My best gig ever..Thanks to Songcrafters

Pete C · June 16, 2024, 06:01:57 AM

As a teenager in the late 70's, I had a band with friends which never got anywhere apart from a few youth club gigs. We split up, a few years later I got married and I gave up the thought of ever being in a band again until the mid-90's when some friends I'd met through work suggested putting together a band. We played through to the mid 2000's although I was with another band for a couple of years. We used to play a few pub gigs and, with the other band, a lot of social clubs. I think the biggest audience I ever played to was about 800.

My friends often suggested putting the band together again but life always got in the way. I joined Songcrafters in 2010 to give me some purpose to playing guitar at home and through the years since it helped me keep my interest in playing guitar, encouraged me to learn bass guitar too and even a dabble with keys.

By 2019, my friends had lost interest in playing again and at the age of 58 I auditioned for a local indie/rock band that was looking for a singer, guitarist and bass. By early 2020 we'd just started playing gigs and had quite a few lined up that year but along came the lockdown and put an end to that. We drifted apart during that time and in 2021 the bass player asked me to join a soul/Motown band he was putting together. By the end of 2021 we had a full line-up of 7 and started to play live in 2022. We had to take a few months out in 2023 due to a health problem with one of the band but by the end of the year we were back at it.

We'd played a couple of sell-out gigs at Penwortham Arts Centre and a few months ago the town council asked us if we'd perform as the main act at their annual Gala on June 8th. We had a fantastic evening, playing a 90 minute set outdoors on a purpose-built stage with a team of sound engineers to a crowd of at least a couple of thousand. Thanks to Songcrafters for keeping my interest in playing (and giving me GAS) which has helped inspire me to have one more go !

chapperz66 · June 16, 2024, 06:51:18 AM

Bloody brilliant! Well deserved!

Zoltan · June 16, 2024, 07:41:09 AM

Hey! That's super great!

And you look cool with that guitar!

Farrell Jackson · June 16, 2024, 08:10:37 AM

That is a great story Pete! That is quite a large crowd and the band looks sharp on the stage. I wish you all the best and may the next gig be even bigger!