I'm IN the Band - Part 3

And the band played on...

I felt pretty good after that first gig, and was glad that I had decided to join them. I felt that we were just as good at generating noise as any other local band, but like some of the other guys I saw that if we made some changes we could make even better noise.

I realized that the "metal" style of playing that me and the other guitar player employed didn't exactly fit in with the band's overall sound. I happily modified my playing, reverting back to the blues-based rock sounds that my idols AC/DC had perfected. The other guitarist, my buddy, seemed unwilling or unable to adjust and within a few months he was no longer in the band. I don't recall the exact circumstances that lead to his departure, but I'm sure I looked like a coward for not taking his side. I was actually pretty excited, seeing as how I had always found it difficult to work with other guitar players.

We picked up a monthly gig at a place in Long Branch called Cafe Bar and played a handful of other gigs all over Jersey. We never made more than enough money to pay for gas and tolls, but we didn't mind. Our shows were lots of fun even though most of the time we played for no more than a dozen or so people.

I learned to function as part of a collective, and how to resolve things in a way that made everyone happy (although during one heated debate, the bass player tried to bludgeon me with his bass). It was like dating a bunch of temperamental girls. We all had issues and our own idea of what the band should be.

We went under at least three different names that I can remember, cut a demo that is harder and harder to listen to as I get older, played a little over a dozen gigs, and developed a small following of pre-teen skate boarders. I remember after what turned out to be our last gig we ran into a bunch of them in the McDonald's down the street.

"You guys are awesome," one of the kids said.

"Thanks," I said, truly enjoying my "rock star" moment. "But it looks like this was our last gig. We're going our separate ways."

"No way," another kid said. "Why?"

I didn't have an answer for him, and even now I can't recall what exactly lead to the band breaking up. I was going to college 60 miles away, coming back to Jersey for practices and gigs on the weekends. I guess we just slowly dissolved.

I'm happy that I was a part of the band (even though it never helped me get laid), and if nothing else I can say, "When I was in my band..."

The End