This is one of those "you really had to be there" - but it is my favorite gig story (this may be a little long - but you may find it worth the read).
1976 - Memorial Day weekend. We had 5 back to back one nighters in 5 different cities in 4 different states (our booking agent was an idiot). I was leaving the road to get married and these were my last gigs with the band - so we were hitting the booze and chemicals harder than normal (there was very little sleep during those 5 days).
The last gig was a Sunday night gig for a "school dance" in a small town in southern Illinois, sponsored by the fire department. We were a "show band" and did 4 "theme" sets of "top forty, then 60's, then a "Vegas" Elvis "show" then a 50's Sha Na Na (each set with era costumes, etc.) - and during the last set we did the George of the Jungle theme and our sound man came out dressed in a gorilla costume throwing fake fruit (I know it sounds stupid, but the crowd always dug it).
After the gig, the band was invited to the fire station to party (still in our "Sha Na Na costumes") - they thought we were the craziest band they ever saw. They had a very nice recreation center next to the fire house which was set up for a bake sale the next day, to be sponsored by the wives of the firemen and the police. There were dozens of pies, cakes and other assorted bakery ready to be sold the next day.
While we had to avoid any drugs....we drank mass amonts of booze (fire guys & cops party big time!!!!). After a couple hours, the Fire Chief asked our sound guy to put the gorilla costume on and go to the fire station next door, where an old 3rd shift part timer was at the front desk (it turns out he was just starting to eat a sandwich). So the monkey goes in, jumps around and then jumps up on the desk, grabs a yellow and a red "squeeze bottle" containing catsup and mustard and takes aim at the old guy (we and most of the fire & police guys are watching through a window, laughing our asses off).
After soaking the old guy in catsup and mustard, the monkey runs up a filght of stairs and comes sliding down the fire pole (yeah they actually had a pole). We then go back to the rec room are drink more (with the monkey still in costume). At this point, the police had in essence told us we had immunity (we had mentioned we were a little concernd about driving to the motel loaded, etc.). The police & fire guys thought we were the greatest think to ever hit their little town.
Since it was my last night, the band arranged to hit me in the face with a pie. We actually used whip cream "pies" in pie tins as a prop on stage as part of our "act" and if it was someones birthday, etc - they would get a "pie" in the face at some point in the night (I still had whip creme on my gear for months after I left the band) - so a real pie seemed logical I'm sure.
So, I get a pie in the face and the fire guys, and cops and their wives all thought that was very cool. Shortly after, the police chief (who I had just completed having a wine chugging contest with) pulls the gorrilla head off our sound guy, and hits him with a pie.................that's when things went bad!!!!
The sound guy did not like getting a pie in the face, so he picked up a cake and threw it at the cop. Suddenly, there were pies, cakes and bakery of every kind flying through the air - mostly being thrown by the band....of course (it actually looked like a Three Stooges routine). After about 30 seconds, there was dead silence..........as our hosts realized that the inventory for the bake sale was now on the floor, the walls and on them.
After an awkward moment or two, we were asked to leave (actually, told to leave). When we got to the motel.....our belongings were in the parking lot (we assume someone called the motel and told them we were not welcome in their fair town).
So we drove out of town (still covered in pie....and still in the monkey costume) - certain that we would be arrested before we made it out of town (we even got rid of any drugs we had to play it safe). We did make it out of town, and after about an hour of driving we finally found a 24 hour Sambo's Resteraunt (by this time it was about 4:00am). We went in (still in costumes and in pie) and sat down at a booth. It took awhile before anyone would serve us.......and only then after a couple of us went to the bathroom to attempt to wash some of the pie off (although the sound guy did keep the monkey suit on).
I kinda miss that band!!!!