Unfortunately, I think my 15 minutes came during the worst gig I ever played -- and the only one ever recorded. (Recording a band live back in the late 60s wasn't quite as easy as now to say the least). I was in a Top 40 cover band that was going nowhere. Normally I played bass but the leader (to toss a bone to audience that wanted to hear edgier rock and blues) had me play lead guitar on a couple of numbers.

Out of the blue, I get a call that the band has a gig at some bar the following Saturday night. Great, I have about an hour to make what should be a 2 hour drive from my job to said bar (don't ask ...). It's a dump, our PA was awful and the audience could care less. The place is impossibly hot, the smoke is very thick and not only is the cheap-&ss owner not paying us, he won't even give us any food (for free anyway).

By the time we get to my two numbers, my poor to begin with voice is totally gone, I'm dead tired from long hours at my regular job and the heat in this place and I haven't eaten in probably 12 hours. Then, just as I start my solo on "Southern Man," a waitress walks up, grabs a mic and yells "Who ordered the cheesebuger?" at the top of her voice ...

... all caught on tape for posterity.

i think im one of only 2 people in my generation who even knows who those bands are ... the other one is also here on the forums though

_________________
Favorite bands:

Melvins
The Jesus Lizard
Cows
Big Business
R***man
Minutemen
Flight
Minor Threat
Big Black
Shellac
Karp
Scratch Acid
Wipers
Pixies

Phillip602, That is Stellar, A moment to remember. That's what Gigging is like being in an unsigned act playing dives. You gotta love it.That No food thing, I remember it well, The waitress using the P.A. as an intercom, Priceless. That kind of puts things in perspective when you are playing a club and a cheeseburger trumps the band. Wow. And this is what we all strive for, playing out. You gotta admit, it is all worth it for awhile isn't it?

Absolutely! I still laugh about that place today and I have a copy of the tape. So if I need a humbling perspective for some reason, I put that on. But I think you also have to play the toilets to appreciate it when you get to be the headliner one day. Then too, once there ... remember where you came from because you could always end up back there.

Back at the time it also gave me some focus. I and a couple other guys had been dabbling around forming our own band. After this disaster and the realization that the outfit I was in had peaked (and yep, it was playing out, something many bands never even get to), I had a lot of motivation to turn the other band from casual jamming to serious work. It paid off in that we became moderately successful in upstate NY for a few years.

And yep, we played a few holes too ... just part of payin' them dues