Did a prison gig the other night.

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Anybody else do these? Good for your soul.

I played some standard guitar with a contemp. Christian group, but the highlight of the evening was an inmate I met while setting up my guitar and amp during sound check. I got an OK from the guards for him to come up and sing "Blue Christmas" and close the evening with "Folsum Prison Blues" just me on guitar and him. The place went nuts!! He had been in prison for 36 years.

One inmate came up and said "Thanks for making me feel normal for just one night". It was really rewarding to play for 500 inmates and see how much they appreciated someone taking the time to come to entertain them. Prisoners are there to pay a debt for what they have done, but you have to in a way feel for them a little. They were well diciplined and courteous. I had a great time and hope to do it again.

edit. Forgot to ad that the only thing that really weirded me out about this gig was the massive amount of razor wire that encircled the entire facility. That stuff scared the dickens out of me for some reason. Guess that is what it is supposed to do!

[This message was edited by Bill Hatcher on 20 December 2006 at 07:57 AM.]

George Redmon · From: Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.

Yes i do these. And it does warm your soul. I told the last jailers, if they are as rough going through my stuff as they were before, it will be my last time doing it. Speakers do not pull out of amps without unbolting them! We always kinda joke between ourselfs, what if we forgot to pay a parking ticket years ago, or if there was an accounting mistake on our old child support payments, kinda gives a feller a funny feeling tell you walk out of there. Gives new meaning to the term "Captive Audience"

Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

I played a prison church singing several years ago. It was the greatest experience I have ever had while playing. It was a ladies prison and minimum security. I do remember the door locking behind me and that was a strange feeling. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

A good reminder to help support "Angel Tree".

This is a program that delivers Christmas presents to children of parents in prison.

Roger Miller · From: Cedar Falls, Ia.

Did it one time and we opened with "I'm the hell my momma ever raised'. Folsom Prison was also a big hit. It must have been a fantasy of the girl singers, she wore a tight evening gown, to show off her booty. What a gig to forget. Out of all the gigs I've played, that was one of them.

Les Anderson · From: The Great White North

I haven't done a Christmas prison tour yet but we are sure loaded up with playing at old folks homes this year. Most of them are afternoon sessions.

Not a bad gig at all actually.

George Redmon · From: Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.

Playing for the old folks is very rewarding. Some of them are musicians themselfs. And share wonderful stories with you, if you will take the time to listen. The way i look at it, is you never know when you might be the one blessed because someone took the time to come in and entertain you. Don't be surprised if one of the older folks comes up and starts playing spoons, or whatever is handy, makes us enjoy it even more....

Bob Hickish · From: Port Ludlow, Washington, USA, R.I.P.

Bill
I was part of a group back in the 70's that did that ,
I was not real keen on the idea , but went along with it .

I was playing steel for the " Rocky Mountain express "
in Boise , and the fellow that set it up , was later shot & killed .
The thing I remember the most is the bar's sliding shut behind
you as you entered the place . I wouldn't want to be a tenet there .

Hick

Jeremy Steele · From: Princeton, NJ USA

I used to mix front of house sound for Labelle and we once did two shows at Riker's Island, which is the NYC jail (not prison, but close enough). We did one show for the male inmates and one for the females...since I had to sit among the "population" to mix it was a little disconcerting...there were some pretty tough customers, as you might imagine, but I was MUCH more nervous sitting with the ladies than the guys.

JW Day · From: Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA

I had the experience of A life time doing this 3 times in the early 70's.The thing that I could not get used to was someone packing my equipment and then making sure that the boss seen it. We were always treated with royality, and fed and served like kings. Sure hated to hear that door slam though. JW Day

Gordy Hall · From: Fairfax, CA.

I've been a volunteer for years for a Bay Area organization called Bread and Roses that puts on musical shows to people in any sort of institution, including prisons, old folks' homes, jails, juvenile halls, etc. I've done both performing and sound, and the gigs have always been very interesting.

I did lots of work with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, including the San Francisco County Jail twice. Each time I was the first to get there with the gear and set up the PA. Very different walking down the rows of cells pushing a cart of PA gear. I would set up the gear, and the choir would be let in about an hour later.

When I was in the gym I noticed all these signs that read 'No Sagging'. I couldn[t figure it out, and finally asked a guard.

He said 'sagging' was when you wore your pants so low your butt crack showed. Guess that's big in prisons or something.

Anyway, the gigs are always inspirational, and make me glad that I'm on the outside helping those on the inside instead of being on the inside.

Gordy Hall

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