I just played my WORST gig in decades! Here's what happened.
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- Опубликовано: 18 сен 2021
- -It seems that "paying your dues" never ends. Oh well, I hope you guys can learn from my mistakes. :)
Check out all my lesson vids at: www.the-art-of-guitar.com ***Thanks to Deborah B. for the footage!
*Correction: my bass player reminded me that it wasn't our Chicago gig but our Wisconsin gig where we got kicked out due to being underage and having the other band tell on us. Still sucked tho. haha.
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I’m only a good guitarist when nobody is looking.
Im only an ok guitarist when nobody is in a 1 mile radius of me
Quantum physics guitar player
I'm only a good guitarist when nobody is listening.
Agree
I'm even better on guitar without a guitar 😊👌
"To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable." - Ludwig van Beethoven
source
@@TheBjern beethoven
@David Wang Ju spiek weri neis Dscherman. haha
I was a working musician in the last part of the 80's untill 2004 . I believe the Lord saved me from performing , because when I'm playing on stage I can see everyone's face . Now if I was on stage and I saw everyone's face blocked by their cellphone . It would not be a pleasant experience, and I probably wouldn't be a musician .
As a musician .. you're aware of every mistake you make ... most folk, especially the audience, will never know or care, but we still beat ourselves up over it.
Same goes for being really picky about your tone, most of the audience has no idea what good tone sounds like yet I spend too much time & money trying to get the right amount of crunch & chug out of my rig when I should be practicing or even writing.
That's how u progress... Always perfecting your playing
That is so true! During one of my first gigs with local cover band with a really great female vocalist, I made a series of dumb mistakes that seemed painfully conspicuous to me and caused me great embarassment! After that set, as I was forming the words of my sincere and humble apology to the good friend and guitarist who hired me, he interrupted me with an excited outburst about how much he loved my playing and pointed out the very mistakes I cringed at, calling it pure genius! I thought he was messing with me, but he was totally serious! You just never know how your performance sounds to others! Musicians tend to be their own worst critics! I know!
@@stevieray1507 I messed up the bass on Rebel Rebel yesterday, playing a bar of root instead of the fiddly line. My guitarist called it awesome sounding.
I made tons of mistakes, still got paid
Can we acknowledge "I've been playing live for over 30 years now"
You mean to tell me this dude is not 29?
That’s what I thought, this dude must be way older than he looks
Been playin live since I was 5😂😂😂
Exactly what I thought lol!
Eddie Van Halen said that the best piece of advice he ever received was from his father, who was also a professional musician. If you make a mistake just keep on going but don’t let the audience know that you made a mistake. Just smile and repeat the mistake - to show people that you meant to play it that way.
😁🤘🏻
Most people are clueless. Mistakes are obvious if you make them obvious.
I apply the same philosophy to life.
I always remember someone saying "Play it twice, make it nice." But same principle.
And that’s what’s great about “a band”.
No matter who makes the mistake or what the mistake is, a band can play off each other and correct it without seeming to miss a beat.
Singer doesn’t come in on time…everyone feels it out…keep playing the verse music…he comes in when ready…you move forward.
Just played a terrible gig. I came home and searched “how to recover from a bad gig”. This popped up. Very much needed! Thank you.
I just remind myself 90% or more of the audience usually doesn't even know how to play an instrument. They don't know an E from a C# and often their ears are way less in tune to the things musicians are
Of all the things you could have chosen, you chose the cold heart truth 👏👏👏
Yes but no. If you’re playing common songs or a lot of 80s stuff that people showed up to listen too then they’re gonna notice when something is off
It seems you've never been to a prog show :P
I was getting ready to play a gig with a band that had a new bassist. I was going over and over the Crazy Train solo. After about the fifth time he asked me what I was doing? I told him. He said, "There is maybe going to be 1 musician out of 100 out there. Play for the other 99, that's more fun.".
I'm a belly dancer, and I have watched so many other dancers make themselves miserable, because they just can't get out of the habit of solely dancing to make their teacher(s) happy...even if they aren't in the audience. I've had the most fun dancing in places where the audience has practically no other dancers, like at at Con, or something like that. I've tried to calm other dancers by telling them to play for the rest of the audience, because they don't have any idea what their dance routine is, and they've looked at me like I started reciting The Satanic Bible. It's weird how some artists can't get out of that mindset.
the first "gig" i played i tuned my bass strings backwards. G D A E cause i was so nervous. never happened again that bad.
How did the strings not break?
@@leoncorbett4553 Probably lying
I recently played “Limelight” by Rush with a local cover band called Awaken, whom I’ve known for almost 30 years. It was a good crowd that night - maybe 300 in attendance or so. I’ve played that song probably 10,000 times in the 22 years that I’ve been playing guitar. All went well until, yep, the LAST DAMN NOTE. I just couldn’t find it for whatever reason, and ended up just doing some random bend on the high E. It didn’t seem like anyone really noticed, but it took the rest of the night for me to shake it off.
I know that feeling. I’ve landed on the wrong _chord_ at a show, and it was the second song in the set. It took me having one of my most fondly remembered moments ever performing to shake it off.
