What physical reactions to nervousness do you get before a gig ?

[MAJOR METAL]

What physical reactions to nervousness do you get before a gig ? There have a been a few times when the nerves before a gig brought on a case of getting ice cold hands before playing.

[Manndreas]

Ice cold fingers and sweaty palms are the worst.

[eedre]

I start walking around really fast and just doing everything quickly.

[markjazzbassist]

Ice cold hands, or when i start playing my hands shake some.

hence why i usually throw down a beer or two before a show. it helps to calm the nerves.

[FeloniousMonk]

I have to take a crap usually.

couple shots of rotgut patch me up in no time. cause lord knows you don't want to take a dump in a bar bathroom.

[enderwaves]

i usually get a sort of caffeine high. oh, also the unquenchable thirst for beers.

[remo]

butterflies in the stomach... but after the first note it's all good!

[JamesC]

Shaky Legs and "Bass Face", though the more I gig, the better it gets.

[BillMason]

I hate to say it, but I don't have any reaction, and don't really get nervous, I just go do what I do. I understand nervousness though, I get that way with public speaking. Maybe I should bring my bass into more sales meetings...

[Basshole]

I have horrible stage fright, if I were to ever let it get to me. I learned early on to just do my job, and tune it out.

[rfclef]

Oft times, I go wee a lot. Not "WHEE!!!". Weee. That is before something normal, like me conducting a band or something at school. If I am REALLY nervous, I get pains in the lower back. Once in a community orchestra I was playing tuba in, I played a Kazoo solo in a piece called "Concerto Gross"... pretty hilarious piece. Anyhow, I was part of a Kazoo trio, and when the conductor was introducing us, I bowed as he was saying my name. I probably looked like a dork, but luckily my role was that of a bit of a ham... Anyway, I had to bend over because I felt like there were 3-4 knives in my lower back. I checked and there weren't.

[BigOleBoogie]

Shaky in the knees. After two or three songs (or the first noticeable mistake, no matter who makes it) it's gone.

[morf]

Originally Posted by eedre

I start walking around really fast and just doing everything quickly.

That sounds about exactly what I do

[Phalex]

I knew a guy that would puke before going on stage. I don't think he's in a band anymore.

Personally, I really don't get nervous anymore. Tell the truth, I rather miss it.

[-EddiE-]

Originally Posted by FeloniousMonk

I have to take a crap usually.

Me too,so I get rid of that sh*t as soon as possible.
And cold,sweaty and shaky hands usually.

[cotton]

My teeth get chattery. Also, I feel like I really have to take a leak even if I don't have to at all. But yeah, after that first mistake, everything's fine, kind of like I don't have the pressure of trying to play a perfect set.

[cdef]

After many hundreds of gigs, I'm confident our band is strong enough to take on any room/audience, especially if we have our semi-regular sound guy on the job, so I don't really worry. Just to psych myself up, I'll have two or three smokes in the last fifteen minutes before we go on.

[TheWalrus]

Butterflies, usually. A quick dump and a Xanax do wonders.

[cowsgomoo]

Originally Posted by MAJOR METAL

What physical reactions to nervousness do you get before a gig ? There have a been a few times when the nerves before a gig brought on a case of getting ice cold hands before playing.

thankfully, I don't get nervous before a gig... I'm not trying to be a tough guy here, because i'll admit that when I started I used to get very nervous... wobbly legs, frozen hands, loss of memory etc...

but now my only feeling is adrenaline & excitement... I just can't wait to get on and do my stuff - like a boxer who knows he's going to win, rather than one who thinks he's probably leaving on a stretcher

[need4mospd]

I can honestly say I've never been nervous playing bass with a band. I can get a little excited, but never nervous.