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First gig tonight

E

e41k

Jan 7, 2012
16
0
Maarssen
#1
Heya people,

I've got my first gig coming up tonight and I'm genuinely thrilled to perform. We play on a school party ( we were invited to come and play ) and we play for 30 minutes. We've practiced the set list over and over and playing the parts won't be a problem. On the other side I'm kinda nervous because I've never been on stage and I DO want to deliver the audiance a good 30 minutes of fun.

So here's my question;

What are some things I should keep in mind while playing on stage?

Just give me your tips and advice, would appreciate it a lot.

Erik
 
#2
There are soooo many threads out there on this, that you should expect to get flamed a bit. However, I realize the search function can overload you with irrelevant threads, so....

When you practice, you play to your band mates. When you gig, play to your band mates. If you focus too much on the crowd, you will get nervous and brain fart the simplest of things. Plus, when you play with your band mates, you are having fun. The crowd will see that and in turn have fun too.

Don't fidget with your instrument between songs. Hang out and enjoy the moment. If you have to do something because of nerves, tune. You can never be too in tune...

Have the frontman keep his interactions with the crowd simple and generic. Say things like "Thanks for having us, we are ******* from *****." "Are you having fun tonight?" Maybe drop a plug for your band's facebook. DO NOT carry on conversations with members of the audiance, tell them this is your first gig (no need to bring attention to your noobness), tell jokes or ask if they like your music. That last one is to prevent opening up the door for that one jerk to boo or yell out you suck. He may be joking, but it will damage your ego and confidence to a point you will loose your mojo. Especially on your first gig.

If you mess up, don't dwell on it. Get back on track ASAP. Also, don't be a drama queen about it. Most likely no one will notice if you act like nothing happened.

Enjoy the moment. It's the last first gig you will ever have. You will feel pretty awesome packing up at the end of the set.
 

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