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Any advice for a first ever gig?


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In a couple of weekends time, I will be performing at my first ever gig. Just me on guitar and my singer in front of a crowd of about 100. It will only a short set (5 songs), but I'm nervous as hell. Any advice from anyone here with experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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In a couple of weekends time, I will be performing at my first ever gig. Just me on guitar and my singer in front of a crowd of about 100. It will only a short set (5 songs), but I'm nervous as hell. Any advice from anyone here with experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Practice staring into the crowd. Picture them naked and the room full of banana peels.

Picture your favourite singer and channel their charisma! Best of luck! (and take that shot or 3)!

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Practise really hard and as much as you can is the obvious advice, go through the songs in your head when not practising aswell. Make sure to introduce your band name, and songs, little stories about each songs usually go down well aswell, but not really essential. Make sure you bring things like extra plectrums, strings, guitars. Also, if you do happen to make a mistake, don't let it ruin the gig for you, smile and unless it's an Axl at bridge concert style mistake/fail then carry on, smile and chances are most people wont notice. I usually have a couple of drinks before I play to calm the nerves but everyone is different. Good luck, and please come back and let us know how you got on :)

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Until you are comfortable making eye contact, find places on the wall and stare at those. I usually have one on the right side, left side, and two in the middle. Unless you want to make eye contact, like if you have a special lady in the crowd. The first couple of songs are the hardest, once your nerves calm down, thats when the fun begins.

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It's work, you gotta do what you gotta do; Give them their money's worth; or they will heckle you; like public speaking, always engage your audience.

Yeah, don't listen to this guy.

The worst thing you can do is blow it out of proportion and take it ultra seriously, it's just a show. Yes, you want to put on the best show you can but don't stress out over it, you're not going to do your best if you're treating it like "work". The most important thing is to not let your nerves take over, a big problem I had when I first started playing shows was I would get really stiff on stage and my playing would suffer TREMENDOUSLY. It was like all the practice I had done was for nothing, I couldn't pull off the licks like I did in the basement and my hands would cramp up, fucking sucked.

This was because I just wasn't relaxed. Everyone has a different way of getting into that "zone", but the bottom line is you're there to play music and have fun, do that and you'll be fine. I like to have a couple of drinks before I go on, no more than that though. Helps me loosen up and get comfortable with being on stage and moving around with the music, which I think is very important to a live show. I guess it depends on what kind of music you play, but stage presence is HUGE. This commonly get mistaken for interacting with the crowd, which imo really isn't all that important. I think it's way more important to interact with your fellow band members on stage, just like when you're fartin around jamming in the basement, engage your band members during those climactic moments in a song, if somebody fucks up laugh it off and keep playing, don't stop for anything! If you and your band look like you're having fun and you're happy to be there, the crowd will respond positively whether or not they really enjoy your music. Giving off that warm vibe makes it a whole lot easier for them to like your music though, whereas if you're stiff, cold, and nervous on stage they won't pay you any attention.

Don't talk too much between songs. Doesn't matter how funny you think you are, even if you are people are there to see you play music. The stories behind every song and jokes just drag the show on. There's only a handful of things you should be saying to the audience; the name of your band, where you're from (do this after the first song, don't start a set with "hey we're so and so", let the music speak for itself then introduce yourselves), whether or not you have any CDs / merch for sale, and a brief thank you to the promoter/venue/other bands on the bill (do this before the last song). After your set just say "thank you, stick around for the next band" or something to that effect, no "spay and neuter your pets" or any cliche unfunny shit everybody has heard a million times. Of course, this is just how I handle it, be yourself, have some personality, just don't over-talk the crowd. If you do this well, along with your stage presence and performance, your fellow local musicians will take notice and they'll respect you which is huge if you have any interest in being a part of "the scene". This is how you'll continue to book more shows, network, and make new friends in the music scene. The more people and local musicians you make friends with, the more you will eventually draw.

MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE SOUND GUY. Especially if it's a place you plan on frequenting. Sound guys hate putting up with inexperienced bands and their shit. Get his name, follow his schedule for the night, and in return he should make you guys sound good. When I say follow his schedule I mean load on and off as quickly and efficiently as possible so the show stays on schedule, but if theres a band loading off the stage before you go on, wait until they load off. When you get all set up don't stand there fucking around playing random riffs, most likely the sound guy is going to want to do a quick sound check, do as he says, then start your set. I don't mean to sound like you need to rush through all of this, not what I'm saying at all, just don't drag ass.

Sorry for the long winded response, live music is my favorite thing in the world and I had the time, I'm very passionate about it and I want my fellow GNR fans to kick ass and make a good first impression. I hope you have a great first show, above everything else I said remember to just relax and have fun with it!

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Sweetness is bang on about the Sound Guy - You do not wanna piss these guys off - they want to make your band sound great so be polite, be on time and listen to what they say.

I don't have any upcoming gigs, but recording with a couple of bands soon, I do wish I was playing this weekend though :-(

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I walked into my first gig already having over 20 years of vocal training. I suffered from such severely paralytic stage fright that I would just shake uncontrollably. I avoided a lot of opportunity during that 20 years because I refused to sing in front of people alone. I was a part of many group ensembles, large and small, as well as quite a few duets but not just me. The first few gigs I just kind of stood there, focused on my knees not giving out, and sang. Once I started building more trust with my band, however, it got easier. One December, we had a gig two days after Christmas. I was so incredibly sick. Horrible head cold, sinus issues, sore throat, etc. I was like "There is no WAY I'm gonna make it." I was so focused on not coughing into the mic that I forgot to be scared. Despite coughing up blood in the green room between ets, the show went on. The nervous flutters never stopped totally but they went from "a brick in my stomach" to butterflies. And after the first few sons, I played on the energy of the crowd and it got so much better. The thing you just have to remind yourself of is the people in the crowd are just that - people. NOt monsters who will eat your soul if you miss a note. And the picturing them naked thing never works. JUst pic a focal point right above their heads on the back wall so it looks to them as if you are engaging them. ONe of my favorite bars to play had tvs all over the place, it was a sportsbar. So,I'd be singing my ass off, watching the Steelers from across the room. NObody ever knew. Break a leg, kid!

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Shot of jack, rub one out, let the audience know you rubbed one out. Thats a good icebreaker. That should get you through song one. Past that, I recommend nipple clamps or you'll totally lose the crowd. Also, whenever I play a gig (usually 6-7 times a day) I like to release all the bowels for maximum thrusts. You won't get the good pumps if you don't first make some killer dumbs. At least thats what I was told by the professionals.

Edited by gunsfanoldie
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On the sound guy point, it's such a delicate line though. Most sound guys have it out for lead guitarists, and usually with good reason. Many lead players get a little happy with their boost pedals during leads and scorch everyone, or just are inclined to try and be too loud in general. Of course that is annoying to a sound guy so often they adjust assuming that the lead guy is going to try and boost his leads an obnoxious amount.

My largest tip sound wise will avoid that issue. Know your amp. Know what sounds good to you. Understand what sounds good at rehearsal. Be friendly with the sound guy and more likely than not he'll be friendly with you in the mix. Be humble. However don't be afraid to turn around and face your amp a bump up if you can't hear yourself or if...

A trusted friend says they can't hear you. Always try to bring a friend who can be honest with you if you're too loud or too quiet.

As far as pre-show jitters, there's no real answer to get through that. Experience is the only cure. I actually miss getting nervous before gigs in a way, it's like knowing the drug is working! As cheesey as it is, just think happy thought. The sun will still rise tomorrow regardless of how the gig goes, more often than not if you're playing originals no one will really know if you fuck up, and after you play you'll feel amazing. Promise.

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