Unfortunately I don't have a tape of the show. I just know on a few fills, they weren't as exact as I had been able play in rehearsal. The people in the audience I spoke to asked me what mistakes was I grousing about and that I was being way too hard on my playing. The other guys in the band said everything sounded great. Perhaps it's a bad habit of mine to be overly critical of my playing. It was a three hour show, and the music we play can be really mentally taxing. I know near the end of the second set my brain felt like oatmeal and couldn't tell my hands and feet what to do.
3 hours is indeed a lot of music, so stay hydrated and eat a banana on a break.
I just know on a few fills, they weren't as exact as I had been able play in rehearsal.
Man, everyone goes through this! You practice something, but when you get to that moment, it doesn't come out the way you wanted. There are some strategies that can help with this:
1. Record (audio and video if possible) your practice and performances. Watching and listening to yourself do that one fill correctly will add confidence.
2. Practice at a variety of tempos, and not just the song tempo, in order to gain better control over the content. Often, you'll get to the gig and the band wants to juice the tempo 5 bpm.
3. Exhale slowly, and relax as you play a fill.
4. Randomize your practice. Don't practice a fill for 30 minutes straight. Instead, practice it for 5 or 10 min, then practice something else for a while, and then return to that fill. This will help you to recall, and nail, that fill,
the very first time, which is exactly what you need to do to pull it off live.
5. Smile while you play and practice. Not only will it help you relax, but you'll enjoy playing more, and people will enjoy watching you play. Show those teeth!
6. Forgive yourself. You're a flawed human being, a work in progress.