My first live performance

[MarkG]

In about a month I'll be playing with my band in one of the nicer clubs in Amsterdam. It is my first live performance, as I've only been playing for about 5 years. The other band members are way older, far more experienced and have already had several live performances. Needless to say I've got a lot to live up to.

Any tips? Do's and dont's for a first live performance?

 

[Erkan]

Don't do: Think.
Do: Do not think.

Play. Rock on. Kick ass.

That's enough

 

[mick thompson]

TUNING TUNING TUNING! nothing worse then bad tuning. and eh...dont be static! go fucking nuts and the crowd will. and if its your 1st time shit before you go onstage. not saying you will shit ur panties but you may get the urge to go. dont drink any booze (nothing worse then not playing properly on your 1st gig) you have the rest of your life to get drunk. put your music 1st.

as for nerves people say they go away after the 1st note. it took me about 2 years of gigging to loose my nerves. but everyone is different.

enjoy the hell out of it!

 

[ATLA]

just remember to breath..

dont worry about what people think, its really not important.. only focus on having a blast!

 

[Dylan S]

I second tuning and nervousness going away after only a few seconds into the first song.

Remember that it's supposed to be fun. Too many people get nervous about performances when really, the reason why you write and play music is to be out there performing, so go out there and have fun doing what you love to do, and you'll be sweet.

 

[mick thompson]

what do you mean you second tuning going away? you cant! you need to remember keep your axe in tune and keep checking it after each song! if 1 guitar is out more then about 10-14 cents your gig is going to sound awful!

nothing worse then a badly tuned axe on stage

 

[SuperD]

I think he means he agrees with you!
Make sure to be diligent about tuning, and your nervousness will probably lessen very soon after you actually start playing.
I could add about a million things...I won't. Have fun, it shows...if anyone messes up (someone will) do not look over...no one else noticed.
Jamming in the rehearsal room was pretty easy, shit you can play the songs with your eyes closed, you can stare at the walls or your bandmates and nail it perfect.
And then you hit the stage and stare at your left hand. Careful, that can trip you up!
Either A) Don't, or B) make sure you've done it in rehearsal so it doesn't mess with your head...
And congratulations !!! Go knock 'em on their ASS!!!!!!!

 

[-Gavin-]

If anything goes wrong with your gear, don't stress, just put your shit down and Air Guitar!

Bailed me out of many gear-issues

 

[Jevil]

If you make a mistake, look at your mates with angry face. This way everybody will think the mistake is made by the others.

 

[Erkan]

If anything goes wrong with your gear, don't stress, just put your shit down and Air Guitar!

Bailed me out of many gear-issues

Haha I can totally see that working to be honest!

For drummers though, if something fucked up, knee drumming wouldn't be quite as cool as that :|

 

[slashvanyoung]

At my first gig with my current band I had the low B string die on me with the very first chord of the first song... I then went on to grab my backup guitar to find out that the batteries are flat.

Uh, I'm not much of a help here, huh?

 

[Felix Neumann]

If you make a mistake, look at your mates with angry face. This way everybody will think the mistake is made by the others.

 

[Razzee]

At my first gig with my current band I had the low B string die on me with the very first chord of the first song... I then went on to grab my backup guitar to find out that the batteries are flat.

Uh, I'm not much of a help here, huh?

great ^^



my first gig will be on the 06.06.09 on a festival where we're the only metal band ^^
http://www.abifestival.de/09/bilder/plakat2009.jpg
honestly, we're the only "good" band on that festival, but who cares its totally for free and with just 20min to the netherlands....

 

[GarethSE]

Erkan said it.

Don't think, just fucking do it.
Go totally apeshit and people will love it. Whether there's 5 people or 500 in the venue, play as if your life depended on it.
Most importantly, enjoy it.

 

[MarkG]

A lot of good pointers here, thanks! I'll be sure to have new batteries and strings...and make sure my guitars are in tune. Rocking out is something I need to work on haha, I'm as stiff as an adolescent dick on viagra.

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Get a picture of Dimebag and tape it to your amp.

That will remind you....

 

[Metaltastic]

Get a picture of Dimebag and tape it to your amp.

That will remind you....

...that pissing off fans can be dangerous business?

 

[GarethSE]

...that pissing off fans can be dangerous business?

Or that drinking a shitton of vodka before going on stage only ever worked for one person?

 

[JoeJackson]

If you make a mistake, look at your mates with angry face. This way everybody will think the mistake is made by the others.

I second that. I always do that

 

[ahjteam]

Any tips? Do's and dont's for a first live performance?

Be sober, quickly try that you get a sound out of your amp before the gig starts, tune your instrument between songs and have fun!