OT: Butterflies...

[Somicide]

Man, oh, man...  I'm playing at my school the 10th of may, and let me tell you, it's eatin' me up inside-out.  I'm worrying over finger-dexterity, my god-awful voice, strings breaking...  Does this happen to anyone else?  Man, it wouldn't be so bad if it wasnt my peers... what a nice first gig...

[jrc4558]

Well, they say that if you don't worry you're in for troubles. If you do, you're well aware. Besides, you've got more than 2 weeks to get yourself in perfect shape. So good luck and do it good.
I remember my first gig in my school, a really "high-clas" lyceum in a provincial town of former USSR (where I lived 'till 19 years old). No one was even AWARE of a thing like distortion. So we were doing a soundcheck before this "talent show" and this really old sound engineer guy was pretty upset with the fact that he can't get the guitar to sound clean. He didn't know what that little pedal in front of me was doing. What a looser. :lol: But it was fun.
BTW, not to push the luck, but for 12 years of my rather irregular stage life I never broke a string while onstage. Many times at the rehearsals, but never in action.
Think how often you beake strings, than think of how often you play your guitar. The proportion should be overwhelming (unless the setup is not right). Now try and generalize to the fact that you're standing on stage is just another time you've picked up a guitar and decided to play. If you don't go Pete  :twisted:  Townshend on your axe, chances are that the strings will live.
What will you be playing by the way?

[Somicide]

Well, we are playing during are misnamed lunch 'hour', so we have a total of 40 minutes, give or take.
We wanted to play all originals, but figured we'd opt for getting a crowd first.  Oh, on a related note, we call ourselves 'Verse.'
So, to be nice we have, in order:

In His Hands (Verse-Chorus-Verse) - Nirvana
Truth (Instrumental) - Verse
Rockin' In The Free World - Neil Young
Anxious - Verse
D-7 - Wipers
Porno Theme (Instrumental) - Verse
Dramamine - Modest Mouse
For Them - Verse (I play DRUMS for this, hahahaha...)
Spanish Song - Verse
NOISE....  yeah....

Thats about it, really, the Spanish Song is a misnomer, until you hear our lead guitar play over it, so awesome...  Sorry, not trying to be a brag, i just wish i was good enough to play lead, heh heh.  but thats why I'm rhythm and vocals, folks.

[aron]

COOL! Good luck!

It's normal to be nervous but after you play a few gigs, you will get more comfortable. GOOD LUCK!

[marc]

well, it's been 20 years or so since i plyed in my first band at our drummer's sunday school talent show. i have to say that then, just as now, the experience of playing music in a room full of people is intense. i get nervous every time before a show, and so do most people i know, but once your on stage, there is a level of mental/emotional energy that can take you  quite far from that nervousness. i guess i'd suggest that you use that anxious energy in a positive way- pay attention to details, practice, make sure you're in tune, you're cables are good, every one's got a legible set list, and so on.

on a related note:
i have enjoyed reading interviews and essays on some of the great jazz performers and improvisors, who speak at length about the power of music experienced comunually. in a lot of cultures, music is associated with rituals where people trancsend thier usual self-awareness. why do you think the 'establishment' is always weary of popular music movements that question the status quot? swing, bebop, rock and roll, punk, hip hop- there's power!
anyhow, goodluck, have fun.

[Paul Marossy]

I know the feeling, man. I used to get like a burning in my chest when I had to play in front of people. Making a mistake was unthinkable! But nowadays, I don't worry about mistakes too much. Just about everyone makes mistakes. It's how well you can cover it up that counts in my book. I remember Santana said something once about making a mistake - play it again, and it will sound like that's what you meant to play.  :wink:

If you know your stuff, then just try to relax and enjoy yourself!

[ErikMiller]

Broken strings are something to consider, because the only time I've ever broken a guitar string playing was at my last band's first club gig.

First song, boiiing! Everybody else in the band stared incredulously, because we had been practicing for months, and I'd NEVER broken a string. I have a pretty light right hand, usually.

Fortunately, we had worked out a B plan, and we went to a song where only I played guitar, and I borrowed the rhythm player's guitar while a friend in the audience changed the string for me.

