This idea popped into my head after eating alot of pizza. I thought some people might get a laugh out of this and it might actually make for a pretty decent LARP if executed correctly.
The idea is as follows: Four crew are assigned to play the four members of one of the world’s leading rock and roll outfits (think Spinal Tap, or Deja Voodoo with the money and publicity of Motorhead), and the game is set around the night of the first stop on their latest world tour, celebrating the end of their six-year hiatus (creative differences). The other crew would play roles such as police officers, rabid fans, venue management, and et cetera.
The players would take on the role of the stage crew, band manager, PR people, roadies, and members of the opening act (have fun coming up with this one!).
Though these guys are a goldmine for their label, they are also some of the most difficult bastards to deal with from a business and PR standpoint. The action of the game would revolve around making sure the concert goes off without a hitch-- through the ocean of mishaps. Examples:
-Missing gear and faulty equipment-- the stage has not been safety-checked in four years. The guitarist has left his prized guitar at the airport and will not play on anything else. Someone in the equipment department has provided an Xbox instead of the standard mixing desk.
-The band’s constant trouble with the police and venue management. The bass player is one drug possession, assault or public nudity offense away from 30 years imprisonment. The singer has caused $10,000 worth of property damage to the hotel room. The drummer has copped a feel on the hot venue management spokesgirl.
-Creative/interpersonal issues between the bandmates, threatening the performance. The drummer’s fiancee has just called to break up with him. The bassist is new and doesn’t know half the repertoire. The singer simply can’t work with these HACKS-- he’s TOO BIG FOR THIS BAND-- and a fistfight breaks out in the dressing room.
I’m sure as crew we could come up with plenty of absurd, gut-wrenching challenges for the player group to deal with. As far as the players go, I want to see equally absurd solutions to problems mixed in with the sensible thinking. I want nosy cops bagged and stashed in empty dressing rooms while venue management are bribed or reasoned with. I want shootouts with disgruntled, tastelessly ethnic hotel cleaning crew. I want screaming roadies making guitar solos with their mouth during sound checks when the amps are not working.
Do I hear support for this idea? I’ll start writing up a list of rules and scenarios once I see some interest.