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The Best Show on WFMU => Show Discussion => Topic started by: dania on April 11, 2008, 07:03:42 PM

Title: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: dania on April 11, 2008, 07:03:42 PM
I played a show one night at a converted bowling alley and there was this douchebag hanging around that everyone could tell was "up to no good".  He kept yelling really loudly during an earlier set that was supposed to be kind of quieter (Anni Rossi) and nobody wanted to say anything. 
Then during the 2nd band, I caught him dancing around with my keyboard.  I grabbed it from him and said "No, please don't do that it's really old and fragile."  He grimaced and said something like "aww, c'mon maaan".  I just walked away. 
After we got finished playing, the guy came up on the stage and, being there was hardly any room up there in the first place, the fact that he stood there facing everyone and yelling "Woooo!!  Wooooooooooo!!" with his arms flailing all over the place started my blood boiling. 
THEN, he turns around and started hitting some keys on my keyboard. 

And that's when I lost it. 

"HEY!  DON'T TOUCH MY FUCKING KEYBOARD AGAIN!  GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!  GET OFF THE FUCKING STAGE!"  I simply could not stop!  My mouth needed to be rinsed out with Palmolive or Dawn or something, but I was already amped up from just playing and I needed to yell and get that last scrap of energy out. 
The saddest part was that I actually felt cool while I was yelling at him even though he looked like he was about to fight.  I staved that off by saying "Dude, you're gonna get kicked out.  Just wait." 
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: John Junk 2.0 on April 11, 2008, 07:55:26 PM
Hey, I know Anni Rossi!

That reminds me of when my old band The Tokeleys played a Halloween party and it was at the Brooklyn Deitch Projects.  This was like the total eye-of-the-Brooklyn-hipster-storm show.  We were mismatched with these acts --if my other band Ponce De Leon would've played it might've made sense, but as it was we were this Mission of Burma 0-type band and we played after Rusty Santos, PFFFR (who are actually nice people despite being responsible for one of the most fucked up t.v. shows ever), and Avenue D.  We were supposed to play at like 9 but ended up waiting around until midnight or 1am to play our set.  These people didn't even have a fucking P.A. at first and this was supposed to be a huge big-deal Halloween party.  Basically, we were the least name-recognition band, but instead of putting us first as a warm-up, they put us dead last as exit music.  This is when Evan Funk Davies was in the band, and I remember that this was maybe th e most irritated I've ever seen him.  So we start to play after a four hour wait and Some drug-addled idiot all painted up and in Mad Max-looking neon clothes jumps up on stage right in the middle of one of our songs and starts screaming into our microphone.  Like this other guy, he just starts going "WOOO HOOOOOO!  YEEEAHHH!"  So I basically kick him away from the microphone stand.  He gets mad and turns around to yell something at me, but in the process he steps on the other guitarist's guitar pedal, and this is enough for me to just use my foot as a hand to shove him offstage forcibly.  After the show, he came up to us and was like "You shouldn't kick people" and we were just like "FUCK YOU, DON'T COME UP ON OUR STAGE! (etc)" and then he just got all flustered, not having expected the entire band to stare him down with hate-faces, and was like "Why do you have to RUIN everyone's FUN!" Ew brother.  That was probably the most macho moment of my twenties.  Anyway, dania, my story is basically the same as yours. 
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: folksnake on April 11, 2008, 08:09:19 PM
The saddest part was that I actually felt cool while I was yelling at him...

You WERE cool. He wasn't. He deserved whatever he got. You performed what's known in the trade as a "Modified Reverse Balin".
Animals!
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Man Machine on April 11, 2008, 11:26:23 PM
I played a show one night at a converted bowling alley

Was this the Fireside?
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Fig Neutron on April 12, 2008, 12:00:02 AM
This reminds me a bit of when The Fall--after canceling two times--finally played a small Chicago club (The Empty Bottle) a few years ago.  We didn't lose our cool in this story, but it was damn frustrating.

We got right near the front and my friend had a video camera to film (figured we'd get away with as much as we could, but no one had a problem with it at all).

But the guy in front and to the right of our filmer kept obnoxiously getting in the way, constantly raising his left arm to block the camera's view, and pressing his body to the left to become the main focus of the recording.  We'd move a bit, but he always seemed to be there to become a forceful presence in the image.

We should have tactfully said something, but didn't.

The clincher was, after the show, he turns to us and says...

"Wow, you guys filmed the show.  Could you make ME a copy?"

