Inception - Trey, majoring in philosophy, Fish, studying chemical engineering, and Mike, with a major in electrical engineering, are freshmen at the University of Vermont; Jeff Holdsworth, also an EE major, is a sophomore there. Trey hears Fish playing his drumkit from outside his dorm-room door. He also walks by Jeff's room and hears Jeff's '57 Les Paul (guitar). The three of them get together and Trey posts a sign: bass player needed. Mike answers the sign; they get together for a jam session, and Mike says, "Did I make it?" They practice in the dorm lounge and make a demo tape. The band plays a party in October and their first official gig as Phish in the basement of Slade Hall at UVM in November, 1984. They use a hockey stick as a mic stand, play "Proud Mary" twice, "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" once, and eventually are shut down so that a Michael Jackson tape can be played.
And the rest is history...
