Remember your first gig?

[Colin]

my first paid gig was at a place called the Samford pub. The local football team where having their end of season party and it was fancy dress. So you can imagine what some of these blokes where wearing, men dressed in womens clothing etc. The night was going OK until an opposing team gatecrashed and this almighty brawl erupted. I ended up with the girl singer hiding behind the PA until the brawl moved into the carpark. It ended with someone driving a car through the mêlée and one person lost a knuckle. It made our Sunday paper and I will never forget that gig. BTW I'm booked there next month

 

[Jimmyb]

My first gig was at a local civic hall.

We were given about 30 seconds of soundcheck (one of the other bands had taken an hour and all they seemed to do was talk to some guy called 'Tim' through the PA) so for our 30 seconds we played something in E with the lyrics of 'Tim, Tim, Tim, Tim-Tim'. Quite inspired...

We probably sounded like the band in the clip, but it was fun (for us at least)

Oh, and the other band were awful!!

 

[threeminutesboy]

ok ok

First gig picture as candid_x requested

we played our own songs, the gtr was a cheap strat copy (Hohner 59 ST) that I don't own anymore, the amp is gone too as well as the effects (Boss DD3 and Turbo Dist)

it was in 1988 in front of 200 students in the engineer school ah ah ah

 

[Jimmyb]

Cool! Curly leads craziness!

 

[Bungo]

Cool! Curly leads craziness!

Ah! Nostalgia! I remember when all my leads were curly.

Did I read/see somewhere recently that they're about to make a come back or did I dream it?

 

[Jimmyb]

Some people really like them. They reckon the high impedance of the cable helps to give them a more 'authentic' vintage tone....

I found one the other day in a bag of cables that my bass playing friend was trowing away. Think I'll sell it on e-bay for thousands!!

 

[fogman]

I thought the video of the final countdown was bad!

I was/is!!!

If you look on the right hand side of the page where the related videos are listed, the Final Countdown is there!!!

 

[candid_x]

ok ok

First gig picture as candid_x requested

we played our own songs, the gtr was a cheap strat copy (Hohner 59 ST) that I don't own anymore, the amp is gone too as well as the effects (Boss DD3 and Turbo Dist)

it was in 1988 in front of 200 students in the engineer school ah ah ah

Thanks man! Love it, looks great, especially the “designer” t-shirts! Definitely mid 80's hair . Right on on the originals too.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

The first gig that I can at least remember was at my school, Lampton school in Hounslow. We played a couple of songs with no bass player (we didnt have one!) and we were called 'Stud'! I used an Aria superstrat type guitar and my Squier 15 amp. I dont remember how well we went down, but I was buzzing for ages! I was 16 years old.

 

[Adwex]

I'll never forget my first gig. 1994, we were a fledgling cover band (a bunch of wannabees, with minimal talent, and loud instruments), with only a few tunes ready. A good friend of mine had a really good cover band, and they often let friends/guests "sit in". Well, we were the "guest band", we're gonna do 2 songs. Our time comes to play, first song goes well. 2nd song (Bastille Day), the drummer misses an important snare drum cue, and for what seemed like an eternity (about 10 seconds), we were all off the beat, and struggling to get back together. It was the worst 10 seconds of my life.

 

[candid_x]

It was the worst 10 seconds of my life.

Roaring with laughter here!

How many of you guys (or gals) have experienced nightmares about playing a gig and forgetting everything, the song list, the words, the chords?

Ah, the trauma of it all.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Roaring with laughter here!

How many of you guys (or gals) have experienced nightmares about playing a gig and forgetting everything, the song list, the words, the chords?

Ah, the trauma of it all.

Oh for sure!!

It wasn't my first gig and we had been doing the local clubs for quite some time - was the early 80's.
We were doing "Tumbling Dice" and I was doing guitar and vocals. Trouble is I just couldn't remember the very first line. My missus was sat at the side of the stage and I was pleading with her "WHAT THE F@@@ is the first line - literally had her by the throat !! lol!

My first big gig was in the New Moon Club Cardiff in the 70's and there were two guitarists watching at the back
Paul Chapman - (UFO)
and Mickey Gee - (Bill Wyman)
Boy, I pooped myself !!!!

Spud

 

[robelinda2]

my first gig i played Little Wing, i was about 16. hadnt practiced standing up playing so i sat on a chair on stage, looked like a total dork, the rest of the band disowned me! the singer was one of those jumping around types, but at rehearsal she just stood there. pretty embarassing for me really. played ok from what i can remember. not much mental scarring.

my 2nd gig was opening for some band that included 2 guys from Rose Tattoo ( aussie band ) and they were LOUD, bass player had an ernormous rig, and the whole venue was clutching its stomach, it was pumping low and loud. so low in fact that as i was about to get on stage my stomach gave way and i spewed up twice on my self, and once on the bass player with the big rig. the dude looked like he just got out prison after a 10 year stretch, and pumped iron every day,BIG guy. he swore at me, called me all sorts, then said have a nice gig "chucky".

took years to get rid of that name.

 

[Lucidology]

Oh Rob... what a story... "Chucky"... Damn, I can only imagine that must of been truly a tuff one to shake ...

My question to you is this: Did you have the mullet haircut in those days..?

'Little Wing' is quite an ambitious tune to play for your very first gig (says a lot about your playing ability I'm sure)...

I still have never learned Little Wing, even though I met Hendrix when I was just a wee kid (I didn't even know who he was at the time ... )

 

[MusicMan_Luke]

wouha, my first gig...so good memories about that, I was a keyboard player at this time, school gig exactly, we played some status quo stuff, ZZ Top, even Beverly Hills Cop songs!! lol
My first gig as a guitar player was very particular, it was with some guys from my school band. Very nice guys, we're still friends yet, and we play together again sometimes. For this gig we had our own songs, some blues and rock stuff. I played on my Squier Stratocaster, on a Drive 50W Amp, lol, and a small Ibanez distortion pedal. Little rig, lol!!

 

[robelinda2]

Oh Rob... what a story... "Chucky"... Damn, I can only imagine that must of been truly a tuff one to shake ...

My question to you is this: Did you have the mullet haircut in those days..?

'Little Wing' is quite an ambitious tune to play for your very first gig (says a lot about your playing ability I'm sure)...

I still have never learned Little Wing, even though I met Hendrix when I was just a wee kid (I didn't even know who he was at the time ... )

no i didnt have the mullet!!! though i'm thinking of bringing it back as a joke.....

little wing aint so hard, i felt like a dork playing it, its one of those tunes thats a little over-played.

 

[Colin]

its one of those tunes thats a little over-played.

It's a great tune to clear the dancefloor...

 

[Lucidology]

It's a great tune to clear the dancefloor...

That's quite true you know Colin...
I've seen many a band play it & the audience totally lose interest...
especially if the band is player for a roomful of dancers.

I never learned to play "Little Wing"
but certainly took a few ideas from it here & there...
Come to think of it, during my career as a full-time guitarist,
I've never learned any tune note for note ever....
Except for playing the right chords & arrangements,
it's bascially been improvisation from the get go....

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

That's quite true you know Colin...
I've seen many a band play it & the audience totally lose interest...
especially if the band is player for a roomful of dancers.

I never learned to play "Little Wing"
but certainly took a few ideas from it here & there...
Come to think of it, during my career as a full-time guitarist,
I've never learned any tune note for note ever....
Except for playing the right chords & arrangements,
it's bascially been improvisation from the get go....

I never learn tunes note for note - thats way boring!

 

[tristan]

no, but I have a pic