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What do you think about while you are gigging.

86general

86general

Supporting Member
Jan 19, 2010
97
15
Central NJ
#1
Sometimes I'm loving it....into the music, enjoying everything I'm playing and hearing. But sometimes, I'm just bored, or if not really bored, just feeling, well, nothing, just playing and looking down at the set list and thinking about what's next. Or watching the audience.

I'm relatively new to playing live. I'm pushing 50 and have been a guitarist since I was about 12, but I've only put a band together and started playing live for the last 2 years or so.

Somehow, I used to think gigging would always be something where you were into and focused on music. And maybe there's something wrong with me, but the irony is that it seems like it's a minority of the time that I'm really lost in the music. I still enjoy it, but at times I'm not sure why I enjoy it.

What do you guys and gals do or think about while playing live?
 
#3
When it's going good, I'm thinking, "I can't believe I get paid money to do this."

When it's going bad, I'm thinking, "I can't believe I put myself through this for as little money as I'm making."

Thankfully it goes good a lot more often than bad.

There are also certain points in a lot of shows where either myself or someone else in the band has a tendency to routinely screw up their part and so whenever one of those is coming I get a little tense and really try to double my focus. Otherwise I just try to stay in the moment. Even though some gigs can really turn out sucky I try and remember that every opportunity to play for people is a privilege and deserves my best effort.
 
#6
Often times I think..."OK, this is great.....but how long until I gig again?"......

and then I wander into ......

"I wonder if this place has a good reuben sandwich".....

and sometimes I think...

"Can anyone hear me?"

But most of the time I'm thinking about the next note to play and how to play it.
 
#10
Putting on my flame suit now... but my personal opinion is that if you're having to think about what you're doing on your instrument, you need more practice time.

Your instrument and the tunes should be so much a part of you that you can think about literally just about anything else while you're onstage and the parts will still come out as they are supposed to sound. Not that I'm to that point yet, but that's where I want to be eventually.

There's a saying that that the amateur makes the easy look difficult and the pro makes the difficult look easy. I was on a gig a couple months ago with my jazz combo and this guy comes up to me on break and says, "you know, you look like you're not working hard at all." I'm not sure if he meant that as a dis or a compliment but to me it's a compliment.
 
#11
jaywa said:
... if you're having to think about what you're doing on your instrument, you need more practice time.

...There's a saying that that the amateur makes the easy look difficult and the pro makes the difficult look easy....
Click to expand...

+1

I usually think about what's going on onstage, listening to my partners in order to create something interesting (may it be the hardest avantgarde jazz or the simplest 12-bar blues).

And, yes, sometimes, it happens to me to think "I can't stand this drummer (singer/guitar/whatever it is), let's hope the gigs ends soon, I get my money, and then I won't play anymore with him/her". Sad, but happens...

And I watch the audience, too. And when I was a Free Man, I used to watch the girls trying to attract that nice brunette there on the left...
 
#14
I usually think "E E E E E E E E E E".........



Not really. :smug:

Like everyone else, whether we admit it or not, we do have to think about what we're playing and be aware of what the rest of the band is doing. Playing a gig is not a spectator sport.

Other things I've thought about;

-I'm thirsty, I should have gotten another club soda to take up during the break.
-I knew I should have brought cough drops.
-I'm really flattered so many of my friends came out to see me (I have some really great friends).
-I think that dude is hitting on my wife. Looking around the room, I would too.
- Hey sound guy, stop turning my bass up....it's all anyone can hear including me.
- Wow this crowd really likes us!
- Wow this crowd really hates us.
- Ooops. Missed that one.
- Wow, time is going by fast.


Mostly, I think about what's coming up next for music, whether or not we should change things up based on crowd reaction, I try to see if everyone is having fun, generally how everything is sounding, and looking forward to the set break so I can go see my wife or my friends that came out to see us play.
 
#15
Wow, that brunette in the glasses is smokin' hot. I really should stop watching her dance. Man, I'd play Mustang Sally for her any time. I really should stop watching her dance. Good thing my wife's not here to see me staring at her. I really should stop watching her dance. I really should stop watching ...
 
#17
Most of time I'm listening and thinking of the song..singing it in my head.

The rest of the times I look at the crowd , spot the hotties , think I need another cold beer and also what time are we finished here?
 
#18
ideally, I'm not thinking anything at all.


but i think what really answers your question is that if you're playing sort of mediocre gigs then of course you're not going to be blissed out the whole time. for a lot of people mediocre or kinda crappy gigs are a means to an end.

if you're playing great gigs and feeling that way then either you don't really like gigging or maybe you are still a bit too nervous to really really get into it?
 

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