New Year's Eve Gig

[KenD]

Do you remember your first New Year's Eve gig? I do but I find it impossible to write about it because I immediately go into a terminal cringe

 

[dreamadream99]

I enjoyed my first New Year’s gig, and all the subsequent ones as well. I was raised in jazz band in a large public school. I was also a good sight reader. My first professional gig was playing with one of the four big bands in my town. I basically got to play all the charts I played growing up: Glenn Miller, the Dorsey Brothers, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Count Basie, etc. I bought my first tuxedo for this gig.

I was very fortunate to live in a large metropolitan city with plenty of music opportunities— including four working big bands. Every year all the major hotels in the downtown area had huge formal New Year’s parties. We’re talking $100 a plate, tuxedos and ball gowns, champagne toast at midnight, swingin’ the night away. In fact there were more hotels than bands. So each band would double and triple book themselves, and just send out duplicate pick up bands with the same folders to each gig. And New Year’s Eve was triple scale. So it was lucrative for everybody.

I was also fortunate to get called pretty much every year for New Year’s. The only drawback is that I never got to take a date to a New Year’s Eve party myself, because I was always working. I think in 20 years I had one New Year’s Eve off, and got to do my own thing that year.

I remember being disappointed when I first came to Canada, and not seeing the same level of enthusiasm regarding society New Year’s parties. Even in the big cities up here, we are lucky if there is one swanky New Year’s event. I haven’t played a single New Year’s event in Canada— not like the old days in the US. I freely admit that I miss them.

 

[Winslow]

I was a drummer at the time. I got asked to play with a pickup band at a private celebration. My best friend came along to act as "roadie," and help me load in my kit (basically, an excuse to come to the party). He also brought along his VHS camcorder to chronicle the evening's events. I don't drink while I'm "working" (Who wants to play with a drunk drummer?), so I let my buddy have my allocation of "complimentary" beverages.

Once I was set up, he went straight to the bar, and got started making a dent in the free booze. He was cheerfully wasted well before midnight, eventually providing his own form of a "show," spinning around on the dance floor by himself (handheld camcorder rolling all the while), air-guitar windmilling, and "singing" along with us, directly into the camera's mic, but providing his own "drunken-alternate" lyrics. The most memorable rendition he came up with centered on his then-girlfriend, lamenting the fact that she had elected to go to a different party, elsewhere.

My friend's antics aside, one highlight of the evening (not caught on tape) was the unexpected "happy new year" kiss I was surprised with from the wife of one of my bandmates. (Purely platonic, of course, but... yowza! She was a doll, and a good kisser.) That made quite an impression.

We played for another hour or so, by which time, my would-be "roadie" buddy was barely able to stand upright. I loaded out my kit by myself, then loaded him into the car. He slept off his revels on the floor of my place.

The videotape, incidentally, survived the night. It has become the source of a great many laughs, and a few decades' worth of "I can't believe I did that" embarrassment for my friend.

Even without the tape, he is still talked about by my old bandmate, who often asks how my friend is doing. "Hey you remember that crazy guy you brought to the New Years' Eve party??"

Sure, I remember him. He's still my best friend.

He's now married, and a thoroughly responsible citizen. His wife was recently treated to a screening of a "highlight reel" from the infamous tape, which I digitized to preserve. I was told all she said was:

"You guys are idiots."


Guilty by association, I guess.


Happy New Year.

 

[JC BASS 91]

Been playing for over 30 years and tonight is the first NYE gig I have ever done.

 

[KenD]

I enjoyed my first New Year’s gig, and all the subsequent ones as well. I was raised in jazz band in a large public school. I was also a good sight reader. My first professional gig was playing with one of the four big bands in my town. I basically got to play all the charts I played growing up: Glenn Miller, the Dorsey Brothers, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Count Basie, etc. I bought my first tuxedo for this gig.

I was very fortunate to live in a large metropolitan city with plenty of music opportunities— including four working big bands. Every year all the major hotels in the downtown area had huge formal New Year’s parties. We’re talking $100 a plate, tuxedos and ball gowns, champagne toast at midnight, swingin’ the night away. In fact there were more hotels than bands. So each band would double and triple book themselves, and just send out duplicate pick up bands with the same folders to each gig. And New Year’s Eve was triple scale. So it was lucrative for everybody.

