GoKart Mozart
Well-known member
A buddy of mine (let's call him Mike) that used to work in a local music store told me the story YEARS ago about the craziness of 1991 NAMM and the Morse/Lee/EVH jam. I was visiting with him last night and he pulled out one of the old pick-shaped tickets that he kept after the convention was over and gave it to me (how cool is that?). Here is his recollection, as best I can convey. Probably not interesting to many, but I always get a good laugh out of it.
Word had gotten out that year about the EBMM-endorsee all-star jam and as soon as the doors to the convention opened, everyone bolted for the DOD/Shure/JBL booths to get one of the tickets. There were at least 2 shows, maybe more. The lines at the booths to get the tickets were ridiculous. Later in the evening Mike, being the type not to give up easily, decided he and the rest of his crew should scope out the area after the first show. By the time they get over to where the show is, there's only about 10 minutes of the set remaining. A bouncer is at the entrance and the only way to get in is with one of these pick-shaped tickets: one door in and a separate door out. My buddy notices the exit door on the other side; apparently guys were heading out the exit door toward the end of the show to hit the restrooms and were just tossing their pick-tickets onto the ground. He walks over, scoops one up, and heads back over to the entrance door. He hands it to the bouncer it heads on in. Score 1 for Mike.
The music is almost over, however he gets a good lay of the land: the stage is about 3 feet high off the ground and the first row of seats is about 15 feet back, so naturally there's a huge space of nothing between the stage and the first row of seats. This gives him an idea and he heads out to meet the rest of his crew. Somehow during the course of the day they had meet up with a sales rep lady who apparently had all kinds of connections. Somehow she got Mike & crew and herself a ticket to the next show; Score 2 for Mike. By the time they get in line and get inside, the place is packed and the only seats left are in the rear. Mike, not to be defeated, walks right up to the front edge of the stage and plops down on the ground. The rest of his crew joins them and pretty soon they're getting heckled for sitting right up against the stage on the floor. However, this soon gives way to others joining them up front and the once-empty space gets filled up pretty fast. Score 3 for Mike.
Funniest part: so they're sitting right up against the stage, close enough that the lady (who had been partying most of the evening along with Mike and crew) decides to reach out and try to see if she can touch the volume pedal going to one of the rigs on stage. Out of nowhere, none other than Big Poppa Sterling Ball swoops in and yells "HEEEEEY!! DON'T TOUCH THAT!!!!!"
Here's the ticket:
And here's a photo from the show that I found elsewhere online. Notice what looks to be our own Luscious in the background on the bottom two pics!
Word had gotten out that year about the EBMM-endorsee all-star jam and as soon as the doors to the convention opened, everyone bolted for the DOD/Shure/JBL booths to get one of the tickets. There were at least 2 shows, maybe more. The lines at the booths to get the tickets were ridiculous. Later in the evening Mike, being the type not to give up easily, decided he and the rest of his crew should scope out the area after the first show. By the time they get over to where the show is, there's only about 10 minutes of the set remaining. A bouncer is at the entrance and the only way to get in is with one of these pick-shaped tickets: one door in and a separate door out. My buddy notices the exit door on the other side; apparently guys were heading out the exit door toward the end of the show to hit the restrooms and were just tossing their pick-tickets onto the ground. He walks over, scoops one up, and heads back over to the entrance door. He hands it to the bouncer it heads on in. Score 1 for Mike.
The music is almost over, however he gets a good lay of the land: the stage is about 3 feet high off the ground and the first row of seats is about 15 feet back, so naturally there's a huge space of nothing between the stage and the first row of seats. This gives him an idea and he heads out to meet the rest of his crew. Somehow during the course of the day they had meet up with a sales rep lady who apparently had all kinds of connections. Somehow she got Mike & crew and herself a ticket to the next show; Score 2 for Mike. By the time they get in line and get inside, the place is packed and the only seats left are in the rear. Mike, not to be defeated, walks right up to the front edge of the stage and plops down on the ground. The rest of his crew joins them and pretty soon they're getting heckled for sitting right up against the stage on the floor. However, this soon gives way to others joining them up front and the once-empty space gets filled up pretty fast. Score 3 for Mike.
Funniest part: so they're sitting right up against the stage, close enough that the lady (who had been partying most of the evening along with Mike and crew) decides to reach out and try to see if she can touch the volume pedal going to one of the rigs on stage. Out of nowhere, none other than Big Poppa Sterling Ball swoops in and yells "HEEEEEY!! DON'T TOUCH THAT!!!!!"
Here's the ticket:
And here's a photo from the show that I found elsewhere online. Notice what looks to be our own Luscious in the background on the bottom two pics!
