Your first show.. EVER

Mike_Sims · February 26, 2011, 06:32:08 AM

So my band had our first show last night, ever... My first time performing in front of people ever as well. I thought I was gonna be a wreck, thought I was gonna have an anxiety attack, etc.. Didn't even drink any booze to loosen up. Then we got up there, and people were fucking digging it big time. Surprisingly there was a real big turn out too, I wasn't anxious what so ever, it's like my mind and body went into auto-pilot mode, I didn't even feel like I was thinking about shit. Felt like the biggest natural high ever, amazing feeling.. Today, I still don't even feel like it really happened... I'm interested in hearing everyone's experiences when they popped their cherry.

black_out · February 26, 2011, 09:38:08 AM

That's awesome, dude! I was crazy nervous when we played our first show. In fact, for about the first 6 months or so of playing out my stomach would be in knots the whole day of the show. Thankfully I got over it and got to the point that I can fully enjoy the experience.

mortlock · February 26, 2011, 10:17:13 AM

its that natural high that keeps us all coming back. a great show can be better than sex..

my first gig..i think it was halloween night 1991..i was a wreck but we played well and had a great time.
just remember to take the good with the bad..actually there is no such thing as a bad show. if you are doing it, youre way ahead of most people who play an instrument..be grateful for every show.

you might find yourself more nervous for the next few as the energy from the newness of the experience wont be there anymore..

Chovie D · February 26, 2011, 11:09:10 AM

7th grade, middle school, we played Jumpin Jack Flash. twas awesome.

justJon · February 26, 2011, 11:11:52 AM

Well.. My first ever performance in front of other people was when I was about 9, that would've been 1968 or so. I played Cello in my school orchestra. I can't say i remember much about it, but I sure don't remember being nervous about it at all. My first "gig" was as lead singer in my band, during junior high school. I was the singer, cause I was the only one whose voice had already changed. We played for a school dance, and the principal pulled the plug and kicked us out with a paycheck! after about 4 songs. We thought we were too cool to be nervous, and the rest of that month, kids we'd never even noticed kept telling us how great we were. I was hooked on playing live rock-n-roll since then. I've been lucky, but I have never experienced any kind of stage fright, that I recall.

But I don't sing much, anymore.

Discö Rice · February 26, 2011, 12:18:37 PM

I guess I had my first orchestral performance in seventh grade. Does that count? I dunno. Anyway the first show I played in a bar was when I was 14. It was the now defunct New World Cafe in Seattle. Our band was really not good (imagine an awful blend of RHCP and Soundgarden), and in order to look impressive I brought every drum I could find, which of course took forever to set up. We played a fairly crappy set during which our 24 year old guitar player kept blathering on about yeast infections in front of both of my parents. Luckily they had a pretty good sense of humor about it but I was mortified. I think that was the only show that band played, thank the gods.

tomz. · February 26, 2011, 05:14:41 PM

Probably 1993, I was so nervous I was trying to drink a beer and it was shaking out of the glass. It was blues jam/open mic kind of thing that let new bands play a couple of songs. I played bass and I'm pretty sure I had the volume pretty low. It is like the best high in the world for sure. I've also experienced some very low lows as well...

tomz. · February 26, 2011, 05:15:04 PM

Congrats on your first show btw!

Mike_Sims · February 26, 2011, 05:18:46 PM

Really awesome stories guys. Yeah, I know not all our shows will have a good turn out, and I'm more than certain there are gonna be people who fucking hate us to death, but you guys are right, I think as long as you're able to stand up there, play what you've written, and have fun, that's all that matters in the end. I thought people were going to be standing still and shit or leave to get drinks but I looked up ONCE after setting up and just saw bobble heads everywhere and was like "oh shit!" haha... Maybe I was nervous.. I can't remember, it was more like a "good nervous" though, like exciting. I ended up getting really into it and even jumped down into the crowd while I was playing guitar, I figured fuck it man, have a good time. I did get complimented for being a good "performer" after the show, which is completely opposite of my personality (I'm a real quiet/mellow kinda guy). I guess adrenaline + rock n roll makes a man do crazy shit!

I was watching some videos from the night, almost feel like it didn't even happen. Trippy feeling. Now I'm gonna be chasing the adrenaline dragon I suppose

mortlock · February 26, 2011, 09:39:49 PM

Mike_Sims · February 27, 2011, 12:38:07 AM

Is that where these marks on my arm came from? Shit, no wonder

zachoff · February 28, 2011, 03:08:34 PM

Yeah, way better than expected for sure!

My first show was a train wreck. Freshman year of college playing what was supposed to be a huge Halloween party. I'd been with these guys since the first week of school & we'd learned a couple handfuls of covers and written a couple originals. Anyway, party was supposed to be huge... 100+ people. We show up and get set up by 9, and there are maybe 10 people there. The owner tells us to wait until 10, so we partake of the keg, wait until 10, and there are maybe 15 people there now. Owner says to wait until 11 so we do, drink more, and by 11 there are 12 people there. Owner says to play and that he's sorry. Meanwhile, our drummer is wasted. Was doing keg stands and beer bongs. Two songs in he pukes on his kit and falls over, passed out. My guit player and I look at each other and laugh, help the drummer into a corner, and continue to play a few more songs and call it a night. We found a new drummer after that.

