Most embarassing moment while performing?

[worldwidese]

Show me yours and I'll show you mine.

[Peter Voice]

This could go in the "Out yourself here #II" bit or it could fit in for the "Raymond Radiated Rodent Award" line, but you seemed to ask for it, so it's here.
Myself, I like to call it "Adventures with Andrew"
Early 1991 I was hired by Melb Comedy Fest to do some stuff around town and(among other pieces)had a great time doing this huge (6x10m) portrait of Saddam Hussein, complete with 'Monty Python' jaw, smack-bang in the middle of the City Square. The punch line in the cartoonish pic was "Shit, I'd really rather be in Melb for the Comedy Festival".
It worked well Monday and Tuesday but when "Desert Storm" exploded on Wednesday, the joke had sort of moved a bit.
On the last day of the festival, I went to see a performer I'd heard was pretty good, Andrew Elliot, working in the same square. When I arrived he was carefully setting up his show around but not on my picture. I watched in fascination as he carefully prepared everything and then produced a little hand drum. He started a rhythm and began to gather a crowd.
As I watched, the tension built and the crowd grew with the growing intensity of the drum beat.
Louder, stronger the rhythm grew, strangely loud, then I looked down Swanston St and saw about 6000 drumming Kurds marching down the street, burning effigies of Hussein as they came (most impressive sight I must admit).
I didn't see the end of Andrew's show and considering that I'd never met him, I never even actually figured out which of the middle eastern gentlemen he was. Last I saw of the guy with the props, he was running up Collins St. I didn't hang around myself either.
4 months and 12,000 miles later in Edmonton, Dick Finkel, assuming we knew each other, puts us in a room together in Edmonton. Finally, I meet the man and see his (brilliant) show and spend an enjoyable festival, until......
Andrew falls in love.
A local girl. Can you leave the room, Peter? Just a couple of hours? Fortunately, Kate's got some arrangement with Peter, whose made a plan with Lynne and 22 that lets Jeff and Sue swap with Dan and Jim who might just be thinking of Sandra which leaves ..........
Somehow, I had my room alone for several nights (he would turn up about lunch time looking for bits of costumes or props).
About the 3rd last day of the festival, Andrew tells me about his love, a beautiful woman of similar extraction and bent, he is going to settle in Edmonton with her, they will create a show together and travel the world. Full of excitment, he disappeared again until the Sunday wrap-up party which he only briefly attended.
I personally didn't notice much about his activities until, at the ungodly hour of 6.00am on the Monday morning, Andrew stormed into our room grabs all his stuff, says he's in a hurry and the only plane he can get is at 7.00am, "Can you pay the room service? (his share wasn't much) and ran.
I went back to sleep.
Not for long. Two very serious oriental gentlemen turned up at my/our hotel door not long after. What ever plans Andrew had did not seem to agree with those of the young woman's traditional Sikh family. I was short with them and went back to sleep. Andrew's share of the bill was about $90CAN.

I didn't see him for about 15 months and we met up again at Surfers Paradise ( btw he gave me the money before I even thought about it). We were hired, among others on retainers, for the Xmas/New Year period, in a place that has a truly riotous reputation.
The theory was that if the performers gave enough to the street, there would be less violence and fewer arrests. It worked, the shows went right up to midnight, then we were lucky enough to have a good spot to watch the fire-works. By the time we decided to wander off to a night club(circa 2.00am) the streets were peaceful.
I was lagging behind because I had to clean up and by the time I got to the club every-one except Andrew was inside. The goons on the door didn't like his sandals. We swapped shoes, they said he needed a tie, I gave him mine (they were letting me in, regardless), then they said he'd had too much to drink.

Andrew got a bit upset, some words were spoken (racist arsehole might have come up). After the third time the bouncers threw him onto the street, I stepped in to calm him down. Some-one else asked if there was a problem and Andrew told her to mind her own fucking business. He didn't seem to notice the uniform, gun and walkie-talkie.

That particular New Years Eve in Surfers Paradise was remarkably trouble free, only 4 arrests for the entire night. They let us out about four/five hours later.

[This message has been edited by Peter Voice (edited 01-08-2002).]