Feelings while playing live??

[SooperKeef]

How you feel while playing live like properly...ive just got off my first live performance ever and am REAL hyped for tomoro and the next day, how do you feel playing live??? what do you do when you Bugger up?

[HateEvent]

I really enjoy playing live. I've never really taken the time to think exactly what's running through my head though! Usually the only thing is that I find it goes by way too quickly and I just want to keep on going as I'm having a great time.

If you screw up at all - do NOT stop! If you stop (or make it obvious visually that you made a mistake for that matter), it is more likely that someone will notice/care. Just keep going with it and enjoy it.

[paranoid]

My first time was the Sunday before Christmas. I was tense for the first couple of songs, and I stood still as a still thing the whole set. Once that was out of the way, I relaxed into it and now I love it. Ok, my 5 gigs will seem really shitty when compared to some of the folk on here, but I was a late starter, but I like to think I'm making up for that with enthusiasm.

I've spent a long time in the crowd, but nothing beats the high of being on stage, making a shit load of noise. If one person in the crowd is nodding their head, awesome. If there is a half dozen people digging what you do, that is amazing.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

I feel nervous and great at the same time.

I never bugger up...FACT.

[Surfer_Rosa]

I pretty much just get an erection

[Soda Jerk]

Apparently I pull a gurning face when I balls up.

I like playing live. The loud volumes especially. It's therapeutic almost. Playing odd local gigs is alright, but it's all about going on tour. Touring also does wonders for improving you as a band. When my last band back home toured, we came back tighter than ever, and every gig after we played flawlessly.

[neepheid]

I enjoy playing live, but for a start it was a bit of a blur - I'm only just beginning to calm down now and actually remember some of being on stage Still get a bit nervous, fingers a bit shaky for the first couple of songs but I'm getting better at keeping that under control.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

Apparently I pull a gurning face when I balls up.

I like playing live. The loud volumes especially. It's therapeutic almost. Playing odd local gigs is alright, but it's all about going on tour. Touring also does wonders for improving you as a band. When my last band back home toured, we came back tighter than ever, and every gig after we played flawlessly.

This is all true (although I cannot confirm the gurning face).

I never find stage sound to be particularly loud, though. Much easier to crank it at practice

[diarmaid]

I used to get nervous when first starting out, but that was primarily due to being the front man and having relatively shite banter. But once on stage I just had the oppinion that 'well, I'm here now, might as well just go for it.'

When a gig goes well its fucking amazing. I fucking love it. Though when it goes bad, always found the best thing to do is ignore the fact nobody is enjoying it and just enjoy yourself.

There is very little that can compare to playing in a band live on stage. Especially if you're not shite.

[Guest]

I get really nervous beforehand, really happy and excited during, and I really enjoy banter with the crowd. I might take my shirt off and afterwards I need a drink.

It's sort of like what happens when I have sex. Or a shit.

[Fast Caz]

Fucking love it!

Big crowds, big boner. Can't say I get nervous anymore either.

[Old Gold]

I find it terrifying. You have no control over what comes out of your mouth between songs, strangers stare at you and sometimes try to make conversation afterwards.

[Fraser Mac]

If you do fuck up, dont make it obvious.

Thats the worst thing you can do

[TeaLowe]

Playing live music, especially as part of a band, especially if it's your stuff and people are loving it, is the best possible reason I could possibly think of to go outside at all. That includes going out to eat, fuck or drink beer.

However, if the gigs shite the latter make for a fine consolation prize.

[TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH]

It's a stone groove.

[Guest Gladstone]

Properly love playing live. Standing up there with 3 of your best mates, banging out the tunes you've written and worked on etc is magic. Even better if people are clearly enjoying it!

I get really nervous if it's a "step up" of sorts for us. I.e. First gig - I was shitting myself (it was just in a local hall that we hired) because it was the first time we'd played in front of anyone. Got really into it after a couple of tunes though and then just loved every minute of it. Second gig - playing in the Tunnels in front of some complete strangers - got pretty nervous about that. After that I didn't really get nervous at all until we played at Wizard Festival the second time. Was a wee bit nervous the first time, but it was on the acoustic stage, and wasn't so bothered about it. The second time though, we were headlining the stage, and we HAD to be good to live up to that - I was shitting myself until about halfway through the first song. Then for our Beach Ballroom gig, which was the first live performance for nearly a year, plus a few new songs, and it was the fucking Beach Ballroom - I was shitting myself for the entire performance! First time I've ever been nervous through an entire set, but loved it at the same time. I was shaking with nerves and adrenaline when I came off stage for a good 10 minutes afterwards. I'd probably have been shaking all night if I hadn't drank 10 pints to calm myself down...

