First Live Experiences

[Alazais]

I was up visiting my Grandmother yesterday, and I went over to this local pub. Well I got a few beer into me, and these two guys came in. One in a suit and tie, both of them had cowboy hats on. They sat down and just started played together. I was just blown away. I mean, these guys rival D&T. I mean on the spot perfect improv soloing. The other guy (the Singer) had a beautiful voice. Anyways, So I was just sitting there listening to these guys and I asked if they knew any Dave Matthews tunes? They said no, and I'd told them how I play a little bit. They then invited me to play a tune with them, as much as i refused they insisted and put the guitar in my hands.. I just followed along with the singer playing rhythm, but oh my god.. It was amazing. I wish I had something to record it. We did a cover of Wild Horses... I can't describe how amazing it was. I had butchered the whole song, but to play with these guys, and to just simply enjoy the music at that very moment. It was the first time i'd really ever played with someone else, and man.. I will remember it for the rest of my life. We played 4 or 5 songs together... I had such an amazing night.. I just thought i'd share with you folks. Í'm still glowing from the whole experience.

Anyone else have any "first time" stories.. about music...

[unccrombie]

yeah i got nervous and missed a note on my solo. to this day im convinced its why we lost the talent show to irish dancers. ever since then though i've been calmer and calmer at every show

[HolyCow]

I have never done anything in front of people.

I am scared to death to even think about it.

[unccrombie]

I have never done anything in front of people.

I am scared to death to even think about it.
why?

[HolyCow]

why?

I don't know. Fear of screwing up I think. And I am less than confident in my singing voice.

I would love to, though. Just need to find some guts and some courage.

[ndiggity67]

I would love to play in front of people, but i would be a nervouse wreck. Sometimes i get nervouse in front of my friends!

[unccrombie]

i think the key to playing live is realizing people want to hear you. if you screw up it's not really a big deal unless your getting paid. my buddy chris and i did a show last week and we screwed up 3 songs. just joke about it and move on. you'll never nail it perfect everytime

[HolyCow]

i think the key to playing live is realizing people want to hear you. if you screw up it's not really a big deal unless your getting paid. my buddy chris and i did a show last week and we screwed up 3 songs. just joke about it and move on. you'll never nail it perfect everytime

Where do you play? Do you just go to a local bar and ask if you can play one night?

[twk13]

well, the key is practice practice practice. rehearse rehearse rehearse

[unccrombie]

Where do you play? Do you just go to a local bar and ask if you can play one night?
i play local coffee shops, places on campus. i probably won't head out to the bar scene until i'm good enough to get payed

[HolyCow]

i play local coffee shops, places on campus. i probably won't head out to the bar scene until i'm good enough to get payed


when i grow some balls, I may give it a go.

I think right now, what I really want to do is find someone that can sing, and I will just play for them. Use that to break myself in.

[Alazais]

I'd have no problem playing infront of anyone. I enjoy it more then anything, but I will not sing infront of them. I can't carry a note to save my life.

[dmb66]

The only way to be comfortable doing it is to do it. There is no other remedy. One day I said what the hell and sang karoke. A year in a half later I am playing acoustic and lead singer in a 5 peice jam band. You just gotta do it like I said. And karoke is a great way if you are not confident in your voice to gage people's reactions of your singing without being in any sort of formal environment.

Karoke = the future musician's secret laboratory... :eek

[JG2121]

The more you do the easier it gets. I haven't done a lot, but that's how I find it.

[1suitewhirled]

yeah, i agree, you just have to get out and play, the nervousness just wont be there after a while, at least thats my experience...

