So my first show is this weekend

Cynic · 05-01-2012, 08:25 PM

Don't know if there is already a thread for this, but I was just wondering if you guys have any tips for being on "stage?"

VBCheeseGrater · 05-01-2012, 08:51 PM

awesome man. My main tip would just be to soak it all in and enjoy as much as possible. Don't sweat the small stuff, because the crowd won't care. Your energy and music are the important things. When someone screws up keep playing and act like it never happened.

If you drink, don't get drunk. Oh yeah, and record the gig! Good Luck, you'll have a blast i'm sure!

717ctsjz · 05-01-2012, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vbshredder

awesome man. My main tip would just be to soak it all in and enjoy as much as possible. Don't sweat the small stuff, because the crowd won't care. Your energy and music are the important things. When someone screws up keep playing and act like it never happened.

If you drink, don't get drunk. Oh yeah, and record the gig! Good Luck, you'll have a blast i'm sure!

All of this

also dont trade performance to try and look cool, I saw two guitarists completely throw off a set by one of them trying to throw his guitar upside down and spin in a circle at the same time, and the other one trying to be a ballerina without a wireless. If you can pull off guitar spins then its ....ing awesome however if you cant (I sure cant and dont want to risk breaking my gear to do it) its just not worth it.

ozzman619 · 05-01-2012, 09:14 PM

smoke meth, lots and lots of meth

CYBERSYN · 05-01-2012, 09:16 PM

Know your gear and tape down loose cables.

Tune.

Look at the crowd every now and then.

Enjoy yourself and make sur you let the crowd know you're enjoying yourself.

Tune.

CTID · 05-01-2012, 09:50 PM

The number one thing I can think of:

Do not stop playing. Never ever ever ever stop playing. I don't care if every string on your guitar suffers catastrophic failure and snap all at the same time, you keep on playing, damnit.

And if you guys lose your place, as bad as it sounds to try to get back together, don't stop and start your song over again. It just looks bad to the crowd.

Be polite to the other bands (if any) but don't kiss ass. If you kiss ass, people will know what you're doing, but don't be an asshole or nobody's going to want to play a show with you ever again.

Also, practice setting up and tearing down so that you can do it quickly and get set up quickly and play, and when you're done, get out of the next band's way so they can set up.

Cynic · 05-02-2012, 12:25 AM

Thanks for the tips so far, guys!

@ vbshredder: Haha, I'm not going to drink. And yes, I'm fairly certain it will be recorded.

@ 717ctsjz: Yeah, I get what you mean. I'm just now getting semi-comfortable playing while moving around. I would rather sound good than look goofy and sound bad.

@ ozzman619: I'd rather the cocaine. All the cocaine.

@ CYBERSYN: Taping down lose cables. Gotcha!

@ CTID: Never even thought of practicing setting up/tearing down. Thanks!

Tones · 05-02-2012, 12:34 AM

Just pretend you're in the garage you play in. Try to blank the crowd out, but at the same time, pretend you're playing at an arena. Ya dig? Move around, look good, practice, never stop playing no matter how hard someone messes up.

JStraitiff · 05-02-2012, 01:24 AM

I would say have some fun.

Ghost40 · 05-03-2012, 07:48 AM

Don't stop playing if you hit a wrong note or miss one. Just keep going. Also, if someone else hits something wrong, don't look at them and make weird faces. Just keep on truckin. This draws attention to the mistake.

Acknowledge the audience. You don't have to stare them down... but making eye contact off and on works.

Most important, relax and have fun!! I'm not huge energy or anything, but I like to move about, to and fro...

sage · 05-03-2012, 05:14 PM

Bring an extra guitar. If you don't have one, arrange to borrow one from a friend. Extra guitars are mandatory.

And have fun. See if you can get a friend to videotape it for you. You only get to play your first show once.

poisonelvis · 05-03-2012, 05:26 PM

#1-DON'T OVER THINK IT!!!,just like a practice,but with more people,and make sure yer' rig is ready to go,back up fiddle,ect,and have fun,and don't just stand there,i point out people i know(thats just me bringing my crowd into it).

