Performance Anxiety

[FinnDave]

I only get nervous about getting to the venue on time (or even being able to find it). Once I'm there and setting up, I'm usually able to ignore anything outside the gig - though I can (and do) get a bit ratty with people who continue to potter about fiddling with their gear after the time we were due to start. Probably a legacy of my years in TV News where the bulletins have to start exactly on time with no excuses possible.

I always ensure that I know the material inside out, so as the original poster said 'you can't play it incorrectly' but sometimes someone else will play it incorrectly and throw me off balance for a moment (though it always feels a lot longer!).

[Franticsmurf]

I am fortunate that I don't suffer from performance nerves. Being your own worst critic is probably the main cause of performance nerves but the reality is that most people watching can't tell if you've made a mistake unless you signpost it. I learned this quite early and although I still self analyse, I now use it to improve my playing. I found this approach really helped. 

11 hours ago, FinnDave said:

I only get nervous about getting to the venue on time (or even being able to find it).

I find things outside my control are the usual sources of anxiety. Finding the gig, dealing with the venue and leaving afterwards without any hassle from drunken punters are particular favourites. More recently 'will the singer get the song arrangement right' has been a concern. 😀

[Gray C]

Great thread this one, glad it’s been brought into the spotlight.

worst part of any gig is 10 mins before you go on in my experience, that stomach tightening feeling. Going over the songs in your head and hoping it’s not you who messes up and makes the band look unrehearsed. 
At its very worst your muscles tense up to a point where your hands think you’re wearing thick gloves and you feel like your moving in slow motion, hard to explain it properly unless you’ve experienced it.

Usually it passes after the first song and I relax into it. The level of anxiety is usually affected by the size of the gig and the audience too.

[Gray C]

On 05/06/2022 at 22:01, FinnDave said:

I only get nervous about getting to the venue on time (or even being able to find it). Once I'm there and setting up, I'm usually able to ignore anything outside the gig - though I can (and do) get a bit ratty with people who continue to potter about fiddling with their gear after the time we were due to start. Probably a legacy of my years in TV News where the bulletins have to start exactly on time with no excuses possible.

I always ensure that I know the material inside out, so as the original poster said 'you can't play it incorrectly' but sometimes someone else will play it incorrectly and throw me off balance for a moment (though it always feels a lot longer!).

Have to agree with getting their early for sure. Plenty of time to set up and work out what goes where, especially in a new venue.

Pottering and fiddling is an annoyance of mine too, usually guitarists tweaking pedals and stuff or endlessly noodling riffs as the audience is arriving.

knowing your material inside out is a must as you say. Biggest thing here is making sure everyone has the right set list!

[Dad3353]

On 05/06/2022 at 09:47, DaveFry said:

Recent interview with Kenny Werner :

 

 

 

 

I shall look deeper into this, as the interview is fascinating. Unfortunately for me, the example he chooses as a 'Step One' exercise is not the best in my case, as my breathing was never as 'automatic' as it should, from birth..! To me, it's a conscious thing to do, to the point where sleeping can be dramatic at times..! I'll get the book and read it, but will substitute his simple 'watch your inner self breath' with something else, such as my heartbeat (thankfully, that seems to work properly..!).
No, I don't suffer from stage fright, nor nerves when playing, but I do have the issue of being the one wanting to (trying to...) control what my limbs are doing (I'm a drummer...). Independence and coordination are a life-long path of self-improvement, and being better able to extract 'myself' from the process sounds like a smart way forward (OK, a bit late now, in my 70's, but still...). Thanks for sharing the video. 

[PaulThePlug]

9 minutes ago, Gray C said:

Pottering and fiddling is an annoyance of mine too...

Yep... check it, then leave it alone... keep checking it and ya likely to break it... at least that's what my mum told me...

[Newfoundfreedom]

17 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

Yep... check it, then leave it alone... keep checking it and ya likely to break it... at least that's what my mum told me...

 

My Mum told me if I kept playing with it I'd go blind. So I just played with it a little bit and now I wear glasses. 

[Franticsmurf]

2 hours ago, Gray C said:

Biggest thing here is making sure everyone has the right set list!

We went through a phase of all having the right set list, but the singer not following it, resulting in random song order and occasionally a song being started that wasn't on the list. Very annoying and a potential source of nerves - but then we found out he needed glasses but was reluctant to wear them on stage. The cure was a giant font set list and the occasional prompt from me. Sometimes with the headstock of my bass.  😀

[Lozz196]

That used to happen to us occasionally, singer/guitarist would go off on not necessarily the next song on the set list. Usually not a problem and I only pulled him up on it once, at our first appearance at Rebellion, and only then because the drummer was suffering with a migraine that day, didn’t want us all starting different songs at such a big gig. He made a joke of it at the time so luckily all was well.

Edited June 18, 2022 by Lozz196

[Downunderwonder]

8 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

I shall look deeper into this, as the interview is fascinating. Unfortunately for me, the example he chooses as a 'Step One' exercise is not the best in my case, as my breathing was never as 'automatic' as it should, from birth..! To me, it's a conscious thing to do, to the point where sleeping can be dramatic at times..! I'll get the book and read it, but will substitute his simple 'watch your inner self breath' with something else, such as my heartbeat (thankfully, that seems to work properly..!).
No, I don't suffer from stage fright, nor nerves when playing, but I do have the issue of being the one wanting to (trying to...) control what my limbs are doing (I'm a drummer...). Independence and coordination are a life-long path of self-improvement, and being better able to extract 'myself' from the process sounds like a smart way forward (OK, a bit late now, in my 70's, but still...). Thanks for sharing the video. 

Sounds like you would get a real kick out of some Alexander Technique lessons. It's all about accomplishing movement, or even being still, with only the truly necessary tensioning of muscles. 

[Dr.Dave]

I step onto a stage and I can actually feel my self relax. Like being out working all day then sitting back in your chair with a brew. I wasn't born to perform - that stuff's all cobblers , bit I've done it so often and for so long that being on stage feels like my domain. Just as the Williams don't belong on my stage , I just don't belong in the audience with them. You ever want to see a bloke feeling uncomfortable - just come and watch me in an audience. 

 

Up on stage I never worry about the mistakes I know I'll make - I just deal with them. That's what experience brings.  Playing a gig takes more than musicianship.  My attitude is 'Im good at this and anybody who thinks otherwise is plain wrong'. 

 

The odd heckler - who cares. They want to share my adulation for a moment but they can't , it's just jealousy. As I always ask them over the mic - ' do I come to where you work and tell you how to flip burgers?'.

[gafbass02]

Very much what Dr Dave said for me.