[WhoYourWith]

i think its best to start out with people you know to help get the jitters out of the way, and to do it in an informal setting, instead of having the mood like you're putting on a show, just be strumming or whatever as you're sitting around. it feels great when someone realizes something that you're playing when you're not exactly performing, because you know you're doing a good enough job that they at least know what song it is. then you move on to coffee shops, on campus, then bars. then red rocks :bounce

[HolyCow]

i think its best to start out with people you know to help get the jitters out of the way, and to do it in an informal setting, instead of having the mood like you're putting on a show, just be strumming or whatever as you're sitting around. it feels great when someone realizes something that you're playing when you're not exactly performing, because you know you're doing a good enough job that they at least know what song it is. then you move on to coffee shops, on campus, then bars. then red rocks :bounce

I know what you mean. One of my roommates had some friends over last week and I was playing some John Mayer and a couple of girls (this wasn't planned) came in and asked what I was playing. I said, "Some John Mayer" and they said they loved him. They listened to me play a few and that was it. My heart was pounding even then. But it was fun because they came in and knew what I was doing and they liked it.

[Rob]

Honestly, I had an easier time playing for strangers that I'd never see again at first. After that, you just want more and more people there!

[WhoYourWith]

for me it's like, when you're w/ people you know, especially if you're not "performing", just sitting around chillin and maybe you're strumming or whatever, it's easier than going in front of people who are expecting or hoping for something good out of you, and you trying to prove yourself to them. to each his own i guess.

[HolyCow]

for me it's like, when you're w/ people you know, especially if you're not "performing", just sitting around chillin and maybe you're strumming or whatever, it's easier than going in front of people who are expecting or hoping for something good out of you, and you trying to prove yourself to them. to each his own i guess.

:thumbsup

Amen. If you screw up in front of your friends, it just like, "Oh well" and you make a joke about it.

The key is, getting confident and relaxed and act like the complete strangers you play in front of are like your friends.

[jaird]

I would love to, though. Just need to find some guts and some courage.

its called 'Jack Daniels'.

[HolyCow]

its called 'Jack Daniels'.

:lol :thumbsup

[unccrombie]

i cant play guitar tipsy, and alcohol dehydrates you

[Rockyall107]

yea god am i bad when im drunk..

and when im high..i play really lazy...

[ndiggity67]

i am great when i am stoned

[mattinbeloit]

yeah i got nervous and missed a note on my solo. to this day im convinced its why we lost the talent show to irish dancers. ever since then though i've been calmer and calmer at every show

fucking irish dancers, it's like luck flows through their blood... lol i just started laughing for no reason when u said you lost to irish dancers. nothing against you i just thought it was funny.

[unccrombie]

fucking irish dancers, it's like luck flows through their blood... lol i just started laughing for no reason when u said you lost to irish dancers. nothing against you i just thought it was funny.
they were quite good, when u practice for 12 years and go to ireland for competitions you tend to clean up at high school talent shows :devil cheating bastards

[MrCrowley]

I don't know. Fear of screwing up I think. And I am less than confident in my singing voice.

I would love to, though. Just need to find some guts and some courage.

I thought I would be the same way, but when you get up there it's quite a rush really. A lot of fun, and its contagious so you want to keep doing it. At the beginning in high school my buddies and I formed a band, we sucked and thought we'd be nervous, but it was a kick and even though we weren't all that great, nobody cared and we had a lot of fun. I would try it if you can.

[thewellander]

A funny story about my first time playing live in a band...My first band was called Jimmy the Fly and the Mojo Boys (long story). It was a punk band fronted by a female singer. I was the guitar player. The great thing about this lead singer is that she went to an all-girl Catholic highschool. So the first time I ever played on stage was in a public assembly at her highschool. I stepped out on stage in front of a couple hundred teenage girls in Catholic school uniforms. I was 15 at the time and I felt like such a rockstar. I can honestly say that I've never had a better crowd in my life.

Chris

[Alazais]

I'm reviving this thread as I think it could be an interesting follow-up.

Many of you talked about playing live and the fear that you associated to it.


It's been five years since this thread "died", have you gone out and played yet? Are you in a band? How's it doing? It's time for some updates!

[fonzz41]

My first time was at what was supposed to be this big high school party in the school auditorium. So we have this dream of playing to a crowd of hundreds at least... Yeah, about 40 people tops showed up :lol... and they all sat down the whole time :lol. We played six tunes I think... one of them being Ants Marching (with a guest fiddler and our lead guitarist butchering the sax lines). We thought we were the shiz, but as I go back and listen I realize how horrific it was!