[flossie suvara]

Playing live, for me, is the whole point of being in a band. I'm lucky to be in a band with friends who I view more as family, and we've played together for (on and off) almost 20 years. The more you play with a group of people, the bigger the sense of unspoken communication, verging on musical telepathy. There are quite often moments when we're playing where it really does feel that we're at the pinnacle of what we can do - I would guess it's the same sort of feeling a surfer gets when they ride a really big wave. These moments, whenever they come are magical and can't be explained properly to non-musicians.

I get a bit nervous before I go on - I'm quite anal about making sure I've got everything (and since I play a lot of instruments on stage, that's a lot of stuff), and being on time for soundchecks, etc. If I'm late, that pisses me off, even if I know (as we all do) that soundchecks only run on schedule about 1% of the time.

I'd agree with the previous comments about how touring can really tighten your game - The Lorelei mark 1 toured a lot and it really made us coherent as a band, and able to cover each others when strings/sticks, etc broke.

If you make a mistake - never ever stop. Instead, glare angrily at the nearest band member to you as if it's their fault. (and a wise person once said - "If you don't make mistakes, then you're not trying hard enought".

Regards

Flossie

[Guest Gladstone]

What's a "mistake"?

Just curious...

[Bigsby]

Definitely get less nervous with experience, but there's always a little adrenalin buzz, that's what makes it fun. You should practise a lot, but that said once you're up there it all goes out the window and the only real practise for playing live is playing live.

With mistakes, one of the best bits of advice I ever heard was from the late great Chet Atkins: "Do it again on the next verse, then they'll think you meant it." And I have followed this advice on ocassion.

[Paul_Victory]

i usualy feel drunk and very over excited.

energy wise i usualy bounce off jamie and the crowds energy and the further he/they go the further i go so itll be realy exciting to see what happens when i play my first gig in my new band on the 11th. where all members are realy energetic and the crowd are usualy up for a good time aswell

[Bigsby]

i usualy feel drunk and very over excited.

Funny you mention drinking, usually I have my car for gear etc so I'm not drinking. But if I do drink personally I've found that two pints is the most I can drink before playing, any more than that and mistakes will creep in.

[Alphas]

I love playing gigs. Whether it is to 10 people or 100 people, it is just a different kind of enjoyment. Certain venues seem to make a difference as well, I've always enjoyed gigs at Snafu and those at the Moorings are always great fun even though the bands I've played in may not be everyone's cup of tea (or pint of Addlestones) there. I've played shite gigs as well - sometimes due to how we've played and sometimes due to it being a pointless gig - but try to roll with the punches with those and look forward to playing again. With mistakes you can generally just play through them and nobody will notice, although I just wrote down Bigsby's piece of advice for future reference.

[Soda Jerk]

I only get nervous with first gigs. I have itchy feet when it comes to music projects, so first gigs seem to happen alot for me. Once that ice is broken, then it's non-stop awesome from then on.

The best gig one of my bands ever played was to about 10 people at the smallest pub in pontefract. Good jokes, and played tighter than ever. With the place being so small and rickety, it just sounded so much louder.

The worst gig I ever played was one I put on myself. It was the first gig I'd ever put on, so I was shitting it that no one would come, and I'd be footing a bit of a bill. Especially as I way out of my depth, putting on 6 bands in one night, and making a massive pot of chilli to feed everyone, despite not knowing how to make chilli. I started drinking at about 3 in the afternoon, to kill the fear of it being a no show, even though I'd promoted it to hell. It ended up being rammed, with people being turned away at the door. Probably the biggest audience I've ever played to, and I was fucking tanked and couldn't even see my frets. I couldn't even get the words to the songs out of my mouth, so I just made noises, interspersed with the words WANK and SHITE.

Actually no, that was also the best gig I've ever played.

[mistersticks]

my thought process:

"oh my god my hands are bleeding..

...they are going to fall off

Thank fuck there's only one more song to go..

i can't wait for a hot bubble bath after this..."

[Pierre Von Mondragon]

1)Never stop til the end, whichever end it is.

2)Make sure hands are warm, dryers are ace in Winter.

3)No Fear, they are only people, Stare them out like a nutjob, that always works.

4)You'll feel more up to it if you have, and wear, stage trousers. They are Armour.

5)Onstage self-deprecation is for those who are either naturally entertaining, or already know they are shit. APOLOGISE FOR NOTHING.

Sometimes the mind can drift off to oddly banal shit, this is a sign that you are at one with your material, or too stoned for the task at hand, both work.

Vitally, do you know how much booze you can hack, have just a tad more than that, bingo, you are ready to rock.