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stage fright

moleasskissmoleasskiss Posts: 2
edited February 2005 in Musicians and Gearheads
whether its a crowd of hundreds or only half a dozen, i get the shakes everytime. and it makes me screw up. every time. even if just a little. its really embarassing because i have done this a hundred times in my bedroom with my band flawlessly. and then im onstage. and its just fuckup after fuckup after fuckup and it's all because i can't get my fingers to stop shaking.

do any of you have any advice for this? or are alcohol and antidepressants the only answer.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • AliAli Posts: 2,621
    I would try meditation about 1 hour prior to the show along with some
    Vocal exercises...breathing exercises..and stretching that might help.
    Remember:Kick some ass up there but dont stress yourself out entireley...
    I'm an actress with band experience as well.Just remain confident through the exercises.Good Luck and break a leg.
    A whisper and a thrill
    A whisper and a chill
    adv2005

    "Why do I bother?"
    The 11th Commandment.
    "Whatever"

    PETITION TO STOP THE BAN OF SMOKING IN BARS IN THE UNITED STATES....Anyone?
  • KillerIsMeKillerIsMe Posts: 208
    alcohol???
    http://www.myspace.com/cannedanimal
  • justamjustam Posts: 21,408
    The best way to get over stage fright is to perform over and over and over again until you get used to how it feels to be there and to be aware that people are watching you and get to the point where you feel comfortable anyway. Sorry. No easy way around it. It takes doing it many times.

    P.S. Concentrate on what you're doing. It helps to keep your ear on what you're playing. :D
    &&&&&&&&&&&&&&
  • given to jamgiven to jam Posts: 57
    don't use alcohol to overcome stage fright. thats a dead end road. just get wasted after the show!
    knowledge is a tree
    it's growing up just like me.
  • TherealloveboneThereallovebone Posts: 8
    Who cares what anyone thinks. Get out there and have some fun. That's got to be your mindset or you'll get never break free.
  • TherealloveboneThereallovebone Posts: 8
    given to jam wrote:
    don't use alcohol to overcome stage fright. thats a dead end road. just get wasted after the show!

    And by all means DON'T GET FUCKED UP before going on stage. It will definitely hurt your music.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Thereallovebone wrote:
    And by all means DON'T GET FUCKED UP before going on stage. It will definitely hurt your music.


    Ditto that.

    I never had stage fright as a musician... I always just sorta zoned out the audience. It was me and my three buddies, playing songs. Just like practice. Slowly, over the years, I became more aware of the audience... but it was gradual.

    Now, put me out in front of a karaoke mic... I'm a mass of jello. I can't do it. How's that for messed up? A guitar in my hands, I'm fine (even solo), but singing karaoke scares me shitless.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • KillerIsMeKillerIsMe Posts: 208
    i just enjoy making an ass out of myself, so i get a kick out of performing
    http://www.myspace.com/cannedanimal
  • All Those YesterdaysAll Those Yesterdays Posts: 2,723
    Well I would of first said "Jagermeister", but due to your stating is there any other way besides booze.

    I was always scared as can be to sit in on my friends cover band. I'd played in front of people before with original music, and it was no big deal. But it was never infront of huge crowds. Well My buddies band would just pack every bar they'd player (2-3 hundred people +). They'd ask me everytime I went to see them play, and I'd always make up excuses. I honestly was just to afraid of going up there and screwing stuff up and having a couple hundred people going, what the heck is that guy doing. Well I finally gave in, went up played two songs. ten seconds in the first song I screwed up majorally, glanced around and nobody had a clue then instantly in my head I thought "These people have no clue what is going on, it doesnt' matter what or how well I play". For the rest of the song and the next one, and every time I see them play I'm up there going like an animal.

    I always think one gets nervous cause they are afraid of screwing up and it being noticed.

    Just rock out and have fun.

