Once I fully realized this, things got exponentially easier for me.
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Once I fully realized this, things got exponentially easier for me.
Haul the PA. Set up PA. Get pissed at other band members for goofing off while you haul and setup the PA. Sound check everyone. Set up your stuff at last minute. Have multiple people tell you to make PA adjustments while you're trying to play the first song.
No time to be nervous.
No time to be nervous.
"It doesn't matter what they say about you, so long as they spell your name right."
"Drugs and booze do not help." Not true, they most definitely do help.
Do the benefits outweigh the consequences? Definitely not. But to tell someone that booze won’t help when we all know that a drink or two definitely will ease the pre-show jitters -- well that’s doing more harm than good.
Rock n roll has been fueled by various substances since its inception. But you don’t want to destroy your life for the sake of the occasional 45 minute set. If you can have one beer, or one shot, or one puff of weed, and that’s it – well good on you. But I’ve seen a lot of folks develop serious dependencies that started with a pop or a toot for a quick fix of rock courage.
On the flipside, many of the most energetic performers I’ve ever seen were from the straight edge hardcore scene. And many have dealt with the same stage fright issues as their whisky-and-cocaine counterparts, they just handled it in different and dare I say healthier ways.
Here are my tips that echo what a lot of folks have said already:
And remember, at the end of the day, you’re just the bass player. No one actually cares what you’re doing on stage. Most people don’t even know what you’re doing there at all. And there’s a certain cool factor to guys like John Paul Jones, who just hang back by their amp and leave the histrionics to the frontmen/frontwomen.
Do the benefits outweigh the consequences? Definitely not. But to tell someone that booze won’t help when we all know that a drink or two definitely will ease the pre-show jitters -- well that’s doing more harm than good.
Rock n roll has been fueled by various substances since its inception. But you don’t want to destroy your life for the sake of the occasional 45 minute set. If you can have one beer, or one shot, or one puff of weed, and that’s it – well good on you. But I’ve seen a lot of folks develop serious dependencies that started with a pop or a toot for a quick fix of rock courage.
On the flipside, many of the most energetic performers I’ve ever seen were from the straight edge hardcore scene. And many have dealt with the same stage fright issues as their whisky-and-cocaine counterparts, they just handled it in different and dare I say healthier ways.
Here are my tips that echo what a lot of folks have said already:
- Exposure. This is how anxiety and phobias are professionally treated. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.
- Preparation. The less you have to worry about the day of the show, the less anxious you’ll be overall.
- Practice. Commit everything to muscle memory and you’ll still nail it even when you’re sweating bullets. And there’s nothing wrong with “rehearsing” your stage moves. In fact that’s what a lot of big acts do, even ones that pride themselves on being “legit.”
- Mindfulness. Again, this is common treatment for all forms of anxiety. Basically means you train your brain to live “in the moment.” Stage fright happens when your brain is living in the future. What if I play a wrong note? What if I forget the bridge? What if I try this sick stage move and my pants fall down and everyone laughs at me? Teach yourself to be present in the MOMENT and you’ll play better, perform better, and feel better.
And remember, at the end of the day, you’re just the bass player. No one actually cares what you’re doing on stage. Most people don’t even know what you’re doing there at all. And there’s a certain cool factor to guys like John Paul Jones, who just hang back by their amp and leave the histrionics to the frontmen/frontwomen.
I know what did it for me and it had nothing to do with playing. I always worked security for our local blues fest and I was always having to go on stage to help the band. Well I would go out and wave and tip my hat and just try to get a smile. Well one time it just came over me that these folks are just like me! They're here to have fun, I'm here to have fun, sooo lets have fun. Once I saw they were no different it all went away. Hope that helps.
First thing you have to do when you feel that coming on is tell yourself, "I got this!"
Then take that nervous feeling and use it as energy to help you groove with the music you're playing. Get into what you're playing and let your body move to the music. No need to make specific moves, just enjoy the music and let it move you. You'll find yourself having a good time in no time at all.
Not a good idea because then your fingers won't go where you want them to go and your playing will go to sh*t.
Playful interaction on stage with other band members...smiling, joking or laughing and looking like you're having fun. 4 years ago we embarked on an acoustic/electric trio venture. We were nervous coming from a very successful full band for 14 years. So, on our first gig in this new line up, we smiled at the audience (and each other) and I started talking to the guitarist over the microphone about "what should we play next for these fine people"?
At the end of the night several people came up to me and said how refreshing it was to see a band playing and laughing and generally having a good time. One woman said " I felt like you were entertaining me and my husband in our living room". I took that as a huge compliment....if people feel that comfortable with us... I'll take it!
Just move, smile, talk or whatever...you never know who will take notice!
At the end of the night several people came up to me and said how refreshing it was to see a band playing and laughing and generally having a good time. One woman said " I felt like you were entertaining me and my husband in our living room". I took that as a huge compliment....if people feel that comfortable with us... I'll take it!
Just move, smile, talk or whatever...you never know who will take notice!
What I did many years ago, was try to move and groove with the music a bit, not really dancing just letting the tunes move you around while practicing alone at home. Then make sure you do that every time you play a song from your set at home or at band practice. Eventually it just becomes a natural thing that you do while playing whether or not you are in front of a crowd and whether or not you are nervous.
