Guitarist Nita Strauss doesn’t have to worry too much about bad gigs at this stage of her career. The longtime Alice Cooper guitarist and solo shredder has become one of the most successful and recognizable musicians in hard rock and metal.
But like every accomplished musician, Strauss had to start somewhere. In a recent interview with Guitar Player, Strauss shared details about what she called the “worst gig of my life,” a Battle of the Bands contest when she was barely a teenager.
“I was fortunate to have played the worst gig of my life early on,” she said. “When I was 12 or 13, I joined my first band, ODA. I have no idea what the initials stood for, but I guess they meant something. I was still in middle school, and everybody else in the band was in high school. There was this tiny metal club in San Fernando called the Cobalt Café that held Battle of the Bands nights. We decided that we wanted to enter, but you had to sell 10 tickets for $10 each to get onstage.”
She continued: “We didn’t have a big circle of friends, so we sold a grand total of four tickets to the drummer’s girlfriend and someone’s brother. After that, we were stuck. Who’s got 60 bucks? Well, my dad came to the rescue. He was a touring musician and he knew the deal, so he came to the soundcheck and bought our last six tickets so we could get on stage and play. 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. 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.”
“My dad was awesome about the whole thing. He said I was great and that I shouldn’t let the lack of people bother me. Both of my parents were incredibly supportive, but they didn’t bullsh*t me or sugarcoat anything. If I played well, they would tell me, but they were always honest. That’s so important, especially when you’re young and you’re learning.”