    Oh and BB Kind still gets nervous before every show. Read it in an interview.
    E. Lansing-98 Columbus-00,03,10 Detroit-00,03 (1&2),06, 14 Cleveland-03,06,10 Toledo-04, Grand Rapids-04,06 London-05, Toronto-05, Indianapolis 10, East Troy (1&2) 11, Chicago 13, Detroit 14

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  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    close your eyes for the first song or so, or picture them naked.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • SweetHarmonicsSweetHarmonics Posts: 290
    either do a single shot or drink one beer and you should be loose enough not to care so much but still in full control of your faculties
    hate was just a legend
  • DriftingByTheStormDriftingByTheStorm Posts: 8,684
    How can so many of you here -- as smart as you are, and with as much intimate knowledge of our favorite band as you all have -- how can you so feverently object to the use of alcohol as a performance tool.

    We all know how fond of the booze 'ole eddie is.
    "a shot" of liquor?

    Darest i mention "State College" ...
    a 2 BOTTLE OF WINE night for Mr. V ...
    Hell ... who knows what he had before the show.
    Lol.

    Ok,
    i know ... he's a PROFESSIONAL.

    Just thought i'd play devil's advocate.

    -mr. nik-
    If I was to smile and I held out my hand
    If I opened it now would you not understand?
  • nailz100nailz100 Posts: 1,176
    MIG, you remind me of my guitar player....he can't do Karaoke either. Don't know why that is? I also get more nervous doing Karaoke than actually singing with my band onstage.

    I guess my question moleasskiss is what do you play? Guitar/ vocals?...or just guitar?....lead guitar player?

    This is a great site to check out....not only for vocalists but for guitar players as well. http://www.voicelesson.com This guy is the voice teacher for steven tyler as well. If you go to the "free lessons" link...you will see a lesson geared soley for stage fright.
    Bottom line is stage fright is normal.....it means you care.

    A glass of alcohol before a show can help calm your nerves....two tops is fine. Also, what I like to do is breathe (meditate) to get my breathing in a slow and steady rhythm (which will also lower your heartrate). And warm up for AS LONG AS IT TAKES to feel comfortable....set no time line to limit you from "getting in your groove". Also try to remember to focus on the here and now, and yourself rather than the audience....the less you care about what the audience thinks, the better.
    Only with our eyes closed can we truly see
  • 62strat62strat Posts: 638
    im a strong advocate of having drinks before a show. we arent alcoholics, you can have 3 beers and maybe a shot before hand. if you are prepared. I CAN at least. its wierd. same thing here, i couldnt give a speech in front of a calss for the life of me, but when im on stage in front of 300 people im an animal and can do my thing with a guitar, in front of 5 people i get more nervous. well i did, now at this point if only 5 people show up i get asted and say fuck it.

    really, being nervous is a good thing, so dont worry about it, many mtop musicians still get nervous, it means they care, ive read someone say...i dont mention who...that the minute you stop being nervous before a show is the minute you should stop doing it....


    just rock out. let it all lose. im at the point now where i forget about fucking evrything on stage, and just have fun.


    with a few drinks of course. why? its more ufn. also bring a beer on stage with you.
  • MissYouAllDayMissYouAllDay Posts: 939
    yah I was thinking 2 beers would be great, 2 or 3. This iseems like an ideal solution. Just takes the edge off
    I miss you already, I miss you always
    I miss you already, I miss you all day
  • nailz100nailz100 Posts: 1,176
    Yeah, but if you're a singer then beer is not the way to go....try whiskey, or my specialty before a show "cherry whiskey". It tastes like cherry coke (w/ coke obviously), and it has less effect on your vocal folds (in my opinion). But seriously, being loose is the best solution to being on stage...however you decide to do it.....yoga, drinks (in moderation), breathing, warming-up....all good things.
    Only with our eyes closed can we truly see
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    62strat wrote:
    im a strong advocate of having drinks before a show. we arent alcoholics, you can have 3 beers and maybe a shot before hand.

