18 year old kid impressed me

[Ross Brown]

At our gig last Friday there was an 18 year old kid that had approached the bar owner earlier in the week about playing a few songs as an opening act for us. The bar owner said he would call us and ask. He didnt but he did come up to me as we were setting up and asked if I minded if this kid set up and played for a half an hour or so before we started. I said I would talk with him and see what he needed.

 

He only brought an electric guitar. We schooled him on 1) talk directly to the band also 2) bring your own mic 3) dont assume you will be using the bands amps.

 

Turns out that the guitar player in our band was willing to let him use his amp and mic (this time) as long as he unplugged by 9:25pm.

 

My point is that I was impressed that this 18 year old kid had the gumption to get out and talk to bar owners and work his deal. He didnt bring his mommy or girlfriend. he came alone. He was polite. His playing and singing was not bad. I see a lot of kids this age that sit on their butts and dont seem to know what it is to pay dues to get to where you want to go. This was refreshing. I also appreciated the bar owners attitude about giving a kid with balls like that a chance. I like this bar and owner but it is a biker bar and he and the crowd don't take to a lot of crap.

 

[TimR]

Nice. It shows the difference in cultures between the US and the UK. In the UK an 18 year old is considered an adult. Can drink and vote etc. We frequently see bands with 17-18 year olds playing in pubs.

 

However, I recently went to a gig in central London to see a band playing. One of their guitarists had depped for us, I had assumed that he was telling me the truth that he was 18 as I'd asked him as we had been playing a gig in an over 18s only club. (as opposed to a pub where children are allowed)

 

When I arrived he was outside, with his parents and couple of his other band mates. It was freezing, we chatted for a while then I asked why we were standing outside in the cold and not inside. It transpired that the band members outside had forgotten their ID and were not allowed in. 5 mins before they were due to go on, a bouncer escorted them to the stage. They played, packed their gear down and were escorted out. They played as well as any other of the bands on that night, and in one case much better.

[Bottom End]

+1 for the kid, the bar owner, and your band!

 

FWIW, 18 year olds should be treated like adults, both in rights and responsibilities.

 

It's a shame there are not more venues for musicians who are not of age to perform in.

 

[Ross Brown]

 

FWIW, 18 year olds should be treated like adults, both in rights and responsibilities.

 

 

agreed... since you said "responsibilities" also....

[TimR]

That's a whole new subject.

 

I agree with your sentiments. Over in the UK there are too many papers and news items about the bad things that teenagers are getting up to. How they're all either sitting at home playing video games like guitar hero, or out causing trouble. When its only one side of the story.

 

At least over here teenagers are in the main decent people.

[kenfxj]

I have three teenagers. They're all decent people. They were never presented with an alternative.

[EddiePlaysBass]

We got what is known as "youth clubs" here, which usually cater to the 13 - 18 year old crowd, but some "older" kids will hang there as well. These places usually host little "festivals" and are a great opportunity for bands of all ages to come and play.

 

Last time we played one of those places, there was bands consisting of 14-year old girls, bands like mine (late 20's, early 30's) and fiftysomething bands that should have spent more time in the garage (age is no guarantee for experience, let alone talent). Heck, if it weren't for these clubs, my band would hardly play at all. And we hardly play at all as it is ...

 

I think you guys did right by letting the kid play, as it will have taught him a valuable lesson which I'm sure he'll benefit from Way cool !

[butcherNburn]

FWIW, 18 year olds should be treated like adults, both in rights and responsibilities.

agreed... since you said "responsibilities" also....

 

I agree too. You can vote and join the military, therefore you should have the right to drink and be in adult establishments. There are many "adults" of legal drinking age that should have that right revoked.

 

It's funny, by time I was of legal drinking age (21) I was already sick of hanging out in bars and I got proofed more often in the few years after since I was 21 than before.

[DanYmaL X]

I have three teenagers. They're all decent people. They were never presented with an alternative.

That's the key right there... I have 8 kids... (blended family, 4+3+1) and the oldest of hers is 22, all in all a good kid, but she sufferes alot from the 'Me first, because you owe it to me' trainof thought that a lot of kids of her generation adhere to... with the next in line, (15, 16 and 19,) we are working very hard at teaching them a good old fashioned work ethic, morals, manners and basically how to be a real, functioning member of society. It seems to be working so far.

It sounds like this 18yr old guitar player knows what he wants and isn't afraid to go out there and get it on his own, and to learn from his own lessons in the process. That is a good sign, and refreshing to hear about.

We need to encourage that kind of attitude as much as we can...

 

 

DX

[Eric VB]

I see a lot of kids this age that sit on their butts and dont seem to know what it is to pay dues to get to where you want to go.

Mostly I read posts by kids who just don't know. Anything. Period.

 

How many of us here grew up in a family where a parent was a working musician? Not me. (How many were taught in a music business class in school?)

 

I'll be honest. At 18 I didn't have the first clue about how to be a working musician. My experience with music up to that point was mostly through the school band. That is, musicians just practice, rehearse and perform; someone else (the director) takes care of everything else.

 

I see something similar in a lot of CL ads. Kids ask for talent agents or scouts or managers or whatever. Someone who, if they only just listened to the kids' amazing talents, would believe in them. And, of course, book them at the biggest venues in town ... with essentially no following.

 

I try to mentor the kids who will listen when I can. Ross, did you take a minute to talk with the kid? Did you ask him what his future goals were? Does this kid now think that he can just go bar to bar and play 30 minutes, that this is going to get him somewhere? Do you think when he got home he posted a CL ad something like this: "forming band, have connections, gigs lined up"?

[Ross Brown]

I hear you. He is started on the path. Not there yet. Just impressed that he came alone and tried to deal in an "new" environment. Guitarist spoke with him a bit. I was busy running our band.... This all occured 40 minutes before our downbeat.