First gig story...

[Jimi75]

Jimi's story brings up some questions:

I assume that there are often ego wars between the guitar players from different bands.

For you road warriors how well did you get along with bands that you shared the bill with?

Ever jam with other guitarists after the show?

Never had a problem with other bands. Sure we jammed with otehr bands that we played and toured with. This one guy was really an exception and I do not understand his reaction.

[sunvalleylaw]

Steve, I can't believe I wrote it that way! Thanks for reposting and sorry dude for my harsh comment ;-) But these crocks...man.....you know...

No way Jimi!!! I thought it was totally funny!!! That is why I reposted it!. :

[Spudman***]

For you road warriors how well did you get along with bands that you shared the bill with?

Ever jam with other guitarists after the show?

I did a tour to support a record that our singer and other guitarist had put out on the East coast. We worked with different bands some of the tour but there was usually one or two that were constant. We all got along great, respected each other for what they did and at the end of each night who ever had the headline spot allowed the other band's members to join in on an encore or two. Usually it was just singing but a couple of times there was still an extra amph on stage. Usually the previous band removed their back line before the other bands went on.

Other bands that would come see us play or were on the same bill all got along fine. We really supported each other and were friendly. However, when the lights went down we all tried to out do each other.:

I loved playing first and letting other bands go on afterward. While they were playing we would be stealing their women.:

[grungeiceman]

Ohh god, this wasn't my first gig but it was a fun one, I was playing drums for a band, because there drummer was out of town and I was the only one who could play that was willing, I guess it was a hour before we had to play and a bunch of the musicians were jamming and I was behind the drums and then, two of the guitar players, that were both trying to solo at the same time, began to get a little edgy, and that became a guitar battle, lol it was funny how serious they were, one of them I knew pretty well and he was probably the better of the two but the people started going for the other guy because his band was a little better known, and I was just watching this all from behind the set, when I hear through the mic,"My drummer can play better then you" and I didn't understand what he meant at first and I looked puzzled, then all of a sudden I was being handed a guitar, I was really nervous all of a sudden, I glared at my friend and unwillingly got up there, well I played a bunch of shred stuff I was messing around with which wasn't very impressive, at least I didn't think, I "accidentally" stepped on his guitar cable forcing him to come unplugged and I finished my solo while he was gathering himself, and they wouldn't even let the man play, ahh it was a fun night. No hard feelings either.

[t_ross33]

Jimi's story brings up some questions: For you road warriors how well did you get along with bands that you shared the bill with?

Ever jam with other guitarists after the show?

I've had great experiences with other musicians, and have never ran into big egos. Our gig opening for the Poverty Plainsmen last summer was an awesome experience and they were a great bunch of guys - very supportive and encouraging. Since the gig was in our drummer's hometown, it was "our" crowd and they wanted to do whatever they could to make sure we had a good night. Quite the opposite from what I expected from a major headlining band.

My earliest experiences were playing with my Dad at local jams etc. When he started to do the country music festival "circuit" in the early 80's there was more jamming around campfires and campers then there was on stage. Good times, good times I learned SO much about rhthym, timing and picking up on songs you've never played before from sitting in on those sessions.

[just strum]

Someday I shall post one.

[Plank_Spanker]

A long, long time ago.......................................

Our manager set up three bands to play at a huge skating ring, with three separate stages, PA, lights and all - to shoot promo video. I was using a wireless and before we went on, I noticed another guitar coming through my amp. I found the player in the other band and asked him to please keep his wireless off when we did our set. He basically told me to get bent.

So..............................

I switched to a cord and we played our set, but I could see him trying to play over me with his wireless and laughing. We finished our set and it was their turn up. Genius boy didn't have the grey matter to switch to a cord. I snuck behind their stage when they were up with my wireless and had a great time hammering away at off key gibberish to be heard from his amp. He lost his mind, but never tried to grab a cord.