Dave J · March 03, 2011, 01:00:03 AM

My first show ever was also a trainwreck. Fourth of July party outside at friend's/bandmate's house after the fireworks. First mistake was not rehersing the songs enough before the show. They were all originals and instrumentals. Two other guys who were to play with us had kinda dropped out of the picture, so we made it a two piece for the show, just guitar and drums. Not enough time to get the songs down, but we had good chemistry, so "Fuck it, let's do it anyway." Second mistake was drinking too much during the party before our show. Despite me knowing I should take it easy, I got a great buzz going. But, when I drink, I lose all control over the fingers. Not good when you want to play guitar. Third mistake was having a psychedelic light shine right into our faces during the show. Couldn't see the crowd or anything else. I became a shoegazer, despite putting sun glasses on so the light wouldn't bother me. Did not look cool. The end result is: I think the show sucked. I remember a lot of uncontrolled feedback and bad sounds and frustration at points. Lucky me I don't remember much because I was good and blitzed.

I do remember, though, one of the neighbors coming by in the middle of the set and telling us to turn it down. The next day when I was putting the stuff away I noticed that my Marshall JCM 800 was tuned to 10 on both the master volume and the pre-amp. I am guessing that was in response to the guy telling us to turn it down. I wish I remembered that.

The Fourth of July party the following year was the best. I learned from my mistakes. Best high I have ever had.

the diddler · March 03, 2011, 07:37:45 AM

If I remember right, my first performance with a band was a house party that got shut down just as we were about to start. So, I got to have all the nervousness and fun of hauling/setting up/breaking down my gear, none of the payoff of actually playing. The first show I remember actually getting to play was w/ No Means No in Victoria B.C., supposed to be the record release for Sex Mad, but the record was delayed for some reason. I'm sure I was nervous, but really only remember how great it was, and how impressively mature and older the wright bros seemed, even back then. It was awesome and I've been hooked since.

DustinAR · March 05, 2011, 07:54:04 PM

Think i was 19. Was in a band called Locust Swarm (who later morphed into Seahag). We opened for Yakuza at Downtown Music in Little Rock, AR. I still have a video copy of this on vhs. Kinda just stood up there and played, didn't move around much because I was pretty nervous. Not really an interesting story heh, but some methed out girl did jack a few knots on some jerk off's head while we were playing and that was caught on tape.

mortlock · March 06, 2011, 12:36:09 AM

Quote from: DustinAR on March 05, 2011, 07:54:04 PM
Think i was 19. Was in a band called Locust Swarm (who later morphed into Seahag). We opened for Yakuza at Downtown Music in Little Rock, AR. I still have a video copy of this on vhs. Kinda just stood up there and played, didn't move around much because I was pretty nervous. Not really an interesting story heh, but some methed out girl did jack a few knots on some jerk off's head while we were playing and that was caught on tape.

haha..i was once in a band called locust eclipse..i got fired a month in..

Ranbat · March 06, 2011, 10:56:48 AM

Aside from 'jam room' shows, my first real show was with a band called Heaven at a place called Soso's (?) in El Paso, Texas. Heaven was like a 3rd tier 80s band. By the time I joined the band, it was just the singer hiring kids like me to play with him. It was a pretty bad show. The band rehearsed a few times (without the singer) and we went and played the gig. I stuck around for a few more gigs but it was pretty half-assed at best.

LogicalFrank · March 07, 2011, 12:25:09 PM

First show I ever played was in a band called Airport off the Gumballs. We eventually became a metal band but started off as this goofy sort of noise/improv stuff we didn't take too seriously. We played a show at this horrible venue in Columbus called the High Five that made us sell fifteen tickets or something in order to pay the soundguy... so basically a pay to play sort of scheme. The sound guy told us to set our volumes so that we could "talk not yell" over the music so not only was it my first show but it was also the worst sound guy I have ever worked w/. I was pretty wasted for the set. It was probably pretty terrible. I do remember being complimented for having the balls to do such a thing. That band eventually got pretty good though, albeit we were always saddled w/ retarded name.

Metal and Beer · March 08, 2011, 06:02:04 PM

Thanks to the beautiful magic of Facebook (lol), I have a pic of my first show; hadn't seen this picture until recently. That's moi on the right, I think I was in 10th grade or so? We all saw the "Heaven and Hell" tour, that's where the drummer got that shirt; tells you how long ago that was..

Mike_Sims · March 12, 2011, 01:21:03 PM

So we played last night with Zoroaster & Weedeater... oh and Kvelertak i guess. Incredible, the place sold out. Wow, really a weird thing having your first show be a decent turnout to your second show being a fucking huge sardine can...