My band is playing its first show on Feb 6th, opening for Orphaned Land (Israeli proggy folky metal. Good band.)

That's great news for a new band. but I've never performed live, and I have serious stage fright. Any tips from fellow wussies and guitar players? How do I go kick some ass, and as a guitarist, what are some of the best practices?

heres a few tips from my experiences..
-always expect the unexpected..
-if you make a mistake..move on with the music..you cant correct it in real time and noone in the audience will ever know..usually. no big deal either way.
-expect the stage sound to be way different than what you are used to hearing in your practice room..
-play from your heart..play hard..leave everything you got on the stage..

Grats thats a pretty good band to open up for on your first show man. Haven't played live yet myself but good luck! A lot of people say make sure to warm up the day of before going on thats the only tip I know.

If you know your material.....
Relax, meditate on it for a couple of days in advance. Know that aside from tripping on your shoelaces or falling off of the stage, nothing bad can happen. This stuff is fun, not a chore. treat it as such. I always approach a gig from a fan's perspective. I know these songs, and I want to hear them being played. And don't be harsh on yourself and overly critical. Live in the moment during the gig, take it all in, because you only have one first gig. Best of luck to you, hope it turns out to be all you want it to be.

Relax and have fun.

I used to get the shakes pretty bad, for years. Then I figured out that if I just breathed really slowly and deliberately, they calmed down some. And that the shakes or "stagefright" is really THE FORCE about to surge through you. So relax and channel it.

In terms of technical advice, just be sure to have everything you need: extra picks or sticks, water within easy reach (uncapped but not on your amp!), batteries for pedals, towel to wipe sweaty hands, backup guitar or bass already tuned and ready to go in case you break a string... Nothing kills the vibe more than waiting for somoene to have to change a string in mid-set, and then it rarely stays in tune for long.

i agree with riffer on the meditation thing..envision yourself playing your music..envision your fretboard..you can do ALOT of practice mentally without ever picking up your instrument..

First and foremost---get as drunk as you can before you play!


Just kidding. Thats the worst thing you can do.

Actually just relax. Make sure you well practiced. KNOW YOUR MATERIAL! I always find that as soon as get my gear on the stage, just turn around and look at the audience for a bit. Take it all in, check out the scenery, and breath. Mistakes will happen in your set, no way around it. Play through them. Don't be afraid of the audience...they are there to see you....make them fear you!

But my number 1 piece of advice- DON"T RUSH THROUGH YOUR SONGS! Its very easy to do in a live setting. My old drummer was notorious for getting over excited on stage. Play your songs and enjoy every note. Its not a race to get to the end of song or the end of the set. If you run out of time for all the songs in your set, at least you played what you have well.

Good luck.

just go up there and own that shit. don't worry about anything and just play. its just a show. if you fuck up, don't get pissed, just go with it. after awhile it becomes automatic. you should get a little drunk though.

ok....just a little drunk........

^

don't think too much about it, just practice and make sure you know your shit. Gotta start somewhere. I doubt it's really that much of a big deal that you need to worry yourself over it. Have fun!

Many thanks, guys. Keep em coming.

I still shit myself live every time I play. Something Ill probably never get over. But I get by, and looking at past video of myself its not too apparent that Im dying up there. The worst part is the moment right after the show, thats when Im totally into it and digging the whole thing. If I could just get that feeling when Im playing instead of shitting myself.

Definitely keep playing on if something goes wrong, the last gig we played my amp died mid song but the drummer and bass player carried on and I got it working in around 3-4 mins then just carried on with the song. No one remembers it happening if you keep going, they do if you stop and start again.

Lots of good advice in this thread.

I also agree with practice and meditate the days coming up to the show. Picture yourself having a great time, and that you know the music. Also bring backups for everything (less shit to worry about before playing).

I'd suggest having a (meaning ONE) pre-set drink to loosen yr nerves a bit, but getting sloshed will not help your playing. At all.

Also, I'd suggest take a few minutes to stretch before you go on. Loosen up your body a bitm and that will help loosen up yr mind as well.


But above all, HAVE FUN, PLAY THE MUSIC AND DONT GIVE A FUCK ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE \m/,

I solve all the "don't play drunk" business by practicing drunk. Then no one will ever know the difference.

All kidding aside, I usually get the pre show jitters a coupla hours before the gig when we're loading up gear. Been that way for years. I use that nervous energy to fuel everything and put on the best spectacle I can.

Ultimately i think everyone gets the nervs before going onstage, it's a feeling you either love and embrace, get addicted to and crave.... or not. Those of us who do are the performers and showmen, those of us who don't are the spectators.

Lots of good advice here.


Here is my two cents: (THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF LIVE SHOWS) Ha!

1) A quick rehearsal within a couple of days before the gig. Not usually the day of the gig- you will lose your intensity.

2) Re-string guitars and make sure to stretch strings well so they don't go out of tune.

3) Backup instruments/amps are good to have at the ready

4) A properly loaded "Holy Shit Kit" with all the little things you may need, or have forgotten to bring with you. (picks, strings, patch cables, straps, etc...)

5) Make a set list (So you know what you are doing) including some extra stuff to do in the rare chance you get more time, and be ready to cut some stuff, cause usually shows are not on schedule.

6) Get as many people to go as you can... always looks good to have some fans there.

7) If you're gonna get all fucked up, wait until you have played to do so. A few drinks and tokes are ok to loosen up, but too much will make you think you are a legend waiting to happen, when in reality, people are leaving the bar cause you suck. I usually have two beers, a shot, and a couple of bong rips. After the show, you can be a retard if you want. Just remember... only Dixie Dave is actually Dixie Dave. Nobody wants to see YOU puking on stage.

