First official live performance ,I'm scared

[meatwad]

And Iran... Iran so far away...

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

On past Friday I got a phone call form band manager that we will have a live performance on Saturday night in art national theatre .
It's so Scarry because people who comes there aren't normal people .
They usually are musican or artist .
If we suck we can't get back to playing music.


I start get panic and usually feel I will forget my notes on stage .


For rig I will use my mxr eq ,my fender rumble 100 ,Yamaha bb 415 , Daario strings .


Although I checked everything still I don't fel calm .
I scare my live sound won't be good or they will laugh at my playing or I suck on timing and destroy band works.

I practice everything at least 200 times but still feel something isn't right so kind of get really scare that even invite some friends .


Did you have same thing ?
How did u control it and how did it go ?


My playing will effect my career so much because we are playing in lion house .

Try to remember: this is the fun part! This is the moment you are working for! Try to channel that nervous energy into positive energy. The fear can become elation, and that's when jamming live is really a blast. That's really it. Rehearse, relax and don't forget to enjoy yourself.

 

[Mikey F]

I have played gigs since 1988. I still get butterflies. But more than anything I just get excited. I have played for 2 people and 6000 people. Just practice the set like you are in the gig setting. And then do it over and over 100 times. The gig will be completely natural at that point, and you can focus on the groove. That works for me anyways. Don't sweat the small stuff. And it is all small stuff.

 

[micguy]

I was like this my first time. About 2 notes in, suddenly it all went away.

Most likely, you'll be just fine once things start.

 

[Kmonk]

Get drunk or high first, then you'll be fine.

Yeah, because nothing bad ever happened to anyone who was drunk or high. Worst advice you could give the OP.

Don't over think it. Just play the way you always do. I seriously doubt that the band's manager would have booked the gig if he didn't think the band was ready. If you make a mistake, stay calm. The vast majority of people will not notice the mistake. Look at it as a paid rehearsal. Just do your best and use it as a learning experience. You will do fine.

 

[RichardW]

It's so Scarry because people who comes there aren't normal people .
They usually are musican or artist .

Musicians and artists are normal people. They are coming to the performance to have a good time, not to sit in judgment of you. You're the guy on stage--that means you're the most important bass player there.

If we suck we can't get back to playing music.

Who says? Everybody sucks when they first start, and they keep playing and they get better. That's what will happen with you. You won't be thrown in prison for playing poorly, will you?

Playing live is about as much fun as you can have. You know your parts, just play them. If you hit a wrong note, just smile and keep going. You'll be fine.

Hey--tell us how the show went when it's over!

 

[Yogi Bear]

You'll do great. Practice, practice, practice... You'll play your first note, blink, and it will be over. It goes by quicker than you think. Have fun and enjoy the moment!

 

[4dog]

Always remember ...noone listens to what the bass is doing...if you flub a note or seven most likely only your bandmates will know.....breathe in through the nose and out the mouth...you will do fine.

 

[bassstrangler]

Is it like the old KGB era CCCP where you might disappear if the song wasn't played perfectly?

 

[Oddly]

It's very normal to feel nervous before any show, especially your first one.
You've checked your equipment.
You've practiced your songs.
Your band manager obviously feels you are ready...it's his reputation too.
You say you'll be playing before mostly other musicians and artists...I'm not sure about Iran, but anywhere I've ever heard of an audience like that, all they care about is getting free food and drink, and will barely notice who is performing.


Get there in plenty of time to set up and soundcheck a couple of songs if possible.
Drink plenty of water, wear dark sunglasses, try and look like you're having fun.
After the first few notes of the first song, you'll find you won't even notice there's people there.
If someone does make a mistake, don't stop! Honestly, almost no-one will notice.

Good Luck!

 

[leegreenman]

On past Friday I got a phone call form band manager that we will have a live performance on Saturday night in art national theatre .
It's so Scarry because people who comes there aren't normal people .
They usually are musican or artist .
If we suck we can't get back to playing music.


I start get panic and usually feel I will forget my notes on stage .


For rig I will use my mxr eq ,my fender rumble 100 ,Yamaha bb 415 , Daario strings .


Although I checked everything still I don't fel calm .
I scare my live sound won't be good or they will laugh at my playing or I suck on timing and destroy band works.

I practice everything at least 200 times but still feel something isn't right so kind of get really scare that even invite some friends .


