I've had many gigs that have turned out less than favorable. Too many I really can't post here, but here's a lovely example of one:
Mid 90s, Hawthorne, California,
We're on the stage playing and there were several unsavory characters hanging out from different, let's say, social clubs. A guy I'll call Knucklehead walks over to the head of the other "social club" takes his pitcher of beer off the table, takes a big swig, and throws the rest on the guy. Well not to be accused of not rising to the challenge, the beer owner and his crew decide to engage the other guys in some very violent activity. The whole club, before our playing eyes on stage, erupts into a riot with people running everywhere breaking stuff and heads. Then, a swarm of idiots end up on stage chasing knucklehead down and in the process, bring the PA columns down on us while we were playing. We had to dodge all of that, and I discovered what a usefull defense weapon my Les Paul could be. The owner brings out a shotgun and all of the idiots run out of the place.
So, we pack up our gear, a little shaken obviously, and go outside to pack it up, and there stands knucklehead with a pipe and for some reason he thinks my friend is the cause of his problems. He is obviously drunk,and starts heading towards us. I know this guy, not a friend, but know him, so I walk towards him in a calm and curious manner and ask him why he's doing this, and then take the pipe out of his hand and threw it on the roof. At that time, the cops show up.
My only thought is to get my gear out of there and get home, so I start to load up my VW bus. The cops are parked in the space behind me on the other side of the throughway in the parking lot, watching me load up. I finish, get in, start the engine, put it in reverse, and bingo, the cops hit the siren and lights.
Great, I'm thinking, what now?
The cop comes up to my window, tells me to get out for a sobriety test, so I comply. I don't drink so this shouldn't be a problem, right? Nope, always a problem with the cops. I asked him if he thought I was drunk why he didn't confront me in the parking lot when he was watching me load. He replied that he was waiting to see if I was going to operate a motor vehicle while impaired. This, of course after all I had just been through, really made me mad and I just didn't care anymore, so I threw up in front of him and asked him if he smelled any alcohol. He said no, and I got in my bus and bailed, fully expecting me to pull me over, which thankfully, he didn't.
Oh yeah, and of course, no money for the gig.
Knucklehead went to state psychiatric hospital a few months later when he was found cooking a dog on or near some railroad tracks. Pcp had fried his brain.
So, there you have it, one of the worst gigs I've ever done, and I have many more, but most are unfit for forum compliance.