How do you prepare for a show?
- Thread starter Luan
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i'm a worrywart,i stress all the things,the first thing is i make sure we got all our equipment and back ups,everyone in the band there,all tuned and ready,we have a shot(i don't,but the other guys need it)i run through the set in my head,check the crowd to see if it's sitters or standers(sitters must be gotten out of thier seats)standers are ready to mosh it up.check out the other bands playing first,and give them support(even if they suck)and get in the zone to own.do show.
darren
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I've played several dozen shows in the last few years, and i don't really get nervous before a show any more. I just make sure everything is working, make sure i have a set list handy (preferably with my patch changes noted on it) and make sure my hands are warm.
just make sure you're hands are warm, then go out and have some fun (presuming that you've learned all the material
).
Psychoface
SS.org Addict
you can worry all you fucking want.. as soon as you play your first note or so its all gone and your in the zone
A beer or two, or maybe a crown & coke, to take the edge off just a little. Nothing much, cuz who wants to be hammered and fuckup on stage?
Sometimes not at all, but for the most part, just make sure my hands ain't flat out cold. I'll run my hands under warm water for a few minutes in the bathroom (if possible
), or I'll pickup a guitar and just run some finger exercises, scales, etc.I think about getting set up. I never have to think about the songs I'm going to play... shit, I wrote them!
Having fun while doing whatever it is you're doing.
What do you do so you make sure you don't get nervous?
Make sure i've had at least 2 consecutive days of good sleep for the show, make sure i'm super hydrated for the show, chug starbucks 1 hr before our set, have a gallon of water with me behind the kit, with a redbull if i need it, and a set list. oh, know the songs.
How much do you warmp up? 30 minutes, during the prior band's set. i sit on stairs and play along with drum sticks and moving my entire legs.
What do you try to think?
relax and show these people some real energy
What is the meaning of life? Beer.
Make sure i've had at least 2 consecutive days of good sleep for the show, make sure i'm super hydrated for the show, chug starbucks 1 hr before our set, have a gallon of water with me behind the kit, with a redbull if i need it, and a set list. oh, know the songs.
How much do you warmp up? 30 minutes, during the prior band's set. i sit on stairs and play along with drum sticks and moving my entire legs.
What do you try to think?
relax and show these people some real energy
What is the meaning of life? Beer.
step 1: Stretch hand. You shouldn't need to warm up all that much if the material is rehearsed.
step 2: Find a cutie pie.You'll need bewbs to motivate you
step 3: Drink beers. The breakfast of champions
step 4: Arrange rendesvous with said cutie. You'll need something to do after the show.
step 5: Go play your ass off!
step 2: Find a cutie pie.You'll need bewbs to motivate you
step 3: Drink beers. The breakfast of champions
step 4: Arrange rendesvous with said cutie. You'll need something to do after the show.
step 5: Go play your ass off!
Ojinomoto
H.
One of my instructors (a regularly gigging basses) told me this a few years ago and it's never NOT worked.
A problem that most folks have before a show is that they are really jittery with shaky hands or everything in your head just being a mess or nervous and whatever.
To counter this, one has to only breath...literally. Breath in through your nose REALLY slowly. My instructor said to think of TORO the Bull who always sniffed the flowers really slowly. Breath in and let it out through your mouth moderately slow through your mouth. I clear my head and do this about an hour or so before a show. Clearing your head of any worries such as "I don't remember this certain section or this solo outro," will help you relax and not get yourself bogged down by fear and nervousness. When you set up, keep breathing and when it's time to hit it, one will feel REALLY relaxed and one doesn't focus on anything except for playing.
It helps, trust me!
A problem that most folks have before a show is that they are really jittery with shaky hands or everything in your head just being a mess or nervous and whatever.
To counter this, one has to only breath...literally. Breath in through your nose REALLY slowly. My instructor said to think of TORO the Bull who always sniffed the flowers really slowly. Breath in and let it out through your mouth moderately slow through your mouth. I clear my head and do this about an hour or so before a show. Clearing your head of any worries such as "I don't remember this certain section or this solo outro," will help you relax and not get yourself bogged down by fear and nervousness. When you set up, keep breathing and when it's time to hit it, one will feel REALLY relaxed and one doesn't focus on anything except for playing.
It helps, trust me!
psychoticsnoman
Well-Known Member
before my band broke up, id most likely check my shit out makes sure its all working, then i'd have to run around trying to find my drummer who always ended up missing 30 min before our set, while drinking a monster or something.
and i didn't really warm up, i didn't think it was important back then, ha ha i was an idiot
and i didn't really warm up, i didn't think it was important back then, ha ha i was an idiot
I will try that, thanks!
I don't really get nervous before performing (After playing drums in front of 30,000 people in marching bands and drum corps), so nerves aren't a problem really. I DON'T drink any alcohol until after the show, because that never turns out well. I mainly try to relax, talk to everyone, tune up, make sure my stuff is all set up and works. Then I let my amp warm up, and while it's doing that, I hit the kill switch on my guitar and silently run up and down the strings once or twice just to get it out of my system. I'm pretty much good to go at that point.
