Stage Nerves (1 Viewer)

[Burgerbarbaby]

Mostly I only get nervous in situations I haven't spent the last 25 years rehearsing for...so most standard gigs tend to be ok. Any time I do anything out of the ordinary I have a few flutters...when I started playing with click tracks was one, when I started improvising on stage was another.
My first gigs were unbelievably nervy though. One time time in Belfast a cut on my thumb opened mid-song and blood started flying everywhere, and I couldn't hold onto the sticks, so they went flying off everywhere too. I got so nervous my hands cramped and turned into these immobile little talons, which didn't help. There was loads of dry ice too, so I couldn't see the rest of the band. And the monitors were awful. Jesus. Getting palpitations just thinking about it.

 

[Burgerbarbaby]

Just remembered another one which brings out the cold sweats: We were playing a brilliant little festival in Germany a few years ago. We got to the show-stopper song in the set, which has this great fast backing track groove which I play along to. But it's an odd one, it always feels like the "one" is some weird beat-and-a-little-bit way through the bar. I've eventually got the hang of it, but at the time it required absolutely frantic concentration. And doubly so because if I fucked it up it would ruin it for everyone else and would then be past salvaging, gig ruined. Oh, and my click track would be as loud as possible, to be audible to me over the sound of a band going nuts.
So anyway, this time, we had a friend of ours playing with us, unrehearsed. For that song he picked up some percussion, stood right beside me, and played his stuff. It was just louder than my click, and rhythmically was too loose to be reliable. So I panicked. I started shouting "Niall!" (let's call him) "Hey Niall!". "Niall!! Chill". "NIAALL!! GO AWAY", which eventually led to "NIALLL!!!! BASTARDFUCK MAN!!! PLEASE! STOP!! NIALLLLLLL!!!!! JESUS HOLY CRAP FUCKING STOP!!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!! OH GOD!!! STOPPPPP!!!!" But he was in the zone, eyes closed, and wasn't coming back, relentlessly and remorselessly oblivious, for 7 long minutes.

 

[Unknown Convict]

http://www.wckrspgt.com/spgt/songs/wckr_spgt/pure_heaven/bastards.mp3

 

[RayRay]

I dont really get nervous anymore no matter how big or small the gig is. The only time recently that i got nervous was arriving at RTE studios to do the Late Late (literately when we pulled in i got cold sweats). We got to run through the song 4 or 5 times for the camera rehearsal and i was grand then because of that and had no nerves at all for the real deal.

I have to do the whole engage the crowd thing more often now, i find that frustrating as all i'm thinking about is the next song and i end up saying shit like "so do you guys like music? well here's some more music".

 

[therealjohnny]

When I was in the Late Late audience they prerecorded the live act (Andre (Sky ARts 2) Rieu) and then we had to pretend we were cheering as if we'd just seen them when they played it back later

A mini orchestra is probably a bit more difficult to film on a live show than a guitar based band in fairness

 

[ann post]

I have to do the whole engage the crowd thing more often now, i find that frustrating as all i'm thinking about is the next song and i end up saying shit like "so do you guys like music? well here's some more music".

no matter what i say to an audience ever i'm completely convinced i'm managed to summon the most idiotic words possible in any given situation. I don't really dwell on it other than think of things not to say ever again.

 

[george mcfly]

I dont really get nervous anymore no matter how big or small the gig is. The only time recently that i got nervous was arriving at RTE studios to do the Late Late (literately when we pulled in i got cold sweats). We got to run through the song 4 or 5 times for the camera rehearsal and i was grand then because of that and had no nerves at all for the real deal.

I have to do the whole engage the crowd thing more often now, i find that frustrating as all i'm thinking about is the next song and i end up saying shit like "so do you guys like music? well here's some more music".

I did a tv show in Berlin before where they interviewed us in a mix of German and English and then we played a couple of tracks. The opening line of the first track was "Fuck me with your ZX80" and I asked them several times was it okay to say that on afternoon television and they were totally fine with it. It was through a vocoder though, so I doubt anyone could clearly make out what I was saying.

A couple of year later I did this thing on live national radio. It was a recording of a show and they asked us to say the name of each track before we play it. So, I pointed out that some of our track names were a bit inappropriate and was told it was fine. So, I was a bit drunk by the time the show started and the first thing I said was "This is a song called I was fist-fucked by the Wannadies". Not fine at all.

 

[Lili Marlene]

That's quite a song title!

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

no matter what i say to an audience ever i'm completely convinced i'm managed to summon the most idiotic words possible in any given situation. I don't really dwell on it other than think of things not to say ever again.

A quick "Thank you" or "This one's called..." is all you need unless you think of something actually witty/informative to say.

 

[therealjohnny]

I played with a guy who would yammer on and on and on between songs. I'd be shifting uncomfortably thinking "get on with it". I can imagine what the audience was thinking

 

[RayRay]

A quick "Thank you" or "This one's called..." is all you need unless you think of something actually witty/informative to say.

We had a full recording of our set at Body and SOul last year and at the end of every song is a big THANK YOU from me, its funny for everyone but me

 

[Unicron]

Can't believe that there's someone on thumped who is actually having what seems to be a successful music career.

 

[egg_]

What's the name of your band RayRay?

I once stopped a song-in-progress by saying to the guitar player "I think you have your capo in the wrong place dude". He did. Cue hilarity from audience, most of whom were no doubt in bands themselves.

 

[RayRay]

What's the name of your band RayRay?

Interskalactic

 

[hugh]

What's the name of your band RayRay?

I once stopped a song-in-progress by saying to the guitar player "I think you have your capo in the wrong place dude". He did. Cue hilarity from audience, most of whom were no doubt in bands themselves.

Ha! This reminds of supporting the briefly reformed Mexican Pets in Galway some years back. The late (and much-missed) Derrick Dalton broke a bass string towards the end of their set so I lent him my bass. I assured him there was no need to tune up as it never goes out of tune but forgot to tell him it was in non-standard tuning. They fired off into one of their big songs. Disaster.

 

[Burgerbarbaby]

Ha! This reminds of supporting the briefly reformed Mexican Pets in Galway some years back. The late (and much-missed) Derrick Dalton broke a bass string towards the end of their set so I lent him my bass. I assured him there was no need to tune up as it never goes out of tune but forgot to tell him it was in non-standard tuning. They fired off into one of their big songs. Disaster.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies