# Holy Shit! I just got a gig and I'm terrified! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 26, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836 "2011-04-26T23:34:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/21 "2011-04-27T13:35:45Z")
All good advice in this thread, so I don’t have anything to add, except that you should know that waiting to play is the hardest part, the gig will go fast, and you’ll feel great afterwards. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/22 "2011-04-27T13:50:26Z")
The first time I performed in front of an audience I fled the stage as if bees were swarming me. Don’t do what I did. When you’re done, say thank you. Even if there’s no applause. ---
**Author:** ![Suil\_Dubh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Suil\_Dubh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suil_Dubh)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/23 "2011-04-27T13:53:56Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Keep it at a beer or two, though. Drinking can start to have diminishing returns if you overdo it. I know that from hard experience. It’s good to take the edge off, but don’t get soused until after the gig. YES. Yes, yes, yes. Definitely have a drink or two to loosen yourself up. (If you’re a drinker.) Every drink you have robs you of precise reaction time and rhythm, but if you go on stone-cold sober and nervous you can end up playing stiff and lousy anyway. Drink enough to lube your muses, but not so much that your moves get looses. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/24 "2011-04-27T14:11:18Z")
> [@Suil\_Dubh](#): > > Drink enough to lube your muses, but not so much that your moves get looses. This is hilarious. Best of luck \*\*Cort \*\*- I am sure I have other advice, but the stuff posted so far makes great sense. Oh - and remember: if you just hit a chord like you’re checking the tuning of the guitar, you can mask the sound of your farts 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/25 "2011-04-27T15:20:00Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Just remember - the audience is more frightened of you than you are of them. Especially if your guitar is a velociraptor. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/26 "2011-04-27T15:31:07Z")
Follow all of the advice you’ve gotten here, and congratulations! 🆒 The only thing I can think to add is that nerves are completely normal: don’t try to overcome them, or feel that you shouldn’t have them, because that will only make things worse. Just try to figure out how to go with them/make them work for you. I’ve been performing (various genres, in various settings) since high school but am currently working toward getting my first “real” jazz gig, and I know that when it happens I’ll be totally nervous even though I’ve been performing jazz for about two years now! > [@Cort](#): > > I’m only planning on playing that one song Does your housemate’s friend know that? I’m sure the answer is “yes,” especially given that the gig is in two days, but this jumped out at me… ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/27 "2011-04-27T17:02:51Z")
No advice, but stopping to wish you luck! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/28 "2011-04-27T18:00:06Z")
Stage fright never really goes away. You can get used to it given enough time, but sometimes it comes back strong. I played all through high school and college, in everything from stage bands to pit bands to bars. Hundreds of gigs, at least. A few years after college, after not having played in front of people for a while, I went to a friend’s wedding. I was checking out the band at the reception, and noticed that the guitar player was my private instructor from college. I went over to say hello, and he handed me his guitar and walked away. Suddenly everyone’s eyes were on me. And half of the people there were musicians, and expected great things of me. I was so nervous I couldn’t lift a foot to stomp on an effects pedal! It took me about three songs to finally relax. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/29 "2011-04-27T18:36:26Z")
Is it just me, or does nearly every piece of advice offered in this thread apply to having sex as well? ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/30 "2011-04-27T18:40:38Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Is it just me, or does nearly every piece of advice offered in this thread apply to having sex as well? Performing is performing. 😉 (Somewhat related, I have often said that it’s harder to find bandmates than it is to find a boyfriend/girlfriend…) ---
**Author:** ![BigShooter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f07891/32.png) [@BigShooter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigShooter)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/31 "2011-04-27T20:58:58Z")
A little word of warning - if you get nervous easily, don’t eat a meal before you go on. 😃 Back in '01 I think, my band had an opportunity to perform for a LIVE (:eek:) Bud Light commercial that was airing in the southwest USA during the season finale of Friends on NBC. Quite a large TV audience. It was quite a production. The hippest club in town was rented for the entire day. A large stage was set up in the club. We were provided with a catered band trailer, makeup and hair people, and all the beer we could drink (which even though it didn’t cause any problems, probably wasn’t the best idea on the part of the Bud people :D). Anyway, I had never had any stage fright issues before, but something was different with the cameras. Even during rehersals that day I got the butterflies, but I figured I’d be able to hold it together for the live shoot, so we went and had a little dinner while the production crew put on the finishing touches. At about 2 minutes to air time, I turned to my band manager and let him know that I needed something to puke in :eek:. Needless to say, as they were counting down the last ten seconds to air, I was wiping puke from mouth and guitar with a napkin. I pulled it together in time - but it was SOOOOOO close… ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/32 "2011-04-27T22:48:37Z")
