Tony Harper Remembers Seeing KISS. His First Slobberbone Gig Memories Are A Little Hazier.

Welcome to My First Show, where we give bands a chance to talk about the first shows they ever attended — no matter how uncool and embarrassing those tales may be.

Tony Harper has been behind the drum kit for Slobberbone for quite some time now. But it’s hardly it’s only endeavor. He also plays with some of his fellow Slobber-mates in The Drams and drums in American Werewolf Academy.

So, surely, this guy has seen some great shows, right? You bet. But what was first?

KISS, of course.

Here at My First Show, we’ve met our fair share of early KISS devotees (Chris Bonner and Steve Visneau come to mind). Notice a trend? Clearly, if KISS was your first show, something struck, making you want to grace a stage yourself someday.

Harper had some other solid experiences with shows in his early show-going days, too — including the time he almost saw The Circle Jerks. He played in some, as well — like his first show with Slobberbone and, later, when Slobberbone reunited.

After the jump, he tells us about all of those experiences.

What was the first show you remember seeing?
In 1979, I saw KISS at the Will Rogers Coliseum. Yeah, I was a “KISS kid.” I can remember, at one time, my dad asked if I was going clap. I didn’t answer him. I was totally mesmerized.

What was the first show you remember paying for? Anything you can brag about today?
I was 14 or 15 and somehow managed to get in to the Circle A Ranch for The Circle Jerks show that got canceled. I missed them when they made up the show. Never did get to see them. Bummer.

What was the worst show you ever saw?
Loaded question. After 20-sum-odd years of playing, you just put them in the mental shredder. Go get a beer and play some pinball. Tulsa’s tomorrow.

What can you remember about your first show with Slobberbone?
It was in Little Rock, maybe two weeks after I joined the band. The make-up of the band
was a little eclectic when I first joined. There was a second lead vocalist named Alicia and she also played vibraphone. The last song of the set was this kooky, rocking song named “Danny Boy” (on the very first Slobberbone cassette). It had this big, crazy ending with Alicia freaking out, vocally and physically. She was rolling around on the floor. Needless to say, even then, Slobberbone had been imbibing.  

Along those same lines, what can you remember about first show after Slobberbone reunited?
I can’t! Was it the acoustic show at Dan’s Silverleaf or the one at the Granada? Why am I asking you? I’m sure we had been imbibing though.

Slobberbone performs Saturday, June 18, at the Granada Theater