Very first gig

Subject: Very firsrt gig
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Sep 26 - 01:21 AM

Mine was at the Fighting Cocks,Kingston Upon Thames in 1970s a great chorus singing night, Paxked out, and plenty of good singers. would others like to talk about their frtst one

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: Acorn4
Date: 02 Sep 26 - 04:00 AM

The Cross Inn, Crowborough Sussex in a short lived folk club.

I was dreadful after getting pissed to try to calm the nerves.

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: GUEST,Tom Patterson
Date: 02 Sep 26 - 04:28 AM

I'm impressed that people can remember!

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Sep 26 - 06:58 AM

Acorn 4, who ran the folk club at that time

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: GerryM
Date: 02 Sep 26 - 09:09 AM

I remember my first floor spot. Richard Mills, who was the emcee for some years, stepped down, and Greg Bull took on the job, but Richard still came to enjoy the music. Greg and I knew each other, and he invited me to do a floor spot. I sang Barrett's Privateers, or maybe The Scotsman, or maybe both, I'm not sure. At the intermission, Richard came up to me, somewhat annoyed, and demanded, how come you never told me you could sing?

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: The Og
Date: 02 Sep 26 - 09:17 AM

First BIG engagement was at McVanns ...a Buffalo nightclub, 1961-62

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: GUEST,Joe G
Date: 02 Sep 26 - 10:49 AM

I had been to quite a few classical and rock gigs (first of the rock gigs was Eddie & The Hot Rods supported by Radio Stars and an unknown London band called Squeeze - I wonder what happened to them?!) in my teens.

First time I wandered into a folk club was at 17 when a friend and me were bored one Sunday night and he suggested the folk club - I wasn't keen but he had been a few times and said it was better than it sounded! As it was the eclectic Hartlepool Folk Club at the Nursery he was correct!

After the ceremonial hanging of the monkey from the light fitting the singer got up and belted out some shanties and other lively songs - I had never heard anything like it. Not being used to folk clubs and the concept of floor singers I assumed he was the guest but I soon learned that he was the club MC the late great Graham Whitley.

After another couple of excellent singers (including the Ralph McTell inspired Nick Hart (or was it Neil) Johnny Handle sat himself down at the pub piano, thrust the keyboard lid in my direction and proceeded to make my a life long folkie and, in particular, lover of the north east of England folk repertoire - especially Tommy Armstrong's songs.

That newly formed passion enhanced my life and several years later led to me being involved in festivals, running acoustic nights at various venues, booking artists for the Topic Folk Club for a year or so and writing CD and live reviews.

I am not as active now on the scene as I was but still love going to gigs and Musicport Festival. I'm also involved in the York branch of Love Music Hate Racism Tomorrow I am off to see my good friends Nick Hall & Micelle Plum, who perform in a superb duo as Plumhall, at the Black Swan Folk Club in the city

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 02 Sep 26 - 11:02 AM

First gig? Hmm....after some thought I guess it was an open air folk concert by the lake in Bromley's Church House Gardens. Princely fee - the sum of £5 shared between two! Ah...those were the days! :)

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: meself
Date: 02 Sep 26 - 03:26 PM

You've got me wondering .... I grew up singing in performance at church, school, community concerts, social gatherings of all kinds ... then there were two or three garage bands that never made it out of the garage, except for one unpaid performance in the high-school cafeteria ... and short-lived 'coffee houses' provided by a few civic-minded older people for younger people ... then some amateur events among university students ... and open mikes .... Once in awhile, I might have been handed a few dollars for one or another of these things. At some point, there came a real paid gig in a drinking establishment somewhere - but damned if I can remember where or when ... !

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 02 Sep 26 - 03:55 PM

My first gig was, I think, in the autumn of 1984 with Blind Panic. This was at Tony Rose's club on the outskirts of Yeovil. We opened with Mona's delight but I can't remember the rest of the sets.

My first floor spot was in December 1982, in the days when I could either sing or play concertina, but not both at the same time. I had finally plucked up courage to perform but stood close to a stool to support me as my knees were knocking, I was way out of my comfort zone. I had decided that I was in need of becoming more extrovert and that this was the best way to achieve it! I sang "The gaol song" and played "Winster gallop". I had arranged it so that I could go to 3 folk clubs in 10 days and throw myself in the deep end, so to speak. I managed to not repeat myself at a club for over a year and did over 300 different songs and tunes in two years. If only I could learn them that fast nowadays.

