Keeping time with a wasp on your nose!

Andy

Honorary Member
I played a big gig on Saturday night. For nearly three numbers, I had a wasp on my nose, then my ear, then doing spiral acrobatics in front of my eyes. At key moments, I would put one stick under my arm, then try to swat the little &^%$. I was also blowing at the offending insect in a pathetic attempt to stop him landing on my face again. This got a great comedy audience reaction. Eventually, the little &*^%&^ landed on a splash cymbal. Aha, now you're mine! I went for him, but to no avail. Then another cymbal, then another, then another. Suddenly, I was aware that my performance was getting a bit cymbal happy.

Anyhow, it flew off after a while. Later, the other drummers complimented me on not dropping a single beat and some amazing cymbal syncopation. Given some other substantial distractions at that gig, I thought I did well to hold it together.
 
Wow....Kings of Leon just ran off stage in St. Louis because a pigeon pooped on one of them, and you're doing 3 songs with a wasp on your nose? very impressive.
 
Another reason why it's always nice to have a fan while performing. It not only keeps you cool, but it helps blow bugs off your face!
 
I played a big gig on Saturday night. For nearly three numbers, I had a wasp on my nose, then my ear, then doing spiral acrobatics in front of my eyes. At key moments, I would put one stick under my arm, then try to swat the little &^%$. I was also blowing at the offending insect in a pathetic attempt to stop him landing on my face again. This got a great comedy audience reaction. Eventually, the little &*^%&^ landed on a splash cymbal. Aha, now you're mine! I went for him, but to no avail. Then another cymbal, then another, then another. Suddenly, I was aware that my performance was getting a bit cymbal happy.

Anyhow, it flew off after a while. Later, the other drummers complimented me on not dropping a single beat and some amazing cymbal syncopation. Given some other substantial distractions at that gig, I thought I did well to hold it together.

lol, I would loved to have seen that, very professional to hold it together KIS,
 
My Gran is from Orcop in Herefordshire so I know full well that this is a fabrication! There is never enough sun in that bloody county for wasps to survive.

Says the naturalised Lancastrian...
 
Nice work, Andy!

Reminds me of times before I discovered the best addition to my kit, (contact lenses). Sweat would trickle down my face and cause my glasses to slide down. It was always a fun challenge to find a spot in a song I could steal a second to push them back up. People that noticed got a good kick out of the whole process. Mind you, the glasses never would have stung me so I'm sure your actions were a little more frantic!
 
I don't think I've ever heard a story where a distraction turned out to be an interesting addition to a show.

However, be glad you didn't get him when he landed on a cymbal, otherwise you'd have bug guts dampening the tone! Oh no!

I know I would've been flipping out.
 
That's crazy that you didn't just start swinging like a mad man to kill the lil guy, haha.

I now know the next time I play an outdoor show to take a can of wasp spray. Maybe some of that stuff that can shoot 30+ feet so I can pick em off of the amps and my singer too. :)
 
My Gran is from Orcop in Herefordshire so I know full well that this is a fabrication! There is never enough sun in that bloody county for wasps to survive.

Says the naturalised Lancastrian...
Hahaha, yeah right! Have you looked at the weather forecast recently? I'm up to the northwest weekly and it's been wetter than a Jedward album, whereas here, the ground is cracking due to lack of rain. Anyhow, Orcop is in the north of the county. I live just before the Black Mountains in the Golden Valley, an area of less than national average rainfall.

BTW, I have the mother of all wasp nests in my garden right now, so poo poo to you! (wink).

Thanks for the playing props guys. I'm trying to remember the forced cymbal cyncopation routine that seemed to go down so well.

@DED, good stage fan suggestion!
 
Yeah, but I'm in Gravesend right now. Hottest part of the Country, baby!

Actually I hate it.
 
I have to chuckle :) That must of been something to watch and good job holding it down. I once has a similar thing happen to me. I was playing a gig in Northern Maine, fort Kent to be exact. and while I was playing out of the corner of my eye I see this bug, looked to be the size of my fist crawling on my shoulder. I did not keep playing, I jumped off my seat and started swatting at this thing. Everyone including the band were laughing their a^%$ off at me. I found out it was called a June Bug. I never heard of one living in Boston, harmless but ugly.
 
I have to chuckle :) That must of been something to watch and good job holding it down. I once has a similar thing happen to me. I was playing a gig in Northern Maine, fort Kent to be exact. and while I was playing out of the corner of my eye I see this bug, looked to be the size of my fist crawling on my shoulder. I did not keep playing, I jumped off my seat and started swatting at this thing. Everyone including the band were laughing their a^%$ off at me. I found out it was called a June Bug. I never heard of one living in Boston, harmless but ugly.
Hahaha, I would have laughed my ass off too. That's interesting. It's called a June bug in Maine. I'm pretty sure it's the same critter as the one called the May bug here! Big ugly beatle thingy. They are kinda scary until you know they're harmless.

When I was swatting the wasp with my sticks (now famous KIS cymbal syncopation routine), some regular fans started to mimic my arm movements whilst laughing at my plight. The singer thought they were getting into some form of cult groove, so he started to do the same to show audience empathy. He ended up as the butt of their jokes! Wish I'd got it on video.
 
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