Backstage Concert Memories Pt. 4 — Bridget the Midget Gets Booed Off Stage

In honor of our Rockin' the Railroad "Roadie for a Day" contest, I have been sharing some of my favorite concert stories this week.  The fourth, and final chapter, of my backstage concert memories is all about a former porn star named "Bridget the Midget".

Bridget Powers made a name for herself by appearing in hundreds of adult films.  She later parlayed that fame into a mainstream movie career and even appeared in the VH1 network reality show "The Surreal Life".  She also sang in a punk band called Bridget the Midget and Blakkout.  Several years ago, I saw first hand how appropriate that band name really was.

Back in the early 2000's, Bridget would travel around the country making appearances at local gentlemen's clubs.  One day, she came to our radio station to promote her appearance at a classy joint called "Golddigger's".  When I found out that Bridget sang in a band, I immediately offered her band a spot to perform at our next big radio station concert festival.

A few months later, Bridget brought her band to town...and almost ended up committing suicide.  I don't remember exactly how many bands played our festival that year, but I know Bridget's band went on in the afternoon.  When they pulled into the backstage area before the show, I noticed that she was already drinking.

By the time her band took the stage a few hours later, she could barely stand.  Keep in mind, she's a dwarf, so her gate wasn't very steady to begin with.  After slurring her way through the first song, Bridget yelled in the microphone "How You Guys Doing?"

I can honestly say I have never heard a louder chorus of boos from an audience before or since.  And they didn't let up.  By the end of the second song, the crowd was chanting "You Suck".  And they were right.  Her band was terrible.  Finally, about 15 minutes into their set, Bridget stormed off the stage.  The crowd cheered.

By this point, Bridget was devastated.  She was sobbing uncontrollably.  She actually climbed on top of the white conversion van that the band had rented to drive to the concert and threatened to jump off.  It was one of the craziest things I have ever witnessed.  Trying to convince a drunk, midget porn star not to jump off the roof of a van is something you never truly forget.

Luckily, my then girlfriend had struck up a friendship with Bridget before her band had been booed off the stage.  She was able to talk Bridget down from the van.  A bunch of the guys from the other bands tried to console Bridget, but the damage had been done.  Bridget was now curled up under the seat of the van and refused to come out.  Finally, nearly an hour later, one of her band mates convinced her to exit the van and come outside.

The last time I saw Bridget, she was wiping the tears away from her mascara stained face and trying to put on a brave face.  She even cracked a fake smile as the band pulled out of the backstage area and we all waved goodbye.