It’s hard to imagine, but The Beatles were once just a group of young Brits who liked new music and dreamed of performing in front of a crowd. Any crowd.

Wouldn’t it be great to go back in time and be in attendance at the first-ever gig played by John, Paul, George, and Ringo? At the time, it probably wouldn’t have seemed all that impressive. But looking back, what a great thing to experience!

Obviously, going back in time isn’t possible. But now, thanks to the folks at hometogo, you can learn about where seven famous bands got their start. They put together a cool collection of illustrations and information about where seven of the world’s most popular bands had their first gigs. They even provide the exact address of each location and an embedded Google Map so you can see exactly what the venue looks like today!

The seven bands profiled include the aforementioned Beatles, as well as Libertines, The Smiths, The Pixies, AC/DC, Sebastien Tellier, and Depeche Mode. If you are interested in traveling to unique and historic music-related locations at all, this article is a great resource. Even though the bands have gone on to become hugely successful acts, you can visit these locations and get a sense for what it might have been like when they were first starting out.

A few interesting anecdotes from the site:

• The Pixies were mis-billed as “Puxies” at their first gig in Boston’s Jack’s Lounge
• The club manager cut the power on AC/DC every 20 minutes to get a break from their crazy set
• Depeche Mode’s first performance was at a school in front of a group of 9-year-olds

Some of the actual clubs are no longer there, but the locations can still be visited. If you get the chance, it would be cool to visit a few of the spots and snap a picture so that you can say you’ve been where it all started. Perhaps this could start a hobby of visiting the sites of first gigs for other famous bands and musicians.

Where 7 Famous Bands Played Their First Ever Gig, courtesy of hometogo

Martin Pope