Many now-famous singing stars began their careers very modestly. They just wanted to perform in public. Maybe they sang at local watering holes, college parties, or at small intimate venues. There were probably few people in the crowd. And payment, that was most likely pretty meager as well. If they got paid at all, it was scanty. According to former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker, the band was compensated not with money, but with beer early on. It was evidently worth it.
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The Band Launched at the University of South Carolina
Rucker is a Charleston native and a University of South Carolina alum. The school was clearly a fertile starting place for the band. Frat houses welcomed them and their distinctive sound. Rucker reminisced about those early days when he visited Bussin' with the Boys.
Rucker shared how he and the band were compensated. "Money and beer. It was probably that Dave Matthews show we played for the frat house, we probably got $1,000 and all the beer we could drink." In fact, for their initial 10 to 15 performances. Hootie & the Blowfish were rewarded with cases of brew. Their haul of beer was evidently upped as their popularity went skyward.
He confirmed that liquid payment. "When we first got started, absolutely. Our first probably 10 gigs, 15 gigs, were strictly for beer."
Equipment Was Another Issue
Of course, a band needs some equipment, even if it's rudimentary. Darius Rucker said that problem had to be tackled creatively.
He detailed what they did in a bind. "We had to steal the PA from the university because we couldn't afford a PA. I was in a show choir, and we had our own PA, and the guy who was in charge of it was a friend of mine. So we'd steal the PA, take it to the club and play it. Then take the PA back."
He Still Has a Soft Spot in His Heart for South Carolina
Although Rucker makes his home in London now, he may not be living across the pond forever. "That's why I love South Carolina,".he affirmed. "Stuff like that. If I hadn't gone to South Carolina, my life would be absolutely different."