Yet, though that gig ended up having one of my favorite nights performing, both the show and afterwards, I still feel that chord. I hit a Bm when the song ended in E.
If I’m sitting in with someone and I’m not sure how a song ends, or just having a brain fart, usually I have the awareness to play nothing. It’s better than a Squeally Dan or wonk note for me. 😆
Reminds me of my Senior year in HS. I was lead trumpet and for the past few years had a solo for "On Broadway" that we marched to as well as pep band, so I played the solo a ton.. Well one night at Football Game it came time for my solo and I blacked out the exact moment my solo started until it ended.. I played, however I don't know what I played, but I got some weird looks but no one was mad LOL I wasn't approached by Band Director afterwords either.. hmmm
Lol I've been haunted by a similar incident. So I went with some friends to see a Rush tribute. I had seen them once b4 and one of my friends is buddies with the guys in the band. Long story short, my friend got them to let me sit in on bass for Red Barchetta which is my favorite Rush song and I know it note for note and have played it 20,000 perfectly in my bedroom. Everything was going great until I got to the first melodic bass run Geddy does in the outro which begins on a high G note...12th fret on the G string. Well I played it beginning on the 9th fret so u can imagine how that sounded. I wanted to die. I messed up that entire run but recovered for the double-stop phrase and thereafter. But I've been haunted by that ever since. 🙄😒😵
Limelight ends in a chord no?
@@TGSamantha091 haha!
I think you’ll find the same kind of thing for us who haven’t played live for over a year and a half. I think the next gig will be better!
Yeah, when you haven't played live in awhile it gets like this.
Don't worry Mike, even STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN said he was afraid sometimes....the eyeballs were on you, because all the ladies wanted your cell#....and the all guys KNEW it!
Rock On brother!
I think he would rather have the dudes if you know what I mean
@@dustinnance3163 Stevie Gay Vaughan
I swear by HRV coherent breathing these days. When people say take deep breaths, that's what they really mean. But during guitar playing, maintaining series of steady inhales exhales is challenging
True. I also noticed that (at least my) vibrato is linked to my breathing. When I'm nervous I get that fast and ugly Kirk Hammett vibrato, which can work great for some songs to add tension but when I'm relaxed and really into the music I get that lush, sexy, wide Adrian Smith/Satchel vibrato which I love the most. It's all in the subtle hand movements, which I guess most people in the audience won't even really notice ;-)
Naturally this is also related to the tempo of the song you're playing as sometimes there just isn't enough sustain time in between notes ;-)
@Jinxed Swashbuckler At the Marine Sniper School they teach how to breath, down to pulling the Trigger between Heartbeats. Pretty cool stuff.
Especially while singing lol
I literally try not to focus on breathing unless I'm singing. However, this is a remnant from before I was sober. When I used to smoke weed I would have an anxiety attack if I thought about breathing.
science
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5.5s version
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3.8s version
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I do 5-7h a day with it now, using the sound cues, didn't have to meditate into blank space to empty soul!
When he says he plays over 30 years live and you think like wait a sec, he looks 29 lol you must be an alien Mike 🥰😍
I thought the same thing then realized I'm almost 40...damn this aging thing!
asian genes man...he will look 30 until he is 70, then at 71 he will look like he is 112.
Yeah, I'm thrown by that one.
I was playing "wicked game" and accidentally hit the G string instead of the B string. it was hideous. To make it worse, the North Queensland Cowboys football team were at the table right in front of me. I totally forgot how to play guitar for about two minutes, my band were all staring at me and laughing. Also, later at the same gig the bassist dropped his guts and it was like rotting flesh, we were all gagging and dry reaching.
Dude totally dont worry about the Cowboys being there, if you're talking mistakes, what about their last few seasons??!! lol That is a big interval away from the right note though eh?? lmao
this sounds like one of those bad dreams
Sound like personal problems lol
😂😂 thats an ace story. Our bassist has partaken in a few pungent trouser burps in his time. What do they eat? 😂
“This ones called ‘Creeping Death’…”
💨
Man, this vid spoke to me. The struggle is real, lol. That part about jamming perfectly in your room until someone enters (or if I know If I know I'm being recorded) - totally me. My own mind is also my worst enemy when it comes to guitar parts I've gotten stuck on before. It holds me back sometimes, every now & then when I get to those parts, I end up playing them very timidly instead of just going for it and enjoying the moment. Not that I'm even remotely as seasoned a player as you, lol. I think the trick for me is like you said, getting in that zone of just enjoying the opportunity to be doing what we love and appreciating it for all it's worth, mistakes and all (it's the essence of how we learn and get better under pressure). Thanks so much for sharing your struggles too - I really appreciate your channel.
Sorry you had a bad time Mike, I totally get the nerves when playing live, you tense up so much your fingers feel like led - helps to remember nobody else noticed your mistake and if they did they’ve forgotten about it already.
