YOU are the MAIN CHARACTER EP.1: Dive Bar

[@LJHowardPhoto]

The next time someone asks why I don't play bar gigs I'll send them this video. Thanks Mike.

[@whyceeguy]

Really solid story telling, kept me around till the end. Been there more times then I want to admit. There was a guy who booked wedding bands in MN who sent me on several misadventures. I got a call for a gig and he asked "You can sing, right?" to which I replied "Yes but I am getting my wisdom teeth removed that day so no". I showed up at the Country Club in Edina looking like a chipmunk on painkillers and could barely move my jaw and the other guys all told me "He said you were the singer"! The piano player just played ii IV I in whatever key the song was in and the horn player was so lit he could barely stand up. Thankfully they had some serious problems with the dinner service and it took so long to get the food out that everybody just ate and cleared out so we only had to play one set before the place emptied out, and I am pretty sure we did a good job of helping make that happen.

[@216trixie]

Reminds me of a gig story I lived through. 2001 I moved back to my hometown and was referred right away to replace a guitar player in a 4 piece country band for two gigs the following week. I told the band that I was a rocker and didn't know a lot of country licks but I could fake them and do a decent job. They said no problem. I showed up the first night at the country bar. Every person in that place had cowboy boots, a belt buckle and a cowboy hat except for me and the drummer, who was also a rocker, and we were both wearing Chuck Taylors and t-shirts. The first night went pretty good. They would toss me leads and I would play them and the bass player and rhythm guitar player, who had been together for about 40 years carried all the songs. That was the first night and it went pretty well. The second night I showed up about an hour before we were supposed to start playing. The bass player in the drummer were there but no rhythm guitarist. After a while the bass player told me that that he and the guitar player had been fighting and the guitar player had quit the band. In half an hour we were going to go on and I needed to cover all of the guitar parts. This was a real country band, and there wasn't a song written after 1970 in the setlist. Everything was from the '50s and '60s and hard country. I had never heard of any of the songs. I started downing beers. At 2 minutes to 8:00, I started walking on stage my hand shaking and my stomach just fluttering wondering what the hell I was going to do. Right as we were about to start, the guitar player walked in the bar, plugged in and just started playing and singing like nothing happened. I think they pulled a pretty good joke on me. I about pooped in my pants😂😂😂

[@beenaplumber8379]

That's a sick prank if that's what they did! That place sounds like Bob's Country Bunker - a place where it's unsafe to displease the patrons.

[@willmcbride4435]

Spot on. Not that all of that happens in one gig, but just about everything you said is relatable from one time or another. I’ve been gigging in Minnesota since 1983.

[@WalkenDead]

My one and only gig was for free beers. I was the lead singer and lead guitarist. We were opening for a more well established local band and using their sound guy and PA. So I had been practicing with these guys for about a year maybe. We were doing all original songs and on the first one, I completely forgot all the lyrics. Just did the deer in the headlights thing. Luckily them being all original, nobody knew that except my bandmates. i came back to my senses for the rest of the set, just one to open. we had a strict 3 beer rule before the show. no more. We were all big drinkers and thought that a good way to start so nobody got sloshed. i did have one other issue in the show but it was with a mic that went out and (remembering the lyrics this time) I pulled thru. Just kept singing while the sound guy figured it out

[@danhackley6730]

If you use wireless guitar/bass rigs, use it to your advantage. Go stand and play FACING the stage and adjust sound accordingly 👌 For the drummer, just have someone bash on the kit and have the drummer adjust his own sound

[@xyz8655]

You had me right there with you. Great job Mike

[@gohjohan]

I'm glad to have listened to this in the car because I kept glancing at the screen and it's always the same picture. I've never had the chance to play in a paid gig, so this is good to know, even though this takes place in America, I'm sure that being paid, is the same every where else.

[@MichaelDaviesMusic]

Great Story Mike! I loved it!

[@verumterrae3322]

Two thoughts I remember from my first gig: 1. I could be ho e chilling on the couch. 2. This guitar has way too many frets.

[@Soysauce4410]

This was like listening to someone else’s fever dream😂, thanks Mike!

[@johncitizen3361]

Great story. My wife heard me listening and asked what it was, she thought I was listening to an audiobook or something.

[@gohjohan]

I was glad to have listened in the car during my commute to work.

