Here's a trip down memory lane. Describe the differences between your first paid playing job and your jobs today.

I'm talking differences in:

* Equipment (instruments)
* Equipment (amplification/PA)
* Material performed
* Venue
* Number of players
* Pay (give an indication of the year)
* Audiences
* Other observations

When I started looking at old instruments, the changes/differences recalled were
MASSIVE!

Who's first?

Russ

Here's my trip back to the good ole dayz.

My very first paid gig was with my band. We had a four piece cover band back when I was 17 and my father got us a gig at a wedding in town. I remember me and my mom went to the music store to find some keys for me to play. I had my heart set on a good digital piano or a top of the line arranger. But we weren't a wealthy family so the guy at the music store sold us an old Roland D-20 synth and P-330 piano module - and told me that was all the piano I needed. It cost her $300, and I promised to pay her back when our band made it big and got famous. We got $400 for the gig, and quickly got booked for another gig the following weekend. This was the wedding for a famous TV personality that my brother had arranged. None of us had a driving license, so my sister and mother drove us across the country to make the gig. One week after that our guitarist took off with all our money and the band was history. This was back in 1996.

My first solo gig was a 40th birthday party, I was hired to play dance music. I played that also with my D-20/P-330 combo using the D-20 as a drum machine and keyboard controller. I had my dads Carlsbro 2x12 PA system and an EV110 mic that my brother got me for christmas. Man I miss that mic... I've never come across a mic that sounds that good since. That gig paid $500 this was in 1999.

The D-20 was a trusty companion for many years, I sold it five years ago, but the guy complained that some keys had broken, so I was forced to pay for the repair, ended up costing me more than what that guy paid for it.. I really regret selling it - it was both a good memory and fun to play. I still have the P-330 though, still sounds like the glory days

The D-20 was not a user friendly piece of gear, I marked the numbers of the beats I used on post-it notes and stuck those to it. Because I could never memorize it.

I still use that Carlsbro PA, it still sounds great, much better than a lot of modern systems. But my Behringer B212A's see a lot more play because they are lighter and takes up less space - but they sound like s***.

With some few additions of newer music, my repertoir has not changed much. I still play a lot of 60s, 70s and 80s songs. CCR, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Elvis, and such are very popular cross the generations over here.

Audiences are still the same drunken maniacs. I think that will never change. The drinks change though.. Apparently Jægermeister and Cola is popular now... yuck!

The size of the crowd has always been a big variable. Anything from 2 - 8000. Most of the places I play nowadays have approx 200 - 400 people, but some days are slow. Parties like weddings and birthdays have about 40 - 80 people. Those gigs usually end early.

The pay is much better now, I get about $1000 - $1500 per night. And since I'm alone I don't have to share When I do play in my new four piece band we get about $2000 - $2500. So it is actually better to be alone, but much more fun to play with people.

One thing that has changed is me, I am not nervous about performing. I still have nerve and anticipation, but I'm not nervous about messing up. I used to be very nervous about making mistakes. Now I make them all the time, but I use it to my advantage.

I could write all day about different gigs and stories, but I'll stop here before it gets way too long.

Cheers,

DocZ

My first job, we had to pay to 'get in'. My last job, I had to beg to come back....life never changes

My early jobs were on a 1952 Gibson 295 at Ladd AFB in Fairbanks, Alaska at the officers club-late 1956. I started at 11 years old. Still have the guitar.

Played Les Paul and Mary Ford tunes, Marty Robbins, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Fats Domino, etc. but didn't know anything about his (Les Paul's) electronics used to record (multi-tracking-echoplex, etc.), so I could only play Mary Ford's lead lines and the changes with a trio.

* Amp-a little Gibson tube job with a 10" speaker. Still in the back, somewhere.

* PA- some kind of high impedance Dukane, or equivalent, with no active EQ, 1/4" in, volume and tone control, speakers in the ceiling. Upgraded to a crude Standel system a few years later, with reverb and thought we were in heaven.

* No monitor system at all.

* Bass player played upright through a mike.

* No piezo pick-up options.

* No effects of any kind-amp did not even have tremolo.

* Made $10.00 per three hour gig. Paid in silver dollars (the Air Force did that for some reason-probably to show the community the financial impact of the base). Put the dollars in a large glass promotional whiskey bottle-still have the bottle full of coins; now probably collectible.

* Band wore matching royal blue jackets with black lapels-patent leather black shoes-the works!

Things have really changed in 54 years!

But now the big stuff is disappearing, and I'm back to playing lite equipment, and, every once in a while, I play the old 295 thru a little 15 watt Super Champ...think about the gigs and years gone by...


And SMILE!


Russ

[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 11-09-2010).]