Moostifur · 05-03-2012, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sage

Bring an extra guitar. If you don't have one, arrange to borrow one from a friend. Extra guitars are mandatory.

And have fun. See if you can get a friend to videotape it for you. You only get to play your first show once.

This is super crucial. Years ago the other guitarist in my band made the mistake of only bringing one guitar. Broke a string 2 songs in... needless to say the set stopped there. SUCKED.

Oh also, don't let people rush your sound check. Bad sound/ levels will make an amazing band sound mediocre at best.

All_¥our_Bass · 05-03-2012, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CTID

Do not stop playing. Never ever ever ever stop playing. I don't care if every string on your guitar suffers catastrophic failure and snap all at the same time, you keep on playing, damnit.

Except between songs

CTID · 05-03-2012, 10:03 PM

nope

Cynic · 05-07-2012, 12:25 AM

No videos up yet, but here's a couple of pictures:

(Me in the white shirt doing a stomp or some shit)

Windwaker · 05-07-2012, 02:47 PM

It looks like rock-age was achieved. How did you feel about it? Learned anything?

Cynic · 05-07-2012, 09:45 PM

^ Practice, practice, practice. Bring a longer cable.

patrickWLV · 05-07-2012, 10:45 PM

watch youtube videos of your favorite guitarists and learn killer stage presence from the pros

CTID · 05-08-2012, 03:46 PM

At least it looks like your vocalist didn't just awkwardly stand there as most vocalists tend to to on their first shows.

Then again idk if it was his first show or not.

VBCheeseGrater · 05-08-2012, 04:15 PM

Cool man, nice looking set up for your first gig. mine was at at country bar as a metal act. We about got booed out of the establishment, but switched to blues jams just in time :-) Good times.

Cynic · 05-12-2012, 09:29 PM

Okay, the videos are up!

L1ght · 05-12-2012, 11:38 PM

That crowd blows.

DoomJazz · 05-13-2012, 11:05 AM

I've learned that making shows more personal, interaction with the crowd, both on and off stage, is a huge part of making your band successful. I don't mean be that guy that gets all up in someones face because they are the front row arm crosser, but I like to try and be funny during my sets and make an ass of myself. Sometimes I'll get off stage and walk up to a friend or someone I don't even know and while I'm screaming something totally brutal, I'll make it look like I'm having a regular conversation with them. It's even better when you find someone that's not even paying attention, and have the spot light put on them by putting the mic in their face for an extended period of time when they have absolutely no idea what's going on.

Also, if you do breakdowns, shake your ass, not your face, and make people laugh. "That guy has a great butt!" attracts more people than "They all headbanged...".

avenger · 05-15-2012, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L1ghtChaos

That crowd blows.

One ninja to rule them all...

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05-01-2012, 08:51 PM	#2
VBCheeseGrater not quite a shredder Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Hampton Roads Posts: 1,731 Thanked: 31 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	awesome man. My main tip would just be to soak it all in and enjoy as much as possible. Don't sweat the small stuff, because the crowd won't care. Your energy and music are the important things. When someone screws up keep playing and act like it never happened. If you drink, don't get drunk. Oh yeah, and record the gig! Good Luck, you'll have a blast i'm sure! Solodini likes this. Ibanez ARZ307, SA32EX Gibson LPJ, Squire II frankenstrat of doom Dual Recto Rev G,6505+, B-52 AT-100 POD XT Pro, Velocity 100

05-01-2012, 09:14 PM	#4
ozzman619 SS.org Regular Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: toronto, Ont Posts: 339 Thanked: 9 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	smoke meth, lots and lots of meth S-O, jordanky, Levi79 and 2 others like this.

05-01-2012, 09:16 PM	#5
CYBERSYN CYBERnetic SYNergy Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sunny Coast, Australia Posts: 5,359 Thanked: 33 Feedback Score: 2 reviews	Know your gear and tape down loose cables. Tune. Look at the crowd every now and then. Enjoy yourself and make sur you let the crowd know you're enjoying yourself. Tune. Solodini and WarOfAttrition like this. Make a rule where, who ever messes up gets punched in the face. That is how I run my solo project. - Floppystrings Search this site by going to Google and adding site:sevenstring.org after your search word!