[@nicholas5240]

You're a great storyteller 👏

[@mikemorgan4774]

This perfectly describes about 85% of the 10,000 gigs I have done, but most of them only paid about $50, which was enough to cover the 2am breakfast we would eat after the gig where we would all talk about the next moves in our "career", LOL

[@kevnski3snrs]

Been there, done that, lesson learned, no drinking until 4th set. Great story telling, tailing.

[@michaelhopper2199]

Reminds me of the old Choose Your Own Adventure books, just with no choices… Love it

[@frankspikes7858]

I remember my first gig. Far leap from playing at church and marching band. It was at a community center. We had rehearsed a bunch of time prior to the gig. Anyway we take the stage. About 3 tunes in somebody threw a brah on stage. Funniest thing ever. One of the cups were autographed. We didn't stop until our set was done. Following us was a metal band. Fun times!!!

[@topherbarrow4631]

This is why I stopped gigging in the 90's. We had a deal, management and was on our way. One night on stage at the last song I froze. I looked at the crowd and decided I didn't want to do that anymore. My music is personal if that makes sense, it's the only thing that's always there for me.

[@GILLnBARRY]

Great story telling! It really held my interest (and brought back similar memories of my gigging days). You could easily become an author! You got the talent!

[@jefftucker201]

That was epic! I felt like I was there. You should write a screen play for a movie\TV show or something mate, you got writing talent!

[@Andy-i3i]

Wow that was amazing narrating and story all around, great job!

[@greybushgames1]

Your life stories are great Mike

[@bobsbarnworkshop]

I’ve been playing in bands since the late 60’s, This is hilarious! Like a compilation of the past 50 years all rolled into one! Like the bar with a stage… which is the corner of a 4’by 4’ piece of plywood on cinder blocks…. Or starting a song with vocals first and at the first chord you are in the wrong key and can’t get your brain back on the right note!!!! Or spilling a beer in a dive and wiping it up, thinking the tile is black, until the beer wipe reveals it’s checkerboard! And your bass player getting drunk every gig and slurring vocals badly by the last set, then barfs coming out of the diner after the gig! And the big brawl in a redneck tavern and the bartender pulling down steel covers over the booze bottles and jumping over the bar with a baseball bat! Aaaaaahhhh! The life of a gigging musician!

[@beenaplumber8379]

At least he barfed after the gig! And man, I hate brawls. At one gig three separate fights broke out at the same time in three different parts of the bar. I've got my fancy bass rig - an 8-space rack packed with goodies and a pair of Ampeg 4x10s, all stacked on top of each other, and the bodies come flying my direction... My rig is on the side of the stage, which is open to the floor, so there was no way for me to get between it and the brawlers. (It would have really hurt if it fell on them!) The other guys kept playing like nothing was happening. That's when I decided I didn't need to use a massive rig like that for bar gigs. At least brawlers seem courteous enough not to involve the band. Usually they stay clear, or clear enough. At one gig in Wisconsin, the place was absolutely packed (they really liked us there), but we noticed during one song it was nearly empty. For once they actually took it outside! Man I loved playing that place! Rural Wisconsin crowds are awesome!

[@bobsbarnworkshop]

@@beenaplumber8379 yeah! I get the gear problem! At our bar brawl, we went outside and up some steps to a balcony to watch as the people spilled out front into the parking lot! One guy got punched and fell onto all fours.. so then his opponent literally kicked him in the face, flipping him onto his back! The crowd finally jumped into all their cars, mostly muscle cars ( it was the early 70’s!) and roared off into the night! Just about on cue as the sound of the hot rod engines faded out, the sheriff’s siren could be heard approaching and he pulled out front as the dust of the hasty retreat still hung in the air!!!!

[@rotmusic8505]

God, I've experienced ALOT of this over almost 20 years playing live music. I loved it. Good stuff. Thanks for sharing.

[@TDFAE]

Hope there will be a sequel :). It reminds me some of my first gig, but with differents issues. Nice story :D

[@ARayMaddy]

This is a lot of fun, listening, and seeing how many things had happened to me at live gigs thanks for doing this

[@KiteShopDude]

For real though, I've just joined my first band but they've been around for a long time. The great stories they tell can all be found inside of this single video. I love it. Shared it with all of them!