> [@BigShooter](#): > > At about 2 minutes to air time, I turned to my band manager and let him know that I needed something to puke in :eek:. Now _that’s_ an awesome post/username combo if I’ve ever seen one. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/33 "2011-04-28T12:55:58Z")
> [@Cort](#): > > So I’ve been dabbling with the guitar for a few years, nothing serious, just a hobby. I only play instrumentals because, well, I can’t carry a tune in a basket. Seriously. I sing, dogs heads explode. Anyway, a friend of my housemate came round this evening and we got chatting and he mentioned that he’s in a band that plays some local bars. He played a couple of his songs and I was pretty impressed. They’re very cool. They’ve got kind of a bluesy feel and the guy sings a bit like Joe Cocker. Anyway, at his insistence I played my favourite song, which is [Ocean](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xZw9D9c18E) by the legendary John Butler. The song is intended for a 12 string. I’ve only got a 6 strong, but it translates pretty well, IMO. Anyway, the guy liked it so much that he’s offered me a supporting slot at his next gig this Friday. I’m not being paid, but I don’t care. This will be the first time I’ll have ever played in front of an audience. > > Anyway, I was really flattered at first, but now I’m pretty scared. I reckon stage fright might be a problem. By all accounts it’ll probably be a pretty large crowd (about 100 people, he said). I’m only planning on playing that one song (indeed, I only know a couple of others) but still, I’m quite nervous about it. Have any resident doper musicians got any tips on how to handle playing live the first time? The advice I would give you is this: **Just do it. Let the music take you away, and enjoy it.**. I have nearly knocked myself out before going onstage to play drums. leaving a golf-ball sized lump in the middle of my head, and looking like a windup monkey during my solo. I have had my rhythm guitarist walk off stage after an onstage fight with my lead guitarist, but not before screaming obscenities into the open mic.. I have forgotten the last stanza of Hotel California (and had the crowd sing it - nice recovery, eh?). It’s music. It’s memories. It’s fun. Rock on! BTW, can you tape it so we can see? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/34 "2011-04-28T17:57:13Z")
In addition to what everybody else has said: Wear sunglasses. They provide a simple “disguise”, and it’s astonishing the way the illusion of separation from the audience can relax you. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/35 "2011-04-28T18:07:48Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > All good advice in this thread, so I don’t have anything to add, except that you should know that waiting to play is the hardest part, **the gig will go fast** , and you’ll feel great afterwards. Good luck! Bolding mine. Oh hell yeah. It may just be a blur. You might not even remember it. I know someone who played organ in a church many years ago. She’d remember sitting down at the organ, and getting up from it, but would have no memory of actually playing. She was completely dissociated the entire time. I remember the first recital I did in college. We rehearsed for probably two months. We played those songs so many times that we were sick of them. When the actual recital came, it was like BOOM that song’s over, and I was barely aware of playing it, and we’ll never play it again, BOOM, the next one is over, we’ll never play that again either, BOOM BOOM BOOM we’re done and the audience is leaving. It was kind of sad. ---
**Author:** ![moldybread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@moldybread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moldybread)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/36 "2011-04-28T18:26:57Z")
My ritual before going on stage is as follows: Get to the gig early to get used to your surroundings a bit. Drink a rum n coke or two (weak if possible) 15 minutes before stage time do some stretches or warm ups. When you get on stage try to remember to keep calm and breathe and dont rush through the material. Im the drummer so If I play off tempo the whole band does. After the first 30 seconds of playing all the nervousnes goes away. Im not shitting you either when I say 30 seconds. (For most musicians anyway) Most importantly remember to enjoy it man! If you dont enjoy it the audience wont either. oh yeah last step. After you get off stage and everyone throws flowers at your feet? DRINK!!!PARTY!!! ---
**Author:** ![moldybread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@moldybread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moldybread)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/37 "2011-04-28T18:29:26Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Bolding mine. > She’d remember sitting down at the organ, and getting up from it, but would have no memory of actually playing. She was completely dissociated the entire time. SOOOOO True Kind of eerie! ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/38 "2011-04-30T05:26:46Z")
God damned I thought I’d have had something to add, but it’s all covered. (1) Have fun. Socialize (not too many beers). (2) Fuck knowing your part – that’s 101 – know the _tune_. (3) Trust in your bandmates being up to their game, whether they are or they aren’t – always count on them, and always count on being able to carry the show by yourself if your shoudl have to. (4) Have fun. After load out, drink some beers (if you’re not driving) and get to know your audience. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/39 "2011-05-03T11:07:29Z")
Break a leg! Nice song, but he needs to cut his nails. eweeeeeeeeeeee ---
**Author:** ![fighting\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac8455/32.png) [@fighting\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fighting_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836/40 "2011-05-03T14:46:46Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Is it just me, or does nearly every piece of advice offered in this thread apply to having sex as well? Hmm … practice a lot on your own - yes don’t look at the other people involved during the process - depends if you mess up, keep going, no one will notice - _definitely_ depends break a leg - no [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-i-just-got-a-gig-and-im-terrified/579836.md?page=3)