I'm starting this forum because I'm hoping that people will write in and tell us about their first time performing on stage and what that was like.
Okay, so last night, I did my first ever open mike. Luckily for me, I have a decent bar downstairs from my apartment in NYC that has a weekly Tuesday night open mike. I've been wanting to do it for a while and every once in a while, I would stop by to watch. For the first time ever last night. I actually did it. It was dreadful. Although I think my singing was okay, my playing was a mess. I tripped up the chords and I play fingerstyle and at times got my fingers all tied up in a knot. It was a nightmare. I feel that in some ways, this was a great experience because I basically performed and fought through the worst possible circumstances possible (I wasn't planning to perform but when it was over, I was the only one not to have done so, so I went up there and did two songs, with some one elses guitar) and can't imagine performing under a worse situation. While playing, I could feel that I was totally fucking up and was not playing the guitar well, but I fought through it anyway and kept going. Sometimes, it all came together and I did a part that I though "Okay, man, this is great!" I used to box, and right before the fight, I would be all nerves. I remember once while in the bathrooml before a fight and thinking "ah man, what the hell am I doing this for!? I'm going to get knocked out in front of all these people!" But once i stepped out and saw the ring and heard the crowd, I had total focus.
I thought it would be the same performing. It was not. I never got over my nerves and was shaking so much I though I was going to fall off the stage. At any rate, I plan on doing it again really soon, and hopefully, those shakes will go away.
thnx,
serge
my 1st time onstage was a nightmare. it was my brother's anniversary party. they rented a hall and a cover band. i was 16 and i thought i was a rock star. so after many beers i got up on stage with the band. the only song i remember doing that night was wild thing. i couldn't remember the words, missed my que for leads, missed the que to end the song, sang off key the whole time...to top it all off...it's all on video tape :oops:
now...16 years later...they still have the tape....i refuse to view it...still :shock:
i played about a month ago on St. georgies day in a party in my hous
it went better then i expected but that was mainly because all my friends were around me drunk and sang realy loudly and badly so no one realy notice i missed every forth cord :D
LOL look like this is going to be a trend, but my first performance was also a nightmare!
My mate and I were playing in a competition with about 20 other people,and we got picked to go 17th. So, after waiting around for ages for other people to play, we finally got up on stage, plugged my guitar in and................nothing.
For some reason, their amp system just would not work with my guitar. After spending ages twiddling with the system, the mixing guy just shrugged and said "What do you think we can do now then?". I ended up using someone else's guitar, which was a cheap, horrible sounding piece of crap, not to mention uncomfortable to play (it was a roundback, never played one before or since).
Still, it could have been worse. My playing went well, I had no nerves really, we ended up coming second and being asked to do another song, so it can't have been all bad, eh? Still, could we have come first if I had used my own, decent familiar kit? Who knows........
Pete :)
Note that there is a thread in Gigs and Jams that has many good stories.
I'm going to lock this and encourage you to add to the thread there.
Laz
