Sergeants Mess

[MacDaddy]

I went with a friends band when they played at an American airbase.

Once through the gates it was like stepping into the states. Can't remember how we got drinks as I'm sure the bar only took dollars.

Edited December 22, 2021 by MacDaddy
autocorrect!

[spike]

In the early 2000s our band played a Sergeants Mess in one of the camps on Salisbury Plain. It was in early November but it was a Christmas do because they were going to to be in Iraq for Christmas. After our set we started leisurely packing away until a group of MPs turned up and told us to pack up and leave as quickly as we could because it was all going to kick off at any moment and they even guarded our van while we loaded it.   

[Bassfinger]

1 hour ago, spike said:

In the early 2000s our band played a Sergeants Mess in one of the camps on Salisbury Plain. It was in early November but it was a Christmas do because they were going to to be in Iraq for Christmas. After our set we started leisurely packing away until a group of MPs turned up and told us to pack up and leave as quickly as we could because it was all going to kick off at any moment and they even guarded our van while we loaded it.   

The irony is you'd have been a lot safer without a couple of redcap lancejacks drawing attention to you!

[Andy_L]

18 hours ago, lowdown said:

 

I once witnessed an officers mess (drunken) game which was a 'Jousting' contest. 

One officer would sit on the shoulders of another officer (the horse). The one sitting on top (the knight) had one arm outstretched with his fist clenched.

Then on a signal, they would charge another knight on his horse and try to knock them over. This would go on until someone fell off. Also, bets were being taken.

 

At some point, a senior office entered and stopped it. He explained to all the idiots who were engaging in the Jousting competition, that when you sit on the shoulders of someone else,

you are in fact, quite a bit taller and.... very likely that you will hit your head, or worse, decapitate yourself on the ceiling mounted, spinning tropical fan....these were officers...

 

I've never played a forces venue, but I have jousted. I can confirm that no good came of it.

[Bassistclem]

On 21/12/2021 at 20:33, Raymondo said:

In the late Nineties I played lot's of military bases here in the UK and also in Germany .

 

I can honestly say that I never saw any actual "fights"....lot's of mucking around, acting out bravado but no real fights.

 

In fact I always hated playing Sergeants Mess gigs. they were by far the most  ..stuck up their own derrières!

 

Other Ranks .... bloody brilliant laugh... join in with everything and they would always help with the load in/ load out.

 

Officers Mess... jeez ...Sodom and Gomorrah had nothing on these guys! But they always treated us well....let us join in the fun after playing and fed us brilliantly.

 

 

Sergeants mess...what a bunch of stuck up pr*cks they always were... never allowed to mix...stuck away in a changing cupboard with a few stale sandwiches and  cans of  warm beer...hated them ..in fact we refused to play them after a while because they were always such miserable affairs..

 

 

Yes exactly the same. Officers gigs were ok but playing for the regulars was always good fun. Also played many gigs abroad for CSE, the best fun one was at the camp in Sarajevo. Troops from all over, US, Italy, Germany etc etc, was a very lively evening but all in the best sprint.

[Bassistclem]

On 21/12/2021 at 14:46, oldslapper said:

No but dep’ed for a band playing for Royal Engineers officers mess pre tour bash in a marquee at the barracks.

When we plugged in all our kit (pa, backline, lights, plus disco and mobile bar fridge) into provided sockets, there was a bang and all the power went down.

We followed the trail of 4 gang sockets that all led to one extension lead plugged into a socket in the kitchen.

The mess colour sergeant was very apologetic and (quietly) chuntered that “if it were a foot soldiers party, there would have been generators, etc. but what do you expect from the “Ruperts”. 
Makes you proud. 😂

Ah...in fact the poor electrical provision was the cause of one of the fires encountered....The second they deliberately set fire to their own kitchen!!!!