Music - Before they were famous
skibum609
Massachusetts
Finally scored tickets in 1975 to see Black Sabbath. They managed to look like amateurs playing their first show compared to their back-up band who got called back for 3 encores. After their last encore as we were walking out a buddy said I bet I hear the last song they played so much I hate by 1980. They did and he did, although now you still hear Rock and Roll all Night all the time because hey, Kiss became famous.
One more. Very first High School dance at the Wayland High school field House. The band was incredible. Serious rock and roll and their singer had a voice that was unique but not melodic. We were sure they would hit it big, but no one ever thought you'd still be hearing about them 50 years later. Kudos Aerosmith, best High School Dance Band ever.
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I had a friend in the early eighties who walked into a tiny club one time with about thirty people in it watching a band on the small stage. He asked someone what the name of the band was and they said they were called the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
And no never seen any big time up and comers to the best of my knowledge.
The Romantics also played there once. It wasn't really a live music club but b a party bar.
A buddy of mine got into a scuffle with the Drummer of the Knack at a bar called Dooleys.
Not sure how many of you are familiar with the late Dan Fogelberg, whose first hit song, released in 1974, was "Part of the Plan" (produced by Joe Walsh). In 1969 I saw him play by himself -- for free -- to a small crowd at a coffeehouse at the University of Illinois when he was a student there. I saw him again in the summer of 1973 at the Exit Inn in Nashville, where he played, with the house bass player, to an audience of about 10 people. He went on to sell millions of LPs before he died of cancer in 2007.
In 1976, I got to hear a new band from Rockford, Illinois, play a show to about 40 people. Despite the small audience, it was a very high-energy performance, and the lead guitar player was literally swinging from the rafters onstage. A real show-off. The following year, they released their first album, titled "Cheap Trick."
This is not *my* story, but I once bought a guitar from a guy in my home town who used to play in Little Richard's back-up band. He told me that for a while they had a lead guitar player -- a quiet guy, known to them only as "Jimbo" -- who never rehearsed with them and only showed up when they performed. This guitarist went on to have a pretty decent career of his own using the name Jimi. Yeah, Jimi Hendrix. Can you imagine?
Petty acted like he was drunk during the concert but wasn’t really. They did “Shout” from Animal House as an encore. Petty crowd surfed during it, singing the whole time and acting (?) drunk. First time I ever saw anyone do that. Incredible concert.