Yeah, pretty much a film of you watching The Fall.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: dania on April 12, 2008, 12:01:09 AM
No, but I played at the fireside once and it was really weird.  It was only a few years ago long after it was a cool place to see shows.  The place this happened at was called Lazer Fang which, in my opinion, is quite possibly the silliest, most hipsterized name for a venue EVER.  I don't know if they're even having shows anymore.  But anyhow...

That's awesome that you know Anni, john, she once lived down the street from me with Rollin.  They are real nice folks, those two. 
I recently played a different show where this band from Brooklyn opened up called Tentet/Octet (fantastic band, one of my new favorites, I have a feeling you know them too).  So they're playing and it's super awesome, and all of a sudden this near-clonelike rendition of aforementioned douchebag starts thrash-dancing right in the front.  It seemed for a little while like he was gonna knock something over or puke all over their drumset or kick the synthesizer over or something tragic.  He grabs their microphone and starts making lousy attempts at freestyle rapping "a-to-the-beat-chy'all". 

euch.... the guy had a stupid little grin on his face and his abercrombie shirt was halfway tucked in.  Ick! 

I gotta hand it to those guys.  They just went with it!  The guy kept blabbing into the mic saying dumb stuff like "Yoooooooooo Chi-CAAA-gooooooo....ya'll need to start daaaaaancin' YO you look like a buncha zombies!" and they just kept playing and were awesome.  If it were me up there, I totally would've lost it, but those guys just sailed the ship.  They let it happen!  And even though I was overcome with a strong urge to throw a beer can at the douchebag, I managed to not succumb to those urges and kept my cool because Tentet/Octet would've wanted it that way. 

I was a bit scared at that point that he would pull some similar shenanigans during our set, but he kept it to a minimum.  He did bump the mic stand once, but no big whup. 
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: folksnake on April 12, 2008, 09:39:09 AM
I think just singing into the same mic after that guy used it would put me off. Ick, indeed!
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: dania on March 21, 2009, 11:07:28 PM
Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days.
Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic

The last show reminded me of this topic. 
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Steve in North Hollywood on March 22, 2009, 03:21:57 AM
When I was about 6, my dad took my brother (8 at the time) and I sledding at the best hill in Lemoyne, PA.  We were the new guys, having just moved to town from New Hampshiah, so as avid sledders, this was a good chance to meet the neighbors.  The hill was packed with other young parents and their kids, ranging from probably 3 to about 10 years of age.

My father used a lot of profanity in his day to day conversations, and by 6 years old, my brain had soaked up plenty of it, but I had yet to start swearing out loud.

Well, I was particularly afraid to go down this hill.  It was taller and steeper than any hill I'd ever seen, and as I watched the other kids sledding, it looked like they were travelling faster than I'd ever gone.  Additionally, I was riding an inflatable "Thunder Tube" and I'd just watched my brother get bounced out of his as he went speeding down the hill.  So, I was pretty freaked out.

My dad finally talked me into just sitting in my sled at the top of the hill, promising that if I just looked at it for a while, eventually I'd get up the courage to just kick off and enjoy the ride.  So, I did, and still couldn't muster the desire to go screaming down this trecherous, white death-slope.

Eventually, my dad put his hand on my shoulder and said "How 'bout I count to three and push you?"

"No,"  I said.  "Don't.  I'll go soon."

Well, dad counted "One... Two!" and shoved on the word "two."  I zoomed down the hill, bouncing the whole way, hanging on to the Thunder Tube's handles for dear life.  Powdery snow was flying into my face and down the neck of my coat.

The next thing I remember, I'm standing at the bottom of the hill, facing up toward all those other little kids and their parents and shouting (with a voice that boomed for a 6 year old) every insulting arrangement of swear words in my father's direction.  I'm sure I called him a "mother F^%$er" at least twice.  I probably asked God to damn him half a dozen times, and I probably declared that his head was made of excrement after each breath.  I'm not sure how long my tirade lasted, or even what compelled me to stop.  But I know that my dad never bothered to punish me for it.  I think he realized that the incident was basically his own mistakes biting him in the ass.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: DoodleJump! on March 22, 2009, 09:17:07 AM
Reading this thread made my day- in retrospect, the times you lose your cool are (sometimes) the funniest.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Louis Lame on March 23, 2009, 01:17:18 AM
I like John Dwyer's take on losing your cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b--7n_S62Bk

 
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: KickTheBobo on March 23, 2009, 09:04:45 AM
I like John Dwyer's take on losing your cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b--7n_S62Bk

 

see, that's the thing about a girl fight: they totally get VICIOUS.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: iAmBaronVonTito on March 23, 2009, 11:36:55 AM
this is true.  girls are INSANE and i prefer to walk away than to stand my ground. 
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: fonpr on March 23, 2009, 05:58:40 PM
I like John Dwyer's take on losing your cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b--7n_S62Bk