Payback - Satisfying

The look on his face while he was running around with his hair on fire trying to figure out what to do - Priceless

He didn't say a word to me when we all loaded out..................

[Spudman***]

That's a great story Planky. I would have loved to witness that.

[Brian Krashpad]

I actually have two stories, since what was supposed to be our first gig kinda didn't happen.

The Atomics was my first band, begun in the Fall of 1980 when I was in my 3rd year of law school. Everyone else in the band was undergrad age or younger (our drummer was about 14 or 15!). We played a bizarre batch of covers that basically just included anything we liked, from hard rock to punk to power pop to new wave.

Our first show was to have been at Lake Wauberg, a receation area for the University of Florida located just south of Gainesville. We agreed to play for free (as was true of almost all our shows) since there would be food and beer at this party hosted by some law school group. After schlepping our PA to the hall, tearing through our soundcheck ending with our deconstruction (most Atomics songs were deconstructions, as we seldom if ever attempted note-for-note covers, and hadn't any keyboards despite that numerous songs we covered did!) of Led Zep's "Rock and Roll," the noise complaints from the rich folks living on the other side of the lake began pouring in.

We were unceremoniously asked to leave, since the "guests" there had all paid a few bucks to get in and we had not. It was not even sugggested that we kick in a few bucks to stay, much less that our efforts in practicing up 4 sets of material and hauling and setting up, and then striking and loading out, our PA and backline might've been worth something. Our drummer, Chad, and our bassist Frank both wanted to commit a little mayhem in return for such shabby treatment, and in retrospect, that's exactly what we should've done. But I prevailed on them to simply eat and drink as much as we could during an extended load-out.

The Atomics' actual debut came a month or so later at another kegger, this time at an apartment complex then called Maracaibo Manor. We played 4 sets, marred only by my vocal mangling of the Records' "Starry Eyes." My brother Kerry and Kerry's friend Mike both sang leads on several songs. People danced and had a good time, and George Tabb [who has subsequently become semi-famous in punk rock circles via his column in the punk zine "MaximumRockNRoll" and his friendship with (and extremely short duration employment as a roadie by) the Ramones] and Bob Fetts of the local punk band Roach Motel slammed to our rendition of the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated."

After we ran out of material, George Tabb somewhat sheepishly approached me and asked if Roach Motel could play a set on our equipment. Our bassist Frank, who also played in RM as their drummer, vouched for them so we said OK. They played a short set of 5 or 6 songs including "Burger King Is Dead" and "Brooke Shields Must Die."

Here are some pics of that fateful night!

Me:



Roach Motel playing our gear:



BK

[serries 10]

my first gig was a battle of the bands

[Brian Krashpad]

my first gig was a battle of the bands

And...?

What happened? Where was it? Did you have fun? How old were you? What gear did you use; what songs did you play?

A smidge more detail, por favor.

[Plank_Spanker]

I played alot of gigs even in my teens..............................I can't remember my very first gig.

They all run together after a while....................

[tot_Ou_tard]

Great stories all!

It's good to know that musicians care about the music. If it were me, I'd be rejuvenated by being able to jam with new people.

[Spudman***]

And then there was the time....

We were playing my birthday in Great Falls Montana in a very nice and big A club. I had a good buzz going by the last set. At this point in the tour most of the material I could put on automatic and still do a decent job, so I partied. It was my birthday after all.

I usually get up on stage after breaks before everyone else does so that I can make sure my guitars are tuned and all my gear is ready to go for the next set. As I got done tuning at my amp with my back to the crowd, I turned around and walked up to the front of the stage to plug into my effects. This was just at the time the rest of the band was coming up on stage after the break.

Each of them wished me a happy birthday...with a cream pie!

I had cream pie all over me, my effects, my monitor, mike stand, guitar and the spot I stood on stage. It's quite a shock when it happens and then the set began so I couldn't go get cleaned up. Good thing I was buzzed. Happy birthday to me.