My first acoustic open mic is tonight...

Bod

...and I'm nervous beyond belief. 

I'm doing it with a friend - 4 songs, all covers and part of a set we've practiced for months.  I've played in full bands for 30 years, and never felt like this .  I can't hide my mistakes behind a wall of noise, and it's very unnerving.  I get really nervous playing in front of other musos too.

Currently accepting lucky poos and calming thoughts/advice...eek.

munckee

Best of luck chief, its my musical ambition although I'll never do it I suspect, certainly singing anyway.

Bod

Thanks mate.  It's been my ambition for a while too, but the imposter syndrome is kicking in severely.  I'm sure it'll be fine - will try to relax and enjoy it.  It's supposed to be fun after all.

munckee

What's on the set list?

camf

Good luck! After even longer being in bands, I've been doing my first ever acoustic shows this year and I know what you're saying about feeling exposed without the noise. But as soon as you get going, I'm sure you'll be fine and love it. 

Jalapeno

Best of British and all that !

Branshen

Don't worry if you mess up, no one cares more than you. Break a leg!

IntoTheRough

The only realistic tip I can offer is try and start with the easiest song to play/sing/remember and ease yourself in. The first few notes are always the ones where the fear can take over but ultimately it never does.

The other possible tip is if you have a section that you feel is hard (fast legato, alt picking, complex flatpicking etc etc) then have a backup version - a simplified one that you could nail in your sleep. But it sounds like you've prepared well enough that the muscle memory will kick in.

And don't get pissed, that won't help!

sev112

Enthusiasm gets you a long way
smile a lot
try and act, or feel your lyrics, put emphasis on the “feeling” words and phrases 
I.e sing as if it means jt

Enjoy, people are very tokerant

BahHumbug

You’ll be fine. Keep doing it. It gets easier.

Bod

Thanks folks.  I've listened back to some older recordings of our practices and it's boosted my confidence a bit. 

@IntoTheRough ;; A great tip about having a simplified section ready.  I'm struggling with one of the lead breaks, especially if we start too fast, so I'll try and figure out something.  It's nothing too complicated but I'm no lead player.

The setlist is this;

• High And Dry - Radiohead.  We've got this one nailed with decent vocal harmonies.
• Faith - George Michael (this is the one with the break I struggle with)
• Tainted Love - Soft Cell.  Again, dead easy and no worries there.
• Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks.  Love playing this, but sometimes get distracted singing the harmony parts and mess up the chord structure .  That's my "thing". 

Rocker

Everyone there wants you to do well. Few even notice mistakes so get up there and enjoy yourself. 

vasselmeyer

The most nervous I've ever been (topping my first ever band gig) was my first ever open mic when singing solo and playing acoustic. There's no hiding. However, it's so scary that it's also invigorating and such a rush. When it's over you'll just feel, "What did I get nervous for?".

Someone said it above, if you mess up, no-one cares more than you and open mics are often some of the most supportive environments I've played in.

Have a good one...

TheOtherDennis

I've never done an open mic, but I do go to a couple of singarounds, where everyone gets a go in turn, there's a break and then everyone gets another go.

A fairly common trait of the ones I've been to is the singer boots the first couple of lines, maybe even the first verse, but after that they're completely fine. I include myself in that.

So don't be surprised in the slightest if that happens to you, and don't let it faze you, just carry on carrying on and it'll all be good.

Oh, and don't worry about your mistakes - no one in the audience will be double checking you against the tab, you know! (Though I have genuinely seen people do that at classical concerts, believe it or not!)

redrighthand

It will be great, and over so quickly you’ll wish you were playing for twice the amount of time. 

Even on the off chance you are rubbish (and given the amount of practising you’ve been doing I’d say there is 0% chance of that), those songs are murdered on most weekends in most cities across the country and you’ll be a damn sight better than many who’ve sung and played them!

As yer man above says, open mic audiences tend to be supportive, not critical, so it’ll be fine.

If you fancy some added pressure of course you could always live stream it on here for us all to watch! :-)

Phil_C

Have fun.

Most people won't notice any mistakes anyway!

Musicwolf

Phil_C said:

Most people won't notice any mistakes anyway!

Absolutely, and what are the few that do notice going to do about it?  Stand up, point an accusing finger in your direction and scream “CALL YOUR SELF A MUSICIAN?  YOU’R A FRAUD!”? Probably not.

When you do make a mistake (we all make them) don’t give yourself away by grimacing.

Roysterdoyster

Feel the fear...and do it anyway! (That’s what the book says anyway)

Nikc

Roysterdoyster said:

Feel the fear...and do it anyway! (That’s what the book says anyway)

I'm very much in this boat - Its been a little while since I've had to go an throw up before playing but I get crazy nervous before going up. That however doesn't stop me so up I get and play and sing all on my own I've even started writing my own stuff and play that as well. 

Feel the fear and just do it - what's the worse that can happen, good luck and enjoy

Edit - didn't even notice the joys of being dyslexic

Fuengi

How was it?

munckee

Nikc said:

Roysterdoyster said:

Feel the fear...and do it anyway! (That’s what the book says anyway)

I'm very much in this boat - Its been a little while since I've had to go an throw up before playing but I get crazy nervous before going up. That however doesn't stop me so up I get and play and sign all on my own I've even started writing my own stuff and play that as well. 

Feel the fear and just do it - what's the worse that can happen, good luck and enjoy

Mate if you can do sign language while playing the guitar I'm coming to watch you : )