First gig this weekend, any tips - Done!

nick79

Got my first gig this weekend in a local pub, i've been in the band for a month or two and we've been having weekly practices. I've got the songs learnt, but i'm shitting myself with nerves.... I take it that's normal? (Although i do lack confidence)

So my learned friends.. What can i expect? What can i do to improve my chances of not fucking up? 

All hints and tips gratefully recieved!!

RocknRollDave

You know what, you WILL make mistakes...but remember, IT DOESN'T MATTER

Most punters won't have a clue, half your band probably won't notice and the song will still be ticking along when you catch up.

Seriously, sweating over the mistakes is something you will soon get over with regular gigging. The nerves won't necessarily go away, but you will see that when you make a mistake, the world doesn't come crashing in on you..It is such a minor thing, in the scheme of things.

Apart from that, do yourself a checklist of what you need, try and take spares of everything you can take spares of - Not because you will need them but because it is good for peace of mind and it is less for your nervous mind to invent worries over,.

Have a run through the songs again and make sure you DO know them as well as you think - How do they end? How do they start? How many bars before the verse comes in etc etc..

and ENJOY IT!

simonk

Yup, just try to enjoy it! It will be over before you know it so try to take as much of it in as you can along the way. And we all make mistakes from time to time, it's how you deal with them that really matters - sometimes they can be the most memorable bit of the night; somebody drops a clanger, the band pulls together, you all get through it, nobody really notices and the dancing continues.

Good luck!

Bellycaster

What Dave said, plus, you know that once the first song is over you will feel more relaxed. When I played my first gig after a long break of 20 years, I was nervous, but the nerves sort of made me hone in more on my playing, I can't explain it and maybe it happens with other people, something just kicked in a focused me more. I just stopped worrying and started to play.

Choose the easiest songs to play first if it helps. If your set list is worked out run over your settings changes if you need to, preparation for little things save a lot of worry. Spare picks close by, set list where you can see it easily

I wouldn't recommend getting bollocksed, but there's nowt wrong with a quick half of week pissy Lager before you go on to steady you a bit.

Have a good one!

EricTheWeary

Always have a piss a couple minutes before you start.

citizen68

If you're not driving, a pint or two beforehand to loosen the nerves won't hurt, but don't overdo it. 

 Enjoy it & try to look like you're enjoying it - look at the crowd when you can - may be difficult on first one as you'll be concentrating pretty hard (on not pissing yourself if you had a few pints) 

 Pre-gig dump an absolute necessity too  

Have a good one!

gusman2x

Excellent!

It's normal to be nervous, especially on your first outing. There'll be a few mistakes, but no one will notice. You'll prob find that your nerves disappear once you're on stage.

Is it originals, covers? Are you the lone guitarist, or is there another?

Have one pint, but probably no more (2 at a push). Have a piss, but don't wash your hands (sticky fretboard!)

Oh, spare guitar, power supply/batteries, and leads.

nick79

Thank guys, excellent advice! 

I'm teetotal these days (due to meds) so unfortunately a quick drink beforehand isn't possible - I'll just have to take some deep breaths.. 

We are a covers band, (Queen, Thin Lizzy, that kind of stuff) i'm the second guitarist doing mostly rythm but i do get to do the solo for Paranoid (we dropped that one into the set as i already knew it). 

So my list so far - 

Take spares.

Have a pit stop beforehand.

Know the songs and set list.

Try to enjoy it. 

At least look like i'm enjoying it.. 

I think i'm struggling a bit with that last one, i tend to just stand very still and play, any tips on that?

I'm meeting up with most of the band tonight at an open mic night so we can do a couple of songs, i'm hoping that will break me in gently playing in public as i don't think there will be quite as much pressure and it might prepare me a little for Saturday.. I hope..

Majorscale

As others have said, nerves are good, but they can be helped if you remember ahead of the gig that you will make mistakes. Trust us, it's doubtful that anyone in the audience will notice or care. As musicians we naturally tend to focus on our own playing so we subconsciously single it out from the mix, however the audience don't, so your "freeform jazz moment" will be well camouflaged! 

A good example is that there are two glaring performance mistakes that Queen made at Live Aid which only under youtube analysis - and if you were learning the music - would you notice. Everyone heralded their performance as the best of the gig and lead to a resurgence in their popularity.

EricTheWeary

Very hard not to stare at your hands - because you want to see what you are doing and because you don't know where else to look. If you know someone in the crowd make eye contact with them, remember to smile a bit and move a bit.
Take a big roll of duct tape. It will come in useful on some gig (taping the set list to the PA for starters) and makes a handy beer glass (filled with water in your or my cases) steadier.