 

That's rock and Roll.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Louis Lame on March 23, 2009, 08:15:45 PM
Believe it!
The magic happens at 00:47
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: fonpr on June 02, 2009, 11:22:01 AM
Believe it!
The magic happens at 00:47

Had just been thinking how patient the guitar player was being.... then the guy took a swipe at his guitar..... then 00:47
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: nec13 on June 02, 2009, 01:59:45 PM
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zOA8i9UnEQ[/youtube]

Who could forget this?
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: fyodor on June 02, 2009, 07:00:06 PM
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zOA8i9UnEQ[/youtube]

Who could forget this?

Don't step on a dude's effects pedals.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Steve in North Hollywood on June 03, 2009, 08:32:14 AM
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zOA8i9UnEQ[/youtube]

Who could forget this?

Don't step on a dude's effects pedals.

I'm amazed the mikes picked up that punch.

Still, total bitch move on reatard's part.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Big Plastic Head on June 03, 2009, 12:02:14 PM
Our boss sent out this memo yesterday:

Quote
I just want to start by saying "Thank You" for all the extra effort that has been made around here lately to meet some very tight deadlines and still produce quality products. The hard work and pressure does take a toll and makes us all tired and irritable. Please try and do your best to keep a positive attitude with each other. Additionally, I have had several clients recently report that *** staff has been short with them, and they have not gotten the customary friendly treatment that they normally receive from ***. Please be mindful of the tone you take with customers - I know its hard to be nice when you really want to tell off a rude customer, but this is a small town and we need to maintain our reputation of being a nice and professional company. Thanks for taking a deep breath, counting to 10, put a smile on your face and being pleasant. (You can go home and scream into a pillow later!)

Thanks again.

Now that's some crack management.

And it was very difficult for me to NOT bring a pillow into work today.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: buffcoat on June 03, 2009, 02:30:21 PM
BPH - What do you think the boss should have said? 


I will refrain from being sarcastic with you until I see your answer.  But it's comin'.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Big Plastic Head on June 03, 2009, 04:17:08 PM
BPH - What do you think the boss should have said? 


I will refrain from being sarcastic with you until I see your answer.  But it's comin'.

He should of said, "If you are feeling stressed and are having a problem with a client, come to me as soon as you see an issue and we will work out a solution together before you have to meet with the client again. That is what I am here for. Don't bottle it up and take you anger home. If the issue arises while you are with the client, take a breath and remember that you can come talk to me later and we can work it out. Again, that is what I am here for."

In my opinion, buff, "screaming in to a pillow" helps the symptom (being frustrated) and does not cure the problem (client/worker relation). Screaming into a pillow at night does not cure the real problem of the client and the employee not seeing eye to eye. That problem will still be there tomorrow no matter how much pillow you chew on the night before. That is where management is supposed to come in: finding solutions to those client/employee issues whether it is the client who is failing and/or the employee.

And our manager is well known for his "ostrich-like" approach to management: head in the sand at the sign of any crisis. Telling your employees to take their anger home is Lazy Leadership 101, right up there with telling your employees that there are people, "...lining up for your jobs right now so you better shape up." (Which our boss ALSO did last year. Worst. Motivation. Tool. Ever. Four quality people left and their replacements are poor imitations.) There are better, more efficient moral building ways to motivate employees than telling them to go home with their frustrations.

OOH! OOH! Can I start the sarcasm!? OK...let me try...

<sarcasm>Uh, crack a book on quality leadership much there buff!? 'Cause I don't think you do.</sarcasm>

C'mon buff, you know I can take it! Give in to the Dark side! But that was very kind of you for your refrain. You are top shelf/notch IMO.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: buffcoat on June 03, 2009, 04:32:43 PM
BPH - What do you think the boss should have said? 


I will refrain from being sarcastic with you until I see your answer.  But it's comin'.

He should of said, "If you are feeling stressed and are having a problem with a client, come to me as soon as you see an issue and we will work out a solution together before you have to meet with the client again. That is what I am here for. Don't bottle it up and take you anger home. If the issue arises while you are with the client, take a breath and remember that you can come talk to me later and we can work it out. Again, that is what I am here for."

In my opinion, buff, "screaming in to a pillow" helps the symptom (being frustrated) and does not cure the problem (client/worker relation). Screaming into a pillow at night does not cure the real problem of the client and the employee not seeing eye to eye. That problem will still be there tomorrow no matter how much pillow you chew on the night before. That is where management is supposed to come in: finding solutions to those client/employee issues whether it is the client who is failing and/or the employee.

