[Milkman]

Who here suffers from this?

I do. It's manageable but I still feel a sense of dread for hours before I play the first note.

After that, I'm fine and in fact I often wonder if the stage fright doesn't turn into positive energy and result in a better performance.


I played a very enjoyable show tonight. It was an all ages thing at a place called Willow Lake Park. It's a little summer getaway near Oakland, On where working folks have their summer trailers and generally kick back.

We played in a band shell to a packed and very enthusiastic crowd.

Like I said, once I got past the pre show anxiety I had a hoot.:rockon2:

 

[violation]

I do... bad.

I've only played infront of more then 25 people like... twice? Filling in for a friend both times. I'm assuming it will get better the more I do it, but the like 10 minutes I was up there I was insanely nervous. It's more the thoughts in my head though... "okay this is next... why is the band playing so slow... gotta slow down... okay don't screw this part up...", etc.

Everything went fine but I'm paranoid like that, haha.

 

[iaresee]

I don't know about it getting better. I still get the same feeling before I play live that I did 15 years ago. What's changed is that I now love and embrace that nervous edge. I don't think it's so much fright as it is a desire to make every show my best yet. If I'm not feeling slightly uncomfortable and anxious before a show I start to worry I'm getting too comfortable, not pushing myself hard enough, baring enough of my soul so to speak. When you're ready to pour your heart and soul out on stage you've got to feell a little nervous about the reaction. It's all part of the rush.

 

[davetcan]

I sure do. I usually lay awake most of the night before going through all of the lyrics, I'm sure I'm going to completely forget some of them one day. I tell myself it would be different if I could just stand at the side and play guitar but I doubt it. I still haven't played out very much, and when we do it's usually once every couple of months, so it may get better if I did it more. Got a gig coming up next Saturday and I'm already getting nervous. :smile:

 

[davetcan]

I don't know about it getting better. I still get the same feeling before I play live that I did 15 years ago. What's changed is that I now love and embrace that nervous edge. I don't think it's so much fright as it is a desire to make every show my best yet. If I'm not feeling slightly uncomfortable and anxious before a show I start to worry I'm getting too comfortable, not pushing myself hard enough, baring enough of my soul so to speak. When you're ready to pour your heart and soul out on stage you've got to feell a little nervous about the reaction. It's all part of the rush.

I like this explanation and approach. :food-smiley-004:

 

[Milkman]

For some it eventually goes away.

For me it hasn't, in fact it may be a bit worse now. When I was a side man or at least not right out front, I don't recall it being quite as bad.

The anxiety I feel before the gig however is more than worth it for the rush I get playing a good show, not to mention the euphoria I feel the day after the gig.

 

[Kenmac]

It's funny, I've never experienced stage fright. There may have been a touch of nervousness my first time out but nothing as severe as what the late John Lennon went through. Before every single Beatles performance he'd throw up and that's pretty extreme. I'm actually a quiet person offstage but I've been told when I'm onstage that I have a lot of stage presence but it's not something I'm conscious of, I just get up there and play.

 

[NewGuitarGuru]

It's funny, I've never experienced stage fright. There may have been a touch of nervousness my first time out but nothing as severe as what the late John Lennon went through. Before every single Beatles performance he'd throw up and that's pretty extreme. I'm actually a quiet person offstage but I've been told when I'm onstage that I have a lot of stage presence but it's not something I'm conscious of, I just get up there and play.

I guess John was like the Glen Hall of music.

I have gotten nervous before performance, but it usually fades away once I get going. The largest crowd I've ever played for was probably like 500 or something close to that. It was at my school talent show... which did not go well at all for me.

 

[ClintonHammond]

"I've never experienced stage fright."
Ditto... I donno if it's because I've been on stage almost my whole life.. or if it's the knowledge that, at the end of the day, I'm NOT in control, and things are going to happen that could not be planned for so it's silly and pointless to worry about them....

It has been my exp. that for those who DO suffer from Stage Fright, the worst thing they can do is treat it with booze and or drugs. I've seen too many ruin themselves that way.

 

[PaulS]

Use to get it when I first started out. Over the years it has died down but then again as milkman mentioned when your the side man it is a bit easier to relax. Now I might get a bit before a big gig, but the bar scene has become no problem as far as stage fright goes.