    ...with a few drinks of course. why? its more ufn. also bring a beer on stage with you.


    I think a drink or two is okay...

    Really, if you want to feel more comfortable on stage, just encourage the crowd to drink more. The more they drink, the better you sound...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • BoomerBoomer Posts: 50
    smoke a doob
    Canada, says Ament, holds a special place in the band's heart because of its international policies and its decision to stay out of the war in Iraq.

    25 May 2005
    The Canadian Press
  • nailz100nailz100 Posts: 1,176
    SURE....if you're not singing.
    Only with our eyes closed can we truly see
  • kdpjamkdpjam Posts: 2,303
    i think i will go with the 1 beer/2 beer rule. i'm going to need something, even though we are AT LEAST a month to two months from playing out :)
    lay down all thoughts; surrender to the void
    ~it is shining it is shining~
  • BraighniBraighni Posts: 58
    Stage fright for me is being distracted by the audience and forgetting what I'm doing. So I sometimes turn away from the audience and listen very carefully to whats being played by the others and I can only call what happens, "getting in the groove".
    www.baddog.ie
  • kdpjamkdpjam Posts: 2,303
    Braighni wrote:
    Stage fright for me is being distracted by the audience and forgetting what I'm doing. So I sometimes turn away from the audience and listen very carefully to whats being played by the others and I can only call what happens, "getting in the groove".


    can i turn away from the audience as a singer? think i will look at the band. or should i just go with the beer idea. lol
    lay down all thoughts; surrender to the void
    ~it is shining it is shining~
  • KillerIsMeKillerIsMe Posts: 208
    62strat wrote:
    just rock out. let it all lose. im at the point now where i forget about fucking evrything on stage, and just have fun.

    with a few drinks of course. why? its more ufn. also bring a beer on stage with you.

    that's pretty much it I'd say. I'd like to say just don't pay attention to them, but that is your problem. All in all, just go out there and have fun.
    http://www.myspace.com/cannedanimal
  • Pearl Jam and toastPearl Jam and toast Posts: 4,475
    just get this mind set before hand..
    .
    "Man we sound fucking great!"

    and try to think of the audience all as your friends, watching you in your basement on a friday night :cool:
    Come on pilgrim you know he loves you..

    http://www.wishlistfoundation.org

    Oh my, they dropped the leash.



    Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!

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  • ucsbucsb Posts: 58
    hey brotha....Ali is right on!....the reason why people get scared or a stage fright is cuz....u are thinking about what others might think....and ur brain is thinking about stuff a million miles per hour....so u get all jittery and stuff.....meditation is the total key......my dad has been teaching this one technique....where u close ur eyes...and concentrate on ur breath goin in and then out....when another thought comes in ur head.....go back to breathing.....this way u will be concentrated on something else......for example i always get stage fright too....and once before a show....someone was talking to me and we were in this huge great discussion....and my mind was not even on the show or the audience....and we were literaly talking until i went on the stage....and i was perfect....so at ease.....and just had a great time.....cuz i NEVER thought about it....so now.....i just meditate and do the breathing.....and whenever a thought comes in...just bring it back to the breathing....oooh what did i have for lunch to day......just bring it back to the breathing......man i hope everything goes good at the show.....just bring it back to the breathing!
  • DrummachineDrummachine Posts: 34
    when i attended music school i always had a stage fright but it was mainly because i had to play marinba solo in front of a lot of people.
    but when i started to play drumkit with a cover band, after first song on my first gig i was so relaxed because i realized that this is what i want to do my whole fuckin life....
    just try to be yourself-you are the one who are they willing to hear and you are the one who is going to show them how you rock-it is not only about music it is about your life and your attitude.


    good luck mate and keep on rockin
    me: www.myspace.com/mariomarcinek

    my band: www.myspace.com/mofokillerain

    official site: www.stonerock.sk
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