essexbasscat Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 (edited) A wander down amnesia alley with a read of the 'What was the first number you ever mastered without duff notes' thread got me thinking, what was the first number you all ever gigged ?? I'll kick off. My maiden voyage was 'Rubber Bullets' by 10cc, played on the school stage during a lunchtime in the early 1970's. It was the very first guitar gig the school ever had and the whole school turned out, well over 150 - 200 in the audience. The band was named Hazard. I was about 12 years old and despite rehearsing it for months and getting it right LOADS of times, inside I shook like a leaf in a wind before going on stage. THe follow up number was an original my band had cooked up about a murder at a disco (what a cheerful bunch. Reflects the school I went to though) what was your first number ? was it a cover ? original ? can you remember ? T Edited July 30, 2010 by essexbasscat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Substitute, some dodgy social club, late '70s. I was playing a Hofner semi through a 15w amp. I might as well have not been there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexbasscat Posted July 30, 2010 Author Share Posted July 30, 2010 [quote name='Beedster' post='910748' date='Jul 30 2010, 10:03 PM']Substitute, some dodgy social club, late '70s. I was playing a Hofner semi through a 15w amp. I might as well have not been there![/quote] I still play that number now ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 School stage, lunchtime "concert" House of the Rising Sun, Noname semi, tastefully decorated in hippy swirls of humbrol paints for airfix airplane kits.. Through a Baker "DIY" 30 watt all valve amp and home made 1x15 cab. I was 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaver Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Dizzy Miss Lizzy, at Jumping Jack Flash in Stockport sometime in 1983. Burns Flyte through a Wem Dominator, can't remember a lot more. The nuclear alarm for Stockport was rumoured to be in the dressing rooms, which seems fairly unlikely but those were simpler times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestar Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Paranoid Black Sabbath age 15 at Green St Green village hall at a birthday party. Played on a Kay precision bass copy, Fal 50 watt PA amp head through a 4ft tall 2x12 reflex cab very loudly. ...followed by Highway Star, Rock and Roll Whole lotta Rosie yadda yadda yadda. I thought that I'd died and gone to long hair and cheesecloth heaven. Ah nostalgia ain't wot it used to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cd_david Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 (edited) Wipe Out, at the High Point Hotel, Whitley Bay, Hondo 830 through a Carlsbro 90 head and HH 4x12 Aged 17 Edited July 30, 2010 by cd_david Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 [quote name='OldGit' post='910752' date='Jul 30 2010, 10:06 PM']School stage, lunchtime "concert"[/quote] snap [quote]House of the Rising Sun, Noname semi, tastefully decorated in hippy swirls of humbrol paints for airfix airplane kits.. Through a Baker "DIY" 30 watt all valve amp and home made 1x15 cab. I was 13[/quote] In my case, the song was the Quo's 'Caroline' played on my '64 Höfner Artist II (bought from metalwork teacher for £20) through a DIY 50w amp made with help from physics teacher, plus home-made 1x15 cab borrowed from same metalwork teacher. I still have the Höfner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexbasscat Posted July 30, 2010 Author Share Posted July 30, 2010 (edited) [quote name='Rich' post='910766' date='Jul 30 2010, 10:20 PM']snap In my case, the song was the Quo's 'Caroline' played on my '64 Höfner Artist II (bought from metalwork teacher for £20) through a DIY 50w amp made with help from physics teacher, plus home-made 1x15 cab borrowed from same metalwork teacher. I still have the Höfner [/quote] Bloody hell ! Caroline by Quo !! that was the number we closed with !! I'd completely forgotten until just now Edit: trust me to copy the wrong bit. Doh ! Edited July 30, 2010 by essexbasscat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosebass Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 (edited) 1979 / 16 / School Disco / Sheena is (a punk rocker) Ramones set. Played on a 1963 Ibanez (Burns Lookalike) and shared a 50 watt amp with the guitarist with vocals through the school disco PA Edited July 30, 2010 by Prosebass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Walk Like an Egyptian - Bangles I was 15 and our band was on as part of the high school musical for that year. I can't remember what I played, it might have been my Sierra Precision through the schools 50w Gunn valve head and 2x12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 c. 1973, local fete, House Of The Rising Sun plus a few originals, bassline picked out on an old acoustic guitar with an added pickup. Can't remember the amp details - Fane rings a bell. I suspect we were crap but we did get our photo in the local paper. It's been all downhill ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 About '97, school leavers do (not my year, think it may have been ar kids). Duff notes everywhere, and then the button fell off my pants. So i had to sit down on my little 25w amp. Yamaha BB300 covering my modesty. Talk about a baptism of fire though, 700 people were in the main part of the Lancastrian Hall, Swinton for that occasion. Gigs since then without bum notes have been plentiful, don't remeber the 1st where i was happy though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 My first number was Howlin Wolf's Spoonful. I was playing my Framus Star bass through a Nashville amp and a Crook 412 cab. We thought John Mayall was in for some serious competition! