First "real" gig last Saturday

[tamadwt]

First off a couple of things:
-for those that don't know, I'm a drummer first who just happens to also enjoy guitar and the people here so it's about my first real drumming gig.
- also, maybe this should go to "On Stage" but I wasn't sure.

Anyway - a buddy and I linked up with a couple of guys around our area who have been playing in classic rock bands for years to see if we could make something happen. They had lost their long time drummer (and then 2 more drummers in quick sucession.....like Spinal Tap) and had finally fired their jerk lead singer, so there was an opportunity. First night jamming we got through about 25 songs or so with only minor bumps and about a dozen others that only needed going over a few times. We were all very satisfied so after only 2 more practices we played a local bar last Saturday night... for money!

It was a red-neck biker type bar although pretty decent sized, and there were probably 100 people or so there. They were great and it was a blast. It was the most dynamic musical thing I've ever done. The lead guitarist was very dynamic all through the show, adding extra measures of lead on the fly, bringing the dynamics of songs up and down, sometimes even singing a made up verse to a song. He's good about giving a little hand signal or saying what he's going to do so I was able to follow pretty well. Possibly the most interesting moment of the night was when we got up on stage to do the first song of the first set, we decided to open the show with Frankenstein, an Edgar Winter instrumental with a drum solo. It was originally set for deep into the 2nd set but we decided on the spot to start off with a bang so we did it. I was sweating it for about the first 15 seconds but by then you're just hanging on and ridin' the wave.

OK, sorry about the rambling but it was a lot of fun. Here are the set lists.

Set 1
Frankenstein - Edgar Winter
Feelin' Alright - Joe Cocker (our original version)
Shape I'm In - Archangels(?)
Cheap Sunglasses - ZZ
Day of the Eagle - Robin Trower
Shapes of Things - Yardbirds (Gary Moore version)
Dreams I'll Never See - Molly Hatchet
Train, Train - Blackfoot
Needle and the Spoon - Skynyrd
Scuttlebuttin' / Couldn't Stand the Weather - SRV
Nationwide - ZZ
Too Rolling Stoned - Robin Trower
Jessica - Allman Brothers

Set 2
Superstitious - Stevie Wonder (SRV version... sort of)
I Know a Little - Skynyrd
Mustang Sally - ?
Tush - ZZ
Hard to Handle - Black Crowes
Keep Your Hands to Yourself - Georgia Satellites
Taking Care of Business / Ramblin' Gamblin' Man - BTO / ?
Blue Jeans Blues - ZZ
Mississippi Queen - Mountain
Call Me the Breeze - Skynyrd
Born to be Wild - Steppenwolf

Set 3
One Way Out - Allman Brothers
Fire - Ohio Players (our original version complete with hilarious rap that almost made me cry from laughter)
Waitin' for the Bus / Jesus Just Left Chicago - ZZ
Evil Ways / Black Magic Woman - Santana
Beer Goggles - Smashmouth?
George Thoroughgood medley
La Grange - ZZ
Europa - Santana
The Bash - some sort of Wabash Cannonball on amphetamines
Train Kept a Rolling - Aerosmith version
Frankenstein - again

Again, sorry for the rambling but it was a ton of fun and I wanted to share.

[mishmannah]

Okay, brace yerself, this thread is teleporting to "Tales from the road".... :D

[tamadwt]

I figured that may happen.

[stratman50th]

Dude, what is your problem!!
If you had told me I'd a stayed up and come to see the show! At least you would have had a witness to imbelish the story....
That is really great man. I wondered what you had been up to.

[tamadwt]

We have a couple more gigs scheduled. The plan is to limit the playing out to once or twice a month.... real life gets in the way you know. Next month is over in Glen Burnie but I think there is a January gig in Westminster. I'll be sure to let you know.

BTW - We played at the California Inn in Laurel, don't know if you're familiar with that place or not.

[stratman50th]

Yeah. I'm going to send you a quick PM so make sure to check.

[im_broke213]

hey sounds awesome! always great to have good players to throw stuff together quick, about a month ago, i was at a show that like 5 guys got together, had never played together before, and did awesome! it was so cool, glad to hear to hear you had fun

[zappatude]

tama great set list. And you didn't ramble, it's your thread and it's cool

[phingerboard]

Yeah some of those selections must have really got the place fired up good.

That list is begging for a Bob Seger tune too. I'll bet you got about 19 requests for one. ;)

When I started to read your post, my first thought was "Dang! Don't they know they're supposed to save Frankenstein for last?!?!"

:) :) :)

[tamadwt]

Thanx for the replies guys.
I hear ya Phinger.. I imagine at least Old Time Rock n Roll will work it's way in at some point. The only request we did off the cuff by request was Honky Tonk Woman by the Stones. (oh yeah, forgot to put that on the set list.)
And the plan was to put Frankenstein at the end of the 2nd set. That was really quite an initiation into live playing when the first song ever at a paid gig has a drum solo. I made the call then and there that they (and I) may as well know that I'm willing to just jump right in and go for it.
Good times.