New Year's Eve Gig

[Geogio]

Big HS, a couple good bands, every HS had a couple.

Big house, lots of dates, lots of dancing etc... good gig. No money involved but the freebies and gigs carried over until we graduated and went our separate ways. The old days. What fun they were.

 

[Matt O]

Do you remember your first New Year's Eve gig?

Yes.

 

[jimmydean]

Two first for me all those years ago , first time playing fretless on a gig and first time someone asked for my autograph .

 

[gln1955]

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.

Doing 6-10 tonight at the VFW. Those folks want to go home, get in their jammies and fall asleep in front of the TV waiting for the ball to drop. Suits me.

 

[Odinbass]

Yeah it was disappointing. Just another bar gig but with nicer clothes and food. I usually try to talk my way out of NYE gigs but this year I failed.

 

[Core Creek]

I think my first NYE gig was Y2K. I recall standing outside on a break right after midnight with some other band members looking around saying “well, I guess the world didn’t end” and returning to the stage for our last set.

 

[dune]

I honestly can't remember if it was the very first NYE gig I ever played or just the earliest one I can remember, but the hard rock/heavy metal band I was a member of in 1982 was approached by the Jaycees of a nearby little hamlet to play at their NYE bash. The only caveat was that we had to learn "Free Bird" so we did. I'll mention here that the Jaycees of this tiny little midwestern town were also all members of the same biker gang, although that fact doesn't really have any impact on the story. So, the venue was, for all intents and purposes, a big ol' pole barn replete with big ol' pole barn acoustics. Probably by the third set the volume was such that all one heard on any given song was 4 stick clicks followed by several minutes of massive, all-encompassing roar. There was NO definition whatsoever. NONE. We were in the middle of "Toys in the Attic" and I feel a tap on my shoulder. It's one of our lead guitarists and he is full-on windmilling his flying V over and over with his left hand completely off the neck. He's laughing and screams into my ear: "You can't even tell!!!" and he was right. I certainly couldn't anyway. In spite of that, we had to do at least a couple of encores and the ovation we got at the end of the night was like we were The Beatles. That's the power of alcohol.

 

[wboyd68]

I don't remember my first, but I remember the last which was back in 1993. So it's been over 30 years and in a few hours I will be playing this one.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

I bailed on NYE 25 years ago, both as a player and sound tech.

The only thing that might entice me to do it again is a boat load of cash, private facilities, great catering and an effortless crew. Other than that, no thanks...

I even know pro comedians and commuter rail engineers who take the evening off.

 

[Liam Wald]

My first New Years Eve gig was in 1971. Back in those days it was like a thing in the musical community that I revolved in that if you didn't have a New Years Eve gig you weren't a "real" musician. These days I would rather just stay home.

 

[Wavy]

NYE 1979.

The Zodiac Lounge, Fort Nelson, BC.

Mile 300 on the Alaska Hiway. Dark all the time, although it got grey in the afternoon.

Loggers and oil riggers were not allowed in the club at the same time, because they fought.

Drinks were $6:50 each. Crazy prices for 1979, but welcome to The Frontier.

Place was jammed to over capacity.

Waitresses were on the dance floor with the Mounties who were supposed to be patrolling the hiway but were too drunk.

Perturbed patrons couldn’t get drinks.

What a freaking zoo.

 

[ryco]

The first New Year Eve gig I remember was just out of high school '75.
My high school cover band had broken up and I was invited to play a party where I think I knew one person - not a player, just a buddy.
I ended up getting very wasted and passed out. When I woke up my bass, a '65 EB0 modded to EB3, was gone. Stolen.
The drummer, who I had just met, had just recently been released from reform school. He said "I'll get it back for you", and he did. About a week later. Went over to his place, but the bass was in pieces with some serious scratches in the face of it.
I took it to a guitar friend who was very good at wood working and he declared it "a lost cause". He still has the pieces up in the rafters of his garage.
So learned a lesson the hard way. Didn't pick up a bass for a couple of years. Then in '77 bought a fretless Ripper new from Kalamazoo. Still play it to this day.

This will be a rare New Years Eve I will not be playing. Maybe next year!
Happy New Year, everybody!! HAVE FUN! BE SAFE!

 

[Bassquest]

I can't remember my last, let alone my first New Year's Eve gig.

 

[Spacecoastbass]

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.

 

[Spacecoastbass]

Well…. I just love this group of musicians! I too was a drummer. So many drummers convert to bass. I’m still a drummer as my main instrument but feel so at home with my bass buds. I hope to contribute to the art of bass in spirit if not in appreciation at some point before the Lord calls me home.

I was 14 playing with great guys my age now(okay maybe a tad younger). NYE was Saturday night so we played T/F/S. 8-4 T&F, 9-1 S. So much cigarette smoke in that venue my eyes were watering uncontrollably by the 4th set. If my over 50 brain is accurate I took home $410 between 5 band mates. Blew my mind! It’s called GAS these days but to my teenage mind that ment 1 great microphone(SM 57 snare top), a new crash cymbal, used Fender Mustang bass and gas/date money for my older girlfriend that could drive. 41 years later—> still drumming, still loving the bass and hopefully still making folks feel some music that enriches their soul! Here I am working NYE flying airplanes wishing I was playing music. Press on my brothers!!!

 

[Spacecoastbass]

NYE 1979.

The Zodiac Lounge, Fort Nelson, BC.

Mile 300 on the Alaska Hiway. Dark all the time, although it got grey in the afternoon.

Loggers and oil riggers were not allowed in the club at the same time, because they fought.

Drinks were $6:50 each. Crazy prices for 1979, but welcome to The Frontier.

Place was jammed to over capacity.

Waitresses were on the dance floor with the Mounties who were supposed to be patrolling the hiway but were too drunk.

Perturbed patrons couldn’t get drinks.

What a freaking zoo.

Live in AK for 2 years. Yep you nailed the vibe!

 

[rjmsteel]

Really cannot remember an early NYE gig, but likely when on the road with the Hotel/ Lounge circuit in the early `80`s.

 

[matthewbrown]

I was 16 years old in a rock'n'roll band; we traveled out to the country ranch resort out in the middle of nowhere in Florida to entertain the children of the folks staying there for the holiday. The kids were unimpressed, but I had a good time! Later, NYE gigs signaled the end of the working season on the hotel circuit in Boston with our general business band. Our BL would give us new shirts and cuff links and we'd exchange gifts.

 

[RichardW]

First and only NYE gig was 12/31/12. The venue hired us at the last minute and said "name your price," and it remains our highest paying gig. We hired a young guy to run our sound. We'd worked with him before and he had engineered a recording session for us. A talented guy, but unfortunately he got totally wasted during the set. At one point we were getting feedback--we're all looking at the mixer and saying "where is Johnny?" (not his real name). He was AWOL and I think making out in the corner with a patron. Needless to say, we never worked with him again. I wonder if he even remembers that show...

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, we normally played every other weekend at a lounge, but they'd brought in a special 'show band' for NYE so we had the night off.
The Musician's Local set us up with a small-town gig about 90 miles away. I remember getting a steak dinner, so I guess it was also a restaurant.
I wonder if the union told them we were a show band.