[@justinpoirier5285]

This was a lot of fun, and a bit close to home! Keep this up!

[@andarchy1386]

Attention to detail was great almost like you lived it

[@MichaelMoore497]

When you factor in rehearsal time, you are probably making $3/hr. Great story!

[@joelcaron8291]

Omg.. this is spot On !! .. It's sooo like my first gig in 1991. Smell like teen spirit has just been released and we HAD to put it in... We had the same brown panels... And the same shitty light cans... My stomach was all around until I hit the stage... And it went somewhat good enough, 'cause this was the start of a ten years adventure tru the 90's with my Goth Band. Those were the days... ❤😢😂 .. Nice storytelling btw

[@robdavis8307]

Well done. Man, that Jager bit took me back. That was my poison of choice back in the day. It's a polarizing drink for sure. As far as Madge goes, that's the thing of nightmares, but for some reason, you can't look away.

[@beenaplumber8379]

Madge makes me cringe mightily. She seems to think her drunkenness makes her sexy, and that somehow gives her privileges. Eew!!!

[@AdamRocksOut]

Oh my gosh my best friend named Sam is actually trying to get me into his band because they kicked out the lead guitarist 😮 Edit: I also played my first show with Sam

[@retropuffer2986]

Watch out for Mage!

[@stylesb959]

Great storytelling, so relatable

[@thehighwayman767]

Dude... Were you at my first real gigs??? This was AWESOME!!!!

[@johnman84]

100% worth it. 😎 Best feeling in the world!

[@billybrad204]

Well done! Brings back memories of the day!

[@cbbiny]

Excellent job Mike. Great imagery.

[@meljohnson5579]

Wow....One of my college bands name was Southwind. Brought back crystal clear memories!😊

[@WarUlt]

Great story! Would love to see this as a Choose Your Own Adventure type of thing too

[@MirianaWhite]

You're such a great storyteller and I love listening to your voice so I really enjoyed this!

[@caverbrad]

First gig I was nervous and we were playing for the door at a bar that adjoined a bowling alley. Oh then I find out the owner lets anyone in for free up until we start and his patrons know that. This was about '89. we made maybe $20 and just let our sound and light guy have it. A year or so later we have a gig at a place about a half hour outside St Louis. I think they expected a country band and we played popular hard rock. Someone kept requesting Crazy Train. We had never played it before and butchered it. They loved it and got the best crowd response of the night.

[@beenaplumber8379]

A friend and I did a two-man band (with a backing drum track), and he was convinced that if we took audience requests, tried them, and butchered them, the audience would appreciate it, and just like you experienced, he was right, the audiences loved us! We wound up with a regular gig at one bar, and that was our thing, the two-man band who would try anything. Somehow they loved us! (And imagine only splitting the gig money two ways!)

[@lonewhitewolf7772]

I would love to hear more in this series it is very entertaining.

[@OSHomestead]

You kept me watching...Great story!

[@zacharyluhman9022]

30:51 yeah. Thats life right there.

[@retropuffer2986]

Great story. The gritty side of gigging revealed.

[@stratocat]

That was awesome, great storytelling.

[@FacePomagranate]

I was expecting that after showing up late, you were still the first band member there. Always seems like venues operate on the principle of telling bands to show up an hour earlier than they actually need to be there, and the musicians are either flaky enough to need that, or have wise enough to have caught on to it.

[@artemisdarkslayer]

Really cool video! Looking forward to more like this.

[@linuxjay]

Great story! It really painted a picture.

[@billdahl7962]

Great job presenting this real life gigging situation!

[@billdahl7962]

Thats the life of us average musicians that have it in our blood to get ourselves out there and do this! It’s a blast!!!!

[@beenaplumber8379]

It's a blast until "Drunk Girl" gets it in her head that she has special privileges, like stepping onstage and demanding a mic, or sitting on my lap during our break while we're trying to have a meeting, or just general groping - stuff men get arrested for (rightly so). I'm no looker, and neither are they, though they seem to think drunken sluttiness is somehow attractive. Man, there's not enough beer in any bar for me to feel okay with that. I love playing dives - anywhere there's an audience that's into the music. That's what I meant to say, but then "Drunk Girl" came to mind. Part of the deal I guess.

[@ehdforlife]

Reminds me of an old radio show. It's funny to me, podcasts are just radio shows without the radio.