Things people don't realise about bands: Paying them compliments afterwards doesn't really mean much if they played a bad set in their minds, and also it's rare that every single band member will have the same experience on stage. If anything the crowd determines that. My only advice is be prepared mentally. Avoid setting up and playing straight away etc.
yeah. I took lessons from the atomic punks guitarist. I went to one of his gigs and between sets I was like that was great, but what happened with your solo on "unchained'? he totally lost time at the end of it (which is easy to do on that tune). nobody really noticed, but he was like "thanks for pointing that out". :) I could tell it was really bothering him the whole night.
Doesn't mean much? It always feels good to get complimented after a show. Unless something really obvious or screwed up happened they'd never even know there was a problem. 99.9999% of the crowd isn't even thinking about the band members possibly being uncomfortable. As far as they know you're in your element.. so the compliments aren't meant to ease any potential self doubt experienced by the band. They're for giving the crowd a fun night. If the crowd is thinking about what's going on in your mind it's probably because the show isn't going well or they're not enjoying it.
I don't hesitate at all, it makes it better for ME anyways. I can't. Make make myself believe I'd I stop ill bitch out and everyone will think I'm a bitch and that alone, forces me to just keep going. Get tunnel vision, and think of things others than what you're doing. You may make some mistakes and may need to practice this in the bedroom but practice inducing tunnel vision. Just get it done attitude. You'll be able to play your gig without even thinking about it after a while.
Dang this story helped me so much. I got done playing at church today and totally botched a part and found myself doing the same thing. "It doesnt matter" its so true. Does tensing up and freaking out help? No way! Just gotta relax. It blesses me to know that someone whos been playing way bigger shows and way more shows than I ever have goes thru the same thing and makes it out on top. Gotta get away from those anxious thoughts! They're toxic!
The people who go to church on Sundays don't care about that stuff anyway.
@@chrisking6695 shouldn't* care
"It just doesn't matter" is how I get through life and it hasn't failed me yet.
Playing a gig with people sitting and staring at you while you’re trying to rock out is one of the most uncomfortable feeling in the world
Christmas Eve service several years ago. I had worked on a jazz chord version of "Silent Night" with a modulation to a different key for the congregation to sing too. I had worked on it for quite a few weeks. I could pick up my guitar and play it cold at any given moment. I played it fast, I played it slow, I played it over and over and over.
I'm pretty sure anyone reading this can guess what happened on that Christmas Eve. Halfway thru the song my brain completely crashed and I froze. I looked at the music minister with a look of despair, panic and desperation. The only thing I could do was fumble my way to the key the song was to be sung in and go from there with basic chords.
I didn't touch my guitar for 6 weeks after that. I might have even left it in our vehicle.
I wish I had a tip or trick the share but I don't. All I have is the memory that still haunts me to this day.
Give yourself a break, people are dying.
To make mistakes is to be human . Thanks for sharing.👍
@@taylorstevenson8069 Harsh! We’re all dying! With guitar-freeze in between! Jings!
I've had BAD health issues that made me miss the last show my old band played. Due to a bad reaction to medication I honestly thought I'd end up in the hospital on suicide watch the night before, it was that bad. It really messed me up and I didn't play live for years but was also really depressed because music is such a big part of me that it felt like that part of me was missing.
Finally, I forced myself to get back out there and I'm now playing shows with my new band... but that first gig was REALLY hard. With all the memories of missing the last show and the feelings of freaking out I had a lot of trouble getting out of my own head.
The thing that I found to help me is to just remember how much music is a part of my life and that life is WAY too short to think about the small things. Sure wrong notes will be played, parts messed up but that's part of life. I just keep thinking that when I'm old and grey I can look back and know I had fun, got out there, played shows and had a blast rather than just sitting around thinking about all the fun I could have had if I'd just let it all go...
Sorry for the long story but this is definitely a killer video man!!🤘🤘
I always make some mistakes when I’m playing live, no matter how well rehearsed I am. But I try to stay focused. Relax and breathe. Stay ahead, so nothing comes as a surprise. Look confident, like you’re a rockstar. Even if there’s only ten people watching. Ps: after the gig, when people tell you how awesome it was, never tell them about all the things that went wrong.
"Don't think -- it can only hurt the ballclub." -- Crash Davis in "Bull Durham"
The anxiety bubble is real. I’ve had those moments too. Over analyzing ruins it.
I gotta be honest the only thing that gave me anxiety back in the day was gear failure, after playing a few seconds and noticing the sound is good and everything else it's just a dream.
I was at an Eagles show last night; and although they absolutely killed it, I could definitely hear where Joe Walsh was a little slow and sloppy towards the beginning of the show. Happens to the best of us, even the legends! By the end of the show, they were absolutely nailing every song.
This type of content is why you are one of the best guitar 'tubers, being honest and humble is a rare quality these days.
Hey mike, can you make a video on the guitar habits of Chuck Shuldiner? I’m interested in what his techniques were. Thank you very much 🤘
His techniques were those of awesomeness.
A guitarist who was technical and melodic but never let the technicality get in the way of the melody. One of the BEST in metal.
I like Mike but I don't know if Chucks style/techniques are in his wheelhouse. Maybe I'm wrong but like, Chuck created many death metal song writing techniques that people take for granted these days. I'd love to see him try though! Chuck schuldiner is the reason I started playing guitar!
