"Just Back Off!" (A Shocking Experience)

It was soundcheck time for us at the Methodist Student Union, located on the college campus of Arkansas Tech in Russellville, Arkansas.  Each band member was tending to his respective instrument:  Drum heads were struck and tuned; guitar chords blared out as amplifiers were adjusted, and microphones were checked for sound levels.  All was par for the course and went off without a hitch, until...

Our bass player, innocently enough, ambled over to our lead guitarist, intending to ask him a question.  As he placed his hand upon his shoulder, a sudden, shrill cry permeated the air:  "Owwww!  You - shocked - me!"

Shocked ourselves, by the shrill cry, everyone in the room froze, except our bass player.  Perplexed by what had transpired, and wishing to ensure our guitarist was okay, he bumbled toward said guitarist again, this time with an outstretched hand.

The tazed-n-dazed party shrunk back in retreat, not quite knowing what to do.  In desperation, wishing to avoid another hair-raising experience, he barked out, "Just... Back off!"

And for another brief moment, we were all frozen, again, in time.

Thankfully, the culprit of improperly grounded wires were discovered, and the numbness dissipated from our guitarist's hands before showtime.  No other band members were "lit up" during that '97 gig:  The evening commenced without any further pyrotechnics.  

Narrow Road - 1997

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- K -