When did you join your first band?

[BlueMoon]

School orchestra (double bass) and found a few school mates who wanted to make music together (it was a noise, but not a very melodic noise). From there I found that being able to read music was a real bonus. I hooked up with some older guys “depping” in a swing band (I was 17, they were all with grey hair). That was a great learning for me about how a good band supports all players. They were great. The agent for the swing band also managed other local bands and - from there - I found slots in various other bands. 
 

Now I’ve got the grey hair, but still in bands several decades later.
 

I’d say “follow your instincts”. Good luck and enjoy the journey. If it’s no longer fun, look closely at why.

[nilorius]

When i was 19 years old - funky/disco project.

[lozkerr]

Started off in a school choir directed by an old-skool music teacher with wild hair and a fiery temper - even the head teacher hesitated to cross swords with this guy. If you were good, he had your back and you could get away with a lot.

 

Then a change of school saw me in a marching band, where I ended up as leading bugler and side drum tutor. After that, a trad jazz band with me on trumpet, my best friend on clarinet and a steady stream of others who liked the idea but didn't want to put in the work. Inevitably, it fizzled out.

 

Then a long hiatus, punctuated by annoying distractions like 'work', 'degree', 'career' and whatnot, until I picked up a bass and realised I should have done that as a teenager. I think I might have had a fairly successful career as a musician, but it's too late now.

 

But: better late than never. When I walk into a rehearsal studio or step on stage, I know I'm in my happy place.

[Jackroadkill]

1 hour ago, lozkerr said:

When I walk into a rehearsal studio or step on stage, I know I'm in my happy place.

 

I hear that.  We're so lucky to get that feeling from these four strings.

[EssexBuccaneer]

I started playing guitar at 13-14, teaching myself with books borrowed from the library. My best mate was a lead guitarist (and a great one at that, one of those annoying ‘naturals’ 😀). He joined a band with some dudes I didn’t know when we were 17, and after their first gig they asked me to join as rhythm guitarist. It didn’t last long because he had to go away to uni but I was out most weekends watching and befriending local bands - one of whom had a sudden need for a bass player. I had never played bass, didn’t own a bass and knew nothing about bass. So obviously I joined!

 

Learned bass ‘on the job’ by following what the guitarist was doing, then growing in confidence and adding my own flourishes. 

[Paul S]

I bought an acoustic guitar when I was 14, picked up a lot of stuff by ear playing along to records.  Jammed along with friends at school at lunchtimes/after school, also with another group of friends outside of school.  We didn't ever become a 'band', just jammed to stuff we liked.  Went to uni, jammed with another bunch of guys but, again, didn't really make it to being a band that performed.  When I left uni, my interest and attention moved elsewhere and l stopped playing completely.  That was late 1970s.

 

20-something years later the old mid-life crisis kicked in.  I had no interest in sports cars or chasing women so I decided to pick up the threads of playing music again.  I bought a bass, a Peavey Milestone, having started to listen to and appreciate music in a different sort of way.  Played it every day for a week, every week for a month, then it stood gathering dust in the corner for a couple of years.  Finally I decided to do or die, got back up to speed, started answering ads, joined a band.  Then joined a better band.  Had my first paying gig at 50, which was 16 years ago, and have been in a succession of bands ever since. 

 

Going back to playing music just felt so right, like a small part of me that had been missing all those years was back in place.  Long may it continue. 

[Lozz196]

12 hours ago, lozkerr said:

 

But: better late than never. When I walk into a rehearsal studio or step on stage, I know I'm in my happy place.

 

10 hours ago, Jackroadkill said:

 

I hear that.  We're so lucky to get that feeling from these four strings.

 

Most definitely, stage/rehearsal rooms/recording studio, def my happy places, I consider myself very fortunate to have a hobby/interest that I get so much from.

[BigRedX]

I started learning the guitar on my 13th birthday, and joined/formed my first band about 18 months later. It was just 4 people with similar musical taste from the same class at school. One of us was pretty good on the guitar. I could string a chord sequence together and the other two could barely play, although one could sing and the other wrote lyrics. We spent the first hour of our first "rehearsal" wondering what to do now that we were all in the same room together. It never occurred to us that maybe we should start by trying to play covers, besides it was the mid 70s and the dominant musical force was prog rock which was way beyond our abilities. Finally I started playing some chords, and the decent musician improvised a "solo" over the top. The others joined in with weird noises and percussion and that was the beginning of my first band. Over the next 7 years we slowly developed our sound. As a band we didn't have a bass guitar until I bought one at the beginning of 1981. But we did make a record that got played on John Peel's radio show.

