anyone do the full time “club circuit”?

[ericb]

Started when I was 14 years old playing my first paying gig, and my last paying gig at 32. Drinking age was 18 when I was 18. From,14-18 in CT; 18 - 30, I was on the club circuit in NY - CT - RI - MA; 30 - 32 in Atlanta.

Not sure what years you're talking about but drinking age for me was 18 as well and I've been in VT. I used to see MANY Connecticut circuit bands here in Vt.. There was great 80's metal there. Were you familiar with Doug Blair from Run21, Cosmic Joe from Jimmy Carter Show, etc and Jimi Bell, Dubiel, etc?

 

[* velcro-fly *]

sounds like a great area for gigging!!

If you're one of the bands getting the gigs Last night was fun, packed house for most of the evening

 

[dstroud]

Are you talking back in the late 70's-mid 80's by chance? I'm old, and that's when the circuit club bands existed in New England where I live. My girlfriend who I bought my house with in the late 80's did that for years as a lead singer in a circuit band, and my current bassist for the past 30 years did it as well. . Not me, as I played since 1979 but only in the same type places I play today 3 nights /month or so! Our local Burlington VT big bars then had a band play 4 nighters many times and give them housing and food. Paid way more than today too.. . I'm not sure if the guys talking about club circuits in 2000 know what it was like 20 years earlier. . BIG PA's, full stacks or double full stacks, Hammond organs, etc. Loved the whole scene.
p.s. on a sad note, some of these guys are starting to die off, and we lost 1 of our originals "Jimmy Carter" a few months back. . His bandmates ended up in W.A.S.P. which I'm sure a lot of guys on this forum would've loved

that’s it man!! mid 80’s to early 90’s but the guys I played with had done the circuit for years. We traveled in gutted school busses that carried the pa (earthquake bins they called them lol) and trusses of lighting. Usually the band and a 3 man crue - soundman , light man and a gofor guy. Yes and the dudes I did this with, several have passed away. But man we had a good time!!!

 

[rsm]

Not sure what years you're talking about but drinking age for me was 18 as well and I've been in VT. I used to see MANY Connecticut circuit bands here in Vt.. There was great 80's metal there. Were you familiar with Doug Blair from Run21, Cosmic Joe from Jimmy Carter Show, etc and Jimi Bell, Dubiel, etc?

some sound familiar; one of my bands opened for Jimi Bell's band, after he auditioned to play for Ozzy. Another band I was in, the other guitarist was friends with Frank Aresti, who helped us get connected with other bands and some shows. Some of the well known clubs we played were L'Amour, Agora, Toad's Place, Pogo's, Vito's, The Rat, Spit, The Channel, The Living Room, but mostly college gigs and some outdoor shows. There was another club in Hartford, CT, known for hair metal we played many times...and I can't remember the freakin' name of it, now it's gonna bug me. One of my early '80s bands was a punk band, and we played at some dive club in Bridgeport, and nearly got our gear stolen...one of the last places I remember playing in the early '90s was The Purple Gator in Torrington, CT, which still had a lively thrash scene before moving to Atlanta. In Atlanta, played at the Masquerade, Wreck Room, Magruders and International Ballroom.

 

[ericb]

some sound familiar; one of my bands opened for Jimi Bell's band, after he auditioned to play for Ozzy. Another band I was in, the other guitarist was friends with Frank Aresti, who helped us get connected with other bands and some shows. Some of the well known clubs we played were L'Amour, Agora, Toad's Place, Pogo's, Vito's, The Rat, Spit, The Channel, The Living Room, but mostly college gigs and some outdoor shows. There was another club in Hartford, CT, known for hair metal we played many times...and I can't remember the freakin' name of it, now it's gonna bug me. One of my early '80s bands was a punk band, and we played at some dive club in Bridgeport, and nearly got our gear stolen...one of the last places I remember playing in the early '90s was The Purple Gator in Torrington, CT, which still had a lively thrash scene before moving to Atlanta. In Atlanta, played at the Masquerade, Wreck Room, Magruders and International Ballroom.

Cool, cool cool!! The bands I were referencing were the club circuit bands that played hard rock covers/80s metal covers. But I’ve been to the Rat, the Lliving Room, the Chaannel. And the Spit all for amazing new wave/punk shows!!!