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Help with stage fright!
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27-04-2010 2:49pm#1
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Just try and remember no one is out to get you, they want to be entertained so walk out and do what you do.....
treat the crowd as one person or focus on a point on back wall to make it easier if ya can until you can get up there with no probs...0 -
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I yawned but that's because I'm bloody tiredYawnng always worked for me. I wonder how many of you who read this did not yawn?
lol
I am yawning now
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As for how I deal with stage fright, I find that just concentrating on what I'm doing forces me to stop think "I must not screw up, I must not screw up". After the first song or two of a gig I'm usually relaxed.
Some people also swear by a beer or two but of course watch out for having too many as it's a fine line with some people.0 -
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As suggested, DEFINITELY look to do backing vocals as a way in. After a while, you'll loosen up and realise that doing backing, no one is looking at you anyway. Once you're used to being on stage, you'll start enjoying it and looking for more. Best drug ever
The other thing I used to do, although I'm not sure if this will even make any sense, is instead of getting nervous and anxious and negative, I'd try and get really hyper instead. As someone said, running around, jumping around etc. uses up a lot of this nervous energy but makes good on it.
Also, try and notice triggers - is there a certain type of crowd that makes it worse? i.e. if you know your mates are out there is it easier or harder? Have you had 20 cups of coffee before you get to the venue? Are you making comparisons with other musicians/support bands etc. that make you feel worse? Try and objectively look at the times in the past where it's got hard, identify if there are factors you can change or lessen, and try and get around it that way.
Finally, GET EXPERIENCE!! I found that only by playing live, in front of loads of people, did I start to become more confident and really start enjoying it. At this point, I'll plug (sorry Mods if this is misplaced), an open mic that myself and few mates and bandmates run in O'Donoghue's, Suffolk St every Tuesday. We have every level of player and we'll be really nice to you if you're finding your feet!
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One more suggestion, or mantra, if you will
Do it and feel it later
Make a deal with yourself that you can freak out, freeze, cry, shake... everything but only after you do the gig.
If I kept telling myself, do it and feel it later (over and over and over.....) I'd always get through the gig and then once it was done wouldn't feel like freaking out anymore.0 -
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Your spot on but as someone else said, it is an irrational fear. Telling yourself the obvious, as in people are there to be entertained by you, youre well able to do it by yourself so why not to other people etc, doesnt always work. Trust me, i know from many years experience!!Flamed Diving wrote: »This is just my opinion now, but I reckon the only times I have ever been truly nervous about going onstage was when I was afraid of being found out. Ergo, I knew I hadn't done my work. This also applies to written exams, etc.
Be truthful with yourself. Are you ill-prepared? Are you fooling yourself? If not, then you have nothing to be nervous about.
This is why I hate performing comedy improv, by the way. No matter what you do, there is no way to prepare adequately! Hence, I always **** myself before the show. Id say the backing vocal route would be the best way. You could then slowly get more involved in the vocals of the song as you build your confidence and hopefully overcome it in time. 0 -
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I'm just going to suggest voice lessons. When you're not chancing the songs it's much easier to live with stage fright. also as a vocal coach I would often do sessions on before the gig relaxation exercises, warmups and tips and tricks how to behave on stage.
also when you concentrate more on your technique you get distracted enough to shove the stage fright to the back of your head only
if you're looking for voice lessons or if u want to work on that stage fright - let me know. www.voicestudio.info
also, depending on what style of music is your cup of tea - join a choir! a gospel choir maybe? that's the best way in my opinion to get on stage without the pressure of being a front man. then do a solo or two with the choir backing you up behind you and no more stage fright for you.0 -
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Nerves will go away with experience....but which comes first here, the chicken or the egg?
What I always do is simple. Take a deep breath before you play the first note onstage. For me, it helps to calm me down.
What I did at the start of my gigging days is write a list down on a piece of paper of all your fears about going on stage. Do this an hour before you go on in the toilets if you have to. Could be simple like:
1 - I will play all the wrong notes,
2 - Everyone will laugh at me
3 - I will drop my guitar and the world will explode!!
4 - INSERT OVER-DRAMATIC EXAGGERATION HERE!! (you get the jist!
)
Now when you read back over the piece of paper you should see how overly catastrophising they will see and also, well, kinda silly in the grander scheme of things. I mean, think "so what if I suck?" -> Tomorrow will come whether you suck or rock, and TBH most people will have forgotten in a week or so regardless. Crumple up the piece of silly-paper and chuck it in the bin....(BTW, don't flush it unless your intentionally trying to clog the schools drainage system! )
Just get up there onstage, take a breath, realise how stupid you were for having these nerves/fears and bloody well enjoy yourself!! 0 -
Nerves will go away with experience....but which comes first here, the chicken or the egg?
