Before Nita Strauss became a celebrated guitarist, shredding alongside Alice Cooper – and eventually Demi Lovato – she had to endure the kind of humbling experience that can make or break a young musician. In a recent interview with Guitar Player, she looked back on what she called the "worst gig of her life" – a moment that, in hindsight, helped shape her career.
It happened when she was barely a teenager, just 12 or 13 years old, and had joined her first band, ODA. She wasn't even in high school yet, unlike her bandmates, but that didn't stop them from entering a Battle of the Bands at a small San Fernando venue called the Cobalt Café. The catch? They had to sell ten $10 tickets just to get onstage.
"I was fortunate to have played the worst gig of my life early on. 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," Strauss recalled.
"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."
The anticipation was high as the young band geared up for their set… "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.'"
But then, things took an unexpected turn: "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."
Despite the disheartening turnout, Strauss and her band didn't let it shake them: "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."
For Strauss, her father's unwavering support made all the difference…
"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 bullshit 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."