 

[I_cant_play]

I've only performed a handful of times and I've been a bit nervous. I find I just have to put myself in a completely relaxed state of mind and not take the gig too seriously. I realize that most people do take their performing and music seriously, but I think it's important to not have that kind of mentality right before the performance. The way I see it is if you screw up you screw up, so what then. You can either improvise your way out of it and odds are no one will notice or worst case scenario you stop in the middle of a lead after you hit a wrong note.....well...what's done is done just keep going. I just remember that most of the people in the audience I'll never see again and I feel confindent enough in my playing that I won't really be embarassed even by a really bad screwup.

I actually think the fact that I took some drama in high school and had to do speeches in front of an english class really helped me lose a phobia of these kinds of situations. I used to be a very VERY shy and very easily embarassed in these public situations. I remember being on the verge of telling my english teacher that I won't be able to go through with my speech because I"m just too nervous feeling like my head was going to explode. However, as time went on I got more and more comfortable and I took on more of a *&^# it!" attitude about it and it's worked like a charm ever since. In fact I think the best thing to get over this kind of a phobia would be to have a total disaster gig once or twice then you see it's not so bad. I had that experience in my classes and after a while you get over it.

Also I realize that my analogy with presentations and acting isn't really the same as performing in front of 100s or 1000s of people but I find it much harder to perform in front of smaller groups than larger groups. I find playing in a guitar shop really intimidating for some reason while if someone told me I had to play in a club tonight and scrape some songs together I'd have no problem with it.

 

[ClintonHammond]

The #1 cure for Stage Fright that I have seen is an audience hollering "MORE!"

 

[chaoscypher]

I've never played in front of a large audience but I have acted in front of like 100-200 people and I really liked it.
My wrists go numb like 30 mins. before I go on-stage but by the time I go on I'm excited because I get to perform.

I guess it just depends upon what sort of person you are; and you can never let the crowd get to you otherwise
you'll end up making mistakes. If you go out with positive energy then the crowd can only offer the same back to you.

 

[violation]

The #1 cure for Stage Fright that I have seen is an audience hollering "MORE!"

I heard it was alcohol... lots and lots of alcohol. :food-smiley-004:

 

[Tarl]

I never have gotten the fright but I do get excited before a gig. Sort of like before a hockey or football game and you just want to get that first hit in and get going.

 

[ne1roc]

Wow, I am surprised at how many guys have stage fright here? I am the only one in my band who suffers from it, so I thought I was a bit strange. By the end of the first set, I settle in, but I have a hard time making eye contact with the crowd throughout the evening. When I got back into gigging two years ago,
I came pretty close to throwing up before my first show.

I'm shocked Milkman has it? It doesn't show in the photo's. Stones

 

[Milkman]

Wow, I am surprised at how many guys have stage fright here? I am the only one in my band who suffers from it, so I thought I was a bit strange. By the end of the first set, I settle in, but I have a hard time making eye contact with the crowd throughout the evening. When I got back into gigging two years ago,
I came pretty close to throwing up before my first show.

I'm shocked Milkman has it? It doesn't show in the photo's. Stones

Well that's because by the time we hit the first few chords it's completely gone.

Like I've said it's not a rational fear. I don't believe you can find a rational cure. It's just something I have to deal with. Once I'm up there I'm fine.

 

[david henman]

...i rarely get stage fright anymore. i used to seriously choke, especially vocally - my throat would go completely dry, when i saw another musician in the audience, but i've gotten over it.

however, i get very angry and/or intimidated when things screw up, like gear malfunctions, or the club manager complaining that the music is too loud, after we have taken drastic measures to keep the volume whisper quiet, and i can clearly hear every conversation in the room over the music.

so, its anger i have to deal with. its a problem, because you have to be completely relaxed in order to sing properly.

-dh

 

[Michelle]

I never have gotten the fright but I do get excited before a gig. Sort of like before a hockey or football game and you just want to get that first hit in and get going.

I guess that describes my experience though I don't do hockey or football. I psych up a few days before, practice a lot and tell myself I'm gonna kick-ass, couldn't do it if I didn't think that, I think, I think too much....

Very much at home on the stage, my whole life is like a performance, not much in life that I fear other than what crazy notion might posses me next.

 

[ClintonHammond]

"I heard it was alcohol..."
Only if you want to end up a go-nowhere waste of skin.