[obbm]

In early 1963 we decided to create a band for a school dance in July.  Nobody could play or had a bass so I made one and modified the family radiogram to use as an amp.  This band did the one gig and then split however another was formed which lasted until the end of the year and then folded due to parental pressure and A-levels.  My first ever paid gig was NYE 1963.  Post A-levels two of us started another band, The Elite Clique, which played Surrey Delta R&B and early Rock 'n' Roll.  We gigged locally until the rhythm guitarist got a steady girlfriend who persuaded him to leave and the drummer left to concentrate on school work.  We then tried to start a soul band but it never quite worked out and in 1966 I retired, sold my gear and regretted it for years after.   

[Cat Burrito]

1988. Two friends and I got jobs (paper rounds) and saved up for two guitars and a bass. We formed the band before we had the instruments! Every day I remind myself that gratitude is not being 15yrs old in the era of YouTube! 

 

To the best of my knowledge, the other two haven't actively played in over 30 years. 

[Jonge McLengo]

At 13 ish with a couple of high school mates. We were all big Jam and REM fans, and needless to say we were all terrible. Still playing with them now, slightly more in time but no more successful.

[BassTractor]

On 18/11/2023 at 19:45, Bass Novice said:

One of my main objectives in learning the bass is to join a band, it looks like it would be a ton of fun. I know I am not ready yet, but also I don't know, or how I will know, when I am ready.

 

When did you know when you were ready to join your first band, what's your band story about how did it come about?

 

Interesting remarkuestion.
Maybe it's about who you play with, first and foremost.

 

Five complete beginners would struggle, but they'd struggle while learning.  So if that's the deal amongst you and yer mates, that's the deal and you cope with it.
I think you probably don't wanna be the odd one out in a band of professionals.

Personally, as a boy/youngster, I believed I needed to be ready, and I totally overlooked the learning that can be had inside a band. I thought "being ready" meant having finished music college, sight reading near perfectly and improvising like a god.
Bar the "school concerts" that everybody has played at, I joined my first pro band whilst studying music. Too late, I gather in hindsight.

 

OTOH, when, near the end of my studying, an extremely accomplished musician asked me what my aims in life were, and I answered "to play with people like you ...", he said: "Well ... you're not ready".


So yes, I do indeed gather it's about who you play with.
 

Edited November 21, 2023 by BassTractor

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

When I was 15 met some new local friends who were into metal ( or heavy rock as it was known then ) .

Those kids were cool and had electric guitars . Copies of les Paul's and strats etc. so I got a nice black Les Paul copy .

Or rather , mummy got one for mr from the catalogue . 
Unfortunately , I was worse than awful . So mummy managed to get the guitar exchanged for a piece of heavy firewood called the Hondo II . Well, it got me going . The large OHM Bass Head and Cab caused lots of vibrations to toilet seats when family members were in there ..plus of course vibrating windows ! 
 

Nevertheless I was determined to do something . I found a phone no. In melody maker ,and phoned from the phone box  and  the 'tutor' said "you don't need lessons on a bass guitar " 

So, into the mid '80s I found some great fronds at a place of work . One of those friends used to give me lessons for £5.

sometimes I'd give him some metal albums instead as I had them on cd . Awesome guitarist and one of my best mates .

He was in a band with ginger from the wildhearts and apparently was a level or 2 above him .

 

So , me the guitarist a keyboard player  with drum machine ,vocalist ( we all used to work in same company ) managed to do a private gig in pub in central london infront of 200 people 🙀.for my 30th birthday in 1992 .Me and the keyboard player were extra nervous being our first gig . After 3 songs all good .Fantastic ! 

We did a few more birthday gigs with different lineups for different people etc . 
That started me joining a band 2 years later . 

[Chezz55]

A long time ago (Christmas 1966 to be precise) in a front-room far, far away (actually it was 4 miles East from where I'm sitting now) I got my first electric guitar - a bright red Futurama Duo.  A school friend taught me how to play E, A, D and C chords, from there I picked it up as I went along.  There were a couple of half-hearted School Band attempts between 1966 and 1968 which didn't get off the ground.

 

I left school in 1968 and joined my first real band, (Powerhouse) in September 1968, playing rhythm guitar - we couldn't find a bass player so when the lead guitarist bought along a Hofner electric bass to a rehearsal I thought I'll have a go ..... That was my 'LightBulb Moment' , my Epiphany and I've played bass guitar ever since.

 

Our first real (and paid !!) gig was early 1969 at a youth club at St Christopher's Church Hall, Jaywick Sands, Essex.  Photo shows me at that gig  playing a Framus Star Bass through an unknown amp and speaker.  Songs included 'Flames' (Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera), 'Making Time' (Creation), 'Johnny B Goode (Chuck Berry), and She's Not There (Zombies).

 

It's now 2023, I'm 71, still gigging and most importantly I'm still loving it.

 

Chris.

[crward77]

On 18/11/2023 at 18:45, Bass Novice said:

One of my main objectives in learning the bass is to join a band, it looks like it would be a ton of fun. I know I am not ready yet, but also I don't know, or how I will know, when I am ready.