And our manager is well known for his "ostrich-like" approach to management: head in the sand at the sign of any crisis. Telling your employees to take their anger home is Lazy Leadership 101, right up there with telling your employees that there are people, "...lining up for your jobs right now so you better shape up." (Which our boss ALSO did last year. Worst. Motivation. Tool. Ever. Four quality people left and their replacements are poor imitations.) There are better, more efficient moral building ways to motivate employees than telling them to go home with their frustrations.

OOH! OOH! Can I start the sarcasm!? OK...let me try...

<sarcasm>Uh, crack a book on quality leadership much there buff!? 'Cause I don't think you do.</sarcasm>

C'mon buff, you know I can take it! Give in to the Dark side! But that was very kind of you for your refrain. You are top shelf/notch IMO.



Aww, BPH, now I feel bad.  I was all ready to get into a big argument, but your POV is spot-on.  I'm glad I refrained from sarcasm.


I should have known a top-notcher like yourself would never take the positions I was concerned about.  Unfortunately, "the customers are jerks, they deserve what they get" and "the customers just misinterpreted me, it's not my fault" and "this is the way I am - deal with it" are common refrains in some workplaces I know.  Not mine, fortunately, although I'm not seeing a whole lot of sympathy for the management devil, either.

Your solution is to the point and well-stated.  The manager absolutely should have stepped in to offer his support, counsel, even to take the brunt of customer rage when necessary.  That's presumably why he's in that position.  Screaming into the pillow, as I reread it, is a truly asinine suggestion, especially given his reputation.


I apologize for doubting you even for a moment!

If you're ever looking to move (south) east, and you decide you want to do something that has nothing to do with what you do now, drop me a note!
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Big Plastic Head on June 03, 2009, 04:50:41 PM
BPH - What do you think the boss should have said? 


I will refrain from being sarcastic with you until I see your answer.  But it's comin'.

He should of said, "If you are feeling stressed and are having a problem with a client, come to me as soon as you see an issue and we will work out a solution together before you have to meet with the client again. That is what I am here for. Don't bottle it up and take you anger home. If the issue arises while you are with the client, take a breath and remember that you can come talk to me later and we can work it out. Again, that is what I am here for."

In my opinion, buff, "screaming in to a pillow" helps the symptom (being frustrated) and does not cure the problem (client/worker relation). Screaming into a pillow at night does not cure the real problem of the client and the employee not seeing eye to eye. That problem will still be there tomorrow no matter how much pillow you chew on the night before. That is where management is supposed to come in: finding solutions to those client/employee issues whether it is the client who is failing and/or the employee.

And our manager is well known for his "ostrich-like" approach to management: head in the sand at the sign of any crisis. Telling your employees to take their anger home is Lazy Leadership 101, right up there with telling your employees that there are people, "...lining up for your jobs right now so you better shape up." (Which our boss ALSO did last year. Worst. Motivation. Tool. Ever. Four quality people left and their replacements are poor imitations.) There are better, more efficient moral building ways to motivate employees than telling them to go home with their frustrations.

OOH! OOH! Can I start the sarcasm!? OK...let me try...

<sarcasm>Uh, crack a book on quality leadership much there buff!? 'Cause I don't think you do.</sarcasm>

C'mon buff, you know I can take it! Give in to the Dark side! But that was very kind of you for your refrain. You are top shelf/notch IMO.



Aww, BPH, now I feel bad.  I was all ready to get into a big argument, but your POV is spot-on.  I'm glad I refrained from sarcasm.


I should have known a top-notcher like yourself would never take the positions I was concerned about.  Unfortunately, "the customers are jerks, they deserve what they get" and "the customers just misinterpreted me, it's not my fault" and "this is the way I am - deal with it" are common refrains in some workplaces I know.  Not mine, fortunately, although I'm not seeing a whole lot of sympathy for the management devil, either.

Your solution is to the point and well-stated.  The manager absolutely should have stepped in to offer his support, counsel, even to take the brunt of customer rage when necessary.  That's presumably why he's in that position.  Screaming into the pillow, as I reread it, is a truly asinine suggestion, especially given his reputation.


I apologize for doubting you even for a moment!

If you're ever looking to move (south) east, and you decide you want to do something that has nothing to do with what you do now, drop me a note!

<sarcasm>Wait. After reading your reply, I find that YOU are right; the clients ARE all jerks! How could I have not seen that before! Ga!</sarcasm>

Ha! No worries buff and nothing to apologize for. Maybe if you HAD tore me a new one but you didn't. That is why you=top+shelf+notch. Nothing to feel bad about. Seriously.

