Gig anxiety dream

horse · September 2020

Strange time to have a gig anxiety dream seeing as I think the last one I played was in Feb:

I was playing keys in a theatre show of "The Music of The Simpsons"(!) Got to the sixth track of the set and after a few moments silence realised my band mates were looking at me to play an intro. I had played along with the tracks at home sufficient to jam through them, but had no idea how I should start this particular one, or indeed the next few in the set list.

Audience starts filing out for an early interval, muttering. Cross-examination from bandmates on what the hell I was doing!

It was uncomfortable enough that when I woke up I decided to look at my phone to avoid drifting straight back into the same dream.

Not sure why I'm sharing. Anybody else had a gig anxiety dream they can remember?

Kebabkid · September 2020

Quite frequently. Usually being frozen (stagefright), not being able to see the fretboard when the lights are dimmed and equipment failure.

I've put it down to lack of playing live over this period

horse · September 2020

Kebabkid said:

Quite frequently. Usually being frozen (stagefright), not being able to see the fretboard when the lights are dimmed and equipment failure.

I've put it down to lack of playing live over this period

Interesting. I've got a "no prep" improvisation type jam coming up on Sunday, so wonder if it maybe related to that. Quite likely I suppose.

Kebabkid · September 2020

I think being prepared and rehearsed, not obsessively so, when these things come up probably helps alleviate it.

Weird times and I preferred it when I was dreaming of Salma Hayek's dance routine in From Dusk Till Dawn but then I have a huge fear of snakes

slacker · September 2020

I'm the other way no anxiety at all because I don't know when I'm playing next.

Assuming that the op isn't a regular theatre player this could be about playing in unfamiliar circumstances.

I did a school production of grease on bass years ago. I had music notes a low level light for music and fretboard and knew you're the one that I want hoo hoo hoo backwards.

On guitar I always work out what could go wrong for each application. Eg take clothes pegs for an outside reading gig. Unknown electricity supply take an RCB and so on.

Edit re no prep jams practise scales take a capo in case there's a sax player and take a tube screamer if using back line.

horse · September 2020

slacker said:

I'm the other way no anxiety at all because I don't know when I'm playing next.

Assuming that the op isn't a regular theatre player this could be about playing in unfamiliar circumstances.

I did a school production of grease on bass years ago. I had music notes a low level light for music and fretboard and knew you're the one that I want hoo hoo hoo backwards.

On guitar I always work out what could go wrong for each application. Eg take clothes pegs for an outside reading gig. Unknown electricity supply take an RCB and so on.

Edit re no prep jams practise scales take a capo in case there's a sax player and take a tube screamer if using back line.

All good points, although I'm not actually anxious about the jam at all - I'm organising it and am comfortable about how it will work (or in the collective ability of the individuals involved to make it work) and not worried about my playing as it is just for enjoyment / less pressure than other stuff I previously did regularly pre covid.

The dream might be wrapping up the jam with uncertainty at work though maybe.

steven70 · September 2020

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slacker · September 2020

horse said:

slacker said:

I'm the other way no anxiety at all because I don't know when I'm playing next.

Assuming that the op isn't a regular theatre player this could be about playing in unfamiliar circumstances.

I did a school production of grease on bass years ago. I had music notes a low level light for music and fretboard and knew you're the one that I want hoo hoo hoo backwards.

On guitar I always work out what could go wrong for each application. Eg take clothes pegs for an outside reading gig. Unknown electricity supply take an RCB and so on.

Edit re no prep jams practise scales take a capo in case there's a sax player and take a tube screamer if using back line.

All good points, although I'm not actually anxious about the jam at all - I'm organising it and am comfortable about how it will work (or in the collective ability of the individuals involved to make it work) and not worried about my playing as it is just for enjoyment / less pressure than other stuff I previously did regularly pre covid.

The dream might be wrapping up the jam with uncertainty at work though maybe.

My work situation is pretty bad at the moment. The way I deal with anxiety/worry is to give myself a time frame. So Im waiting a week for the result of a job interview. I'm not allowed to worry until the day I get the phone call. However I dont know how we can control dreams.

Hang in there and enjoy the jam.