Needless to say, my best friend and I split off from that band and started a new one. We're much more used to the live scene (although nothing too big) but are currently not playing much as wives, kids, college, and careers have taken higher priority. Today, my friend and I find it much more gratifying to just pull out two acoustics and chill together.

[VanHorneDog]

i love playing in front of people, its way too much fun.

took me like 3 years, i def had some of the fears. but as soon as i get on stage it all goes away. maybe the first song a bit nervous, but after that it goes away. i love joking with people in the audience and making stuff up on the spot (songs that is). way too much fun.

i'm always afraid of "screwing up" but we play mostly original tunes so you cant screw those up if most of the audience has never heard em. plus my band only screws something up if we try to play it perfect, when we are loose and get into a good groove we just go at it. when we record or try to play a song right, all we do is fuck it up. at that point we all say "fuck it" and just do whatever the hell we want.

i will say one thing though, its much nicer to fuck stuff up in a band. because everybody in the band laughs and you move on. much easier to shrug off.

[evcon]

I remember my first show, I was a nervous wreck. After about 10 shows I started to get more comfortable and I really started to be super energetic/crazy on stage. As long as you're having a good time and hitting at least 50% of the notes right I would call it a success! :P
Time seems to fly the fastest playing on stage for me. Big rush. I remember playing 1 1/2 hour shows and being amazed when it was over. It was like I was drunk or something

[whiteysax]

I don't remember my first time... it was so long ago. I've always been a part of live performance. Marching and concert band in high school and college is one thing, when you're out there with dozens of other people... never bothered me. When I started doing more exposed performances (college recitals, etc...) I'd get a little nervous, but once I got going I didn't mind it. Since college I've been involved mostly in live rock and funk shows. The bigger the crowd, the more fun I have!

[psylocke24]

My first live performance is not actually in a bar or huge crowd, it is in our music school and we are only 100 students that time. I performed one song for our graduation the song is Stay by Lisa Loeb. I remember I was very nervous and while I was performing I am sweating a lot, it is a nice experience though.

[express41]

Its amazing that it really does take ten "hey that was really good"s to overcome one "dude that sucked, you can't sing"... I have no confidence in my singing voice, and it really sucks too because I LOVE to sing and play guitar. The funny thing is, if you listen to dave's voice near the very beginning of the group, his voice was pretty awful, nasal and just odd, but he grew into it. Now he's incredible.

I LOVE DMB's stuff but will never play a DMB cover for people because then you become "that guy"... I have written almost 100 original songs for the guitar, and I have a book full of lyrics but my weakness is fitting the lyrics I like into melodies that fit the songs... I have about 10 completed with lyrics and all but until I get it all together, i'll be holding off on any live performances.

[luke77c]

i am better after a beer or two to calm the nerves then i calm down and sing decently. but man, i sang needle and the damage done in school for something last year and i was so nervous and made a disaster out of it

[NextMovement41]

When I still played guitar, me and a few friends had one short gig for a food cupboard. Check out that h3++y Type II segue

Last Kiss
Killing in the Name->
Wonderwall
Three Little Birds

It was just the intro of Killing and then went directly into Oasis. If thats the only time I ever play on stage I'll describe that as the highlight of my career

[Bohrman26]

First time I ever played in front of a group of people was my junior year in high school. I played drums for the band and we had a blast. Nerves for the first song or two and then we straight killed it. Got a standing ovation after our last song. Felt great.

[halloween33]

I'll never forget my first show in a full band. I was nervous as hell but we nailed the first song and got a great reaction from the crowd. From that moment, I decided one of the best feelings in life is playing music on stage and having people enjoy it :) Everyone should get to experience it once in their lives. Easiest way to calm nerves, especially if you do rhythm or play drums... focus on tempo. Focus on slowing it down (nerves always make you play faster). If you concentrate on a steady pace, you'll be comfortable before you know it. Nevertheless, 170+ shows later, I still get the same rush before the first note on stage. Part of why DMB is so great, even as big as they are, I don't think they will ever lose the desire for that rush on stage.