OK, a bit old but still the meanest joke ever

thelike5 · Post by **thelike5** » Thu May 08, 2008 4:20 pm

http://improveverywhere.com/2004/10/24/best-gig-ever/

OK, I guess I'm a late bloomer but I just caught a Showtime episode of This American Life that featured a totally new and unknown band called "ghosts of Pasha" that only had a 5 song self released EP out and were just about to embark on their first tour.

Basically, this group of pranksters called improv everywhere decided Ghosts of Pasha would be the perfect band to "throw the best rock show ever" for. GOP were hand selected as they A.) were unknown B.) were playing a 10:30 p.m. timeslot on a Sunday in NYC and C.) playing at a club that was charging a relatively high cover of $8 for a group of "nobodies".

The point of the prank was to have as many people (I think it was something like 50 or 60) showup after studying their self released demo and sing all of their songs and even create homemade t-shirts with the bands simple logo which was on their myspace page or website. The band (according to Improv Everywhere) would feel like rock stars even for one night.

Can any of you seriously imagine suddenly playing to a crowd of 70 some people all singing your songs from a self released demo? I would proabbly think I was going crazy or dreaming. The band totally felt great about it and even played an encore of New York, New York showing how much fun they had in the big apple.

Three days later it was all over the internet as the biggest prank pulled. Totally rotten. The band felt like they were just kicked in the stomach. The lead singer went as far as saying in the ensuing weeks whenever he would go out to a diner for a bite and the waitress was nice to him he felt like someone was putting him on.

To me, this ranks right up there with feeding a dog acid.

Anyways, check out the link. Imrov Everywhere stilla cts like they were doing these guys a favor. The band totally tells another tale.

http://improveverywhere.com/2004/10/24/best-gig-ever/

Let me ask the forum: how would you feel if it were you?

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Thu May 08, 2008 4:37 pm

hmm,
don't believe it

read the bands response

Thanks for a great night. I hope by the end of it all we really won you over as some true fans. Hope to see you again at one of our upcoming NYC shows.

This whole thing proves that all you need to do is put a few screaming fans in front of the Ghosts of Pasha and it won’t be long before we whip our cocks out and rock out.

Thanks -mf-

First of all let me say that I had a great time and I have no negative feelings about this. This is also not the first time this has happened…We played a show a few months ago in Vermont where there were 100+ people chanting pasha,(really! it was so much fun..) and they were just as rowdy as you guys…
Thanks, Chris

THANKS AGAIN TO IMPROVEVERYWHERE FOR THE GREAT CROWD!!!!
-FROM ALL THE MEMBERS OF GOP-

http://improveverywhere.com/2004/11/01/ ... -response/

thelike5 · Post by **thelike5** » Thu May 08, 2008 4:47 pm

Angstrom wrote:hmm,
don't believe it

read the bands response

Thanks for a great night. I hope by the end of it all we really won you over as some true fans. Hope to see you again at one of our upcoming NYC shows.

This whole thing proves that all you need to do is put a few screaming fans in front of the Ghosts of Pasha and it won’t be long before we whip our cocks out and rock out.

Thanks -mf-

First of all let me say that I had a great time and I have no negative feelings about this. This is also not the first time this has happened…We played a show a few months ago in Vermont where there were 100+ people chanting pasha,(really! it was so much fun..) and they were just as rowdy as you guys…
Thanks, Chris

THANKS AGAIN TO IMPROVEVERYWHERE FOR THE GREAT CROWD!!!!
-FROM ALL THE MEMBERS OF GOP-
http://improveverywhere.com/2004/11/01/ ... -response/

Really? This American Life had interviewed the guitarist and he was practically crying. Saying how he was made fun of and picked on all his life. He said he jopined a band to finally get out some self expression and then this happened. He said he felt like he was back in the fifth grade.

I would feel like shit if this happened. I guess it's PR but c'mon. Is it really worth the humiliation?

torrentexpress · Post by **torrentexpress** » Thu May 08, 2008 4:52 pm

yeah im riding the fence on this one. Bitter sweet ya know. On one hand i would feel like a dumb shit, but on the other I probably would have really enjoyed my self at the time. Kinda like getting shit faced drunk. haha

thelike5 · Post by **thelike5** » Thu May 08, 2008 5:09 pm

torrentexpress wrote:yeah im riding the fence on this one. Bitter sweet ya know. On one hand i would feel like a dumb shit, but on the other I probably would have really enjoyed my self at the time. Kinda like getting shit faced drunk. haha

I guess I sorta know what you mean except getting shit faced drunk you actually do it to yourself.

