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Post by scorpiodog on Sept 7, 2020 11:05:07 GMT
OK, help me chaps.
This doesn't happen to me every time I play out, so I'm darn sure it's down to performance anxiety.
On Friday I played a short gig locally to me. It's the 4th one I've done at the same venue over the last 6 weeks (the organiser knows I'm a show off and a sucker for a gig, so he calls me in when he has a no-show or cancellation).
This time I had rehearsed for a week and was playing mostly stuff I'm utterly familiar with. Just two of the 11 or so songs were relatively new to my repertoire. I had done two complete rehearsals of the entire set in the previous two days and all was fine. Just the odd flub which was easily covered over.
But on Friday, it was as though my fingers belonged to somebody else who had never held a guitar. Absolutely shocking. It wasn't a particularly big audience (about 30 people), so I wasn't awestruck. But I had been more nervous than usual before the gig. I finally got into my stride about six songs in, and the remaining bit wasn't bad, but that first 15 minutes or so was a nightmare (and lasted well over an hour in subjective time!).
So, has anybody else suffered the same sort of disaster? If you did, did you do anything to avoid it happening again? If so what?
I've been playing out regularly for about 15 years, solo and in a duo. This has probably happened to me about 5 or 6 times and only when playing solo. I'll have no problem "getting back on the horse" because I know it's a rare thing, but it is bloody horrible when it happens.
Please give me some advice.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Sept 7, 2020 11:31:36 GMT
Sorry to hear that, but yes, it's happened to me too Paul. Only v occasionally - no idea why, no idea how to prevent it. So I'm not much use to you really am I?!
But at least I can reassure you that you aren't alone, and that it's "normal". As you say, getting back on the horse is the best thing, asap, and don't look back.
It obviously did feel dire to you at the time, but did you get any feedback afterwards from anyone who knows you well enough to say more than "You were brilliant, Paul" ?
keith
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leoroberts
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Post by leoroberts on Sept 7, 2020 11:45:52 GMT
I'm sure it happens to everyone - Steve Tilston fluffed (forgot) the words on one of his songs during the online gig... he just carried on Not being a performer, I've no idea how it can be overcome - but I'm fairly sure that alcohol is NOT the answer!
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Post by fatfingerjohn on Sept 7, 2020 12:52:14 GMT
Hi, Join the club; I've been a founder member for 15 years. And I'm much worse now than 15 years ago. So if I really have to 'play out' I have one golden rule which I can't/won't break .... I MUST be able to have the lyric in front of me as a comfort blanket. Even songs I used to know word perfect without lyrics just disappear from my memory! That also includes my own songs where you'd think I would know them. Memory is shot now for lyrics. Strangely I have no worry about the chords and progression etc. So if the location doesn't accept lyrics in front of you then its a simple 'No Go' I also won't stand up to sing any more. I'm a big chap like you and just feel totally exposed. So its sitting or nothing. If I can't do the above its not worth me doing it as I'm just a nervous wreck and simply don't enjoy it. Oh, and singing songs they don't know is a good idea as they will not be sure if you've cocked it up or not! But don't let it stop you; you are a very good performer which helps. FFJ
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leoroberts
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My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Sept 7, 2020 15:04:50 GMT
I'm a big chap like you and just feel totally exposed. I don't think scorpiodog will take this lying (or even sitting) down... fighting talk!
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Post by David Hutton on Sept 7, 2020 15:14:56 GMT
Having never been able to perform without feeling like that I have no advice:) I wonder what the first 15 minutes was like from the listeners prospective? I would bet that (having seen you entertain on a few occasions) they were pretty good. Agree with Leo, I am sure alcohol is not the answer. Though some people do seem to be able to perform perfectly brilliantly while drunk, but that is another mystery!
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Post by scorpiodog on Sept 7, 2020 15:59:19 GMT
Thanks for your feedback, chaps. I'm relieved I'm not alone. I never drink before a gig. On occasion (always with Men In Black!) I will drink during, but never enough that my fingers don't know where to go. fatfingerjohn, thank you for sharing your rules. I made myself a promise some years back that I would never (well maybe not never, but rarely) sing from written words. I often do have a music stand in front of me, but it has my set list and a few brief notes about key, capo position and tricky bits to watch out for. I like to look at the audience when I sing. Just to make sure they're behaving themselves, of course, and I find that reading stuff prevents me from doing that. I also stand up to play. I can project better standing than sitting. And I'm used to it. But we're all different. David Hutton, I don't think I've ever seen anybody perform brilliantly when they're drunk, but they may think they do!