@@Jopeymessmusic True, before commenting I started thinking of mike was a fan of Chuck but I just decided to give it a shot. Lately I’ve really been in Death and Chuck is one of the most awesome guitarists I’ve seen, can’t believe I didn’t notice it before!
When this happened to me, it was wild. I had this intense feeling while on stage that everything artistic, was much simpler than the beauty of nature and I felt so dumb. I hit a few wrong notes and it just spiraled me into a slump. I couldn’t feel any satisfaction, even though the crowd was feeling good.. it affected me so much that I literally “retired from music, at 33”. After taking some time off though I am back at 34, lol. I will definitely remember this. Breathe, and it just doesn’t matter! Awesome.
I have some moments onstage from my early days of playing shows and playing guitar live that still kinda haunt me. The way I was super-shy, the way I sang certain things, Goofy/cringey/embarrassing things I said onstage or the way I said certain things, and a few songs that my band and I botched over the years. I distinctly remember playing Reptilia by the Strokes and us playing it perfect until the little solo part and I just completely dropped the ball. The funny part is that after the show I realized I was using the wrong voicing and wrong strings to play the notes, and found that the part I botched was much simpler and cleaner on a different part of the neck. Oh well, the audience probably doesn’t care about the little stuff nearly as much as we do. Thanks for sharing dude!
You just hit the spot. I'm starting to learn guitar so I don't gig yet, but I have felt like this in academic competitions. I think this advice can apply to other hobbies and arts too! It all comes down to remind yourself that you are living now. Like you said, it really doesn't matter, so might as well have a good time. Thanks for the video!
I'm 41. I got my first guitar for my 21st birthday, to play rhythm while I was already the lead singer in a band. I lived on short riffs & power chords to play live in about a 1.5 months. I was in a cover band at the time playing cabarets & such. Never had any issues playing live. Now at the age of 41, I don't play live, I play for fun & to learn more about theory & the actual workings of a guitar. I can't play in front of anyone, I completely freeze. I have severe anxiety trying to do something I probably take to seriously?
Im the same age as you, and that sort of restlessness , anxiety to play infront of someone, even best friends, was always there. For me, I got a guitar in my late teens, but I hadnt a clue how to practice, or settle down into a routine. I was convinced that I had to be as good as James Hetfied before I could even hold a guitar infront of friends!!
I went for ages without playing it, until I rediscovered a genuine interest again last year. Lockdown rocking out!
But I think my main reason for still not playing anything infront of a friend is because I never got the hang of what I was trying to practice, be it my fave songs, downpicking, whatever. Its a feeling that, I wont play as good as I always wanted to, if someone sees me.
But thats not why we should play in the first place,and someday Id love to just play some riffs, ideas infront of even a couple of friends just to say "There! I Did it!". I love just messing about with the guitat at home alone so Im sure itd be amazing just to do that with a friend. I hope you get to do that too- go for it!!
@@kylereece1979 I'm sure part of my problem is that I survived brain cancer in 2008, I'm in a wheelchair & I have an eye patch. Now I just feel as though people shouldn't look at me, just let me do my thing & leave me alone. I exercise, ( usually 1-1 1/2 hours 5 days a week) eat, shower, do household chores, then I play guitar. I've seriously become a hardcore introvert since cancer, & other than playing live or hanging out with friends I wasn't ever social.
I was born in the 60's !!!! My first gig , smash the strings after 5 weeks of rehearsing ,
I don't think I missed a single note , in fact , 1 helluva chaos , heavenly yeah 😎
I go on stage , plug in the trashcan , soundcheck , .... and just attack ....
I always pretend I'm playing in our rehearsal room , it helps me a lot 😊
After so many years , I still love to play the guitar !!!! FYI , I can't read music !!!!
BTW: I was born visually impaired , it goes downhill , but very slowly ....
Hello Christopher I'm 46 and learning guitar. I'd highly encourage you to share your playing with other people, I'm sure they would enjoy it immensely 👍🤚🙂
My first and only talent show performance I freaked myself out really really really bad and people still loved. But it was master of puppets and people love that song so I became famous anyway. I still look back at the recording of me and my best friend Tyler jamming. Every time tho when it gets to my solo(Hetfields) on the video recording my heart stops. Once we got on stage my hands started shaking and my nightmare became reality. I was terrified they were so excited and just couldn't shake off the fatigue. So with your advice I'm coming back and gonna show this high school who's the man!!! Skye Danner is kill it! Thanks!🤘
I meant Skye Danner is gonna kill it! Sorry about the errors you get what I mean tho.
I hadn't played guitar in years and my friend's band needed me to play rhythm for a five song set. So I crammed for four months straight to learn the songs. Got on stage and felt fine. Once the music kicked in, I felt a massive adrenaline rush and lost control of my hands. I wasn't scared, but I had tunnel vision and played a bunch of bad notes and chords throughout the entire set. It was like I forgot everything. And after all that, no one seemed to notice or care that much how many mistakes I made. "It just doesn't matter."