Now when I played drums in my previous band... I had a drum pad, and a pair of Ralph Hardimon sig. Corpsmaster drum sticks (My fav. marching drumstick) and do a few SIMPLE exercises to loosten my wrists up a bit.
That's pretty much all I have.
*Insert "Every rose has it's thorn" lyrics by poison*
Bill and Ted FTW!
Now when I played drums in my previous band... I had a drum pad, and a pair of Ralph Hardimon sig. Corpsmaster drum sticks (My fav. marching drumstick) and do a few SIMPLE exercises to loosten my wrists up a bit.
That's pretty much all I have.
*Insert "Every rose has it's thorn" lyrics by poison*
Bill and Ted FTW!
I haven't played a show in a couple of years, but here's my old routine:
Make sure all our gear is ready to go and as set up as we can have it before we hit the stage.
Make sure the band is in tune.
Then go off on my own and just jam on a few random songs or riffs for an hour or so.
Hang out with the band for the last 30 minutes before hitting the stage and keep working my hand to make sure it's warm and stretched out.
Make sure all our gear is ready to go and as set up as we can have it before we hit the stage.
Make sure the band is in tune.
Then go off on my own and just jam on a few random songs or riffs for an hour or so.
Hang out with the band for the last 30 minutes before hitting the stage and keep working my hand to make sure it's warm and stretched out.
Stitch
Banned
I set everything up, and help the other bands.
I make sure my setup is perfect, and I'm totally happy with it, then go and warm my hands up and not worry. I trust the other dudes to do their job too, so I dont tend to panic too much. My biggest concern is tangling my hair in my guitar strings.
I make sure my setup is perfect, and I'm totally happy with it, then go and warm my hands up and not worry. I trust the other dudes to do their job too, so I dont tend to panic too much. My biggest concern is tangling my hair in my guitar strings.
A brisk fall down a flight of stairs.
Wolfie
Molto Accelerando!
Because of slight tendonitis and little bloodflow through my hands (my hands are always ice cold when they havent been used) I start with some slight stretches on my arms and hands then i massage my wrists and fingers to get them nice and limber.
Then i go somewhere i am alone and clap my hands (yeah makes you look slightly retarded, but it really gets the bloodflow going), then i start warming up with scales and riffs.
I do that for about an hour focusing on nothing but what i am about to do and clearing my mind of other things that might disturb me.
Then i have a beer, go up on stage and play.
Then i go somewhere i am alone and clap my hands (yeah makes you look slightly retarded, but it really gets the bloodflow going), then i start warming up with scales and riffs.
I do that for about an hour focusing on nothing but what i am about to do and clearing my mind of other things that might disturb me.
Then i have a beer, go up on stage and play.
Totally. I keep the movements simple and big. It helps avoid tension, and maximizes the purpose of a warm-up (bigger muscle movements = more total muscle fiber recruitment = greater increase of bloodflow to the body part).
Also, during songs, I never think about the parts that are coming up. Whenever the thought comes to mind that "oh, that tough part is coming up", i don't respond by focusing on what i'm supposed to be doing for that part. 9/10 times, if i think about the part, i'll botch it, drop a stick, lose time, etc. I just tell myself "oh well, switch on autopilot and BREATH". Pre-saturate that blood with oxygen. I'll breath extra big and extra deep. Focusing on breathing serves as a great distraction, and before you know it, the part is happening, then it's done and in the past. That's what good rehearsal is all about.... allowing for autopilot so that you can worry about breathing, getting into the music, etc.
Ojinomoto
H.
^+1 Totally
Thixotrope
Well-Known Member
Well, I start out by ordering a heineken and 2 shots of tequila. Not because I'm nervous but probably due to the alcoholic tendencies floating around in my piss filled gene pool.
Next I might snack on something but it usually gets too hot on stage to risk eating a baked potato with all the helping before I leap on stage and assume my role.
Another staple of my pre-show ritual is women. Nuff said. I'm in a band...automatic play...most of the time. It doesn't hurt that I'm semi-good looking and charismatic either.
I get all the tuning and gear issues alleviated early on to make room for this playtime.
After the show is very similar only it involves an increased volume of food, more alcohol and more women.
Next I might snack on something but it usually gets too hot on stage to risk eating a baked potato with all the helping before I leap on stage and assume my role.
Another staple of my pre-show ritual is women. Nuff said. I'm in a band...automatic play...most of the time. It doesn't hurt that I'm semi-good looking and charismatic either.
I get all the tuning and gear issues alleviated early on to make room for this playtime.
After the show is very similar only it involves an increased volume of food, more alcohol and more women.
make sure the merch is set up good, hang out with the crowd, avoid the drunks, tune the guitars, make sure the back ups are all tuned, abuse my bass player, tell him that if his shit aint tuned again, i'm going to kill him, hang out in the bus, and write on the walls. talk to the girls, like Thixotrope said, autoplay most of the time, even though i'm the scariest looking person ever lol
