my first time on stage

austin412

Member
well last night was my first time on stage and it was like a nightmare come true

in my defense i would like to say i had two days(total of 8hrs of practice) to learn nine original songs that have constant changes in feel and tempo

I admit i was a little nervous and i didnt expect perfection but wow i could not find the beat let alone the pocket no matter how hard i tried and every song just sucked

its funny because the one thing im best at is just being able to feel the song without any regard to counting or really thinking i can just feel and groove and add ad lib fills and have a great time but when i heard the band through the monitor it was like the pocket was 8 miles wide and every beat just kind of ran together i had no idea when to hit the drum like the beat just lasted forever it so sucked

but any ways our next show isnt for like another few months so i have time to practice and prepare and actually learn the songs but i just thought id share this experience with u

and any help on how to practice playing live would be great or if u would like to take the time to share your first time on stage but ya rock on
 
Every stage is different. Make sure you schedule a sound check whenever possible. That will give you an idea of what the sound is like. It will also allow you, the band, and the sound person to adjust accordingly.

By the way, did you have any recordings or feedback from the audience members? Many times a band can sound loose from your perspective because you are paying attention to every little nuance. But in reality, it still could have had a good groove. I highly recommend recording future rehearsals and gigs.


Jeff
 
Remember, What you hear on stage is not what the audience hears as Jeff also pointed out.
The important thing to remember is that as long as you can hear the monitor and the bass player you should be OK. If the songs that you are playing are new to you, (as was your case) It makes it harder to play on stage. A few more performances will get your stage confidence level up and you will play better each time. Chalk it up to experience and move on. Don't dwell on your last performance. Always look ahead! As Jeff also said, Record your next performance and learn from it. That is the best way to correct your stage playing. Video is even better because you can work on your stage presence from it.
 
Stuff happens. I don't react mentally/conciously to stress, but I do physiologically. The first time I played guitaron-stage, at an open mic, I chorded away at a song I knew inside out, and when I got to the solo section, I couldn't make my fingers move enough to fret any notes. It sounded like 45 seconds of tiktiktiktiktiktitkitktiktiktitktik.
 
You learn the most from your mistakes. Nothing left to do but correct what you can and try to not let it happen again. Here's another vote for recording/videoing yourself. This spotlights problem areas like nothing else, it's the fastest way to correct yourself. I record EVERYTHING. I give copies to band members. I ask them, "have you listened to our last gig?" The reply? No it makes me cringe. THAT"S THE REASON I GAVE IT TO YOU! (Thought, not spoken) If you don't have the stones to listen to yourself and identify problem areas, then you probably won't progress very fast.
 
in my defense i would like to say i had two days(total of 8hrs of practice) to learn nine original songs that have constant changes in feel and tempo

and any help on how to practice playing live would be great or if u would like to take the time to share your first time on stage but ya rock on

The good news is if it was that bad there's nowhere left to go but up.

Sounds like the preperation was the biggest problem. 9 complex songs to learn in 8 hours is a bit much. The advice on recording and analyzing things is great, but it really sounds like not enough prep. I knew our songs pretty well the first time on stage but it was still tough just adjusting to the surroundings and everything. I can't imagine it if I didn't know the songs well enough.

btw, looking at a recording of our second or third gig really did show me things I didn't realize were wrong, but right now lots of practice and preperation will help alot. When practicing with the band I find it helps if we basically pretend we are giving the show and minimize goofing around between songs and work out a song order for the upcoming show. Kind of a gig simulation.

You could even get some friends and family to come by your practice and cheer or heckle you!
 
thanks for the replys everyone

i like the idea of recording the show i think ill do that next time it would actually be good for the whole band and yes preperation was probly the biggest problem i knew the last 3 songs the best and consequently did better on those

im not as upset bout it anymore and kinda find it funny. im looking forward to learning these songs and thanks again everyone for all the advice

rock on and keep it grooven
 
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