Somehow, thinking about my old demos, most of which were done during university (that is 1996 to 1998), I have no trouble putting that all "in the past".
But... starting up the band, that can't possibly have begun almost 12 years ago can it? Apparently so.
My memories of the time are hazy and vague. Combined with this, I've changed emails multiple times since and the archives appear to be lost. I wasn't using any kind of infinitely archiving mail at the time, I was using a combination of Netscape Mail and my ISP provided mailbox.
I believe I wrote a diary around the time, but remember finding it a while back and I was so horrified I deleted it. I vaguely regret that now, although I suspect I would still be horrified by it. I actively dislike the person I was in the previous millennium.
My obsessive archiving of music events didn't really start until the band started proper (August 2000) and we started a website. Before that, all I have are music file creation dates to go from. This blog provides some hints just before that (from July 2000), but I'm interested in times from July 1999...
I also have written diaries (uni/work calendars) that might provide some hints. I'll dig them out tonight.
With the information on hand, I think I was more interested in Pre-Shrunk and the setlist/photo website I was running semi-officially for them. I was certainly still going to a lot of their gigs. My own music was still very much a hobby without an audience, I went to the "jam" that started the band purely to see other musicians. I didn't really think I'd join a band.
I couldn't have gone to that jam without being a little confident in my abilities as a guitarist, but I don't think I thought too hard about that. Being convinced to go by friend Damien would have helped, as was the fact Bruce's (our future drummer) place was not that far away.
Luck.