Is it odd to not enjoy gigging?

BeardyAndy

I enjoy the playing, the rehearsals and the social, but the gigs I could do without.

I've not done many so maybe I'm still a rabbit in the headlamps but the rest of the band are buzzing after where as I'm just glad it's over! 

Tannin

Shhhhsh! You're not supposed to talk about it.

Moe_Zambeek

It comes and goes for me, and depends on the band. I had a run of maybe 10 years with two separate bands at the same time  - a half decent originals band, and an average covers band. Both had times where the venue was packed and was jumping and it was great fun, but I always had *more* fun with the originals. We were just more connected and invested in the songs. Many covers sets were really just ‘work’.

Eventually both became less enjoyable and fizzled out - the originals because of clashing egos, and the covers band because it never got any better over 10 years

flying_pie

In find the crowd can bea major factor. Nothing worse than playing your heart out to an uninterested audience.

One thing I've found that improves the gigging experience is to embrace any tiny mistakes and remember that often even your own band mates won't remember them, never mind the audience. I used to find that I put pressure on myself not to make any mistakes. That really ate away at me during and after gigs and reduced enjoyment.

And definitely keep telling yourself that things will sound better FOH compared to what you hear onstage

BeardyAndy

flying_pie said:

 I used to find that I put pressure on myself not to make any mistakes. That really ate away at me during and after gigs and reduced enjoyment.

This is me in a nutshell!

flying_pie

BeardyAndy said:

flying_pie said:

 I used to find that I put pressure on myself not to make any mistakes. That really ate away at me during and after gigs and reduced enjoyment.

This is me in a nutshell!

I'm not surprised to hear that.

Last gig I played I sang the same verse twice in the opening number. Nobody else noticed. Thankfully I silently laughed it off at the time and it didn't mess up the rest of the gig as that would definitely happened in the past

ICBM

flying_pie said:

Last gig I played I sang the same verse twice

Neil Young did that in Powderfinger when I saw him with Crazy Horse a few years back, so don’t feel too bad . He’s been playing it for 45 years, you’d think he would know it by now .

I do enjoy gigging, but I can totally understand people who don’t, especially if they’re doing it a lot and with music they don’t really like playing. I only gig a few times a year now, and I only play music I want to - actually all covers at the moment, but we’re not a “covers band” in the usual sense. I also take the minimum of gear (normally just my bass and a pedal) so I don’t have to drive, which takes away one of the things I never really enjoyed - being your own roadie.

Danny1969

Like anything, it doesn't suit everyone. I still love it, even the 5 hour drives up north to gig and I still don't mind the pack down like some of my friends do. 
Pressure comes from doubt in your ability, but that changes after a certain amount of gigs and you start to feel more confident as you are less likely to make a mistake. 

Biggest advice I would give anyone is learn your music street theory ... because it makes you less likely to make a mistake and if you do it will still be in key and not really noticeable to the punters. 

TheMadMick

I find the key thing is to relax. It's often not easy and I can understand why some get hooked on illicit stuff or drink.

Lestratcaster

I haven't played live in about 3 years and although I miss being on stage, I haven't missed the long drives, lugging gear in/out vans up long flights of stairs and returning home late at 3/4am. I've played enough shows not to worry about how I'm going to play that night as I'm experienced enough to just enjoy it and understand things always go wrong live.

I play mostly at home on my own now and it suits me and I enjoy it. Doing a writing project thing with two mates currently so it may transform to play those songs live one day, though I may just say I'll be a recording/writer guitarist now instead of a live one.

fastonebaz

For me to enjoy gigging I have to be playing songs I'm into and feel a passion for.  I'm not in it for the money,  just the Thrill and the joy so have to like what I'm playing. 

Also, at a recent gig we played Blackbird by Alterbridge which probably isn't that well played at a standard pub gig, and an old geezer with tats, earrings a hat, chains and full rocker outfit came up to listen and turned his head to the sky, closed his eyes and sang every word along with us, like it touched his soul.  Ive never concentrated so hard not to make a mistake! .  Moments like that are awesome and make gigging so enjoyable. 

fretmeister

flying_pie said:

BeardyAndy said:

flying_pie said:

 I used to find that I put pressure on myself not to make any mistakes. That really ate away at me during and after gigs and reduced enjoyment.

This is me in a nutshell!

I'm not surprised to hear that.

Last gig I played I sang the same verse twice in the opening number. Nobody else noticed. Thankfully I silently laughed it off at the time and it didn't mess up the rest of the gig as that would definitely happened in the past

Don't worry about it.

Wurzel from Motorhead once admitted they were so loud that him and Phil Campbell got through half a world tour before they realised they were playing different final songs of the set.

He didn't say whether he or Phil were playing the correct tune with the other 2!

Supportact

I play a few gigs per year normally (original stuff, not very commercial). The problem i have is that it can be really rewarding (not financially), but also you can also put in loads of effort for very little outcome. You can know the songs and play them well, but it doesn't take much to screw it up. 

At a recent gig we had a sound engineer who was very poor. He just made some very obvious mistakes which meant that the stage sound was awful. Just made things really hard going. Also he was absent from the desk for most of the set, even though there were feedback problems. Had to basically sort it ourselves mid set (i just turned my monitor off and relied on what i could hear from the PA in the end). This kind of thing can make it a real slog, and make you wonder why you bother. 

And if you play original music, there are times when it's just not your crowd. 

Then there are the times when everything clicks and it's amazing. Lately though I have been questioning the sanity of it all. 

LastMantra

I've never (well not properly) done it so I guess I've never felt the urge to. I've played at parties and things and, when I get going, playing in front of people doesn't really bother me. 

Just happy with it being a hobby that I really enjoy. Gigging seems like a different kettle of fish entirely. I used to record a lot and did a few collaborations which were fun but it could became a bit of a chore at times. 

DannyP

For me, the anxiety thing got better over time and continues to improve with experience. Although for some, I understand it never goes away eg. Ray Davies, Eddie Van Halen etc.

When I first thought I'd conquered stage fright, it coincided with me becoming a bit of a Diva. I soon realised the Diva behaviour was just the stage fright coming out in a different way. Realising that helped me move on.

Often when I hear about performers exhibiting "difficult" behaviour, I wonder if it's just sublimated stage fright.....

Danny1969

DannyP said:

For me, the anxiety thing got better over time and continues to improve with experience. Although for some, I understand it never goes away eg. Ray Davies, Eddie Van Halen etc.

When I first thought I'd conquered stage fright, it coincided with me becoming a bit of a Diva. I soon realised the Diva behaviour was just the stage fright coming out in a different way. Realising that helped me move on.

Often when I hear about performers exhibiting "difficult" behaviour, I wonder if it's just sublimated stage fright.....

Sometimes ... but it's also classic deflection. You get a situation where the artist can't reach the notes or play the part correctly and they lash out and try and make it someones else's fault. You get this a lot doing live sound .... somehow the monitor mix being ever so slightly too low for someone results in them screwing up parts and singing flat. A good seasoned pro just keeps smiling and playing  / singing bang on regardless.