So, should the show go on no matter what?   We have to take into consideration disappointed fans, pissed off venue owners, angry agents and band members anxious to make those dollars for that night.  For those of us who live in snow areas, what about the weather and the fact that it will impact safe traveling?  What constitutes an act of God?  And if we claim that, what was “the act?”   Does “the act” include you not taking care of yourself, ignoring doctor’s orders and trying to perform anyway?

So, should the show go on no matter what?  Get a hired gun for the night if possible or cancel?

Would love to know what you think.