Love fest over. Resume sarcasm in 3...2...1...
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Sarah on June 03, 2009, 05:18:28 PM
I hope you two sweet kids will be very happy, but this kind of PDA makes me uncomfortable. 
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: buffcoat on June 03, 2009, 05:24:35 PM
I hope you two sweet kids will be very happy, but this kind of PDA makes me uncomfortable. 


Hence the hermitry.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Sarah on June 03, 2009, 05:36:42 PM
You can't imagine how much I squirm when the flies start copulating in late summer.  Of course, that's also when they start biting, which accounts for some of the discomfort.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Big Plastic Head on June 03, 2009, 06:10:14 PM
You can't imagine how much I squirm when the flies start copulating in late summer.  Of course, that's also when they start biting, which accounts for some of the discomfort.

resuming sarcasm...

Can't you just leave me and buffcoat to our happiness!?

Wait...you ARE still talking about me and buff, right?
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Chad from Oregon on June 03, 2009, 10:52:19 PM
Roland Gorchnick never lost his cool.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Sarah on June 04, 2009, 08:09:19 AM
resuming sarcasm...

Sure you are.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: buffcoat on June 04, 2009, 06:57:03 PM
I am a sexy man.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: hugman on June 06, 2009, 02:01:39 PM
So I was posting on this dorky fansite for this radio program I like.  There was this topic called Untalented Jerks.  I avoided it for a while but then one night for some reason I decided to post.  Then everyone started attacking all my contributions and I just lost it and started unloading on everyone.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Big Plastic Head on June 06, 2009, 05:14:31 PM
I, myself, welcome the all-caps angry hugman. I LOLed.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: wood and iron on June 06, 2009, 05:21:17 PM
So I was posting on this dorky fansite for this radio program I like.  There was this topic called Untalented Jerks.  I avoided it for a while but then one night for some reason I decided to post.  Then everyone started attacking all my contributions and I just lost it and started unloading on everyone.

I just want to point out that I wasn't attacking you, I was just curious about the Bill Murray thing. You answered me, the end.

Sorry.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: hugman on June 06, 2009, 08:26:52 PM
So I was posting on this dorky fansite for this radio program I like.  There was this topic called Untalented Jerks.  I avoided it for a while but then one night for some reason I decided to post.  Then everyone started attacking all my contributions and I just lost it and started unloading on everyone.

I just want to point out that I wasn't attacking you, I was just curious about the Bill Murray thing. You answered me, the end.

Sorry.

no, i'm sorry. i was hoping the way i carried on and on would indicate that i was joking around.  but let me just say i was joking around.  but angry all caps hugman is here to stay.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: nec13 on June 06, 2009, 09:02:55 PM
So I was posting on this dorky fansite for this radio program I like.  There was this topic called Untalented Jerks.  I avoided it for a while but then one night for some reason I decided to post.  Then everyone started attacking all my contributions and I just lost it and started unloading on everyone.

The originator of that topic is a real jerk.  :(
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: fonpr on June 06, 2009, 10:34:28 PM

[/quote]

 caps hugman is here to stay.
[/quote]



Give me CAPS or give me Death.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: nec13 on June 06, 2009, 11:07:19 PM
Give me CAPS or give me Death.

The official slogan of New Port Richey.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Sarah on June 07, 2009, 09:08:00 AM
So I was posting on this dorky fansite for this radio program I like.  There was this topic called Untalented Jerks.  I avoided it for a while but then one night for some reason I decided to post.  Then everyone started attacking all my contributions and I just lost it and started unloading on everyone.

I just want to point out that I wasn't attacking you, I was just curious about the Bill Murray thing. You answered me, the end.

Sorry.

I didn't attack you, either, and I regret it.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: dania on June 21, 2009, 04:28:00 AM
And I'm sorry too!  For being a jerk... to anyone.  Ever.  'Cause I didn't mean to. 

 :-[
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: buffcoat on June 21, 2009, 07:14:41 AM
I don't have enough time to apologize for that particular sin.  Easier for me to apologize for the times I've been too nice.
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: Steve in North Hollywood on June 22, 2009, 02:53:09 AM
Give me CAPS or give me Death.

The official slogan of New Port Richey.

Absolutely priceless!
Title: Re: I Lost My Cool 2
Post by: iAmBaronVonTito on June 22, 2009, 12:23:38 PM
i apologize for all the times i jumped into a debate knowing it would get me worked up and in trouble.  apparently, sounding ignorant isnt bliss.