Here are some of the things that I like to have with me on stage for safety at gigs:

At least one extra fuse for each amp.
An extra set of strings, with a silent tuner, so that a friend can change a string for me. If possible, an entire extra guitar tuned up and ready to go is better insurance.
An extra guitar cable or two.
A drum key (for a bassist-guitarist-keyboardist, my drum key has seen an astonishing amount of use).
An extra pick or two.
Mini-Maglite or equivalent.
6-outlet power strip with your name Sharpied on it.
Leatherman tool or equivalent (screwdrivers, pliers, knife).
A pad of paper and a pen.
Sharpie marker.
Earplugs (at least for the other bands' sets!).
Instrument stand(s).

The following are also good to have, but can stay in the car:
Electrical tape.
Duct tape.
Portable soldering iron and solder.
One of those three-prong ground testers (if the ground is bad, there is little you can do, but it's good to be on your guard).

This may seem like a lot of stuff, but imagine needing anything on the first list and being without it. It's not hard to imagine needing any of those items, and being without them would be tragic. Any single one of them, if utilized, can be a gig-saver.

And there is one rule that has nothing to do with technological reliability, and that is you should not spend a lot of time standing around holding your instruments before starting the set. Get eveything ready to go (preferably with a full soundcheck), then get your asses off the stage, then go on all at one time, pick up the axes, and play as soon as you can. This includes tuning. Having a band come out, realize that they're not in tune, then making the audience sit through a tuning session is a great way to set an otherwise sympathetic crowd against you. And the faster you get out there and start playing, the more accomplished you will seem. It DOES make a difference. Watch bands you respect, and notice that they do NOT stand there looking stupid (my favorite is the "bend over with your ass to the crowd to adjust your stompbox settings" maneuver) holding their instruments for 5. long. minutes. before playing a note.

Anyway, have FUN. I remember my first ever gig in front of a real audience (which included about a dozen people who were already in other bands), and it was like standing in the center of a tornado while people patted me on the back.

You may be like me, and spend the rest of your life in one way or another working on getting up there again and again.

Remember to breathe.

[Peter Snowberg]

One wrong note = mistake.... Two of the same wrong note = Jazz.

Roll with it and you'll be fine. Performing in public takes a little getting used to for most people. Use soundcheck to get some of your jitters out and be confident that you can pull it off when the crowd is there (not %^&*y.... confident ). Above all, remember you're there and the audience is there to have FUN!

Best of luck!
-Peter

[will]

Hi,

One wrong note = mistake.... Two of the same wrong note = Jazz.
-Peter

Great quote!!! :lol:  So true!:lol:

I was playing in a show last night with my former and present band. Both groups were a bit nervous. I start by focusing on the music and my part in it. After awhile the adrenalin kicks in, then the magic happens. You get more comfortable playing for the audience. That’s when it gets really fun.

We always start and end with a strong song where everyone in the group is comfortable playing. I would start with a familiar or popular song for the audience, and then get into your originals or more obscure stuff. If you can get the audience to sing or clap (get involved) they often enjoy the show more.

Also, depending on the music be careful with the levels so they are balanced from the audience perspective. So there isn’t a wall of sound (everyone too loud) where solos and vocals can’t be heard.

Try if you can to do a sound check in the place you are performing before the show. It helps to make sure everything is set and ready before you go onstage.

Good luck!

Regards,
Will

[brett]

Hi.  Peter Snowberg is spot on (again).  Everyone's there to have fun, so unless you offend someone, it's going to be ok.  Man, you'd have to be better than 99% of the "bands" that I played in.

Here's one (true) story for a larf;
At a jam session one afternoon down the pub, I decide to do "Purple Haze".  Solo.  So I'm freaking out with nerves.  Anyway, as I go up, some young girl hops on the drums.  She was there to back up her boyfriend, but got the session time mixed up.  To help her feel better, I tell her to stay on drums and back me up as best she can.  The audience is growing restless. Then, no signal.  My hands start shaking.  I swap to an amp that I've never seen before, but that doesn't help.  Minutes of silence later I work out that the "in" and "out" sockets on my distortion pedal are swapped.  I'm thinking that if my blood pressure gets any higher, I'll black out.  Then MC walks across the stage to me and says "Just f***in' get on with it!!".  That makes me feel better -NOT.  So I dial this strange amp to max and hit it.  Massive feedback.  I'm stuck in the intro, with no access to the volume control, and this thing is just squeeling.  Then, the drummer kicks in.  Great, I think.  But then she gets LOUD, and attacks the drums like a chimpanzee on fire.