Did you have same thing ?
How did u control it and how did it go ?


My playing will effect my career so much because we are playing in lion house .

What's the lion house, if you don't mind me asking.
For a lot of people, the nerves leading up to a performance are worse than during it.

 

[byrdzeye]

Another tip that we used a number of years ago when our band had an important (for us) opening act gig. We rehearsed our SET. Use a watch/stopwatch to get an idea of how long your set will be (you should have been given the time limit by your manager), and leave time for some applause between songs. During that time, set you self up for the next tune and move on. You will probably be adding/moving/deleting some of you songs to fit the timeline...be sure to stick to it or you will look unprofessional by taking too much time in your set. This will make you comfortable playing your "show" and you can just go out there knowing you are prepared, and HAVE FUN!

 

[Alkali Ike]

Last weekend I was listening to live music broadcast from Oregon Country Fair. The bassist in one band was very good, but hit a couple clams, like missing a chord change. They recovered from the clams very quickly. I bet nobody noticed except me, the band, and other musicians.

Wait. Never mind.

You'll be fine! Play and have fun.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Not sure if you're joking. Alcohol is illegal in Iran with a few exceptions. Drug offenses carry outrageously severe punishments.

Yeah, because nothing bad ever happened to anyone who was drunk or high.

I guess nobody sees emojis any more.

Of course I was joking. I have a few Middle Eastern friends, and we all joke about things that, well, won't be mentioned. Don't always be so serious, folks.

 

[Carl Hillman]

On past Friday I got a phone call form band manager that we will have a live performance on Saturday night in art national theatre .
It's so Scarry because people who comes there aren't normal people .
They usually are musican or artist .
If we suck we can't get back to playing music.


I start get panic and usually feel I will forget my notes on stage .


For rig I will use my mxr eq ,my fender rumble 100 ,Yamaha bb 415 , Daario strings .


Although I checked everything still I don't fel calm .
I scare my live sound won't be good or they will laugh at my playing or I suck on timing and destroy band works.

I practice everything at least 200 times but still feel something isn't right so kind of get really scare that even invite some friends .


Did you have same thing ?
How did u control it and how did it go ?


My playing will effect my career so much because we are playing in lion house .

Fake it until you make it.

By this I mean, if you find yourself frightened to the point of not being able to play, step "outside yourself". Imagine that you are an actor playing the role of a killer bass player or rock god up on that stage. And, remember the audience wants to love you, they want you to entertain them. They don't want you to fail. They want you to blow them away.

 

[DavC]

nerves are a Good thing ... !! channel and use that energy ... you'll learn and grow to better control it ... !


Rule your Mind .... or it will Rule You

 

[dave64o]

^ This.

 

[Thrillhouse]

I used to worry way back when I first was playing live but as long as you've got things down during practice, it should carry over to the stage. And even if you mess up, most people really won't notice and if they do, they'll forget quickly (it's happened to me plenty of times so I know).

I saw Metallica one time and they literally had to stop almost a minute into a song and then start it over because someone screwed something up and by the time the song was over, I'm positive no one really remembered or cared.

 

[LT131]

There may be artists and musicians in the audience but they are not on stage. You are. Do your best, remember that once a note is played it shoots off into space and cannot replayed. So stay in the moment, communicate with your band, smile, be assured that there will be errors and that the world will continue to spin anyway.

Good luck.

 

[cdlynch]

My first performance was in a crappy function hall. No one there wanted to see a band playing originals. It was parents, small children, and bored teens. The band leader booked it because he knew I had no live experience, and he was right to do it. I felt OK before the gig, but on stage I suddenly got so nervous that my knees literally knocked together the whole time, and I was generally miserable. I made some mistakes, no one cared, and I got through the set reasonably well. Every show after it got much better.

I didn't have a great experience in that band and quit after the first record release, but the two things the band leader got right for sure, were booking that throw-away show, and saying, "one live show is worth ten rehearsals."

It's OK to be nervous, and it's OK to try not to make mistakes as long as you stay focused enough to recover if you do make mistakes. I find that it helps to focus more on the group than my own part. Muscle memory will go a long way because you practiced so much. As most others have said, most in the audience (even a musician audience) won't notice or care about mistakes, if they're even paying attention to your group, let alone just you! Just try to enjoy playing with your group, because that's all an audience really cares about.