I was also fortunate to get called pretty much every year for New Year’s. The only drawback is that I never got to take a date to a New Year’s Eve party myself, because I was always working. I think in 20 years I had one New Year’s Eve off, and got to do my own thing that year.

I remember being disappointed when I first came to Canada, and not seeing the same level of enthusiasm regarding society New Year’s parties. Even in the big cities up here, we are lucky if there is one swanky New Year’s event. I haven’t played a single New Year’s event in Canada— not like the old days in the US. I freely admit that I miss them.

Were you playing electric or double bass?

 

[Reedt2000]

Used to do one every year, left the bands that were working like that and playing in a much more laid back band now. No NYE gig this year and I don't miss it (though the pay was usually nice ).

Would always be a late gig, often with travel. People all drunk doing things like trying to get on stage, or cut across the stage to get to the bathroom. Drinks spilled everywhere, people putting their drinks on the subs so they could dance.

I don't need the money enough to wanna put up with that anymore (that's right kids... get the %#$@ off my lawn... )

 

[Pdaddy1978]

Honestly, I don't remember my first new years eve gig.
But it would have been in the mid to late 70s, probably a house party, probably a kegger, and probably fun as hell.
That gave way to 30 years of playing pretty much EVERY new years eve.
I've maintained that there was 2 nights a year when ANY band can get a gig. New years eve, and Halloween. The party and event scene was so strong on those days that even the worst band of garage warriors could get hired, as all the really good bands were snapped up with big paydays.
Of course, this also meant my long suffering wife, God bless her, never got a midnight kiss.
I was busy playing Auld Lang Syne.

 

[2saddleslab]

Can't remember the 1st NYE gig but tonight's gig is 6-9 and I should be home in time for a nap before the ball drops.

 

[john_g]

Been playing for over 30 years and tonight is the first NYE gig I have ever done.

Almost the same here...Ive been playing for over 30 years, have been in busy bands including my current one, and have never played a NYE gig. Current band doesnt play it because singer has kids and they do stuff as a family each NYE. He said once they get old enough to not want to hang around their parents he will but for now its off the table. Im ready to though.

 

[StyleOverShow]

Playing since HS, graduated in 1968 and I’ll be damned if I can’t remember my first NYE. I do remember one holiday when my drummer buddy called me the afternoon of with a gig. I was home with an 11 month old baby in the first years of my straight daytime life after a decade of road life. I showed up and discovered that I was the lead singer for the night, ugh. Thank goodness for the good mood as I sloughed through sets of don’t know the words… Results, good time for all except me.

 

[Eli_Kyiv]

Yep. It was 7 years ago. A lot of cringe, but still a lot of fun.

Actually, my first gig at the age of 16 was just a couple of days before NYE. I was playing drums then.

 

[J Wilson]

I've done better ones and I've done worse ones. I routinely hated every last one of them.

Why?

Because while I was more than used to the 'regulars' I had on a lot clubs we played, or the steady, hardcore drinkers that would come in and out, NYE . . . always brought out the Amateurs !
These were the normal, salt of the earth, never miss a day of work, Sunday school attending, God Fearing Normal People . . . . who ONCE a year would go out to party on NYE, and get in over their head real fast. They were usually the most obnoxious, the loudest, the quickest to throw up RIGHT THERE at the table, get in fights, and probably have the hardest time getting home.

I did take great satisfaction knowing that they would suffer raging hangovers tomorrow with no clue how to get over one, and suffer like dogs.

But I must admit, some of the Greatest Stoopid Human Tricks I ever saw they pulled, so it was fun until they just lost it.

Surprising to me is that today, what with DUI enforcement and fines so much more (deservedly) severe than they were when I started in the 70's, the
Hotel' NYE packages where you partied in the Hotel club, had a midnight buffet, and crawled back to your room without ever going to your car is nowhere near as common now (when it would be a great idea for most people) as it was back then.

So kids, take John Anderson's advice:

 

[GreyBeard]

1969 at a night club in Fairmont WV called "The Elbow Room".

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

I do, because it was the first time I ever got paid for playing bass. $34, my cut of the $100. Changed my life.

 

[LordRyan]

The first NYE gig I can remember was at a nightclub across the street from the police station in Salem, Oregon. The police figure in another story that is not relevant here. We had a six piece band that played this club six nights a week until 2 AM every night. We were all under age and played there for three months straight drawing good crowds. For NYE 1970 I suggested to the band that we all get Kazoos and use them to play Auld Lang Syne at midnight. It worked great. All six of us could play Kazoo while playing our respective instruments. Each Kazoo was a different novelty shape and the audience loved it. Not sure where I got the idea but it might have been because The Grateful Dead used Kazoo on their Anthem of the Sun album which I listened to quite a bit at the time.