We've all had those difficult post-lockdown gigs!! Well recovered and thanks for sharing! I just cover my mistakes up with a great big grin and move on!
I know where you're coming from, man. I've been on stage where the whole band tightened up...and it was hard to shake. But I was there Friday night...and you delivered a great set! Everybody I talked to felt the same.
Been there, Mike. Thanks for sharing! I find myself getting “in my head” from time to time where you start second guessing yourself and what you practiced. What helps me stay out of my head is to sing the solo “melody” to myself as I’m playing it. This helps me play the thing rather than over thinking it.
I always have to overprepare when I play guitar or I'm sure to mess up, weird thing is I began playing music as a drummer, never used to worry about preparation, never worried about even having a set list, just played whatever was shouted out. I think that on drums I feel like for me it's a more natural gross motor skills format for expression, just feel the groove and flow, guitar takes a lot of thinking and developing of fine motor skills to become even reasonably competent at.
I also started out as a drummer, then picked up guitar. My drumming gigs were always a breeze. My guitar gigs were a hellish nightmare. We're talking white knuckle, roller coaster rides, filled with terror. I'm an introvert. I don't like attention, or being in the spotlight. Being able to hide behind my drum kit was my strategy. Stealth mode activated. Couldn't do that for guitar gigs. I was never able to find any kind of comfort zone. Front of the stage is just not for me. I haven't played a gig in many years, and that's ok. I still play for my own enjoyment. By myself. 🤷🏻♂️
Great vid and message. Just had a day like that last Saturday. I play in a Journey tribute. For me it's the intro to Wheel in the Sky. Been in the band for over 10 years and every once in a while it just gets me! Just mental stuff. Just laughing it off with the guys helps when stuff like that happens. Or just say "Jazz Chords". On the bright side being you're own worst critic keeps you improving and humble. Thanks for sharing bro.
I've never played instruments in a gig, I've always sang in a group or lead singing in a congregation. Some people will find that intimidating to sing, and I will not lie, it is intimidating. Thankfully, after doing it for so long I've learned that you have to just go out there and do your best and leave it out there on the stage. I recently had one of those "in my head moments" leading singing at my church and it was the worse I have felt in front of people in a long time. I kept thinking everything sounds off. I'm too high. I'm too slow. I messed up that last lyric. It was a mess. What set that off was a unexpected conversation just before going up. Lesson learned was try not to have too many conversations before singing and going back to an original idea, which is, leave it all out there and shrug off the mistake and move on. Great videos and keep up the good work.
Thanks for posting on this - much appreciated.
Great video! It’s nice to know I’m not alone. I get anxiety in many different situations and guitar is sometimes one of them. One thing I do is an extension of what you said about breathing. When you are in your head you are not in the moment and when you are playing guitar, in the moment is where you want to be. To help me get back in the moment I focus on different sensory inputs around me. The smells around me, the weight of my guitar, the sounds of the music etc..this can actually help a lot. If that doesn’t work I try to look at how I’m feeling objectively and stop beating myself up about it. We are people and people are emotional, especially musicians, so we all go through it. It’s ok to get anxious sometimes. I accept it and then just try to visualize it fading away and this actually helps a lot sometimes! But there are the times where you just gotta bear it and it’s still ok it’s way better than just giving up or not playing in front of people in the first place!
Thanks for sharing that- it has probably happened to a lot of us too. Good job for continuing the gig and beating it. 👍👍
Mike, I can relate to getting in your own head during a "bad" performance. You seem like a really nice, genuine relatable dude. It's crazy how things that make us cringe other people don't even notice. There's a lesson there. Thanks for sharing your experience and the tips. It's nice to know that it happens to everybody from time to time.
Mike! You experienced something very common. It’s called… STAGE FRIGHT. 😏 I love that it’s such a foreign experience to you that you never realized it’s just simple stage fright haha, trust me it’s an absolute demon. I have pretty bad stage fright and it takes some serious mental gymnastics to get out of. Anyways, don’t worry too much because MOST of the time, the audience notices it a lot less than you do! I guess it is a bit weird that you got it after 30 years of experience, but it can strike basically any time if there’s a sudden loss of confidence or an anxiety that grinds into your mind before going out. I’m just chuckling a bit because you’re talking about it like it’s some rare experience 😁 when so many of us get it every single time!! Lol, you’re in good shape if it’s so rare, AND you managed to shake it before the show ended. Cheers man!!
I basically just said the exact same thing in my comment. And yes it's horrible. When I'm onstage all I can think about is wanting to get off asap and hide in a corner.
This vid hit my nostalgia buttons HARD!
First thing, that guitar! My guitar player in the late 80s had that same Charvel minus the crackle and the cool DD graphic. (that graphic is also my lock screen with the quote "Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?")
Around this time my bandmates were 18-21 and I was 16. when we'd do gigs at a certain venue I had to sit in the parking lot between sets (the other places didn't care as long as I didn't go near the bar.)
