preshow rituals

[Savage_Dreams]

My only ritual is tuning my bass. I make the rest up based on the occasion.

exactly! i tune, and tune again. i hate when people wait to be on stage to tune. when you hit the stage you should be off and running!

 

[Jeffrey Bryan]

When the intro tape is running I set my volume to 1/10 and play a random string to make sure there is sound coming out of the speaker. Always happens automatically.

 

[Pandastylebass]

Before every show, without fail, for the last 24 years there is a moment where I forget every note to every song I'm supposed to play....then it all comes back to me and I think, "I fooled them all again!"

 

[StyleOverShow]

Was thinking about this last week but in a touring band setting.

Most groups that I've been in got together in a circle and did a kind of group cheer, like a football team.

 

[Nephilymbass]

Does anyone have any preshow rituals that they have? besides the bassist getting high/drunk.

We generally get loaded in early then sit down and eat together, after dinner everyone splits up to mingle and checks in at the merch booth here and there. About 20 minutes before i normally go into silent mode. I'll go off in a corner or backstage area and stretch and get my head right. I've been playing bass for 20 years now and the majority of our material is very simple so my playing is more muscle memory than anything else. I like to sort of daydream my way through shows not really thinking much of the crowd or the music.

 

[Fishyfishfish]

Triple check everything, wash hands, turn door handle 3 times left, 4 right, wash hands tap left foot seven times, touch three light switches, wash hands, tap right foot 9 times, only walk on odd numbered floor tiles, wash hands, that kind of thing....

 

[Spent]

For the past couple of years it's grab a cheeseburger and large coffee from McDonald's. This would shock most people who know me, I'm usually a very healthy eater. My wife works one day a week, Saturday (she's a massage therapists at a tennis club) and we only do Saturday gigs. We also have two young boys, so I have to wait until she gets home to leave. I also drive the singer since he likes to have a few and I don't drink at gigs. Due to tight time constraints, McDonald's has become a ritual with me.

 

[Big Hoss]

Finger stretches, warm up... Make sure my hat, and sunglasses are on right...

 

[MesoBoogie]

Get either really pumped or bummed, depending on if I'll have a monitor to put my foot on. I also check intonation real quick.

 

[Matt Dean]

I just chillax with a beer, do some tendon stretching, then get up and rock it.

 

[5below]

My band mates and I will soundcheck, have a bite to eat and, just before going on, pass a nice flask of bourbon around. There's 4 of us and only 6 ozs of bourbon, so no one is getting drunk! Sort of a team-building, cameraderie thing.

 

[Gaolee]

One last nervous leak before hitting the stage. You don't want to need to pee halfway through a set, no matter what you drank before hand. In my case, that's usually water or an energy drink. If it's an energy drink, the nervous leak is really important, because that stuff doesn't dawdle on its way through.

 

[Tom Howland]

Hydrate ( None alcohol ) Warm up hands in warm water. Stretch. Make sure I take a whiz before going on stage.
I get excited before playing. but not nervous anymore.

 

[PeteBass51]

About 2 hours before the gig: 2-3 Advils for back, joint pain. On the way to the gig: 2-3 Halls Menthol drops, Sing along to a couple of preselected tunes to get the upper range working, Twisting the wrists back and forth for a couple of minutes to combat the carpel tunnel. 64 and still goin kinda strong!

 

[hintz]

Mine is kinda like this......

View attachment 649168
View attachment 649167 View attachment 649166

LMFAO!!

But in all seriousness, I find a nice quiet place after I checked that everything I running properly and slowly strech my hands and warm up with a metronome and do slow deep breathing in time with my warmup(running scales in circle of 4ths then 2 8va , all in slow 16ths)

I don't get nervous anymore but anxious to get up on stage so I *never* drink before a gig, i avoid talking to anybody unless i have to... I used to get real nervous before *any* gig and would indulge myself , but those days are long gone, i just relax...

Also what helped me with nerves was simply playing out *alot*, at least every weekend and reminding yourself that the audience wants you to kickass when your up there

 

[Chef]

I pretty much always have a coffee with me for setup and first set.
Unless it's a Red Bull and vodka.

I like to mingle a little if it's a club gig.
I like to hang back stage and run scales or so for 5-10 minutes before any gig.

Light supper before

Played the basses that I'm playing that day/night I use before hand earlier that day.

Go through my physical checklist of items needed

If I have time a small dark roast coffee hanging out before hand

 

[SpanishDave]

After sound check, at least 3/4 of the band eat together.
Immediately before going on, I do a quick lap of the bar and say hellos, grab 2 beers to take on stage with me, and lastly, if the Missus is there, I ask for a kiss.

 

[Ender_rpm]

I always change my shirt, so the load in sweat is gone, then stretch a bit, hands, arms, and upper body. couple deep breaths, have that second of panic where I "forget" everything, and then get on stage.....

 

[dalkowski]

A combination of thorough hydration and concomitant, repeated visits to the bog to ensure complete evacuation.

 

[SteveHeissner]

One shot of whiskey, two snorts of cocaine, three groupies on the leather sofa in my exclusive back stage dressing room.

OK, I lied. But we all need dreams and aspirations, right?