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How do you cope with pre-gig nerves?

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DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5373
I played a few acoustic numbers with a friend at an open-mic night on New Year's day, the first time I've done anything in well over a year. I didn't get as bad with pre-gig nerves as I have in the past but I was still physically ill on the day which affected my playing and I made several mistakes.
The few times I've played in recent years have been solo efforts and I've been a wreck beforehand, major stomach trouble and panicking.

How do you deal with pre-gig nerves? I'd love to get past it and have the confidence to play live more.
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Comments

  • I haven't played in public a lot, but found that nerves weren't as bad prior to gigs where the previous gig was recent. I generally liked to have last-minute toilet stops that were always unnecessary.

    I found when I obtained Dutch Courage, that gigs played with more than two pints were always shite. 
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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5373
    A drink can certainly help relax me but I can't play for shit in public if I've had a few.
    Toilet breaks seem to be my problem too, my stomach turns to mush on the day and let's just say it makes things complicated. If it's not coming out one end it's coming out the other.
    It's a horrible feeling and it puts me off wanting to play again. Is there anything I can take before playing? I've tried Rescue Remedy but that doesn't work.

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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    Ginger.

    Try it. It might just work.
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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5373
    Ginger gives me indigestion. Damn!
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    DiscoStu said:
    Ginger gives me indigestion. Damn!
    In any form?
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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5373
    Can't do ginger beer, can't do ginger snaps. Ginger and cinammon give me pains.
    Saying that I put a little bit of ginger puree in my carrot soup but can't imagine eating it straight out of the tube!

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  • Col_DeckerCol_Decker Frets: 2188
    edited January 2017
    2 pints works for me but mostly I'd say keep playing out and you'll get used to it.

    Also don't worry about mistakes, everyone makes them. It's how you cover them that's important. Either A) play the mistake again on purpose to make everyone think you meant it, or B ) just carry on regardless. But never acknowledged them mid song with a nod to bandmate, because if you do everyone will know you messed up.

    Ed Conway & The Unlawful Men - Alt Prog Folk: The FaceBook and The SoundCloud

     'Rope Or A Ladder', 'Don't Sing Love Songs', and 'Poke The Frog'  albums available now - see FaceBook page for details

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  • PlectrumPlectrum Frets: 494
    To be honest it's not something that I've really suffered with. Perhaps that's to do with knowing how great it feels when you're up there playing and looking forwards to that feeling?
    One day I'm going to make a guitar out of butter to experience just how well it actually plays.
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  • ewalewal Frets: 2558
    Controlled breathing works for a lot of people who suffer from performance anxiety. Beta blockers work too, but I wouldn't imagine you feel the situation merits medication.
    The Scrambler-EE Walk soundcloud experience
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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5373
    I used to be fine when I was in a metal band back in the day, we'd be making an awesome racket and I bloody loved it.
    These days everyone round here plays acoustic and usually solo so when I take part in things that's what I'm doing too. There's very few bands here and nowhere to play so acoustic sets are the norm.
    Being so 'naked' on stage puts the fear in me but I was definitely better this time round as I was playing with a friend of mine, me on guitar and she was doing the main vocals with me pitching in with backing. There's something to be said for safety in numbers and I think you're right that playing regularly would help, it's just that opportunities to do so are thin on the ground.
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  • DeijavooDeijavoo Frets: 3298
    Play as many gigs as you can.  I got nervous a bit when was maybe 15 - 18 but playing tons of gigs made me feel just as easy playing at home in my kegs as I do in front of any number of people. 


    Granted, I've never played to more than 600ish so when Eavis comes knocking begging me to play legato exercises, in my underpants on an office chair as the headline act I may tell a different story.
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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5373
    Are any of you talking from experience of playing solo, or just in bands? I was fine when I was in a band.
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  • DeijavooDeijavoo Frets: 3298
    To be fair I'm only talking band and duet mate.
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  • uncledickuncledick Frets: 403
    Plectrum said:
    To be honest it's not something that I've really suffered with. Perhaps that's to do with knowing how great it feels when you're up there playing and looking forwards to that feeling?
    Same here.  We don't gig very often so the adrenaline rush when we finally walk on stage is great.  Really helps that everyone in the band is of similar ability and has similar expectations.
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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5373
    edited January 2017
    We did 3 songs. I fluffed a couple of guitar bits but got totally lost with my vocal part, I missed an early chorus and got my harmonies wrong later on. We had it totally down the day before whilst practicing in the house but on the night my nerves got the better of me.


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  • DiscoStu said:
    We did 3 songs. I fluffed a couple of guitar bits but got totally lost with my vocal part, I missed an early chorus and got my harmonies wrong later on. We had it totally down the day before whilst practicing in the house but on the night my nerves got the better of me.


    Over-rehearsing is a mistake - I don't have a band any more, but I do dep gigs for one of my old bands. I generally just have a couple of rehearsals with them beforehand (to refresh my memory, as well as learn any new ones or changes to the way they play old ones live - they're an originals band, so not everything is recorded). Then I have a run-through of the set before I leave for the gig, and that's it.

    In terms of mental preparation, I usually just put it out of my mind - the end-game of crippling nerves is "I don't want to play the gig"...the fact is that I'm going to play the gig regardless, so I just consider it a fait accomplit and resolve to deal with any fuckups as they happen.

    It certainly helps to have a plan for what you're going to do if anything goes wrong; try to imagine where you're going to have problems (eg a solo that's on the edge of your ability, or bits where you're having trouble getting the vocals and guitar to line up etc), and have an alternate way to deal with it. That goes quite some way towards killing nerves.
    <space for hire>
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  • rossyamaharossyamaha Frets: 2439
    I find a fag and a sit down wee always help. 

    I play guitar and take photos of stuff. I also like beans on toast.

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  • vizviz Frets: 10643
    DiscoStu said:
    We did 3 songs. I fluffed a couple of guitar bits but got totally lost with my vocal part, I missed an early chorus and got my harmonies wrong later on. We had it totally down the day before whilst practicing in the house but on the night my nerves got the better of me.


    Doesn't matter, you still created and exhibited art. 
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • skaguitarskaguitar Frets: 909
    Immodium is great for your mushy stomach and if you deal with that it's one less thing to worry about... how do you feel once you start playing...do the nerves go away..?.. if they do just try to remember that that is what happens when you're getting ready to go on...
    there's a good quote from Beethoven or someone like that ...

    “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.”

    • “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.”
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Levelling up with your playing is what fixes this.
    If what you are playing is right at the limit of your ability then the stress of gigging will mean you make simple mistakes because you are worried.
    If you are playing songs that are only at 10-50% of your ability then you will have a much easier time.

    Also gig so often that it is just another day gigging, rather than 'a big event' that must be feared.

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