Absolutely horrible, we'd had 2 hours practice, the drummer was atrocious, the singer was mediocre, i turned my bass' volume off mid song, was an outdoor stage, no PA support, and i had a 150w 1x12 combo.
Liam
Liam
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What was it like playing your 1st gig?
- Thread starter Eric Albany
- Start date
1988 at the Kalkar Knight Club, a small club for the small, close-knit military community in Kalkar, Germany. We were all active duty Air Force (except one guy who was a dependent) stationed there and everybody in the crowd knew us so it was more of a party atmosphere. I was still nervous but it went pretty well. I'm always probably overly critical of myself and the band but everyone had a good time, including myself, and no one made too many mistakes. We became the unofficial house band of the place for the next 5 years. It was cool, good times ...
How could anything stranger than that happen? Did a 75 million year old dino come out and crap an you? The gulls are gettin meaner and meaner these days. A young girl got attacked by 12 seagulls in New Jersey on the Ocean City board walk when I was eatin my pizza. The gulls were tryin to get 1 fry. 1 FRICKEN FRY!!!! Crazy huh?
I was playing guitar at the time. It was a local Jaycee's gig. The bass player didnt show up so we played with two guitars, drums and the singer and killed it. I puked before the gig I was so nervous.
BnB
BnB
bound'n'blocked said:
What do you mean by "killed it"? Do you mean that you rocked it or does it mean that you bombed it?
My first actual gig was solo piano at age 12 in 1962 for some function at the local country club. Fortunately, I wasn't right in the midst of folks, but kinda around the corner, to dampen the sound. I had learned to play by ear since I was very young, and had only a few songs in my repertoire (including Exodus and The Days of Wine and Roses), but I could make up a lot of stuff to get by. I don't recall being too nervous. I think I made $10 for playing an hour or so.
But, my first REAL band gig was on guitar at age 15 in 1965 for the Jaycee Follies. I remember being on the left end right beside the guy who was ready to draw the curtain. When he asked, "Are ya'll ready?" I thought I'd die. Bear in mind that while other bands in the show were playing stuff like the Ventures, some rockabilly, and soul tunes, we came out in suits and started with the theme from Goldfinger. Then we played Shangri La and the Girl From Ipanema. I think we also played Tequila. There was no band within 50 miles that could do that stuff.
The curtain opened, and there was a full house of 500 in the high school auditorium. Somewhere among those silhouettes was my mom and dad. The organ player (also the bass player), sax player, and drums vamped on the opening chords of Goldfinger. I was trembling, not knowing whether I could continue or not. Then, when I hit those first three twangy notes of the tune, the crowd began to clap and cheer. Goldfinger was a recent movie, and very popular at the time. My dad said that I looked scared to death when we started, but when everyone appauded I suddenly got a big grin on my face. I can barely remember what I did, but I do remember feeling relieved. What a good feeling at the start of a long career to hear the applause of appreciation. I tell ya, though, I've played since before thousands at one time and never felt as nervous as that first time before that curtain opened. Whew!
But, my first REAL band gig was on guitar at age 15 in 1965 for the Jaycee Follies. I remember being on the left end right beside the guy who was ready to draw the curtain. When he asked, "Are ya'll ready?" I thought I'd die. Bear in mind that while other bands in the show were playing stuff like the Ventures, some rockabilly, and soul tunes, we came out in suits and started with the theme from Goldfinger. Then we played Shangri La and the Girl From Ipanema. I think we also played Tequila. There was no band within 50 miles that could do that stuff.
The curtain opened, and there was a full house of 500 in the high school auditorium. Somewhere among those silhouettes was my mom and dad. The organ player (also the bass player), sax player, and drums vamped on the opening chords of Goldfinger. I was trembling, not knowing whether I could continue or not. Then, when I hit those first three twangy notes of the tune, the crowd began to clap and cheer. Goldfinger was a recent movie, and very popular at the time. My dad said that I looked scared to death when we started, but when everyone appauded I suddenly got a big grin on my face. I can barely remember what I did, but I do remember feeling relieved. What a good feeling at the start of a long career to hear the applause of appreciation. I tell ya, though, I've played since before thousands at one time and never felt as nervous as that first time before that curtain opened. Whew!
Gosh, it was fun. I was 16, one of three punk-rockers in a high school of 2000 kids. I was the little-brother bass player in my brother's band.
We opened up for our guitarist's brother's band at a rent-a-hall in DeKalb, IL. Just making the hour-ish drive out there from the southwest side of Chicago with my bandmate was worth the experience.
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That's a Cort P.
Long story short, it changed my life. Short story, we're planning a 25-year reunion show in Chicago this September.
We opened up for our guitarist's brother's band at a rent-a-hall in DeKalb, IL. Just making the hour-ish drive out there from the southwest side of Chicago with my bandmate was worth the experience.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
That's a Cort P.
Long story short, it changed my life. Short story, we're planning a 25-year reunion show in Chicago this September.
bunnykeeper said:
You're the one with the white guitar right? I can tell wether or not it's a bass.
Nobody else wants to share the story of their 1s gig with us? Did I suck up all the stories already?
Hello my fellow Americans. It is now, with the use of my iPhone, that I wish you all a good night and a happy Independence day.
Good night and God bless America.
Good night and God bless America.
Hello TB. I'm a newer bassist with playing the bass for a little over a year now. Last week, my guitarist and I decide that we are going to play an open jam at a pub close to my house. The other two members of the band were out of town. For my day job, I'm a paramedic of 15 years. I don't get adrenalin rushes anymore. I can't tell you the last time I had one.
