Yea I played in a few bands over th eyears too. The besat was a band called NExus, we released two demos and got some fairly positive radio exposure - played universities and a couple of good sized gigs in Dublin. We were like a cross between melodic punk and thrash metal with loads of solos - problem was the drummer and singer/bassist didn't get on. Every practice session ended up with the drummer jumping over his kit onto the singer!
I also played keyboard in a tripped out Doors style band - it was fun for a while but they took the whole 'sex drugs and rock n' roll' thing way too seriously. Glad I left that band, years later the singer ended up dying from a heroin overdose and the rest of the guys messed their lives up too.
If I knew back then what I know now I would have got about things a lot more seriously and probably given the whole music thing a bigger shot - maybe tried for a course in Berklee. Still though, recording in my home studio when the wife and kids are asleep is pretty good fun too!