—by Solenn Grand

When an event agency contacted me for a gig, I was told it was for a conference where the speaker wanted “water sounds.” An annoying request, but money is money, so I accepted.

When I arrived at the hotel conference room, I was greeted by a very polite man who introduced himself as the speaker. It didn’t take long to realize he was a self-proclaimed preacher who believed he was Jesus. 

Things took an even more bizarre turn when the event started. In front of about thirty attendees, he began shouting his sermon with intense fervor. Then, in dramatic fashion, he started “exorcising” people—blowing on them and sending them tumbling backward onto the floor. One by one, they dropped like dominoes.

At that point, I decided to leave earlier than planned. The whole thing was unsettling, to say the least. By the time I walked out, at least 10 people were lying on the ground, supposedly “healed.”

Moral of the story? Always ask exactly what kind of gig you’re signing up for. •