Current mood: looking for excuses ...

mrkb

Snags said:

Ha! No, Bon Jovi is @mrkb 's forte. Just some easy stuff I've done before at Sasquatch.

Trouble is, I reckon I've got about two more weeks worth of songs that I can sing and play,  and that work on acoustic, before I have to start learning new stuff 

I sing more like Bob Joby!

Sassafras

hywelg said:

Walking into a jam session armed with a guitar,  full of strangers who mostly are already cliqued up is difficult. I tried it once, when I was way less confident than I am now, and whilst talking to the organiser when i arrived, I never once got invited to play, all the various cliques just suited themselves. I walked out well before the end, never to go back. 

Sounds like you were unlucky. I've generally found these things to be friendly and inviting.
Maybe you give off a bad vibe 

Snags

@Reverend I did consider shitting myself, but in the end opted for just being a bit wobbly in the hand department for the first couple of bars.

57Deluxe

Here's a Trick:  When playing anything to a non paying audience - open mike/busking etc - then play random riffs/sequences that they have no idea what they could be but think they should. This way you own them not the other way round! Is really fun too as no note is a wrong note and is thus empowering!

VimFuego

57Deluxe said:

Here's a Trick:  When playing anything to a non paying audience - open mike/busking etc - then play random riffs/sequences that they have no idea what they could be but think they should. This way you own them not the other way round! Is really fun too as no note is a wrong note and is thus empowering!

I tried that one on my orchestra leader the other week, she was surprisingly robust in her disagreement...

darthed1981

Massive congratulations @Snags

Wish I had the gumption to do that!

Snags

The hardest thing is getting out the front door and dealing with the unknown. Do what I did, and it is a soft intro (doesn't make it easier,  but ...). Check out the local options,  pick one that's not chock full of serious people,  and gird your loins. It only took me two years

Actually,  the biggest encouragement to do it has been getting a few singing lessons. Knowing that I can sing, and being able to pick my keys,  takes a lot of the edge off.