Five Bands and Their First Gigs

Aerosmith played their first show together 47 years ago today (November 6), and even though they have sold out arenas and stadiums all over the world, even “The Bad Boys from Boston” had to start somewhere.

In honor of this anniversary, here are five bands and some details about their first gigs.

Aerosmith played their first show at Nipmuc Regional High School in Mendon, Massachusettes.  How did they land the gig?  Joe Perry’s mom knew someone who worked for the school.   Way to go, Mrs. Perry!

The Crue played their very first show at the Starwood in West Hollywood, Calif. on April 24, 1981.  In an interview with L.A. Weekly, Nikki Sixx said of the gig, “I remember walking down the stairs onto the stage and hardly knowing Tommy and Vince and Mick, but at the same time feeling like I’d known them my whole life.”

The first Foo show took place on February 19, 1995 in front of just family and friends in Seattle.  It was the first time Dave Grohl performed live since Kurt Cobain died.  The show was recorded, and in an interview with Rolling Stone, Grohl recalled listening to the recording afterwards and saying, “I remember it being such a huge relief that we just made it to the end and then it was maybe a month later that I heard the recording of it – and I was fucking mortified.  I thought we sounded great and I heard the recording like, ‘Ohhh…that’s the Foo Fighters?  We’ve got to practice.”

Then known as Rocket Baby Dolls, the band who would become Muse had their first gig at a battle of the bands contest at the Teignmouth Broadmeadow Sports Centre in February 1994.  BTW:  They won the contest.

In 1998, Lzzy and Arejay Hale performed together for the first time as Halestorm at the Blue Mountain Coffee House and Hershey, Pa.  They were only 13 and 10 years old.  At the time, they didn’t have a bass player, so Lzzy and Arejay’s father stepped up to the task to help out his kids.

Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock blogger that loves the smell of old vinyl in the morning.