Majorscale

I'd also pack an extension reel (preferably with a circuit breaker built in) in case the power sockets are few and far between.

lloyd

Same advice as all these threads get-good advice given above as always.

The important ones for me are:

Know the songs-this will give you confidence when you're up there.

Don't worry too much about mistakes-they will happen and no-one will notice, obviously you want a good performance but don't stress about them, particularly wile you're up there.

Look at the audience every now and then-no-one wants everybody staring at the floor/neck the whole show.

Move around a bit/look like your enjoying yourself-if you look nervous the audience will feel nervous and you want them to have fun.

Actually enjoy it-it's supposed to be fun, treat it as such, this is the reason you've put all the hard work in, this is the pay off.

Taking spares might calm your nerves-I never take a spare guitar but I'm happy to change strings if needs be, leads and stuff you  should have, extension reels always handy.

Erm, that's it. Good luck, it'll be over before you know it and you'll wish you were back up there-but back to shitting yourself before the next one if I'm any marker.

lloyd

Also if you can get a video, just on a phone of a song or two you can critique yourself.

RocknRollDave

One trick I have learned with regards to not looking down all the time, is to keep your eyes busy - Look around the room a lot.
Try and get a bit of eye contact going with punters, share a smile or a goofy face if their mate is dancing like a grandad etc, if you can, but if you can't, keep your eyes flitting about the place - gives the impression at least that you are engaging with the crowd rather than pretending it isn't there.
Also, focussing on something at the back of the room can help, as it gives the impression you are surveying the whole room, when really you are scrutinising the emergency exit sign rather too intensely. Not something you want to be doing when you have been gigging a while and have built up your confidence, but it's a good trick to start you off that slippery slope towards actually looking at people

nick79

Thanks again chaps, brilliant advice. 

Tone wise its pretty simple really for this gig, i need an overdrive for Tie your mother down (first song and i'm kicking it off... ), a bit of Thin Lizzy and a few others in the same vein, then more of a metal tone for Breaking the Law, Paranoid and Rebell Yell. 

I'll be using my Mesa F50 and a Screaming Blues. Mesa for the heavier stuff, kick the contour in for Paranoid and Breaking the Law and the Screaming blues for everything else. Nice and simple and can't really go wrong with that i think. 

Good tips on looking around the room, i wouldn't have thought of that, i'll have to remember it before i go on otherwise i'll forget. 

I'll get a mate to record some of it so i can watch it afterwards. To be honest if i can just make it through this one ok i think i'll be ok for the next ones, i'm going to an open mic tonight to do a couple of songs - I'm hoping that makes Saturday's gig a bit easier..

ICBM

Make sure you know what to do *quickly* if something goes wrong. While not very likely, even a Mesa can blow a valve. The last thing you want to do is be trying to work out how to get any kind of sound with what's left.

The great news is that the Screamin' Blues has a Mixer output that can be run direct to the PA if necessary, so you're covered in the last resort. It's worth testing this when you set up and either leaving a channel set up for it (if there are enough spare) or at least remembering what the gain and EQ settings are like if you have to pinch one from something else.

Also make sure there is a known good battery in the pedal even if you normally use a power supply with it. Power supplies can break, and a battery will get you through.

EricTheWeary

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/phlplls/Mobile Uploads/2014-11/IMAG0054_zpsv4vjhflj.jpg As I probably explained this badly; the coaster is optional. But all sorts of things get broken or need taping up out of the way so a big roll of strong tape is an essential.

Placidcasual79

Take 2 guitars and an extension plug. 

Don't worry about making mistakes - its happens, no one will know and even if its a massive error the world won't stop. 

Most importantly enjoy it!!!! On stage you won't have to worry about bills, your failing health or relationships, your job, the evil and seemingly unstoppable rise of global capitalism........ for that brief time you can relax and do what you enjoy - playing the guitar.

octatonic

Rock out, with your cock out.

nick79

Well i did it! Thanks for all the tips and encouragement guys, it really helped. I was stressing all day yesterday but got to the venue and the nerves disappeared , i decided just to enjoy it no matter what and everyone had a great night. What a buzz!

I made a few mistakes, but i just carried on and i don't think anyone really noticed. I was really pleased with my sound even though i didn't really get much time to dial it in and we had the crowd asking for more at the end so i think we went down well. 

Really looking forward to the next one now at the end of the month. 

We were supporting a really good AC/DC tribute act with a big following around here and they want us to open for them again, so a really good result i reckon. 

Thanks again!

nick79

A pic of my rig last night, mines the Mesa and the LP. 

Kept it simple!