 

When did you know when you were ready to join your first band, what's your band story about how did it come about?

 

 

 

 

I was 14/15 and someone I knew was selling a cheap bass (I was looking) and they were playing in a school concert, so bought the bass and played Metallica Seek and Destroy and an original song called Demons of Sacrifice (probs 1991ish). Played with my friends and brother in a band after that. Other band I joined was in 2009 after responding to an advert. Played with them a few years before it fizzled out. Still waiting for my next band. I play guitar to a good level too so there are options but work (nights and weekends) spoils almost all prospects at the moment. My advice, take the first opportunity you can. You might think you are not ready but it will bring you on faster. 

[Thor]

My story makes me laugh now - I'm a mechanic by trade and did some work on a mate's car prior to him going on holiday, when the job was done he asked me if he could pay me at the end of the following month as he was taking his Mrs and kids on holiday and wanted some spending money - me being all heart said of course. 12 months later I still hadn't been paid despite polite, monthly reminders from me to him, so I paid him a visit, asked for my money and was told he was a bit short that month, so asked if I 'd be happy taking goods to the value of (as long as it wasn't the telly or his stereo system!).

 

So I walked away with a Peavey TNT150 and a Vox P type Bass (Vox Standard?), tuner and lead.  All of the aforementioned kit stayed under the bed for a year or so, then I set about learning how to play.  A guy at work heard that I was playing bass so pleaded with me to help his band out when their bass player did a disappearing act (they later learned he was banged up for 18 months!), so after about a year of learning to play along with some of my favourite songs, I played for 'Situations Vacant' at The Horse & Jockey pub in Stanford in the Vale - I was really nervous all gig, barely looked away from the fingerboard, but obviously got bitten by the gigging bug and have been gigging ever since. 

[KiOgon]

In the 70's a brilliant guitarist joined us,  he would dress the part and play absolutely like his heroes, Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana, Tony Iommi and more! TBH he took our band to another level 🤩

[BassAdder60]

I guess what you really want to know is when are you ready to play in a band.

 

Playing in a band is very different to playing along to recorded songs or learning tab etc it requires other skills that you don’t learn until you play with other musicians.

 

Choose what kind of band you would like to play in and learn 3 or 4 good covers and then look on JMB for band buddies and off you go !!

 

I would say with regular practice 3 -6 months is plenty of time to be good enough to start something 

[Rayman]

1979, I was 14 and I was the singer in a band of slightly older friends, who did a few short gigs as a covers band. First song I ever played (sang) live was “Purple Haze”…. Which was also the name of the band.

 

It’d be another year or so before I discovered the bass.

[Strawbs664]

I started learning bass when I was 14 (brother played guitar and I wanted to be different). First band when I was 16 at 6th form college. We played a single gig at a youth club & then split. Answered an ad for a local band looking for a bass player when I was 17 & was suddenly gigging every week or so until various members disappeared to Uni etc.

In answer to the question "how do you know when you're good enough"? It's when the band don't kick you out 🙂

Edited November 21, 2023 by Strawbs664

[Strawbs664]

Oops! double post

Edited November 21, 2023 by Strawbs664

[DJpullchord]

First gig outside of school when I was 15, in 1991. Not much else to do in Mid Wales but grow your hair and learn guitar.

[Guest]

I think I was 15 too, maybe I was 16 it was a while ago. We played "originals" and absolutely butchered Motörhead's "Stone Deaf In The USA". Played one concert with lots of other young bands who had a similar interest in making a racket. 

 

I played guitar at the time. The other guitarist and ! continued in another band a year or so later, he moved to the drums, and I moved to bass. We played together for 15+ years. I eventually moved to guitar in said band though as we tried several others that did not fit and a good friend turned out to also become a good bass player.

Edited November 22, 2023 by HornetPinata

[ricksterphil]

early 1970's when I was about 13 - bass looked easier than guitar so went for that. Band is called Phoenix. We played at a school reunion gig this year so technically still going.

[BillyBass]

5 years ago, at age 55, I was up a ladder, replacing the lights in a music shop, staring at a cheap but attractive Yamaha bass hanging on a wall and I thought, "I'm going to learn how to play a musical instrument".

 

Nearly 2 years later, I met up with a similarly inexperienced drummer from Gumtree on the very first day after lockdown that the rehearsal studios were opened and we were allowed to play together in a room.  We gelled, learnt to play together, got singer(s) and a guitarist and learnt to play with others.  

 

The drummer fell in love with the singer, she broke his heart and the band imploded.  I had just joined another band that were serious and on the same page, so it worked out well.  

 

Our first gig was in April, that was a milestone for me.  Ten gigs later our drummer left but it looks like we have a replacement lined up.  I'll keep doing this until I'm physically incapable of playing.

Edited November 24, 2023 by BillyBass