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What stops stage fright

#141
Know your parts by heart
Stay away from drugs. A couple of beers, or a shot is fine if you drink.
Be friendly. Treat the audience as friends, not fans.
Interact with your band members.
More importantly, be natural and be you. If you have a calm personality and pretend to be Flea, it's going to look worse and fake on stage.
And play a lot. Confidence comes with experience. We all felt nervous at first.
Rock!
 
#142
JWH91 said:
Had a gig last night, opened for davey suicide and crazy town. I let my nerves get to me. Musically I was almost flawless but I stood there like a stump. My guitarist is super energetic and has been doing this for ever. I have to move more, what will help. I don't care what it takes, drugs booze whatever I HAVE to move and not get that trembly knee bs again
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Practice moving in rehearsal, too. Move around a bit; not enough to annoy everyone, but walk over and watch the drummer, go over and make faces at the singer, or smack the guitarist with your hradstock.

Buy a wireless. If you're a cheapskate like me, you'll think, "dammit, I PAID for a wireless, so, I'm going to USE a wireless!"

Part of the answer is in your post, where you said, "musically I was almost flawless." Take that knowledge and turn it into confidence to trot around thinking, "that's right! I'm damn good!"

If all else fails, put your phone on vibrate and have your significant other call you when they see you growing roots.

Good job at nailing the music.:bassist:
 
#144
I find, perhaps strangely, that small audiences are more awkward for me. I did one time see a band play where, the entire audience (maybe 6 people) decided to walk out all at once. That image sticks in my mind when I play to smaller audiences. When there's hundreds, I figure that there's no real chance of tha happening, and I'm fine.
 
#145
Please, don't be the guy that just stands there. In 1967 that worked, but half the audience was probably tripping anyway, so they didn't notice. Find someone, anyone, in the audience and make eye contact. It may seem awkward at first, but you will soon realize they are there to SEE you as well as HEAR you. If you are only a musician, stick to working in the studio. If you're playing live shows, you should also be an entertainer. Just one man's opinion.
 
#146
I'm chuckling while reading this thread.

I'm doing my first show ever without a live drummer tonight! All electric, no acoustic songs. Our last drummer was nothing but problems, so we are using drum backing tracks for a 35 minute set of originals tonight. We are well rehearsed using them, but so much for hanging out with the drummer during the set!

At least it saves me the task of firing the drummer!
 
#147
BrianNYC said:
The first time I saw a Rage Against the Machine way back when they opened Lollapalooza, the drummer played with his back to the audience and a mirror in front of him. I always assumed it was because of a little stage fright or not to get distracted by such a huge crowd but still be able to take cues and see the band when he needed to. Interestingly enough, at later shows he was always facing the audience. I think those were the early days of them playing in front of so many people and after a while I think he just got used to it and was able to turn around.
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I have a "friend," or former friend/high school acquaintance/annoyance who played bass in the first band I did, when I was 16 or so. I was the lead singer. He tells me of those times we played parties and I sang with my back to the audience, and how he encouraged me to turn around. I always patiently explain to him that:

  1. He's thinking of Val Kilmer's portrayal of Jim Morrison in the Oliver Stone film, "The Doors"
  2. I only did one gig with that band
  3. It wasn't that I had my back to the audience; it was that I was scared to death and had no stage presence
  4. He drinks; I don't
Anyway, we used to hang out, but last time we interacted it was me blocking him on facebook for obnoxious and stupid comments.
 
#148
I remember talking to one of the most energetic stage performers I've ever seen, and he said that he always takes of his glasses on stage so he can't see the crowd. It might not exactly apply to you, but the point is to not focus on the audience. It's also worth it to practice bass dancing so that it feels more natural.
 
#149
TemplesOfSyrinx said:
I'm chuckling while reading this thread.

I'm doing my first show ever without a live drummer tonight! All electric, no acoustic songs. Our last drummer was nothing but problems, so we are using drum backing tracks for a 35 minute set of originals tonight. We are well rehearsed using them, but so much for hanging out with the drummer during the set!

At least it saves me the task of firing the drummer!
Click to expand...
And it saves you from having to carry a fire extinguisher in case he spontaneously combusts!
 
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#150
Two thoughts:

1) Repetition, repetition, repetition. You need to desensitize yourself so that going on stage is like walking into a room full of long-time friends.

2) There's nothing wrong with standing there like a tree. If your band will make a significant amount more money or notoriety by you adding dance to the song, then maybe work on it. Otherwise, don't worry about it. Focus on your job, nothing else.

Ask Bill Wyman about this if you have your doubts. He stood there like a statue – didn't even look up – and he was not only an excellent and unique sounding bass player in one of the greatest and most popular rock-n-roll bands of all time, but he got more booty than any of his bandmates. You know why he looked down? Because he was picking women out of the crowd to have his roadies let backstage. He did his job well, got his paycheck, got his booty, and didn't degrade himself by dancing around like an idiot to do it. Moral: Be like Bill Wyman.
 
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#153
I have worked as a pro stage manager and acting coach. I may be duplicating or confirming a previous response, but this question has been worked out decisively for actors and it's part of professional training. What many call "stage fright" we call "self-consciousness" — distracted by thinking about oneself and how other people are thinking about us. This inevitably takes us away from what we're doing and into our heads. The technique for preventing it is both simple and profound: focus entirely on what you're doing and what your stagemates are doing.

Forget the audience, forget what your BL may be thinking about you, all that non-musical stuff. Dig into the music with all your attention. Listen comprehensively, work to hear more. Close your eyes if it helps, and if your mind works this way, visualize the music so you're using your whole brain.

Actors practice focusing constantly, as should we whenever we play, whether it's scale practice, band rehearsal or performance.
 
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#156
I've played out only once playing bass so far. It was an open stage & we played to almost no one, but, played well & enjoyed it. It was our maiden voyage so to speak. I spend a lot of time, as I do when we rehearse, making eye contact with the other two, mostly the drums. I also tend to roam around a lot, space permitting. I think it helps me relax a bit.
 
#157
What stops stage fright? Two beers, $40 and an apple.

1. Two beers - loosens you up, makes the vocalist tolerable and helps to ignore the fact the drummer misses the intro to the 3rd song. Every time.

2. $40 - self explanatory. Everyone could use an extra 40 bucks right?

3. The apple. It tastes good, gives you a little natural energy and helps to keep your mind off the vocalist. Said apple doubles as a projectile if you just cant keep your mind off the ****ing singer being off-key.

That's my recipe for a perfect.... Oh wait this was about stage fright right? I guarantee if you read what I just posted before you played you will have your mind doing something other than focusing on your phobia. Try to have fun and don't let it eat you up. People are there to enjoy what you are doing.

Confidence, Grasshopper...
 
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#158
Lately what has been helping me is a bit of self reflection just before we hit the stage. I just tell myself I'm the best bass player on that stage, just go out there and have a blast. That's been doing the trick, and will probably continue to serve me well until I realize I'm THE ONLY bass player on stage! LOL!
 

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