“I can say it was the crappiest gig I’ve ever played”: Nita Strauss reflects on the “worst gig” of her life
Is there anything more character-building than playing a crappy gig? They happen to the best of us, and Nita Strauss is one guitarist who is particularly grateful for her terrible gig experience.
Strauss – who is currently on a solo tour and is taking a break away from Alice Cooper’s live band – recalls playing one pretty shoddy show when she was just a teen, where a hefty chunk of the audience left.
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In an interview with Guitar Player, Strauss says the gig occurred when she joined her first band, as they entered a Battle of the Bands night at a metal club when she was just 12 or 13.
“We were so excited – a real show in front of real people! It was going to be amazing. We only knew three songs – two originals and a cover of Metallica’s For Whom the Bell Tolls. We came out and started rocking, and for some reason, almost everybody in the club walked out – including one of the other bands and the judges! My dad stuck around, and the four other people who bought our tickets were there. But that was about it,” she remembers.
“Looking back on it now, I can say it was the crappiest gig I’ve ever played, but at the time, I was elated. I was so fully immersed and happy in that moment to be onstage, wearing my boots and playing in front of a few people. The whole band was pumped. We didn’t care that everybody left. We didn’t even care that the judges left.
“I don’t know who won, or if they announced a winner. We were just like, ‘Yeah, we’re doing it! No matter the obstacles, no matter what happens, we’re out here kicking ass!’ Of course, we didn’t really kick any ass, but in our minds, in that moment, we kicked ass,” she says.
The gig clearly gave Strauss an early confidence boost, and her resilience after failure led to a mighty career of sharing stages with rock royalty and smashing it as a solo player. Her second solo album, Call Of The Void, landed back in 2023.
Strauss is currently on tour – you can still grab remaining tickets.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
