Band camp IIIMy last installment I mentioned that I had formed an original act, WindowPehn. This band lasted many years in and around the Dayton Ohio area. We played every place a band could in that region. We finally figured out that it was in our best interest to rent halls, charge admission and sell beer. There were an abundance of steel workers union halls and those sort of places. The very first time we rented a place it cost us 75 dollars and I thought there might be the chance that we couldn’t recoup the fee. I hired a friend of mine who had been the kung-fu teacher out at Wright Patterson Air Force base to work the door and provide security. Most of these places were located on the wrong side of the tracks in the worst parts of town. Anyway the deal with the doorman was get me my 75 bucks and keep the rest. I had invited another group to come and open for us just to let them in on it and they seemed happy to come join in on the fun.
They were an entirely cover band and were doing songs by Rush, Journey and that kind of stuff. Popular at the time so uh lets just say they played all that very well and leave it at that. I had been noticing more and more at our shows that we were developing a following of bikers. One gang in particular really showed up in droves. This gig was the first time our biker fans showed up in full force. Well the band opened for us and we played after them. There was some altercation at the entrance I just happened to walk out in time to witness the end of and without disclosing to many details it involved one broken leg and three broken noses. Doorman unscathed. So the show was over and everyone was leaving. A biker yelled at me as he left, “Hey man sell beer next time”. Bingo done deal. Wow what a beautiful suggestion that really turned out to work for us many times. Any way I went up to the door guy and was chatting about the little fight and he counted out my 75 dollars and I, just for the record asked him how much he had made. He was a very good friend of mine and so he counted it right up and exclaimed 600 dollars. I was like wow. He offered me a cut and I said no, lets stick to the original deal because he had guarded the door on many occasions for us and not made jack and I would use him many times in the future as well. Off in the corner the singer from the opening act must have been watching this whole thing. He walked up to us and just went ballistic screaming for pay. He was kind of a smartass guy anyway and could have presented his case in a better tone and maybe come out a little more ahead. I just said hey it isn’t my money now take it up with the doorman. Well the doorman offered him a dollar with a big grin on his face and the guy said fine and stormed out. End of night. Well maybe not. A few days later I was sitting watching TV after work and there was a knock on the door.
When I answered it there were three guys standing on the porch one with a cast on his leg with crutches and all three with big bandages over their faces holding their noses together. Well I thought this was going to be a gangland style execution, but to my surprise they all started apologizing for disrupting our event. Turns out that they were working the steel mill next to the union hall. They got off work and heard music and tried to come in. They had no clue that the place was rented out and when the doorman tried to charge them money to get in they attacked him, to no avail I add here. Their union made them come over and apologize in person. I felt bad for them because they had obviously come out on the short end all the way around. They left and that night was finally over days later, or was it? Well you know it wasn’t. A month or so later I get a call from that singer in the opening act. He says he is really sorry for throwing a fit and wondered if we would like to play with them again at a place they rented. I said hey sure no problem what’s the line up? He says he liked the way we did it before so how about them on first and we close out. Oh and could we supply PA? We had a giant PA with those old Altec voice of the theatre boxes, giant thing, took 2 pick up trucks to move the complete PA, anyway I said fine and that was it. We show up in the afternoon the day of the show at about 4 or 5 because we wanted to set up the PA properly and it wasn’t the fastest thing to get done. As we pull up into the parking for the Rip Rap Road Party House, no lie that was what it was called, the place was covered up in Harleys. I drove down the driveway past at least a hundred in a line.
More scattered all over the place with people cooking out everywhere and generally looking like a good time. We set up the gear and give it a check, then dial up the opening act and join the fun and games until show time. I’m outside chatting with the bikers and everyone is having a fun day. Finally it gets dark and show time rolls around. As I make my way to the stage to check with the first band if they have what they need, I look down and find a set of keys. I throw the keys towards my amp, they over shoot it and I hear em jingle into the back corner. The band starts playing and the sound is good so I head back outside. I notice some of the guys I had hung out with earlier were argueing over by the bikes. Finally 2 guys grab one and another looks like he is gonna start punching the captive. I ask hey what’s up? Well this particular gang of bikers always gave their bike keys to one guy to hold. I guess incase they got too drunk to ride, although it always seamed like the key master was the drunkest one. Well key master had lost a set of keys. I told em to hold up on the ass beating I would be right back. I went inside and crawled under the stage to the back corner and found the keys. I took em out to the guys and they all hugged me and swore their allegiance until death and slobbered their foamy beer breath all over me and we all had a biker bro bonding moment. The opening act played on and on and on. Perhaps the longest set in the history of cover bands. The place was packed, outside was packed and time was slipping by. At midnight I notice the band was starting over with this set from hell and so I start bitchin to my band mates that I thought they must be setting us up because of the last gig. I finally went to the front of the stage and told the singer one more song come on let us play. The bikers were chanting for us between songs and had been for a while. The guy flipped me off and told me to fuck off. OK I had had enough so I pulled the plug. The guy flies off the stage and gets all up in my face about how he had rented the place and was fully responsible for it and he would play as long as he wanted ,blah blah blah .
By then it was almost one in the morning. They had been playing for over three hours. We tried to hurry up and probably were on by 1:15. The place was still packed to the gills and we started to do what we did. About the 4th song or so I look to the side of the stage and notice a guy motioning me over. I move his way and lean down a little to hear what he is saying then I see the gun, oops, he is yelling play “Sympathy for the Devil” and pointing a gun at me. Right when I am about to start into the tune, to save my life, ha ha, he gets mobbed by a bunch of his biker bro’s. They drag him out yelling sorry man at me and I try to keep smiling. We keep playing and it really isn’t a bad show and everyone seems to be still having a great time. Then I hear the smashing of glass and the roar of revving motorcycle engines. I look into the darkness and the crowd is vacating and the choppers are rolling into the building. They circle around inside kicking and smashing everything in site. We stop playing and I try and get to the light switch. The bikes exit the doors and I get the lights up. The place is wall to wall smashed glass, beer bottles, chairs, tables, everything smashed or at least upside down. I found the rent a cop they had to hire hiding under a little fold up table in a corner. He says “are they gone”, I say “yeah”, and we all run out through the thick black exhaust smoke to the fresh air outside. Whoa and double whoa. I go around back to get my truck so we can load out. Scooters are screaming out of the place. As I get to my truck there are three guys on choppers by it. One of em says, “hey I heard that other band givin ya a hard time so we fucked em for ya, thanks for finding those keys” and they all sped away into the darkness. The other band is nowhere in site. Never saw any police. We load out and leave. The next afternoon I get a call. It’s the singer from the other band. Hey man they are charging me 2500 dollars for damages do you wanna help me pay it. I am like, uh, no. “Ok then”. Click. Finally the night was over.