Robin

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Sep 26 - 04:00 PM

Bromley's Church House Gardens.
i remember doing a lot of forgettable things there, but not connected with music

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: Mark Ross
Date: 02 Sep 26 - 06:03 PM

I had been playing the basket houses in Greenwich Village for about 6 months, just passing the hat making on the average of 5 to 10 bucks a night. I was finally hired to ply my first paying, professional gig at Gerde's Folk City, opening for Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry in November of '67. Mike Porco paid me 5 bucks a night plus abottle of beer and a sandwich. I probably should have paid him.

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: The Sandman
Date: 03 Sep 26 - 04:26 AM

I remember that i did the gig unaccompanied as I was only just learning concertina

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: Pappy Fiddle
Date: 05 Sep 26 - 12:45 PM

Age 12, Mom bought me a guitar and some lessons. We went thru a book by Mel Bay, then a book of classical pieces, things like John Dowland is Always Sad. I also worked thru The Folksinger's Guitar Guide, every page, every bit.
   The public library had a big stand full of LPs. Here I found a big ol' package, about 24 hours worth, of Manitas de Plata. I figured out some of what he was doing there.
   OK, first gig? I would go to the park and sit under a tree and play my guitar. I was focused pretty closely on the frets, when I heard voices. I looked up and about 30 people were sitting in a circle around me listening. Does that count as a first gig?

One time we were at a restaurant and they had a guy playing piano. Dad got to talking with the manager. The piano guy took a break. Dad said my sister here can play. So we coerced her into going up onto the stage. She knew Malagueña by heart. She played it with passion. Everyone was astonished. So that was her first gig I guess.

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: Howard Jones
Date: 06 Sep 26 - 08:03 AM

My school's 6th form had its own folk club in partnership with the girls's school down the road, which is where I did my first floor spots. My first paid gig was at a concert at the school with Martin Carthy headlining, supported by Tabard, a very good local duo, and me. Due to a booking snafu Martin had to cancel, and it was reported in the local paper that I had stood in for him (I still have the cutting), which was something of an exaggeration! I used some of the £5 fee to buy Martin's LP.

When I started going to proper grown-up folk clubs one of these was recorded and broadcast by the BBC's Folkweave programme. I received another £5 for my contribution, less 1/- (5p) deducted for National Insurance. That came with a lengthy BBC contract (which unfortunately I no longer have) full of stuff about repeat fees and overseas broadcasts, none of which materialised, sadly.

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: The Sandman
Date: 06 Sep 26 - 03:11 PM

Hi Howard, who was in Tabard?

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 06 Sep 26 - 04:30 PM

I’ve mainly been a “floor spotter” as far as singing goes: I did do the sole support slot at Leith Folk Club a while back, with Christine Kydd as the main guest. But it wasn’t long after that my ears started to go wrong, which put a damper on any further progress.
But I’ve done dozens of instrumental gigs with various groups of friends - “Care Homes to Cathedrals” is our strapline! Can’t remember the first of those, or the first ceilidh band gigs I did with the two bands I was in.

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 06 Sep 26 - 04:57 PM

1962 (I was 15 years old) playing guitar and singing in a 5-piece group doing traditional and contemporary folk songs as entertainment for our local village hall harvest supper. Two half-hour spots, and we got paid ten bob each which was double my weekly wage for delivering newspapers. Money for old rope at the time!

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: GUEST,Jim Yates
Date: 06 Sep 26 - 05:02 PM

Not a paying gig, but in 1960, three members of the 76th Hamilton Boy Scout Troop formed a folk trio patterned after the Kingston Trio. We had two guitars and a tenor banjo and we each knew at least 3 chords. The gig was a talent show in the basement of a church and we sang The Gypsy Davey, The Sunday School Song and Jesse James.
By a year later, we had a Harmony 5-string banjo, a Stella 12-string guitar and a Goya Goliath 6 string. We had also learned a bunch more chords and some right hand techniques.

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Sep 26 - 07:12 PM

Can I still join if I get there late? I might have a mushroom hike with family early afternoon but hope to make it if I can. Thank you!

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Sep 26 - 07:12 PM

Oh, oops. Wrong thread—sorry!

Subject: RE: Very first gig
From: Howard Jones
Date: 07 Sep 26 - 05:33 AM

Tabard was Simon Thornedycraft and Malcolm Cole.