Recording Client Nightmares

Pub Style

Pub Style

You Are The Walrus
I run my 600 SQ FT home studio out of half of my basement (it's all walled off and very much its own little world) Besides recording my own two bands I also record other locals. A few years ago a guy who has recorded many songs at my place needed to bring in this one particular well known bass player (great bass player, odd dude) After getting set up and ready to record I turn around and the guy is sitting there in a chair and has removed his shoes and socks, and is now casually picking his toes while he talks about what kind of sound he's going for.

It took me at least 10 or so seconds to wrap my mind around what I was seeing. I wanted to puke, throttle the guy, and laugh all at the same time. I finally piped up and said "Jerry, I've got to stop you right there" "what the fuck are you doing? "really? "Put your socks and shoes back on and don't touch anything!" I then through him a wet wipe for his hands.

Anybody else had any unexpected/strange/difficult clients in your facility?
 
When you see a pipe player's spit literally pouring on to the floor, picking your feet seems OK. :p

IDK, taking off shoes isn't that weird. Socks...that's a little odd.
Picking at your feet is probably a bridge too far, to be fair. lol

Nice Avatar, btw. ;)
 
' a bridge too far, to be fair. lol'.. Shure.
But sorry.. not 'nightmare' worthy.
BTW. Which smelled worse? Feet or the 'wet wipes? :D
 
Back in the early days I tried to record some friends that were in a band I'd seen live a number of times. They were kind of on the noise rock side of grunge, had been playing for years, were actually pretty popular locally. We could only do two tracks at a time which meant overdubbing which meant everybody had to know when to change - how many times to play the verse riff and such - which led to a huge screaming fight . I literally just went upstairs to drink coffee and smoke dope while they called each other names and flipped out for a couple hours.

The actual performances were kind of killer after that, though. :)
 
We used to have "pools" - We'd throw in (five bucks - whatever it was for that band) and lay something down -- "Bass player quits before they start laying down vocals" or "Project goes on hold because they never knew the drummer had no sense of time" or "They'll be back in a month with a new vocalist" and the like.

No one wins? Pizza or Chinese. Someone wins? Usually pizza or Chinese.
 
I've had people do all manner of disgusting things - but as they pay the bills, I just ignore it. Poking vomit down a plug-hole with rubber gloves was probably the worst - but the guy was a TV name and had a problem. Another TV big name asked where the toilet was - he was also very lazy, so dropped his pants (this is UK pants, not US pants) and peed in the sink. Picking their feet is pretty tame really. In my own studio, my standards are different - but even so, some people push the boundaries.
 
Rob, peeing in the sink is standard back stage practice. Matters little for a rock band out front but you don't want the sound of a bog flushing over the line "A HAND bag??!!"

Dave.
 
I had one singer that was upset that he left his spiked gauntlets at home. He was having a hard time singing his parts. We took a break, he went home to retrieve the gauntlets. He came back, put them on and sang everything in one take.

Another time, there was a drummer that insisted on playing in his underwear.
 
Pub Style said:
I run my 600 SQ FT home studio out of half of my basement (it's all walled off and very much its own little world) Besides recording my own two bands I also record other locals. A few years ago a guy who has recorded many songs at my place needed to bring in this one particular well known bass player (great bass player, odd dude) After getting set up and ready to record I turn around and the guy is sitting there in a chair and has removed his shoes and socks, and is now casually picking his toes while he talks about what kind of sound he's going for.

It took me at least 10 or so seconds to wrap my mind around what I was seeing. I wanted to puke, throttle the guy, and laugh all at the same time. I finally piped up and said "Jerry, I've got to stop you right there" "what the fuck are you doing? "really? "Put your socks and shoes back on and don't touch anything!" I then through him a wet wipe for his hands.

Anybody else had any unexpected/strange/difficult clients in your facility?
Click to expand...

Don Was did the barefoot thing in the studio....so maybe it's something bass players like to do. :)
 
I get clients that take their shoes off all the time. Probably because I have mine off. I do have a socks on rule tho...
 
Steenamaroo said:
When you see a pipe player's spit literally pouring on to the floor,
Click to expand...

I usually only ever record myself and I can tell you what a headache that can be.... :rolleyes:

But, I have recorded my son on trumpet a few times and the first time he cleared his trumpet of spit I was like, "Did you just do that on my carpet???" :eek:
 
It was funny. They're obviously used to it and think nothing of it.
I, on the other hand, probably had the same facial expression I'd have had if he'd dropped his keks and took a shit right there. lol.
 
My motto is that once you rent my place, you do what you want. Lay around naked, smoke crack, eat pizza, whatever, just pay the toll and we are cool. That being said, my most amusing client recollection was a gentleman who ran a paver for a living. On paydays sometimes he would call me at midnight ready to record. I had put together a rendition of "Always On My Mind", his favorite song. And he would show up in a limousine with a can of mineral spirits (paint thinner) and a red hankie tied around his wrist where he would pour his huff'n'puff and breathe it deeply. Then he would sing that song to his mama, I would print a cassette, he would give me a C-note for getting out of bed, and off he would go into the night. I never knew what happened to him, I hope his mama loved his singing....
 
jimmys69 said:
I get clients that take their shoes off all the time. Probably because I have mine off. I do have a socks on rule tho...
Click to expand...

I'm usually always barefoot, with flip-flops, even in the wintertime...so I couldn't really make a big deal about what other people wear on their feet. :D

I think some people are too uptight about bare feet... :eek:
...but it's better if they leave their dirty shoes at the door and go Japanese, IMO.

Now, when it comes to drinks/liquids...THAT I can get uptight about, because there's really NO other place to put any container than the floor. No matter how careful they are...shit always gets knocked off of amps, keyboards, etc.
That's much worse than sweaty feet on the floor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top