But last week, I freaked out. On my way to the pub, I was shaking like I was on crack, cottonmouth, heart pounding away. As I got out of my car, I could feel my legs trembling underneath me. I felt drunk as I walked into the bar to find........ it was cancelled!
Talk about that rush bottoming out!!
So I called my guitarist and told him the news and he did some quick looking and found a different pub that had an open jam. As I drove to the new bar, I felt nothing. I felt like I have been a professional musician for years. My resting heart rate right before we went up was about 72 bpm. I think I was close to 180 before I went to the first bar. I went up on stage and played with little fear and played my heart out. My guitarist and I played with 4 other people who we just met and played ok. Needed to be better!
So this week was the band's first performance together as a group. We went to the same place as last week and I did feel a little anxious. Because I couldn't wait to get up on the stage.
It fells natural to be on stage! Amazing feeling!!
And clapping. Clapping is the needle to my vein! I want to play so I can hear people clapping and cheering!!
Now, we plan to play any and every open jam we can to try to get some paid gigs for the fall!!!
But last week, I freaked out. On my way to the pub, I was shaking like I was on crack, cottonmouth, heart pounding away. As I got out of my car, I could feel my legs trembling underneath me. I felt drunk as I walked into the bar to find........ it was cancelled! Talk about that rush bottoming out!!So I called my guitarist and told him the news and he did some quick looking and found a different pub that had an open jam. As I drove to the new bar, I felt nothing. I felt like I have been a professional musician for years. My resting heart rate right before we went up was about 72 bpm. I think I was close to 180 before I went to the first bar. I went up on stage and played with little fear and played my heart out. My guitarist and I played with 4 other people who we just met and played ok. Needed to be better!
So this week was the band's first performance together as a group. We went to the same place as last week and I did feel a little anxious. Because I couldn't wait to get up on the stage.
It fells natural to be on stage! Amazing feeling!! And clapping. Clapping is the needle to my vein! I want to play so I can hear people clapping and cheering!!Now, we plan to play any and every open jam we can to try to get some paid gigs for the fall!!!
My first gig was in the Summer of 1966. I was 17. We played as a "Pepsi-sponsered" band outside in a schoolyard. The Pepsi deal was your band got a last-minute call and you drove to where they told you to go. The band got $100 and all the Pepsi you could drink.
We ran through a series of three-chorders (Chuck Berry, etc.) for 45 minutes. It was a hoot to see people dancing to the music we made.
It's still a hoot.
We ran through a series of three-chorders (Chuck Berry, etc.) for 45 minutes. It was a hoot to see people dancing to the music we made.
It's still a hoot.
My first gig was playing an open mic at a coffee shop for about 40 people, and it went beautifully. Four song set nailed, responsive crowd, everything perfect.
Every single gig since then has been one cluster-f after another...
Every single gig since then has been one cluster-f after another...
My first performance as a bass player was at my Tae Kwon Do Christmas party. The performance part was the "talent show".
I had learned Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man" for the show and had known it well enough if I had the sheet music in front of me. I had my brother pull pages off of the music stand as I played. I set up so that my sound system (boom box with separate speakers) was playing the song with me and I turned the sub woofer portion off so I could play my bass over it. I had a Carlo Robelli 5 string and a GK 115 combo from the 80's. I even put stickers on every fret so I knew which number fret I was on. I had some adults tell me that was a dumb idea.....
I was really nervous playing for sure. I had a strap that had multi-colored frogs on it. The guy who introduced me showed everybody and I got applause for it. Ha. I completely forgot to tune my bass and was watching my bass so intently that I noticed my A string vibrating too much because it was down tuned to about G. I started playing the intro and after about 10 seconds, I stood up and said I needed to start again because there were too many mistakes. Several people told me, "But you sounded great!". I then told them how nervous I was and some more words of encouragement came my way. I felt better, ended up laughing a little bit, and played the song all the way through. I was sooooo nervous that my hand cramped up early on, so I just played some octaves to the beat for most of the verses. Worked out great. When I finished the song, the people that were always so nice to me were clapping for me - I was glad for that. The worst part was half the crowd never stopped talking for MY performance! There were yammering during other people's talent displays too.
I thought I was going to win for sure. Then a 3 year old kid came up and sang "We wish you a Merry Christmas" all by himself. Guess who won? Cute kid of course!
Whatever, I was a bass player for life after this.
I had learned Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man" for the show and had known it well enough if I had the sheet music in front of me. I had my brother pull pages off of the music stand as I played. I set up so that my sound system (boom box with separate speakers) was playing the song with me and I turned the sub woofer portion off so I could play my bass over it. I had a Carlo Robelli 5 string and a GK 115 combo from the 80's. I even put stickers on every fret so I knew which number fret I was on. I had some adults tell me that was a dumb idea.....
I was really nervous playing for sure. I had a strap that had multi-colored frogs on it. The guy who introduced me showed everybody and I got applause for it. Ha. I completely forgot to tune my bass and was watching my bass so intently that I noticed my A string vibrating too much because it was down tuned to about G. I started playing the intro and after about 10 seconds, I stood up and said I needed to start again because there were too many mistakes. Several people told me, "But you sounded great!". I then told them how nervous I was and some more words of encouragement came my way. I felt better, ended up laughing a little bit, and played the song all the way through. I was sooooo nervous that my hand cramped up early on, so I just played some octaves to the beat for most of the verses. Worked out great. When I finished the song, the people that were always so nice to me were clapping for me - I was glad for that. The worst part was half the crowd never stopped talking for MY performance! There were yammering during other people's talent displays too.
I thought I was going to win for sure. Then a 3 year old kid came up and sang "We wish you a Merry Christmas" all by himself. Guess who won? Cute kid of course!
Whatever, I was a bass player for life after this.