I think many of your viewers can relate. I remember one time we were invited up impromptu to paly a few songs. We weren't clear on the order. I counted off and started with I Wanna be Sedated but everyone else started paying a bluesy swing beat(cant remember the name of the song but it was from the band London). That was hard to recover from. The good thing is the audience usually doesn't even notice.
I really enjoyed this video. The experience you are.describing is very difficult to explain to someone who hasn’t tried to perform in front of people, but is universal to anyone who has.
Respect ! I had such an off-day yesterday at a gig where I found myself all of a sudden struggling with parts of some songs I never ever struggle with but yes the "analysis-paralysis" part is so true.
Very good tips and I'll try to keep them in mind. Thanks.
Nice video man....I miss playing shows... I remember once I had technical difficulties with my guitar amp head on a really big show. I had to sit out the show half way thru the set. I kept rocking out though and pretending to play along. MUSIC for life man. Love your channel. :)
You verbalized this situation and the associated feelings so well. I have been there more times than I would like, but I really appreciate the suggestion on “it just doesn’t matter”. I totally know that part of the movie and am absolutely sure I will use it next time this happens to me. Thank you!
Great story! And a Meatballs reference to top it all off! Glad you figured out how to get through it, and thanks for sharing.
Man.....I hope you're back with HEARTLESS, if so I have to see you guys rock out again!!!!!!!! 🤘
This sounded like a really bad dream! Haha. Really love seeing my old guitar used and loved too. I hope you are enjoying it. Maybe will make it down to see you play it live at one of your shows sometime.
I find myself in the same rut sometimes when I'm recording. Good lessons learned. Thanks for sharing!
I've got my 2nd gig ever coming up in October and I'm already in my own head about it 😂 I will definitely use this advice! 🤘🏻
How did the gig go? Hopefully really good!
Funny, I have experienced this lately. Been a professional touring guitarist for 20 years, never had any issues of performance anxiety. Recently started a new gig, and every time the guitar solos come around my hands just totally freeze up. Gig after gig. It feels insane!
I, too, have been focusing on my breath. I also started reading the Kenny Werner book “Effortless Mastery,” and a lot of those tools and concepts have been great! Had a show last night and finally played like myself again 😊
I love that Effortless Mastery book.
I was professional and full time playing in a band for 10 years with the same guys and those ‘bad vibe bubble’ gigs almost never happened, but when they did they really jarred even worse because of that.
What’s interesting though is that after that band broke up and I joined a different band, those ‘difficult’ shows would happen a lot more regularly - not bad par se, but that feeling of finding the show difficult to get through and worrying about parts of songs that could give me trouble was way more prevalent and I think it was because I was working with new people. When you work with the same guys night after night you know they’ve got your back and this level of mutual trust grows between you and your confidence grows with it. Playing with new guys, even though they were all as well gigged as I was, it kind of pressed the reset button and it took a few years of playing with these guys for me to get that flow back and looking back I put it down to not instinctively knowing what everyone was gonna do - like a brand new engine needs running in before all the parts are working together perfectly.
Great video 👍👍👍 I also remember the session player Tim Pierce talking about things not always working out so well @ major gig!!😥😥😥 Very assuring to know it can happen to anyone & you don't have to be a prisoner to your mistakes!!!🙏🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍🤘🤘🤘
Analysis paralysis is very, very real. You know you've reached a certain level of comfort playing a particular piece when the less you think about it the better it comes out, and thinking about it too hard makes you sound clunky.
Thanx for share it with us. I have that moments all so. With this tips you help verry mutch. Great from Holland.
I remember one gig when I was playing acoustic guitar in a band and missed a couple of harmonics in a fill between vocal lines - somehow missing by one fret on both of them. This resulted in the most pathetic dead scratching sounds. I could see several people in the audience had noticed and (oh the shame) laughed! But I found myself just laughing too, as we all got on with the song. But that's the thing about live music - it's live. The mistake is there and it's gone. The rest of the gig went well and I was even introduced afterwards to Franco Mussida from Italian prog band PFM, who complemented me on my great 'feel' when playing. Hehe, I don't think he was joking!
I always laugh at myself when I make a major fuck-up onstage.
One thing that always helps me is "making moves". I used to be very anxious and nervous before and during shows (even band practices) but recently I started to focus on doings stage moves right at the beginning of the shows, first song and boom! It helps me to focus on something else than the actual playing, and people like it and they have fun, so I can feel cooler and start to relax
Love the channel - very interesting to hear your story.
I totally got into that mindset playing my last gig (just pre-covid as well, huh.) It got really hard to escape, that was until we played FWTBT and one of my friends started singing his ass off. It gave me a good laugh, and distracted me from my insecurities. The crowd was also really amazing, and as soon as we played some of our more popular songs from our set, they all joined in, and that always feels really good to a performer.
"It just doesn't matter" and "I don't care if people are negative" are two great philosophies to get you through life--if what you're doing is a positive.
Respect for sharing the not perfect times, and battling through.
Quality advice for guitar players. Takes a lot of guts to do it. Props to those who play and perform.
