no tour buses, roadies, drivers or hotels for us. vans and cars like most everyone else. we were basically 'local guys'. our business model was get in, play your best, TRY to get paid and get out. it didn't always work so smoothly. especially if you left the club at 5:00 am and had to get to a day job. we booked ourselves where ever we could within a reasonable distance from home. everyone had day jobs so long trips were out of the question. it was fun for a long while, then a job and finally a pain in the ass.
some highlights and lowlights of those halcyon days:
played the atlanta federal prison where capone once stayed.
arrived at a club in athens just as it finished burning itself to the ground.
opened at the agora ballroom for john mayall.
played the 688 club in atlanta where the owner entertained us but blowing stuff off the walls with his shotgun after closing.
had a bass 'groupie' from georgia tech who was way too smart for me.
after hours jam with members of the butterfield blues band and harp player thom ducette from the allman bros.
we hit it hard for many years. then guys started getting married, having kids etc. and the 'thrill was gone'. lots of good memories but little else to show for the effort. oh yeah. about six months after i quit and the rest of the guys drifted away the 'leader' accepted an offer to play the montreux blues festival with a new band. timing IS everything.
other bands came and went but my heart wasn't in it anymore.