Guitar Gear Forum

This was my place on Sunset Beach in Treasure Island, FL.

2 feet in front of me was about 30 yards of white sand, right up to the Gulf of Mexico. We threw this party once a year. always had 5-6 bands, and went through 20+ kegs of beer.



That's our hot bass player (skinny but cute). As you can see by the gaggle of shirtless dudes hanging around her side of the stage.

Look at the bicolor Floyd Rose. The salt air would just eat zinc saddles for breakfast. And that guitar was only about 1.5 years old at the time.

She's looking much more loved these days. this pic is 3 weeks ago:

super cute with a bad ass rig

If nothing else, its cool to see a guitar that's been around for that long actually being used! Still looks pretty good!

That looks like a ton of fun. Beach life is seasonal up here, but gatdamn I love it so much.

Also, the 1990s' were such a great decade. Everything that was all kind of faction'd off in the '80s came together and exploded in the '90s. For better or worse

Yeah I definitely miss the 80's and 90's. That was definitely the most fun times of my life. Although I am still having fun with music now, but definitely not the same as it used to be.

in the 80's /90's we would rake in upwards of $1k for a cover gig with the norm at around 3 to 500 every Friday and sat for years. Does that happen anymore ? These days my duo just thinks about writing tunes

90s fuckin a.

I see pics and hear stories from guys 15 years older than me and damn I wish I was giggin' in the 90s

That bassist is super cute.

Looks like a blast! Such great music from the beginning of that decade, too

Looks like the Belly concert at the Santa Monica Pier in April of 1993.

Looks awesome. I miss the 90's in general. There was original live music going on constantly, even all ages stuff. Bummer my kids probably won't see anything like that.

who still has their combat boots ? I don't but I did just get a new jean jacket . I look like such a biker/hippie rocker it's not even funny

Computers and video games, back in the 90's, were still in their infancy... there was nothing else to do but, go see bands play!!!

With Dick Dale....
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkhGmZPJIHY[/youtube]

and "all ages" shows were the norm

Yep. There was no shortage of live music for kids back then. Now that I am thinking about it, it's incredible how active the scene was.

it all changed when Ticket Master pissed in the pool

...and when the drinking age went up to 21 (but, that was in the early '80s)

Just noticed the camera man, behind the bass player! What's he looking at?

Shirtless guy with camcorder rules.

ajaxlepinski wrote:Computers and video games, back in the 90's, were still in their infancy... there was nothing else to do but, go see bands play!!!

This. Too many entertainment choices now.

At least in the covers market, it started with raising the drinking age, that took out a good chunk of audience immediately. More strict DUI laws clamped down on the adults, and the internet and TV slowly took some of the crowds away. The "no smoking in bars" thing took even more away, add in the fact that popular music ISN'T centered around 4 or 5 musicians playing instruments anymore, and you arrive at where we are.

There were tons of packed bars in the 80's and 90's, and a band in every one of them, in the Philly area. That has been slowly dwindling, for decades now.

The Anomaly wrote:

ajaxlepinski wrote:Computers and video games, back in the 90's, were still in their infancy... there was nothing else to do but, go see bands play!!!

This. Too many entertainment choices now.

At least in the covers market, it started with raising the drinking age, that took out a good chunk of audience immediately. More strict DUI laws clamped down on the adults, and the internet and TV slowly took some of the crowds away. The "no smoking in bars" thing took even more away, add in the fact that popular music ISN'T centered around 4 or 5 musicians playing instruments anymore, and you arrive at where we are.

There were tons of packed bars in the 80's and 90's, and a band in every one of them, in the Philly area. That has been slowly dwindling, for decades now.

Remember when NJ driver's licenses had no pictures?
I grew up in fake ID heaven

GuitarBilly wrote:Yeah I definitely miss the 80's and 90's. That was definitely the most fun times of my life. Although I am still having fun with music now, but definitely not the same as it used to be.

I totally agree. I still have fun now, but these were my musical formative years, so to speak. It was a great time to be a player on the beach.

I meant to add tot the OP that I'd love to see anyone else's pics/clips/memories from their favorite times. Old gig pics are endlessly entertaining to me

TurboPablo wrote:That looks like a ton of fun. Beach life is seasonal up here, but gatdamn I love it so much.

Also, the 1990s' were such a great decade. Everything that was all kind of faction'd off in the '80s came together and exploded in the '90s. For better or worse

haha no doubt! We had grown just enough out of that mentality to really enjoy everyones company. And cell phones weren't commonplace, so you went the your local bar to find out what the hell everyone else was doing that night.

_ej_ wrote:I see pics and hear stories from guys 15 years older than me and damn I wish I was giggin' in the 90s

That bassist is super cute.

She joined us after coming straight from a punk band, she had such killer stage presence! And HUGE attitude. She was notorious for coming off stage after a set and kicking a chair across the floor, just cuz

Now she's a reclusive local artist that sells her stuff on FB. You'd never know it was the same person.

fretless wrote:in the 80's /90's we would rake in upwards of $1k for a cover gig with the norm at around 3 to 500 every Friday and sat for years. Does that happen anymore ? These days my duo just thinks about writing tunes

it's finally getting back up to that rate around here, gigs and pay slowed down a lot in the early 2000's. Now as a 4 piece we're getting anywhere from $800 to $1200 a show depending on the venues popularity. But we've been in it for a while, so having some cred does bring a bit more pay these days.