Pills & Drugs for nerviness on stage

[NickL]

Klonopin. Greatest invention since the pyramids. I used to suck at public speaking, but when I take this shit it makes me talk fast and confident like James Woods.

 

[Eddy]

Dude, just tought it out. Yeah it sucks, and this is comming from someone who was had huuge problems with pre-gig nerves, but in the end nothing works better than just doing it. It will be scary for the first couple of times, but the more you do it the better it will feel and you'll get used to it.

+1.
I had a huge stage fright before I played my first gig with a band (and still have, actually). After the first two gigs it was like nothing. The first gig was so bad for me, I had trouble standing (I had to keep my knees "locked" so I wouldn't fall over, my legs were shaking that bad...) and that gig was with less than 20 people in the audience...

Week after that, I played my second gig with a band, the audience was 200-300 people AND they were celebrities for the most part and we were just an unknown band who were asked to play at a birthday party because our drummer and one half of the twins having the bd are workmates. Just so happens that the drummer's workmate is probably the most famous retired football player in the country... It wasn't as bad as the first gig, but I still had trouble staying upright... After that the other performances have been a lot easier.

Also, those two times we made a point of being completely sober, just so that we wouldn't fuck up because of alcohol. Of course we did some fuck ups, but we just smiled them off. And after that, we made an agreement that if we ever fucked up on stage, we would just smile or laugh it off and carry on like nothing happened. Although it may sound silly, that really made it easier.

I was only playing rhythm guitar and doing backing vocals, but I think this applies anyway.

Yeah, for me is normal in my usual band where I play and sing backing vocals and the same old songs played during the last 12 years, but this time is different is a project similar to Spinal Tap, Bad News and that kind of stuff, stoopid lyrics and funny things. The success has been huge, radios, mags, tv, more than 100.000 downloads of the albums, almost 1.000.000 views in Youtube... I have to tell the jokes, sing, remember the lyrics and play guitar.
Another problem is that we have rehearsed only 3 days all together and is only 1 month to the debut.

Don't sweat it, you still have almost one month to practise. And if the project is comedy style stuff, why not just make your antics look like its intentional?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8JiQCIzCZA#t=1m53s

Like some bluesman once said: If you make a mistake, let them believe it's just part of the song.

 

[ahjteam]

I have found that warming up and a small sip (less than a shot, just so yo can get the taste in your mouth) of any warm and sweet liquer like Jägermeister or Minttu usually helps to relieve the tension. I would say don't do drugs or large amounts of alcohol if you are singing, because they usually affect your performance negatively (except if you are fucking good, but assuming from your opening post: not).

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

I usually get drunk before going on stage.

 

[Pot]

forget about drugs..don´t do that.....practice meditation

 

[JeffTD]

If you're nervous it means you're not 100% confident in your abilities. Practice more.

 

[beyond dead]

forget about drugs..don´t do that.....practice meditation

seriously, this is a good method.

part of the effect we feel from different substances is actually in your head. Its what you expect to be the effect of the substance.

pain medication users with cronic pain associate pain with not having narcotics in their system to a certain degree. this is because they BELIEVE it takes away the pain.


holistic healing is based around using natural products kinda like a placebo for different illnesses, and has actually cured cancer!

my mom practices holistic healing so I have seen first hand the positive affects that it can have

I think this relates to nervousness and stage fright. If you are able to tell your brain that you are not nervous, then you will not be nervous.

whichever "placebo" works for you is great! you need to be able to get your brain in the right state to shred your fucking balls off.

 

[MetallyGuitarded]

Lots of good advice so far. You could also read the Bible. lol Take that either way you want....

 

[Eddy]

And remember the violin!

 

[Chryst Krispies]

MOAR ideas.


If you have a woman, give her a kiss before goin onstage.

Watch the first ten minutes of Gladiator or watch the "damn dirty ape" scene from Planet of the Apes before playing.

KNOW what you like to get prepped for the stage, some like to be chilled out, others like to be psycho. Pick the one that feels best and do whatever it takes to get in that mindset before playing.

 

[Altitudes]

What an array of different responses in this thread!

My advice would be forget taking any kind of drug. Confidence is the best thing to combat nerves. When you are confident you don't let things phase you. I know this sounds like cheap talk, especially when you are about to go on stage and you are freaking the fuck out about how you will remember all the lyrics and play a good show, but when you (almost inevitably) screw up something just think to yourself you will OWN that solo coming up or whatever. Before you go on stage, you need to believe you are the BADDEST mother fucker around. Even if you think your douchebaggery shows, 9 times out of 10 it doesn't.

 

[Moonlight_Seeker]

I would say that a problem with drugs and/or getting drunk ( more then 2 drinks or so ) is that you might think you were good when in fact you really sucked.

 

[Instant_Noodles]

I have played many shows. On the biggest show, where I have to play in front of over 8000 people, I always feel ready and confident.
My way:
1. Practice the songs until you CAN NOT play it wrong. You will be more and more confident!
2. Being really INTO your songs on stage! It will bring FIREinto your riffs and vibratos!
3. Ask a friend to record your show, after the show, watch what you did on the show and what you have to change in order to improve your live performance.
4. Take away from drugs, pills... It will lead you to very sloppy playing, bad performance. You will never become confident!

Good luck!

 

[J the TyranT]

I dunno... Im just naturally entertaining... so I can bomb the fuck out of songs and still get a laugh and pull it off all the same.

Generally.. just for loosening up, Ill usually drink two drinks... either shots or beers, but just two... and then alternate between two waters and one drink while on stage to keep the effect without getting fucked up.

 

[Jevil]

Thanks guys.
I think once I played the first song everything will go perfect.

 

[slashvanyoung]

1. Practice the songs until you CAN NOT play it wrong. You will be more and more confident!

That's always the most fun on stage, when you reach that point where the songs just fly out your fingers without having to think about them.

Just getting lost in music... One of the best feelings in life.

 

[Randyisgod15]

practice meditation

I agree. Any form of relaxing mind-clearing exercise is a great natural aid in quelling anxiety. Be it Yoga or simple breathing techniques, I personally practice Tai Chi, you just simply get lost in the calm repetitive motions. Deep, slow breathing is key. I don't know how Metal it is to bust out Tai Chi backstage, but without drugs or alcohol it is an effective alternative.

......now if I had to recommend anything else, I would say Diezapam (Valium). It is a muscle relaxant and anti-anxiety aid. Maybe not a whole not, because too relaxed WILL inhibit your playing, but half a pill perhaps will do the trick.

 

[Torniojaws]

Just keep playing live, eventually you don't even think of the actual performance. You start to worry more about the pre- and post-gig arrangements

It's kind of funny for me: going in front of 100 people right under your nose is no big deal, but I still find it discomforting when eating at a school restaurant/cafeteria Don't know why

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

If you're nervous it means you're not 100% confident in your abilities. Practice more.

I beg to disagree. A well-known Finnish musician, who has been performing for quite some time, once said: "The day you stop being nervous before a gig is the day you stop caring about delivering a good show."

 

[Pot]

TornioJ : maybe because u divide yourself into 2 personas....2 facets of the same individual....blabla...