What I always do is simple. Take a deep breath before you play the first note onstage. For me, it helps to calm me down.
What I did at the start of my gigging days is write a list down on a piece of paper of all your fears about going on stage. Do this an hour before you go on in the toilets if you have to. Could be simple like:
1 - I will play all the wrong notes,
2 - Everyone will laugh at me
3 - I will drop my guitar and the world will explode!!
4 - INSERT OVER-DRAMATIC EXAGGERATION HERE!! (you get the jist! )
Now when you read back over the piece of paper you should see how overly catastrophising they will see and also, well, kinda silly in the grander scheme of things. I mean, think "so what if I suck?" -> Tomorrow will come whether you suck or rock, and TBH most people will have forgotten in a week or so regardless. Crumple up the piece of silly-paper and chuck it in the bin....(BTW, don't flush it unless your intentionally trying to clog the schools drainage system! )
Just get up there onstage, take a breath, realise how stupid you were for having these nerves/fears and bloody well enjoy yourself!!
Ah sir (Donegal speak) you made me laugh!! Thanks so much for the effort you put into your answer; I will definitely try that.0 -
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Johnny, unless you like prank calls galore id remove the mobile number.
Anyway, as for the stage fright, there is no easy answer. People who dont suffer from it will give you ways around it but depending on how badly you have it, it can be alot harder to shake. For me, i suffer from Anxiety and Panic attacks which is the equivilant of getting stage fright everytime your in a queue/crowded pub/restaraunt or basically any crowded place. I cant go onstage without a couple of pints beforehand but thats not advisable for 2 reasons. First is the obvious one which is you dont want to have to rely on alcohol as a crutch for anything and secondly, its a thin line between going onstage comfortable and going on drunk.
The best way is to just push all your worries aside and get out there but of course that is easier said than done. Ive been playing live about 15 years and i can guarentee you i have made some little mistake in a huge amount of gigs that to me might sound like I seriously messed up but to the listener goes by unnoticed. With time you will see that and it wont seem so daunting anymore. Before you go on, picture the best case scenario in your head. Ya know, gig goes amazing, everone telling you how brilliant it sounded etc instead of what could go wrong and remember that you can play the songs and that all your doubts are simply your head messing with you. And of course remember its about having fun so even if you make a mistake, ignore it and just enjoy yourself. Anyone who tries to take the pi$$ out of you? Hand them the guitar and ask them to try and do it better. Hope it goes well for you anyway and once the nerves are gone, i can guarantee there is no better feeling in the world than being on a stage. Best of luck with it!0 -
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if it helps you, (it has certainly helped me) , try to forget completely that there are an audience there for you to entertain. you don't sound like the 'entertainer' type...that's not a bad thing. i could be wrong, maybe you have secret longings to be a matt bellamy type showboater - in which case you may require an ego transplant
people will see through you if you're not being natural on stage. and if you're being natural, feeling the groove and as a result visibly enjoying yourself (whatever that looks like) then people will usually respond to that.
act like you're in rehearsal. i assume like me that you would really get into it in rehearsals when you're feeling it and if that happens, then the above should happen.
i've suffered from terrible nerves, was never a comfortable front man, but always got through it and always enjoyed myself. don't be crippled by nerves!
and after you get through your first shows and enjoy them - remind yourself when you're nervous about the next gig not to be so silly. unless you're headlining the pyramid stage at glastonbury...
hope that helps0 -
Denalihighway wrote: »if it helps you, (it has certainly helped me) , try to forget completely that there are an audience there for you to entertain. you don't sound like the 'entertainer' type...that's not a bad thing. i could be wrong, maybe you have secret longings to be a matt bellamy type showboater - in which case you may require an ego transplant
people will see through you if you're not being natural on stage. and if you're being natural, feeling the groove and as a result visibly enjoying yourself (whatever that looks like) then people will usually respond to that.
act like you're in rehearsal. i assume like me that you would really get into it in rehearsals when you're feeling it and if that happens, then the above should happen.
i've suffered from terrible nerves, was never a comfortable front man, but always got through it and always enjoyed myself. don't be crippled by nerves!
and after you get through your first shows and enjoy them - remind yourself when you're nervous about the next gig not to be so silly. unless you're headlining the pyramid stage at glastonbury...
hope that helps
I think I have "MUSEFAN" tattooed on my forehead!! Love them... anyway yeah I see what you mean, if we end up playing something by Muse I know I certainly wont be comfortable doing some sort of Bellamy impression leaping about, I would be more of a Chris Wolstenholme type, being quietly briliant in the corner (haha I wish!)
Anyway thanks for that, all these replies have been very useful and really want to thank everyone for taking the time to reply to my irrational, nonsensical but very much real fear! I think that I'm already more at ease with the idea of performing, actually getting up and doing it is the next step! :P0 -
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