8) It's true. Most of the people there don't know if you fucked up an original tune unless you trainwreck it, so shake it off and keep going if you do mess up.

9) Just try to be relaxed and HAVE FUN. We all love to play music. That's what are there to do. Most people can't even play an instrument, never mind form a band and get shows. You must be doing something right.

10) Having Merchandise is a good thing if you can. If not... start thinking about it. Stickers, shirts, cd's. CD's are very important. Even if it's just a simple demo. people won't really remember what you sound like after the show, so giving away some, or selling them on the cheap will keep you (hopefully) in regular rotation in the car or something...


I suppose that's all I can think of.


GOOD LUCK!

Oh... and LOUD is good, but if all you can hear is one instrument, you're gonna sound like shit. At least have even levels if nothing else.

P.S. Be nice to the sound guy.

Good advice from everyone. To continue on the 'sound guy' topic - remember that no matter how badass your tone is, he's hearing it through his own set of ears. Ears that have probably been doing sound for shitty bands 3 nights a week for the last few years. Ears that don't worship the idea of tune down/turn up. Ears that don't listen to Dopesmoker once a week. And if you're playing the whole sludge/doom/stoner style, I can assume you're generally used to using a whole lot of volume. Keep in mind that "But sir, if I turn down anymore I won't be pushing my tubes hard enough and my whole tone will change!" will not resonate with the above described Mr. Soundguy.

Don't get me wrong some soundguys are amazing and treat every band as a new sound for them to capture. But most try to fit every band into a mold of settings and levels and that doesn't work too well. So be prepared to turn down more than you're accustomed to.

But most of all - have fun.

Really good advice, everyone.

Now, any tips on the live mix? My band plays stoner-doom type thing - Bass, drums and vocals along with two guitarists. One guy plays most of the solos. Our tones are downtuned marshall/orange type metal tones and the riffs have a lot of chugs. How would you mix and pan?

Be nice to the sound guy even if he or she is a douche. They can make or break your sound.

Your sound will be good if the PA can handle high volumes and they mic the drums. If it's a small place with a shit PA, you can expect to not hear vocals, and if you already have a substantial stage volume, they will pull the gtrs out of the mix. If that happens, you will hear the guitars only where the amps are pointed. So, if you have two guitar players, some people will only hear one of them, but not both. That can really mess up your sound. You have to be a little flexible with volume at the smaller places, or you won't sound even.

Also, dont always count on having monitors. Most places have small, low power monitors that wont cut through at high stage volumes, and many other places don't have them at all.

When you get a place that really has a good setup, it will be better. Just gotta be ready for the worst sound and no monitors, cause until you are only playing bigger places, that is what you will be stuck with.

If you're playing stoner/doom, you're going to be playing in a lot of shitholes, because very few people are into that type of music, realistically.

Learn to have your amp levels fairly balanced before they even hit the PA. You should be able to take the sound guy totally out of the equation guitar and bass wise if need be. If it's a small place, and he thinks your stage volume is too loud, then tell him not to mic the guitar/bass, and you'll still be fine, because you've learned to balance your levels sans PA. Very important when you're up and coming, IMO. A lot of places that even "bigger" name bands play don't have an adequate PA.

Learn to adjust the amount of treble/presence on your amps to suit the room, so that your sound is always well defined. With the emphasis on low end in this genre, the importance of the mids and especially treble is oft overlooked. People feel the lows, but what cuts through the mix is the mids, and what defines the individual instruments is your treble and presence levels.

Make sure your singer learns to sing without proper monitors, or can adjust his style to just screaming his ass off if the PA really sucks.

If it's a small place without a good PA, don't bury your drummer in the way back. Have him up front and center with the rest of the band. That kick and snare are the heartbeat of the band.

Most importantly for this genre, when you're on stage, look like you fucking want to be there and that you're into what you're playing. If you look blazed out of your mind, standing still, staring at your fretboard and totally in outer space, a lot of times, it doesn't matter how well you're playing, you're not going to hold an audience. If that's your approach, you need to find some other way of capturing an audience's attention. The visual element of a live performance is another thing that's many times sadly overlooked in this genre.


Good luck man, that's my 2 cents, hope it helps...

My advice on stage volume:


The amps should only be as loud as the drums, not louder. If amps drowning out drummer, turn down or get a louder drummer.

Guitar EQ'ing should favor more mids than lows. Turn bass down ALL the way, then bring it back up til it *just* fills in the low end. Anything more will muddy your tone and piss off the bass player. I know it sounds cool like that, but in a full band mix you're just boosting the mud.

Guitar amps should be about as loud as each other, and favor somewhat diff frequencies to differentiate them. Boost pedals can be used for some more volume for guitar solos.

And don't scoop the mids on your guitar. Ever, ever, EVER. Want to disappear from the mix? That is the best way.

Same for the bass. Low-mids are your FRIEND.

And yes, listen to the sound man. Even if he's a douche, HE is in charge more or less of how YOU will sound. If he's cool and does good work, buy him a beer. If he sucks ass, lie and tell him it sounded good on stage (no free beer tho) but make a mental note to not work with him again. But you might have to, hence staying on his good side...

List of things that get me through:

1-get there early, no rushing.
2-re-string guitar. I stretch, tune, repeat many times to fixate on something. fresh strings don't break...as often.
3-I hide and play through shortened versions of songs. couple of riffs and concentrate on the changes. the whole set as it will be played. put that nervous energy to good use.
4-have my first beer right before the set. that way I don't have too many before set.

5-after first song DEMAND someone bring you a whiskey! get a free whiskey!

6-tell drummer to slow the fuck down...remember the tempo we practice that song at?! fucking play it at that tempo, goddamn it.

What Danny said about mids, word. Most p.a. systems are meh and can't do the job really, so you gotta know the enemy.