To me, this is more like getting slipped something, having sex with a hot girl, only lasting a minute and then finding out that is was actually a dude.

stjohn · Post by **stjohn** » Thu May 08, 2008 5:10 pm

haaha

good one..

most bands are way too serious anyway

thelike5 · Post by **thelike5** » Thu May 08, 2008 5:12 pm

thelike5 wrote:
torrentexpress wrote:yeah im riding the fence on this one. Bitter sweet ya know. On one hand i would feel like a dumb shit, but on the other I probably would have really enjoyed my self at the time. Kinda like getting shit faced drunk. haha
I guess I sorta know what you mean except getting shit faced drunk you actually do it to yourself.

To me, this is more like getting slipped something, having sex with a hot girl, only lasting a minute and then finding out that is was actually a dude.

OK, maybe I went a bit to far with that one...

thelike5 · Post by **thelike5** » Thu May 08, 2008 5:17 pm

stjohn wrote:haaha good one..

most bands are way too serious anyway

True, but these guys actually seemed pretty genuine. I mean, they were so far from a manufactured "band". Just a bunch of rather homely looking dudes playing in a rather non-pretentious band for a bunch of clowns auditioning for thier 15 minutes in Vice Magazine.

For me, it hits close to home as I ran a total DIY venue with four of my friends for a couple of years. We hosted shows by Red Krayola, Ian Mackaye (Evens), Richard Buckner, Z'EV, Dark Meat (amazing if you aren't familiar), etc. Those were the known bands! We most have had 150 bands nobody has ever heard of who sometimes played in front of only us. Sure, some of them were total dicks but a lot of the people that played were pretty cool.

It would have been so easy to pull of at our place...

pulsoc · Post by **pulsoc** » Thu May 08, 2008 5:19 pm

How is this making fun of anyone? Sounds like a good time, if you're skin is that thin you probably shouldn't be ONSTAGE.

thelike5 · Post by **thelike5** » Thu May 08, 2008 5:26 pm

pulsoc wrote:How is this making fun of anyone? Sounds like a good time, if you're skin is that thin you probably shouldn't be ONSTAGE.

Really? So you would be fine with thinking everyone was totally in to your stuff, even for one night only to find out that it was all just a joke?

Hey man, that's great if you feel that way. Personally, I think it's a cruel joke. It's one of those weird situations though... cruel as it may be I can't help but laugh I guess...

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Thu May 08, 2008 5:26 pm

lamest story I've read in a while. sorry, you asked.

I'd love it, anyone who takes themselves that seriously needs to move out of mom's basement.

thelike5 · Post by **thelike5** » Thu May 08, 2008 5:29 pm

Tone Deft wrote:lamest story I've read in a while. sorry, you asked.

I'd love it, anyone who takes themselves that seriously needs to move out of mom's basement.

Yeah...

So you are the first person who actually thinks this is a lame story! You big prize winner you!

Everyone else either laughs at it and says, they would be fine with it or they think it's a pretty shitty thing. A story like this at least is interesting. Hardly lame whether you think it's funny or not.

b0unce · Post by **b0unce** » Thu May 08, 2008 5:29 pm

thewank has a fixation with 'irresponsibility' these days.
anyways, let me provide the inevitable transcript for the rest of this thread:

x: i think it's funny
thewank: but I mean, what if...
y: doesn't seem so bad
thewank: ya, but what if,...and...then if..
z: {img}www.humourous-gifs.us/pie-in-face.gif{/img}
thewank: lol
x,y,z: lol

thelike5 · Post by **thelike5** » Thu May 08, 2008 5:30 pm

b0unce wrote:thewank has a fixation with 'irresponsibility' these days.
anyways, let me provide the inevitable transcript for the rest of this thread:

x: i think it's funny
thewank: but I mean, what if...
y: doesn't seem so bad
thewank: ya, but what if,...and...then if..
z: {img}www.humourous-gifs.us/pie-in-face.gif{/img}
thewank: lol
x,y,z: lol

Zing!

pulsoc · Post by **pulsoc** » Thu May 08, 2008 5:32 pm

thelike5 wrote:
pulsoc wrote:How is this making fun of anyone? Sounds like a good time, if you're skin is that thin you probably shouldn't be ONSTAGE.
Really? So you would be fine with thinking everyone was totally in to your stuff, even for one night only to find out that it was all just a joke?

Hey man, that's great if you feel that way. Personally, I think it's a cruel joke. It's one of those weird situations though... cruel as it may be I can't help but laugh I guess...

I think I would make my peace with it pretty quickly. Compared to other experiences in my life, this one would rate pretty low on the trauma scale.