Why am I so shit live?

Bidley

Seriously, why is it that when I play anything on a stage in front of an audience, I turn to shit? I've tried to replicate every kind of condition that I can think of (bad lighting, standing up, while moving around) when practicing, but I'm still hitting umpteen wrong notes and over or under-bending strings all over the shop live that I'm not when I practice!

I think the sweat has something to do with it, under a set of lights I sweat like a good 'un and that means my fretting hand is sliding all over the place. Anyone else have this problem?

GavRichList

Nerves?

jd0272

Nah mate, it'll be just, as said, nerves, and exposure to it. Just relax yerself, and enjoy it. No one notices bum notes or wrong progressions, or just 'wrong' as they'll be full o' beer. Tho there's always the crowd 'Nerd' with his half o' bitter. Common complaint is "You lot played that too fast....." to I'll Be Creeping. Which is fair play as we're a pacey band.

You're not there with a gun to your head, so you must want to be there. Don't drink (I'm always driving so don't) or 'spliff up' as the Kids say, and crack on. The problem I have is 'moving' to the beat, I end up looking like a fckng fcktard as I'm always next to the bassist who's wired to the mains!

And just dig in mate, your fingers know where they're supposed to be, let them do their job!

Bidley

GavHaus said:

Nerves?

Hmm. I've been gigging for about 10 years so I don't really properly get nervous. I get a bit jittery before I get my gear set up, but once everything is tested and working I'm fine. Probably more to do with adrenaline? Either way it annoys me that every other guitarist I see live can play his bits without monumentally fucking up, but I seem to have trouble!

jd0272

Bidley said:

GavHaus said:

Nerves?

Hmm. I've been gigging for about 10 years so I don't really properly get nervous. I get a bit jittery before I get my gear set up, but once everything is tested and working I'm fine. Probably more to do with adrenaline? Either way it annoys me that every other guitarist I see live can play his bits without monumentally fucking up, but I seem to have trouble!

I drop bollocks all over the place, but who cares? As long as the punters are enjoying it, and the band are, job's a good 'un. And the manager's happy like........

And your front end sound is good. Most important thing. Oh yes.

Our lead gitfiddler's gear includes his digi effects rig, always goin' tits up mid song/solo, so I just cover, and he puts it right, just the sort of stuff that occurs, no need to sweat anything. 

As long as the lasses are dancing, all is well. If the lasses aren't dancing, one is in a spot of bother....

Bidley

I appreciate all that, thing is... I've had a few of 'those' comments after gigs, basically snide remarks at my playing, and I'm developing some sort of complex about it. It's at the point now where I just dread playing live. I practice regularly but when I get up on a stage I regress about 10 years of guitar playing!

mike_l

jd0272 said:
crack

Not recommended.

digitalscream

How much do you rehearse with the band? When you do, do you all stand facing each other or all in the same direction?

I've found that these are the two things guaranteed to screw it up live. To fix them...the first is simply playing with people as much as possible. The second is learning not to rely on the visual cues that you subconsciously accumulate from playing with everyone else in your line of sight.

PVO_Dave

I find I make the most mistakes when I overthink things, or preempt that this is a song I *might* mess up, sounds you might now be getting yourself a complex about it before you play. I wind myself up with some if the mistakes I've made, but the majority if people don't even notice, so I try not to beat myself up over it

If you think it's sweat related, a sweat band (wrist) might be an easy fix.

Bidley

We rehearse weekly. We stand all facing eachother, thing is, I'm mostly looking at my guitar trying to play properly so it's not much different at a gig. Learning not to rely on something I'm doing subconsciously sounds nigh on impossible!

monquixote

No one plays as well live as they do in practice.

If you want something to practice then practice not looking at your guitar as it looks shit on stage and it will mean you aren't relying on being able to see well. Also make sure you rehearse songs without vocals so you know tthem without vocal cues.

Also if you balls up in practice don't stop treat it like a gig and work out how to recover

frictionfraction

After years of gigging I now hold the following as absolute truth 1) Don't worry about your playing most of the punters don't know the difference anyway 2) it's all about the songs and .. 3) it's all about the rhythm. (I know that's 2 all abouts) 4) it's all about the singer. (3 - I know..) 5) if you look like you are enjoying yourself that's enough 6). LEAD GUITAR IS NOT IMPORTANT unless you play SWEET CHILD O MINE, HOTEL CALIFORNIA, ERUPTION or LAYLA

jd0272

mike_l said:

jd0272 said:
crack

Not recommended.