First gig was when i was 16 playing my Red Farfisa Compact and Fender Bassman amp.
Had my five piece band of friends called the Dynamics . Someone's relative got us the gig. Were driven and hour to the Pine Barrens of Southern NJ to a place called Racs' Hut. Set us up in a side dining room cause we were too young to play in the bar. On one of our breaks the waitress brought us pizza. I thought "This is a great job"! End of the night, you guessed it, didn't get paid. The owner said it was an "audition" A month later the relative felt bad and slipped us $5 each saying he had "talked" to the owner but we knew it was from him.
Difference today, no one cares if I bring a keyboard or not, Farfisa or 5K Yamaha or Audaya or what ever. Its all DJ's and Kareoke, Even taking over the NH. Club owners are still horse's a**s and worse given the economy.
Some larger bands play some bigger venues but that is just a few.
In between then and now I've done well going from the Farfisa to a full blown Hammond multi keyboard setup to portable keys to my current G1000. I also do have an XK3 and piano for jams.

Doc Z --Tell me where they pay solo keyboard guys 1000 to 1500 a night and I'm moving there. HA!
No really, we're looking to move so TELL ME !!!

Bill in NJ

[This message has been edited by Bill Lewis (edited 11-10-2010).]

I hear North Pole outdoor gigs pay that kind of money..

This is ironic...my first gig (teenager) I played accordion for a free dinner....My last gig (Friday night), I played G70 with an accordion patch...for a free dinner..

Fran

So I hope the dinner was good! Done some of those myself for Vets and my Elks Lodge affairs.
Actually have about five jobs booked for the Holidays where they want the keyboard. Too few and far in between
The offer to hire you for G1000 lessons still stands. I might as well start using backing tracks and singing to stay current.
Again we can meet in Cape May or wherever. Give me a call
Also want to audition those Podiums.

Bill in NJ

* Equipment (instruments)

Then...Howard Baldwin Combo Organ.

I gig now with a Yamaha PSR-S910.

*Equipment (amplification)

Then...Fender Bassman black-face with 2X12" speakers.

Now...Either two Yamaha MS60S powered monitors in stereo, or Yamaha Stagepas 300/500.


* Material performed:

Then (1968-69)...Soul, R&B, Rock&Roll.

Now...all genres, mostly laid back material.


* Venue:
Then...Local parish halls...teen dances.

Now...mainly Yamaha demos and clinics.


* Number of players:

Then...five. Two singer/guitarists, bass, drums, organ.

Now...all paid gigs are solo.


* Pay (give an indication of the year):

Then...around 1969, I believe...$50 each.

Now...confidential.

* Audiences:

Then...mostly 18-30 year old.

Now...40 years and up.



* Other observations:

Used Howard Baldwin/Fender Bassman for one year, then got a Hammond M-3/Leslie 122, and then later, a B-3 with two 147RV Leslie....gradually added synthesizers (Polymoog/Jupiter 8) and Electric Pianos (Rhodes/Wurlitzer) and later a CP-70 Electric Grand.

Then...always needed a van or pickup truck, and i needed help to move everything.

Now...all my gear goes in a Honda Accord sedan and I travel solo.

Ian

Ian, aren't 147RV's GREAT? Not as powerful as 122's, but I still use a 145 and a 147RV with my B-3. And, I often use a pre-amp and a 335 Gibson on solos. With a heavy set of strings and a little practice, you can get a decent walking bass line and chords. Absolutely no controls on the Leslie or pre-amp, except the bar/slider for the reverb and limited volume control on my foot pedal/pre-amp, but the sound is always fabulous.

Looks like I went thru the same keyboards as you, including a little M-100 and a 145 (no reverb).


Russ

I've been playing gigs for around 25 years. Sad thing is the pay is about the same.

...
First gig - 1955, 14 years old, also on accordion with my SANO amp - the gig was a freebie my father had me play at an Eagles club - a stag dinner ... I played songs from the 40s ... I felt a little weird, but that actually set the stage for what was to come as a musician - LOTS of 'weird' gigs through the years ... ...
I started a band in high school and shortly after I was using 2 guys who played in a different band ... came time to 'consolidate' and they told me if I wanted to play with their group, which was a little more popular, I would have to buy a jacket ... it was between me and a piano player ... the piano player didn't want to spend the $5 for a jacket - royal blue WOOL !!! ... I spent the $5 and the jacket lasted about a year, but we were together for 26 years ...
When I think of the tuxedos we had through the years [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/biggrin.gif[/img] ... we made one wise decision - to NOT get 'Nehru' jackets, which were the IN thing for about 5 minutes ... [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/biggrin.gif[/img] ...

t. [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/cool.gif[/img]