After five minutes of this we finish and the gobsmacked MC announces that that's all for today.  The crowd disperses and I pack up my gear.  I figure that it's just a metter of how fast I can get out of town.  But first I gotta walk through the public bar.

Tiptoeing doesn't help as I try to find the door.  Then I see the lead singer of the heaviest band in town.  This guy can kill people by looking at them.  He looks up from his quadruple rum.  For some reason his tatoos and missing teeth look especially threatening today.  Then he laughs like all shit and gives me the "thumbs up".

You'll be fine.

[Ansil]

one thing to keeep in mind those who can do those who can't don't


all the people who talk crap too ya, wether good or bad outcome of the show, if they aint' livin it then they are just talkin out there a**

thats life expirence talkin man, we had some hecklers at a show once and invited them up on stage to givem  a shot at provin a point.

needless to say, we only got a 2 minute break there as thats about how long it took for them to get beered off the stage.

[Paul Marossy]

"One wrong note = mistake.... Two of the same wrong note = Jazz."

Hmmm... I never heard that one.  :lol:
Seems to have a grain of truth in there...

[Ge_Whiz]

Now for some real advice:

1. Try to make sure you get some kind of sound check, and have someone you trust listening from where the audience are.

2. Just before you go on stage, or if nerves overcome you between songs (unlikely while playing), take a DEEP breath, hold it a few seconds, and exhale slowly. Excellent way to relax.

3. If you're singing, your mouth will go dry. Keep a bottle of WATER handy on stage, but on no account have an open cup on or near an amp or pedals.

4. Don't worry if the sound check goes badly from a playing point of view. Adrenalin will make you play better, not worse.

5. Relax and enjoy.

[aron]

About the only times I get nervous is if I have a brand new chart that I received ONSTAGE and I have the piano part in the clear along with a long rubato section w/singer and I DO NOT KNOW THE SONG!

arghhhh.

For guitar, this is what I do. I tell myself:

I love playing guitar.
I didn't practice all of this for nothing.
I'm going to have a good time.

As soon as the first note is hit, I am not nervous at all.

[Mark Hammer]

1) In the history of education, the only room in a high school that has ever had carpeting is the principal's office.  Please note that you will need MUCH LESS treble on everything than you think you do, and probably less distortion too.  This will allow all vocals to be heard better, and let you hear what your bandmates are doing as well.

2) In the history of popular music, it has generally been easier for individuals yelling "Turn it up!" to be heard than for individuals yelling "Turn it down!" to be heard.  Please note that you will need less volume than you think you do (especially given the acoustic and treble difference between high school mezzanines/auditoriums and typical practice spaces).  Ears accommodate to intense volumes fairly quickly (and hair cells in your ears get damaged in the process), and what started out feeling loud enough soon seems insufficient because of that.  Unless you have Nigel Tufnel's amp mod to go to 11, best to start out quieter than you thought so you have somewhere to go after that.  As pointed out in #1, being able to hear what your bandmates are doing will always make you tighter (...and when bands are tighter, women tend to get looser, but that's another matter :wink: )

3) People practice facing each other most of the time.  They may well just be wanking and not looking up, but at least they have everything pointed towards the middle.  Unfortunately, stages don't work that way.  You generally need to all face in one direction.  Figure out how you want to do that, if you haven't already done so.  Figure out how you're going to hear each other and take cues from each other under those circumstances if you haven't already done so.

4) Set construction is an art.  The best advice I ever heard came from, of all people, James Taylor.  In an old Rolling Stone interview he said you need to start every set with a song you could sing/play if a lion was chewing your leg off.  In other words, something you know so well that no distraction of any kind, whether fear, a broken string, a cutie hoisting her t-shirt, no sound in the monitors, etc., could derail you.  If its peppy, that's even better.  Songs like these serve as tremendous confidence-boosters.  If your first song of a set is sloppy, or has parts where you KNOW you missed notes, it tends to be largely downhill from there.  A tight, quick, and brief song that you can launch into quickly (and it doesn't even have to be your "best" one or even one you like) can make you feel like you can conquer anything, which will help for everything else that follows, especially if the looks on the audience's faces read "Hey....these guys are GOOD!".   My old band used to do "You can't do that" by the Beatles as a set opener.  It was fast, but not too fast, had a quick hook opening, lotsa harmonies, and was a plain and simple crowd-grabber.  Another great example might be "I wanna be sedated" by the Ramones.  You get the idea.  Save the stuff with long lead-ins or downer lyrics for later.