[@adamschronk3620]

Great Job 👏 You had me drawn in like story time in Elementary school! I definitely want to hear more!

[@davidestes9971]

My In Ears always worked in soundcheck then were unusable when we started our set. I never knew what was going to happen. The first three songs were back to back and probably the busiest songs so no chance to address the IEM mix until the fourth song. We didn't have a band bar tab as three drinks were included in our pay but a portion of my pay went to a new PA system for the band which after I left the band to move to another state I didn't get any of that money back but the band kept going. I'm not complaining though because the experience was worth it. $100 per gig instead of $125 wasn't going break me. I was doing it for fun not to get rich.

[@beenaplumber8379]

That's always a risk when the band buys gear instead of one member. I've always tried to have some PA gear and lights (yeah, the cheap PAR 36 cans, 2 trees) of my own as my contribution, and it always seemed someone else would buy the rest of what we needed, or we'd hire a sound guy with his own PA, or we'd rent a PA. Bands always break up. Whaddya do with band property? You were nice, but it sounds like a struggle that wasn't worth it to you. I'm glad it didn't get acrimonious.

[@twobarsfourstars]

Love this, super creative and interesting thank you!!

[@dousethemouse]

Hi ! I really enjoyed this video. You did an excellent job to really capture what it is like to gig like that. Your insight based on experience is very valuable. Your naration was excellent. It kept me engaged the entire time. Keep up the good work! I hope you make more insightful videos like this in the future. Thank You for your excellent content. J

[@RandysRides]

I quit my last band over weird stage stuff. Our singer decided he was our leader...lol...and took control of everything. No set lists...he'd thumb through pages of songs, deciding which to play next...(an uncomfortable 3-5 minutes each song) then decided he was too vurtuous to sing the actual lyrics to songs. He'd replace them with sermons about god....not even kidding. He changed the words to Rock You Like A Hurricane to " I love jesus, so I'm not gonna sin." He did it with several songs...me and the drummer gave him a good yelling at and quit. Now, at 56, I just don't do bands anymore. There's always some stupid drama.

[@beenaplumber8379]

Not always. I've had a few bands where we gelled beautifully - musically and personally. It really sucks when those bands break up. But seriously - he used your band's songs to preach Jesus? And all that quiet time between songs - club owners don't like that. They don't invite bands back if they're that unprofessional. At least the owners of clubs that are worth playing at.

[@ImYourOverlord]

It's a long way...and this was mighty entertaining 😁

[@bks252]

Love it.

[@jacklbrt]

Good story. Well done!

[@musick777]

Fantastic writing!

[@elijahkleinhenz4246]

I like this a lot :)

[@Souldoubtrocks]

This was great and very relatable

[@mdu2112]

Beer muffs! 😂 I'm stealing that one.

[@joelrodely]

The drummer commentary is 100%

[@SoundPixelProductions]

This was great! I would love a part 2.

[@mikestoner2898]

At my first gig (80s metal - Ozzy, Hagar, GnR, etc) my guitar sounded horrendously bad and I couldn’t work out why. It was only at the end of the set that I realised the tone control had been on zero all the way through.

[@HannahCope88]

Loving this! Have been sooo looking forward to it, I love your storytelling, you really do have such a talent for it 😊. Jimmie's Chicken Shack, hehe. Love the dad joke 😊. I think one of my favourites things about it are all the little sound effects and music in it, really paints such a vivid and real picture in my minds eye. Congrats on 898k Subscribers! 🎉🤘🏻🔥

[@valeryprokudin1499]

That was really good!

[@THEREALPATRICKGREGORY4]

FIRE EP BRO!

[@216trixie]

Awesome video.

[@bobsdock]

Great show man! When's the next one?

[@beenaplumber8379]

$400 for a first gig ain't bad. I've done plenty of those tip jar/"beer money" gigs while getting a band up to speed. Of course driving to Iowa... out of town gigs need to pay more. And why is it that dives always have those creaky stage floors that feel like you might bust through them if you jump?

[@Theblindbassplayer]

This feels like an audio book

[@alanbeesby2220]

This is written by someone who knows, as it is pretty accurate to a lot of gigs 😊

[@jeffearle1687]

Great story Mike! Loved listening! Sounds like the story is the same, but the names changed!😂

[@mdu2112]

Vanilla and patchouli... 😂 You're killing me.

