Nostalgia: Or the depressing reality of my fast approaching mortality.

[Number6]

30 years ago at a local College.....Squier Jazz bass which if i still had it would be worth a few quid nowadays.

[BottomE]

35 years

yep - 35

at Harewood Youth Club in Bournemouth playing in a rock band of sorts. Someones dad took the drums and amps. We took a shortcut through a cemetery carrying the guitars whilst swigging cider. Dripping in patchouli oil and leathered up with studded wristbands we were going to rock the sh*t out of the crowd. A friend (who i went on to be best man for) had to hold onto the drums as they were sliding across the polished stage. I got to be Lemmy as we played "Ace of Spades" also got to kiss a lovely blonde girl. Full frenchy and didn't come up for air for at least 5 minutes. Yikes the germs!

Crikey hand't thought about all that for ages.

[ambient]

One guy I play with occasionally is 85, he's an amazing jazz player. A guy I teach is 79. You're never too old to play.

[discreet]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1473785161' post='3133119']
One guy I play with occasionally is 85, he's an amazing jazz player. A guy I teach is 79. You're never too old to play.
[/quote]

That's good to know...

[silverfoxnik]

29 is a fair old stint at this game!

My musical stint started in 1977 when I was 16; very exciting times indeed!

I have played at Hammersmith Owen (as I still prefer to call it) , when on tour 22 years ago. It was a real buzz to play on the same stage as some of my musical heroes (Bowie, Roxy Music, Kate Bush etc, etc).

Sound on stage was crap though!

Mind you, we were only the support band..

[Roger2611]

25 years ago, Birmingham university (High Hall) Supporting a band aptly named Stress with my Westone Thunder 3 fretless....happy days!

[TheRev]

My first gig was 28 years ago at the high school disco. Most of the amps were borrowed from the band that went on to become The Divine Comedy and I think we played U2 and AC/DC covers.

But 28 years is nothing, my band regularly support The Wurzels and they've been gigging for more than 50 years.

[miles'tone]

I played TJ's once. We were supporting a reggae/rap band from London whose name escapes me now. The PA was bass heavy anyway that night and I will never forget the panic on the faces of the sound guys as they desperately tried to find the right slider when I stepped on my Sansamp for "extra dub" during our one reggae tune. I feel like I may have added to TJ's structural damage that night!
Amazing what you can do with a little pedal and a 9v battery these days. 🙉

[Mykesbass]

Played some Skiffle sessions at the social club my parents used to go to. Bit of guitar, bit of tea chest bass. Would have been 12 when I started so 40 years for me.

[SpondonBassed]

This thread got me thinking and I realized that it is 29 years [i]since[/i] I played to an audience, rigged a PA or anything other than self gratification at home. I have time to have a proper go these days but getting a jam isn't easy let alone being part of a band. I was sorely disappointed earlier this year by a band who led me up the garden path, so to speak.

Never mind eh? I'm still up for it. As my eyesight gets worse my ear gets better so barring arthritic or mental problems I intend to play (even if it is only to our cat) for many years to come.

[tauzero]

40 years ago with a band that arose from a hall of residence in London, playing a mix of originals and covers on a Hayman 4040 and getting paid £100 between the four of us. Not bad when beer was 20p a pint.

[FinnDave]

I reckon my first gig was about 40 years ago. My most recent gig was about 2 hours ago.

[3below]

Celidh band, 42 years ago - I was a young 15/16 at the time. Downhill ever since really, where did all those years go?

[ivansc]

Looks like I win by an embarrassingly wide margin.... Jewish wedding reception in Edgware in late 1954.

Mind you I don't have another gig now for about a month.

[leschirons]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1473797456' post='3133258']
40 years ago with a band that arose from a hall of residence in London, playing a mix of originals and covers on a Hayman 4040 and getting paid £100 between the four of us. Not bad when beer was 20p a pint.
[/quote]

Our (my) first gig was £15 between us AND, we'd hired the van You had a £100 gig 40 years ago? You are John Paul Jones and I claim my £5.

[3below]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1474925883' post='3141617']
Our (my) first gig was £15 between us AND, we'd hired the van You had a £100 gig 40 years ago? You are John Paul Jones and I claim my £5.
[/quote]

Ceilidh band I started in (see above) was £80 to £120 for 4 piece in that same 40 ish year ago era. To quote myself, "[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Downhill ever since really"[/font][/color]

[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]Ivansc well in the lead as a bass player, but in the scheme of things a fair way to go. Cliff Crockett (a[/color][/font][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] relation of my vocalist / guitarist) [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]played the drums till 100. Started at age 7. [/font][/color][url="http://www.jazzandjazz.com/2014/05/celebrating-cliff-crockett-100-years-young-and-still-drumming/"]http://www.jazzandja...still-drumming/[/url][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]. [/font][/color]

Edited September 26, 2016 by 3below

[blisters on my fingers]

Jewish wedding reception in Edgware in late 1954

Do you remember a Grunwick strike benefit at the Alex Wood Hall, Norfolk Street ? Cos I do Ivan and you were ace !!

[IainS]

25 years ago. We played a girls school in Ashford. It was going well until the drummer stuck his stick through his snare and then the PA blew up, leaving just my Badger amp to be the only thing on stage making a noise. Bass solo. Cool.

[sharkboy]

35 years - Knock Methodist Youth Club fundraiser. The two guitarists were too nervous to tune their guitars so I had to do it for them, the drummer was puking outside before the gig. We were the tender age of 15, we played half a dozen covers and were going to set the world on fire. But not until after our O Levels were done.