 

[bass12]

I enjoyed my first New Year’s gig, and all the subsequent ones as well. I was raised in jazz band in a large public school. I was also a good sight reader. My first professional gig was playing with one of the four big bands in my town. I basically got to play all the charts I played growing up: Glenn Miller, the Dorsey Brothers, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Count Basie, etc. I bought my first tuxedo for this gig.

I was very fortunate to live in a large metropolitan city with plenty of music opportunities— including four working big bands. Every year all the major hotels in the downtown area had huge formal New Year’s parties. We’re talking $100 a plate, tuxedos and ball gowns, champagne toast at midnight, swingin’ the night away. In fact there were more hotels than bands. So each band would double and triple book themselves, and just send out duplicate pick up bands with the same folders to each gig. And New Year’s Eve was triple scale. So it was lucrative for everybody.

I was also fortunate to get called pretty much every year for New Year’s. The only drawback is that I never got to take a date to a New Year’s Eve party myself, because I was always working. I think in 20 years I had one New Year’s Eve off, and got to do my own thing that year.

I remember being disappointed when I first came to Canada, and not seeing the same level of enthusiasm regarding society New Year’s parties. Even in the big cities up here, we are lucky if there is one swanky New Year’s event. I haven’t played a single New Year’s event in Canada— not like the old days in the US. I freely admit that I miss them.

I don't know how things in Montreal compare to the U.S. where New Year's Eve is concerned but there is definitely no shortage of NYE events here (though probably not the kinds of events you're likely to find a big band playing at).

 

[paddydaddyo]

I played every NYE for 20 or so years, the last time was in 2010. Always used to be fun, except for one that was outdoors in the Maine weather! Now I wouldn't play anywhere except for a casino or hotel with on-site lodging included. No more driving home at 3AM with all the drunks being on the road for me!

Best paying one by far was 1999/2000 when I took a $1500 non-refundable deposit 10 months in advance to book a NYE wedding reception. Every good act was in high demand for the (supposed) millennium NYE gig, and deposits were always required for my band bookings. Typically they were partly refundable over a reasonable period, but this was the NYE to end all NYEs ... AND a wedding reception, so it was non-refundable. The client agreed and returned the signed contract with the deposit in early March. Exactly one month later, the bride-to-be called me and cancelled. Before I could even offer my condolences (let alone bring up the agreement), she said, "And I'm glad you're keeping the deposit; it came out of his pocket anyway, the cheating bastard!"

I ended up booking the band for another gig that NYE, and giving each of the guys a $200 tip from the one we didn't play.

It was a Happy New Year indeed!
(well, at least for us in the band ...)

 

[bassfran]

Somewhere in the 80’s I got a last minute fill in at a neighborhood bar in Bridgeport (Chicago). I only knew the caller vaguely at best and didn’t know any of the other players. We backed some dude w/a pompador and played 50’s and 60’s covers for what I remember to be an appreciative crowd.

I mustn’t have been that good because I never saw any of them again after that. Ha!

 

[biobass]

Mine was indeed cringe worthy. I believe it was New Year’s Eve, 1967, I was in 9th grade and was in an absolutely horrible band. We knew zilch about playing music, and what we were trying to play - Hendrix, Airplane, Animals, etc. - wasn’t really what NYE venues were looking for. One of my 8th grade teachers must have been on the entertainment committee of his fraternal organization. He called me up a few days before New Year’s Eve and begged me to have my band play. I told him straight out that a) we weren’t ready, b) we weren’t any good, and c) he would hate our music. He persisted, wore me down, so I agreed to have the band play for $100 total thinking that was too much and he wouldn’t agree. He was desperate! Needless to say, a, b, and c were accurate as stated. I don’t believe my teacher was ever on the entertainment committee after that.

 

[roccobass]

Can't put a definite time stamp on it.
Mine was back in the primeval house party/multi-kegger Middle Earth days when we had the stamina and vigor of a roving herd of wild mustangs. Everything was glorious and we played for honor, beer and the occasional moments of "lady luck" if you know what I mean. All I know is that it probably started about 5 or 6pm and continued to midnight or when the cops showed up. Ah! Those were the days.