[@mdu2112]

Mike, you've been around, I see... 😅❤🇨🇦

[@Nickshreds890]

45 songs is A LOT of songs ! That’s intense ! It sounds good to not use an in house engineer as sometimes they can destroy a band’s sound . Or at least I’ve experienced . You’re a fine story teller Mike ! Eww the smell of stale beer 🍺 is quite familiar . Oh no I don’t like creaking stages at all. Fingers crossed 🤞 I don’t like how the dudes in the band are drinking during the gig . I know it’s common for musicians . But I do not mix my guitar playing with booze . I know I’m lame but I am not ashamed . Oh man it scares me to wing a riff especially if I don’t know the song and I don’t want to make the haggard fan angry at me haha 😂 . This is a brilliant story !! I feel like I’m in the guitarist’s shoes .

[@Nickshreds890]

Spoiler: Ah geez it sounds like a sound engineer might have been a decent idea. That was brilliant! :)

[@beenaplumber8379]

I don't get it. A lot of people are saying 45 is a lot. In my last band our setlists (3 sets, 1 hour each) were 16-18 songs with a dozen extras. Creaking stages!!! Have you ever stepped up to your microphone and the floor sags under you, making the mike tip toward you and hit you on the lip?

[@High9ine]

that was amazing !! I felt like I was part of the gig, right there at Jimmy's Chicken Shack with Sam and Rusty,

[@tonycullotta8528]

First gig I played was at a bowling alley a buddy of ours asked us to play during the break time while his band went on break for about an hour. We had to bring our gear on stage and make room for ourselves because their gear was still on stage I put my bass gear next to the other bands bass gear I had no room to stand on stage so I was off to the side right next to the kitchen door where the wait staff was coming in and out with food for people so I had to avoid them and then my sound cut out on a few songs a total spinal tap moment

[@216trixie]

And for all you youngsters Fonzie was a biker character on a show called Happy Days, from 50 years ago..

[@sniffrat3646]

Great story mate!

[@jamescandlish7097]

Enjoyable listen

[@jeffro.]

For a video, this was more like a podcast, lol. I mean, there was just a still picture on the screen the whole time! However, I swear I thought I saw flashing lights at the point where you said "Sam hit the floor switch, and a more interesting pattern started with the lights," ( or sumpin like that). Musta been in my head, like the rest of the imagery! Y'know, for a youngster, you do this really well! I like all your videos, and I also like the name of your channel. Just... please...no more fever dreams for awhile! 👍👍👍

[@TheArtofGuitar]

Took me forever to get the lights to do that in the picture. Lots of photoshop experimenting. 🤣

[@robertdimartino5794]

I'm a drummer ....I went home with Madge.😢

[@FrostyBob99]

Yes! All of that is typical 😂

[@FrostyBob99]

Oh. And the girl? Yeah. Sometimes it goes your way. Sometimes it goes exactly like it did for that guy lol.

[@reddyfreddy]

Sounds like the book " runn'in with the devil" lite. 😅

[@leaharrington4472]

That sounds an awful lot like an awful lot of gigs I've had. 😅 (Great writing, man!)

[@Jashane730]

Is episode 2 gonna be about the rodeo gig?

[@ImYourOverlord]

The band is supposed to get free drinks. You guys got shafted.

[@ganzyjam7828]

I’m taken aback 20 years in a three piece band your not far off the mark lol

[@z_855turboR]

Haha that was awesome, great story, very relatable..I mean ofc it's totally not you, sounds nothing like your story:P :))

[@ringforthrev]

Haggard? Immediately launch into There's Only One Way To Rock..."Oh I thought you said Hagar"

[@TheArtofGuitar]

I almost tossed in a Hagar bit but held back. ;)

[@tonepilot]

Is this your re-occurring nightmare?

[@WalkenDead]

Um.... have you been watching Mr Ballen? Just going by the story telling

[@seanhoward5562]

lol...lots of truth here...

[@Theblindbassplayer]

I know why she left You all did not play any 90s alteritive

[@toddclarke1580]

Never play unprepared , and always be the pa guy. Test all cables with a cable tester , and spray speaker and pa jack inputs. Don’t play with musicians that improvise. And don’t play dive bars. Stay smart and stay clean.