Just don’t let the adrenaline paralyze you. Keep moving. It gives that andrenaline rush a channel to flow through and out of your body. Keep moving and focus on the beat and groove.
Good luck
Just don’t let the adrenaline paralyze you. Keep moving. It gives that andrenaline rush a channel to flow through and out of your body. Keep moving and focus on the beat and groove.
Good luck
I should have gathered as much.
I actually had a bit of a problem with drinking affecting my playing when I was touring playing nightclubs back in the early 70's. I'd often pick a table and introduce myself to the folks sitting there during a break and they commonly would want to buy me a drink, which was cool. Met lots of folks and they brought lots of friends to come see us because they "knew somebody in the band!"
Came to a head playing a NCO Club at a naval base one time where they ordered 2 drinks at a time because booze on base was cheap. I'd drink 1½ and at the next break I'd still have half left and 2 more. When I'd sit down for our third and last break, I'd have 4 full drinks on the table and they were egging me on to finish them up. I'd still leave 2 drinks on the table when we started our last set, but I was more than a little buzzed (I was skinny back then). Made lots of stupid mistakes with my fingers not going to the frets I wanted them to. I absolutely hated being out of control.
After that, I started taking a glass of V8 juice with a piece of celery sticking out of it so it would look like I was drinking a bloody Mary. Occasionally I'd change it up and have some Grenadine floated on top of orange juice and pass that off as a Tequila Sunrise. I would sometimes talk to the bartender and arrange to have him send me a non-alcholic of what ever I ordered if the waitress asked him for "Dan's Special" Tequila Sunrise, Bloody Mary, or whatever I was supposedly drinking. We typically played 5-nights a week and that was the only way I could stay sober enough to play well.
And of course one bartender on the last night we were at his club sent me a Dan's Special Bloody Mary that was mostly Vodka with only a little V8 juice in it. I nursed that one for a while.
I actually had a bit of a problem with drinking affecting my playing when I was touring playing nightclubs back in the early 70's. I'd often pick a table and introduce myself to the folks sitting there during a break and they commonly would want to buy me a drink, which was cool. Met lots of folks and they brought lots of friends to come see us because they "knew somebody in the band!"
Came to a head playing a NCO Club at a naval base one time where they ordered 2 drinks at a time because booze on base was cheap. I'd drink 1½ and at the next break I'd still have half left and 2 more. When I'd sit down for our third and last break, I'd have 4 full drinks on the table and they were egging me on to finish them up. I'd still leave 2 drinks on the table when we started our last set, but I was more than a little buzzed (I was skinny back then). Made lots of stupid mistakes with my fingers not going to the frets I wanted them to. I absolutely hated being out of control.
After that, I started taking a glass of V8 juice with a piece of celery sticking out of it so it would look like I was drinking a bloody Mary. Occasionally I'd change it up and have some Grenadine floated on top of orange juice and pass that off as a Tequila Sunrise. I would sometimes talk to the bartender and arrange to have him send me a non-alcholic of what ever I ordered if the waitress asked him for "Dan's Special" Tequila Sunrise, Bloody Mary, or whatever I was supposedly drinking. We typically played 5-nights a week and that was the only way I could stay sober enough to play well.
And of course one bartender on the last night we were at his club sent me a Dan's Special Bloody Mary that was mostly Vodka with only a little V8 juice in it. I nursed that one for a while.
There is some limited evidence that low dose propranolol may be beneficial in performance anxiety. It is widely (ab)used in symphony orchestras.
You and I have every reason in the world to be a nervous wreck onstage. One missed note, one lyrics flub away from being beaten to death by an angry audience. I hear it happens often, but have never seen it. I know this guy, that knows a guy, that heard about a guy it definitely happened to he said.
Somehow cfome to the realization that you are there to have fun and give the audience something to be exicted about and thereby you feed off their energy. A concert is a shared energy experience really!
If you stand their like a statue (like 99% of most local bands) why should the audience be into your music if you aren't?
Id ask myself "Why am I doing this?"..."What do I want out of this?"....start by moving your feet and position, fill in gaps on the stage, you don't have to jump off the drum riser or anything. Explore the stage, interact with the audience and your bandmates. It takes time but you'll get there.
I'm with fretter:
Having a lively guitarist and a stolid bass player is cool. Bill Wyman never moved (he did make funny faces) - it was a great contrast to Jagger.
Anyhow, what's to be scared of? Nobody's going to hurt you. If you know your material that's enough - just play with confidence and forget about it. You've played before, you're playing now. So what if there are more people listening?
Having a lively guitarist and a stolid bass player is cool. Bill Wyman never moved (he did make funny faces) - it was a great contrast to Jagger.
Anyhow, what's to be scared of? Nobody's going to hurt you. If you know your material that's enough - just play with confidence and forget about it. You've played before, you're playing now. So what if there are more people listening?
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Play often! You will come to the realization that your audience doesn't hear your playing as you think that they do. This is for sure! Knowing this should calm you down.
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wmhill
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This works for me (results may vary).
PS.... I chased that truck for three blocks through Boston to get this picture
PS.... I chased that truck for three blocks through Boston to get this picture