Just played my first performance on Saturday! This might seem kind of weird but while I was practicing I pictured it going really well and was playing great. During a quick rehearsal on Friday I felt stiff, after I got home I practiced a bit more and pictured it going horribly wrong. For whatever reason, acknowledging the negative outcome took away my anxiety and I felt loose again!
I completely agree, it really doesn’t matter haha
Mike... I have experienced everything you spoke of...you described it perfectly...and I thought it was just me...GREAT advice...I’ve just pushed thru it and like you said, just lost myself in the music....rock on my brother!!!!
Jeez man, making me anxious just listening to this. It's amazing how easy it is to go from advanced to novice just by changing your thinking ever so slightly.
A musical theatre director once said that as long as you start and end on the right note, the audience will forgive anything in between.
Thank you for the wealth of knowledge…I’m in my 50’s…still have the anxiety sometimes…breathing is the key…love your channel…
When you mentioned about playing something well in your room then someone watches you and you fall to pieces it made me laugh, that's exactly what happens when I try to record myself playing :') I've gotten slightly better at getting it out of my mind though but still affects me from time to time. So frustrating!
That is a great video man! Good to know that professionals also have this kind of anxiety.
This is exactly how I felt every time I played a gig. I am not a musician so I have played very few gigs in my life and that makes difficult to get used to play in a stage with people looking at you. My passion for music and guitar is so big that I kind go into that bubble of anxiety because I want to play and sound good. Just before the shows my hands feel very stiff, even though I drink some beer to relax a bit, I always have to start the set with a really easy songs, because otherwise it will sound like shit. I am always thinking "Don't screw that part"
The pandemic really helped with my confidence in getting through these feelings. Once we had the time away from gigs, we had perspective to understand what’s really important. It’s easier now to be able to say “this doesnt matter” when it’s now been proven that we are very far from being an “essential service”. Any potential missed opportunities to further our careers is easier to live with now that we know just how easy it is to have it all yanked away suddenly. I also have experience with band leaders who handle adversity or mistakes in exact opposite ways, and the ones who laugh things off and keep their cool are so much more professional and do such a better job at keeping the band and audience comfortable than someone who follows their instinct to flip out and panic and curse and throw shit. This video is so valuable that I’m even sending it to seasoned vets of club gigs like my dad. Thank you for sharing.
*and crew comfortable, i should say, seeing as i also work as a sound guy
My god, man. I felt like you were telling my story, lol. I’ve been a guitarist for 32 years, but I’ve played more gigs and bigger gigs as a bassist. And although every guitarist knows that if you can play guitar, you can pretty much play bass, there’s still a slight learning curve. However, I disregarded that fact back about 10 years ago when I agreed to play bass for this ‘60s and ‘70s R&B party band...and let me tell ya, those first 4 or 5 gigs were absolute HELL. I waaaay overestimated my ability to play all of those very groovy Motown-type songs with little to no practice. Songs like Can’t Get Next to You, Long Train Running, R-E-S-P-E-C-T. But it was a great experience and we always had a lot of fun and I highly doubt the audience even noticed once.
It’s very refreshing to hear a professional player admitting to the inevitable freeze moment that the least experienced experience on a regular basis. I don’t pretend to be anything other than a hack, but yeah, that’s a real thing
👆. As a hack myself I totally agree
Third hack ringing in to agree
I've learned that when it comes to my playing, it's typically me that is my own worst critic. I can't tell you how many times I played a gig, got offstage and started talking to my friends and was like man, I with I got that part in that song better, or that didn't sound right and they were like dude, you killed it, IDK what you're talking about. Then other people I hadn't met before would confirm by saying sounded great, awesome set, etc. You will always notice the mistakes, because you are following along in your head with every riff and lick you play but 99% of the time, most if not all of the crowd never notice.
Lol!, I can identify!, one gig at a small club we launched into bad case of loving you,about 30 seconds in I noticed our singer was absolutely frozen,hadn’t sang a note, so I tossed in some impromptu riffs to fill the gaps,but still nothing from the singer,so I started singing the main vocals (first time ever), was going good,then mr stagefright thawed out enough to run off stage,in so doing he kicked my floor pedal unit (Digitech rp7 valve) and yanked the out put cord out.
Dead silence from my guitar,mid song……
All eyes were now focused right on stage😅
Our bass player saved the gig with a funny sarcastic a cappella line “and touch the sound,of silence” in a beautiful falsetto.
The crowd exploded with applause and laughter.
Got ourselves squared away,got two Jell-O shots into the singer,went on to have a great set.
Never cave,never panic,just plow through,and thank god for quick witted bass players!
I recall when I was in a Jimi Hendrix Experience tribute band (Electric Ladyland). We played our very first gig at a club in Raleigh, NC with a Zeppelin tribute band. The show was sold out, and we were all “in our heads” trying to make sure we got everything technically perfect. We could hear the crowd enjoying everything, but we were in that mode of making sure everything was “right”. By the end of our set, we get off stage, my wife says, “you guys were awesome! Did you see how much the crowd loved you?!” Honestly, we didn’t….because we were so far in our heads! I really wish we could’ve had a do-over on that show.
This video - and this channel - is like watching me tell all of my music stories!