I'll move yer office chair mind.........  

jd0272

Bidley said:

I appreciate all that, thing is... I've had a few of 'those' comments after gigs, basically snide remarks at my playing, and I'm developing some sort of complex about it. It's at the point now where I just dread playing live. I practice regularly but when I get up on a stage I regress about 10 years of guitar playing!

Bollocks. Don't fall in to the self analysis trap. Same with yer 'Old Chap'. If you doubt it 'in the act', it'll not work. It's all psychological. If you KNOW you can do it, regardless of the environment, then it's all in ya head, so there's no real problem.

Snide remarks are from knobbers who like to have a dig cause it makes them feel a wee bit better about their own shit lives after a few beverages. If you were shit, you wouldn't be in a gigging band that gets gigs, and gets paid for it.

I had a crap rehearsal Monday. I'd got Gibbons Just Got Paid open E riff off to a charm in the hoose, although it didn't help that my slide was too small for me finger, so awkward execution. But had it down nonetheless. Got to rehearsal, couldn't play it for shit. Why? Cause my ears were following t'other gitfiddler's riff in standard tuning where he was omitting the open E in the riff, and my fingers were following my ears. Right piss fart on. I felt crap, but I will address it. 

Find the problem (not just "I'm crap live") and address it. Job done.

Bidley

jd0272 said:

Bidley said:

I appreciate all that, thing is... I've had a few of 'those' comments after gigs, basically snide remarks at my playing, and I'm developing some sort of complex about it. It's at the point now where I just dread playing live. I practice regularly but when I get up on a stage I regress about 10 years of guitar playing!

I had a crap rehearsal Monday. I'd got Gibbons Just Got Paid open E riff off to a charm in the hoose, although it didn't help that my slide was too small for me finger, so awkward execution. But had it down nonetheless. Got to rehearsal, couldn't play it for shit. Why? Cause my ears were following t'other gitfiddler's riff in standard tuning where he was omitting the open E in the riff, and my fingers were following my ears. Right piss fart on. I felt crap, but I will address it. 

Find the problem (not just "I'm crap live") and address it. Job done.

Well that's just the thing, there's no rhyme or reason to my cock-ups, it's just random, like my fingers occasionally just decide to take on a mind of their own. If it was a specific problem I could put my finger on (lol), I'd focus on that and address it.

jd0272

Nowt's random in this context, there'll be a patten or theme. Seriously.

Anyway, ya put them fat lasses pics up yet?  

jd0272

Tho, and I'm loathe to suggest it, if you really feel it's random, could be medical chap. Spoken to yer Dr?

mike_l

jd0272 said:

mike_l said:

jd0272 said:
crack

Not recommended.

I'll move yer office chair mind.........  

You tnuc >:)

Bidley

Hehe... Well I've got a gig tomorrow night, so I'll log all my choice balls-ups and go from there.

Medical how? Physiological or mental? The only thing I can think of that might affect my playing live is I was diagnosed with a very mild anxiety disorder yonks ago.

jd0272

Bidley said:

Hehe... Well I've got a gig tomorrow night, so I'll log all my choice balls-ups and go from there.

Medical how? Physiological or mental? The only thing I can think of that might affect my playing live is I was diagnosed with a very mild anxiety disorder yonks ago.

Could be owt mate if that's the order of the day. I've got punters, sorry, Service Users, who's anxiety stops them functioning socially full stop. Anxiety, like any thing else, has a broad broad spectrum. Look into it. The solution could be summat dead simple, or not. 

Bet that's cheered ya up!

matt1973

Always been a monkey on my back this.... Three nuggets of advice from my own experience for you.

1) Practice very, very meticulously. Know your licks like the back of your hand. Perhaps even consolidate your lick repertoire to begin with, and unlearn/relearn; taking a piecemeal approach deconstruct everything that turns to shit on stage and get it down much more thoroughly. Just knowing everything you already know but better may be the difference?

2) Dress well, get a haircut, wear good aftershave, shower before you go out, go for swim, have a sauna, etc. Feel good about yourself and the latent tension in your body will be minimised. As such, your chances of playing well will increase significantly.

3) Don't blame or replace your gear without a very good reason.