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basshead56 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Halloween night 2000. My first ever gig. We had 3 songs: Screamager by Therapy? Song 2 by Blur Something Against You by Pixies Remember being more nervous than I've ever been in my life (but I still die of nerves before EVERY show) It was over in 10 mins, but playing it felt like an hour! One of the weirdest but happiest nights of my life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigash Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 1980 buccleugh hall Langham 15yrs old Gotta getaway by S.L.F. Could never get the bass solo bit right after the intro, but nailed it that night. Think it was the tartan bondage trousers. Four bands playing all from different villages. Needless to say it ended in a riot, with a pay phone being thrown on stage as the last band were finishing their set. Great night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Cheese and Wine party for the Liberals at a local church. I was about 16 and played through my mates marshall gtr combo. I don't recall the first number but we did get paid. Non-paying gigs don't count... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieC Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 My first ever 'public' appearance was my mate Gareth and me playing to a bunch of kids in the street who'd gathered to hear our racket. I'd gone around to his house for a practice, and ended up playing 'Sultans of Swing' from a little balcony. I had a sunburst Squier Precision back then, played through the ubiquitous Carlsbro (Scorpion??) bass combo. The year was 1985, probably in the Summer hols. We went on to form a band called 'Headland', where our peak was playing the 'Riverside' in Newcastle a couple of years later. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witterth Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 (edited) In 1978 playing Bass guitar on "house of the rising sun" there's a pattern here with that tune eh? Simon,(OG) Im looking at you!! OH ..also "my brother Jake" It was at some "Charidee" gig in Stretford (near Old trafford, southeners) I was much too young to "realise" what both of those songs were about ,but when I hear them... they make me smile, especially "my brother Jake" we had a guy, playing piano, who was really quite good too! Edited July 31, 2010 by witterth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 1973 or 74 at Waltham Abbey town hall, a sort of battle of the bands thing. Sporting a Roger Glover stylee hat and crushed velvet loon pants. First number was Deep Purples Space Truckin'. Epiphone semi acoustic bass. Selmer Goliath 4 x 10" cab. 50 Top amp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Relise Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 7 nation army by the White stripes hopefully tomorrow night at the young age of 38!!! Playing in my local pub -the Gibraltar castle in Harpenden Fingers crossed it goes well... I'm a tad nervous already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 [quote name='Relise' post='910941' date='Jul 31 2010, 08:46 AM']7 nation army by the White stripes hopefully tomorrow night at the young age of 38!!! Playing in my local pub -the Gibraltar castle in Harpenden Fingers crossed it goes well... I'm a tad nervous already.[/quote] Good luck, sure you will love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Relise Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 [quote name='gary mac' post='910970' date='Jul 31 2010, 09:51 AM']Good luck, sure you will love it.[/quote] Thanks I'm sure I will once the first song is over and the nerves have calmed down. I forgot to put my gear down ... I'll be using an Ibanez SR500, through a Hartke L500 into an Ashdown Mag 210. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexbasscat Posted July 31, 2010 Author Share Posted July 31, 2010 [quote name='gary mac' post='910931' date='Jul 31 2010, 08:12 AM']1973 or 74 at Waltham Abbey town hall, a sort of battle of the bands thing. Sporting a Roger Glover stylee hat and crushed velvet loon pants. First number was Deep Purples Space Truckin'. Epiphone semi acoustic bass. Selmer Goliath 4 x 10" cab. 50 Top amp[/quote] My first gig was at Loughton, about 5-8 miles from Waltham Abbey and that Selmer stuff was all over the place at the time Relise - enjoy that first gig !! hope it goes well T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Original tune called Power and the Key by a band called No Quarter. Mason's Arms, Pantygasseg - Aria SB700 through Sound City Amp. I was 17. The tune was later recorded for Heavy Metal Heroes Vol. II (not on Spotify but it may be out there somewhere). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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