Okay, I'll throw in a first gig story...

My band at the time got a gig at an open mic night at a club in Austin. We show up and load in at the appointed time. Since it was an open mic, we used the house drums. Our drummer just brought his cowbell (Bruce Dickinson/Chris Walken wasn't present, or we would have made some gold records ).

I'd never played in front of people before, so needless to say I was a bit nervous, as in I suddenly forgot what this chunk of wire and wood was strapped around me, and how to use it.

First song hits, and we're doing well. The band is tight, and people are getting into the music. I look over to the other guitar player to my right and see him narrowly avoid getting hit in the eye by a flying drumstick. Our drummer played one handed until he could get another stick, never missing a beat. We get through the second verse and into the chorus, and over the din I hear a loud BOOOOOOOM!. The drummer's cowbell slipped off of it's bracket, and he threw it, slamming it against the metal door, all while playing one handed again.

The rest of the set went well, and all 15 people that were there to watch enjoyed the show. It was a dinky club, with almost nobody there, but by the time we were through, I felt like a god among men. Just a completely awesome experience.