The good old days. Starting up the first band.

Open_G

Had a chat with one of my oldest friends recently about our first efforts at a band. Me with my encore precision copy, and a 60watt torque bass amp that farted immeasurably whenever played at a volume to keep up with drums. Him with his fender Squier series strat and park amp. Carrying our gear a mile and a half to rehearse in a church basement. Borrowing another guitar amp and cheap mic to get vocals heard. (We didn’t even know what a pa was). I owned precisely 2 leads and picked up what I knew about the world of guitars through a monthly magazine read in the aisles of WHSmith. Anything I wanted to play I had to repeatedly listen and pick out the parts or buy a probably inaccurate tab book.

then the next stage was where people started to get cars and muster together a rudimentary pa for gigs in the upstairs of the Tap &Spile. Sharing turns to “headline” but filling the place with others from 6th form plus a few aging rockers who would be probably 15 years younger than I am now. 

How cool did we think we were? It was an awesome time and I loved every second. Hilarious to think that I now get a bit pissy if I can’t park directly outside a venue. I used to carry my gear for miles. 

fastonebaz

I can hear Bryan Adams playing in the background. 

fastonebaz

  the good old days.

ScreamingDave

I fondly remember the mates along the way who were in the band because they could afford to buy the gear, or because their folks would let you rehearse in their front room, but couldn’t play a note, but you put up with it because you were mates

Open_G

fastonebaz said:

I can hear Bryan Adams playing in the background. 

To accurately date things it would have been the waking up the neighbours album. (On tape)

p90fool

My first foray was in a band with a kid from the "posh" estate who had a Sound City half stack four of us could plug into. 
I was fired after the second rehearsal for having long hair and being able to play. 

Nitefly

"Me and the lads have had a chat, and..."