A Snake for a Music Critic

[JohnBennett]

Here is a funny little story (I think) that goes along with being a professional trumpet player.

During one summer while I was in college way back in the dark ages, I went on the road with a small "mickey band" ( a mickey mouse or really commercial band, like Guy Lombardo) and we were on tour doing a series of nightclubs.

At one of our gigs at a men's club, we had a special dinner show to play along with our usual dance music. The show included a comedian, a juggler and a dancer. The interesting thing about the dancer was she had a trained (?) six foot python that was part of the act! Her stage name was some corny name like "Cleopatra and her Trained Snake" or "Madam LeWanda" ...something like that. She wasn't a stripper, but more like a belly dancer.

She came to the afternoon rehearsal without her snakey dance partner and everything went well...with no complaints about the music. That night on the show, in her flimsy dance costume, she came dancing out on the stage with the snake wrapped around her. As we started playing the first notes, the snake apparently didn't like the way we played his music or maybe he was a music critic! He immediately tensed up and started squeezing the dancer. The python weighed close to 60 pounds and was about the size of your forearm. Of course, we were watching all this with one eye on her and one on the music.

She danced bravely on for a few minutes and then started to wobble a little. I remember asking the trombone player next to me "Is turning blue part of the act?" We kept on playing (the band always has to keep on playing!,) she kept on dancing and the snake kept on squeezing.

Finally, she started staggering and gasping a little....and the stage manager realized it wasn't an act. A couple of big stage hands finally roared out and pulled the snake off her.

We never did find out exactly what the snake was supposed to do in the act... but I guess music critics come in all shapes and sizes.

John





[ This Message was edited by: JohnBennett on 2003-08-06 12:33 ]

[ This Message was edited by: JohnBennett on 2004-07-08 11:52 ]

[jhatpro]

Talk about a scary bunch of scales. Whoa!
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[Buzz]

HAHA! Great story!