I remember that country gig story! I feel so bad for you. I deal with allergies as well
Thank you for sharing brother !!!.
I was playing a hard rock gig and everything went wrong with my gear - I had a buzzy lead, the volume setting one of my pedals was wrong and sure enough, I had a string break. My anxiety was stratospheric. My second guitar was a E335 copy, really not ideal for rock, but as soon as I picked it up I cast aside all my ideas about what the sound "should" be like and started playing in the moment. I rocked through the rest of the night and played my top game. I think it helps to stop thinking about where you'd like to be, and thinking instead about where you are and backing yourself. You can't do any better than that anyway.
What a great video. Your stories are applicable to students of all instruments.
It's funny how we can be our own worst enemy and psych ourselves out so badly. My personal issue was my awareness for a string even being a cent out of tune. I'd hear it, assume everybody could hear it, and that I sounded like shit because of it. Yes, I am that guy staring at the floor tuning constantly in between songs. The band will be godlike and the gig epic if I can just stay in perfect tune. heh And you know how it goes after the gig... Everybody loved you, has to tell you how great you were, buy you drinks, yet despite this awesomeness you're stuck in a depression slump because you noticed something nobody else ever noticed. Rawk on, brotha! Love the channel.
In our band, we are all so much on the same page that, if one of us makes a mistake we all just laugh and carry on. We're only human, after all, and we're pretty safe in the knowledge that most of the people watching won't realise something amiss has occurred. Having said that, between the four of us we have around 150 years of experience so what might have bothered us before no longer worries us, we just crack on and enjoy playing.
I also know this feeling and I notice that from time to time I have to ground myself again because I take everything too seriously again and stiffen or mentally cramp. I always say to myself that everything doesn't matter, it's not the end of the world and it's just fun, I also know that you always give 100%, but you're human and if I forget that, everything starts all over again
I'll remember the breathing tip next time
I think your videos are great, thank you
For me as a singer I follow couple of rules or procedures as 'a rite' to have a successful gig. Those are:
1) Have a good night sleep the day before the show and rest as much as possible.
2) Wash your teeth and hair properly before the show
3) Use clean and fresh clothes
4) Drink plenty of coffee and twice as much of water. Keep drinking water the whole day.
5) Never eat high-fat and/or spicy food before the gig, eat small portion salads and low-fat foods instead to avoid bloating, stomach inbalance etc.
6) Warm up your WHOLE body, not just the voice. Hop around, jog, squat etc. Just to keep the blood flowing. Don't sit and slouch for long periods of time.
7) Avoid stress, frustrations etc. and plan things well ahead of time while being flexible.
8) Appreciate your artistic integrity, dignity and try to see your work as valuable thing
9) You freaking rock and you can show the world what you can do as there's no one like you.
10) Cheer and respect your colleagues and the event organizers and staff for taking care of your needs.
11) Never, I mean never, do a gig while drunk. Have 1-2 pints MAX by the end of the show. You wouldn't pay for drunken gig, so neither they should pay for yours.
12) Practice consistency and recognize your current state of mind and ability to perform. Do not overcompensate or destroy your voice, if voice is not at its best. Save it for later and use back up vocal arrangements if possible.
I have had a guitar for 30 years. I still don't nail stuff in my bedroom when it's just me. And I still think of the guitar as a strange piece of wood with strings on it. When you suck, you never have to worry about making mistakes in front of an audience. Because you won't ever be in that situation! ( Kinda comforting to know, actually. )
Some solid advice here! Thank you for sharing.
I think this happens at least once to everyone who plays live or does anything for an audience on a regular basis. Great of you to share.
It's always tough to start playin live again after a long break.
Needs to get usual to the live atmosphere to enjoy and play as who we are
Well said, clap, clap, clap....man its our heads that let us down isnt it? I sooo resonate with your comment about feeling like you are playing a weird piece of wood with strings....its like WTF am I doing, or even supposed to do and the harder you look for it the farther away it gets and you just want to crawl back into a cocoon with Derek Smalls. ;-) It just doesnt matter!! What an awesome mantra! Have fun dude and keep up the honesty in your releases, coolio channel man!
I like these videos, you’re a good storyteller !
Love seeing other left-handed players. That's cool, couldn't tell if it was bass or guitar? Glad it all worked out.
I had that happen when I was about 16, and I had been in this band for about a year. I was playing drums and was really into the syncopation, but it was a rock band and they really wanted a more hard driving sound. The rhythm guitar player gave me a dirty look and then I looked over at the keyboard player and he was rockin out with me, so I kinda lost my concentration, But then we just started hammering it and it worked out just fine. What was really cool was that the keyboard player was like only 14, but damn that kid could cook! The only reason he played with us was because his mom heard us and asked if he could play with us (we were just a garage band at the time) and she bought him a roland piano. He insisted that we learn Jessica by the Allman Brothers. God he cooked on that song. It was so much fun. We went on to play many gigs at bars and high schools, but when ever I felt lost, I just looked over at my little buddy on the key board and I knew I was on time.
That was an awesome video. Thanks for sharing!!