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Post by lavaman on Sept 7, 2020 16:22:41 GMT
Paul, I think my advice is "sh!t happens" and move on. Sometimes I think you can over-practice a song before a gig and possbly that can introduce nerves because you're more aware of your weak parts in the song. If it happens again, my advice is take a few deep breaths, and take your time before starting the next song - keep tuning the guitar and or tell a story.
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Post by skyetripper on Sept 7, 2020 17:27:16 GMT
Can't help on how to settle nerves, but I thought I'd chime on with my side of things. I was in a couple of small local bands when I was in my late teens and my performance anxiety was so bad that I stopped playing in front of anyone. Not just in bands or on stage, but friends, family, literally anyone. I became very much a committed bedroom guitarist.
Fast forward 35 years and I started playing again with a few friends and occasionally started getting the guitars out and playing a few pub favourites at unreceptive audiences in pubs. Thought I more or less had the nerves / fluffy fingers sorted, but alas, it's not the case. Still tighten up and can forget where I am in a simple 3 chord song if I'm playing in front of people. And that's without even singing. Really frustrating, but at least I've never had to make a living at all this.
Ironically, a couple of pints of nerve settler can help me, but as others have said, too many and it all goes wrong in the other direction. If anyone has a 'cure', I'm all ears on this thread..
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Post by fatfingerjohn on Sept 7, 2020 17:53:51 GMT
...Just as another point. When I was younger I used to play around folk clubs and do gigs where we were the full 'entertainment'for up to 2 hours. Record was 38 numbers on one night.
I am absolutely convinced that playing on your own not just increases the likely stage nerves but multiplies it significantly, irrespective of the merits of both people. On your own there is nowhere to hide or have some banter with to ease nerves.
FFJ
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Post by papadon on Sept 8, 2020 1:08:46 GMT
It has certainly happened to me more times that I would care to admit and when it does happen I'm bothered by it for days sometimes longer. When that happens I recall the time I was playing rhythm and during the break a patron complimented me on a great lead solo that I didn't play and I'm reminded that the audience is seldomly as upset about it as I am. Anyway if it can happen to this guy one minute into his performance (0:58) it can happen to anyone.
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Post by martinrowe on Sept 8, 2020 2:53:24 GMT
This applies, a video by David Russell on 'concentration in a concert'.
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Post by scorpiodog on Sept 8, 2020 7:11:13 GMT
This applies, a video by David Russell on 'concentration in a concert'. That’s a great vid martinrowe. Thank you for that. I’m not sure I’d let a friend do that, I must confess. Punching peoples’ lights out sometimes offends!
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Post by andyhowell on Sept 8, 2020 8:00:00 GMT
Yes ‚— of course it has. It happens to all of us!
I've done three small gigs recently and must say it has been wonderful to be not only playing to an audience again but playing with other musicians. Not many mishaps this time except when I was bouncing along with opne song and I accidentally stepped on the preamp mute!
You know the score! don't do too much new material and rehearse the odl stuff. But, there are ocassions when you are just crap!
It happens to me,fortunately not that often. The worst thing about it is that there seems no way of predicting this. YOu cna feel fine and be really looking forward to it and then bang !!!
Years ago I played in a duo with a mate. His girlfriend came down south from Newcastle to live with him. She told me she has a lovely voice. She did. We rehearsed a bit and it was great. We did our first gig at Warwick Folk Club and it went down really well. But then on every subsequent gig her stage fright got worse and each show was worse than the next! We soon became a duo again.
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Post by grayn on Sept 8, 2020 11:24:32 GMT
My advice is bluff it out. It didn't happen and keep the confidence as high as you can. The jitters/nerves can just come out of the blue but don't let one 20 minute section put you off, at all. Donkeys years ago, a band I was in was in the studio and I had to do lead vocals on one track. I'd already done my bass part and was feeling fine but couldn't do the vocals right. It wasn't out of tune, just had no character. So we had some lunch and I downed a point and a half of bitter, went back and killed it. So a pint before a gig shouldn't be a bad thing. Good luck with your next outing and give 'em what for.
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