05-01-2012, 09:50 PM	#6
CTID Duh-Jent Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Savannah, GA Posts: 214 Thanked: 8 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	The number one thing I can think of: Do not stop playing. Never ever ever ever stop playing. I don't care if every string on your guitar suffers catastrophic failure and snap all at the same time, you keep on playing, damnit. And if you guys lose your place, as bad as it sounds to try to get back together, don't stop and start your song over again. It just looks bad to the crowd. Be polite to the other bands (if any) but don't kiss ass. If you kiss ass, people will know what you're doing, but don't be an asshole or nobody's going to want to play a show with you ever again. Also, practice setting up and tearing down so that you can do it quickly and get set up quickly and play, and when you're done, get out of the next band's way so they can set up. Solodini and VBCheeseGrater like this.

05-01-2012, 08:25 PM	#1
Cynic Luguta Tapping Pro~ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,906 Thanked: 76 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	So my first show is this weekend Don't know if there is already a thread for this, but I was just wondering if you guys have any tips for being on "stage?"

Today
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05-02-2012, 12:25 AM	#7
Cynic Luguta Tapping Pro~ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,906 Thanked: 76 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Thanks for the tips so far, guys! @ vbshredder: Haha, I'm not going to drink. And yes, I'm fairly certain it will be recorded. @ 717ctsjz: Yeah, I get what you mean. I'm just now getting semi-comfortable playing while moving around. I would rather sound good than look goofy and sound bad. @ ozzman619: I'd rather the cocaine. All the cocaine. @ CYBERSYN: Taping down lose cables. Gotcha! @ CTID: Never even thought of practicing setting up/tearing down. Thanks! WarOfAttrition likes this.

05-02-2012, 12:34 AM	#8
Tones Red paperclip trader Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: New Jersey Posts: 844 Thanked: 12 Feedback Score: 12 reviews	Just pretend you're in the garage you play in. Try to blank the crowd out, but at the same time, pretend you're playing at an arena. Ya dig? Move around, look good, practice, never stop playing no matter how hard someone messes up. WarOfAttrition likes this.

05-02-2012, 01:24 AM	#9
JStraitiff Melodic Mamma Jamma Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 1,164 Thanked: 7 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I would say have some fun.

05-03-2012, 07:48 AM	#10
Ghost40 Dude Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Maryland Posts: 798 Thanked: 23 Feedback Score: 7 reviews	Don't stop playing if you hit a wrong note or miss one. Just keep going. Also, if someone else hits something wrong, don't look at them and make weird faces. Just keep on truckin. This draws attention to the mistake. Acknowledge the audience. You don't have to stare them down... but making eye contact off and on works. Most important, relax and have fun!! I'm not huge energy or anything, but I like to move about, to and fro... WarOfAttrition likes this.

05-03-2012, 05:14 PM	#11
sage Banned Join Date: May 2011 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 1,313 Thanked: 16 Feedback Score: 5 reviews	Bring an extra guitar. If you don't have one, arrange to borrow one from a friend. Extra guitars are mandatory. And have fun. See if you can get a friend to videotape it for you. You only get to play your first show once. Solodini and WarOfAttrition like this.

05-03-2012, 05:26 PM	#12
poisonelvis windowlicker Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: bumblefuck,ca. Posts: 747 Thanked: 7 $poisonelvis is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $poisonelvis is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $poisonelvis is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $poisonelvis is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $poisonelvis is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $poisonelvis is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $poisonelvis is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ Feedback Score: 0 reviews	#1-DON'T OVER THINK IT!!!,just like a practice,but with more people,and make sure yer' rig is ready to go,back up fiddle,ect,and have fun,and don't just stand there,i point out people i know(thats just me bringing my crowd into it). I always wear a helmet,it protects my hair.

05-03-2012, 10:03 PM	#15
CTID Duh-Jent Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Savannah, GA Posts: 214 Thanked: 8 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	nope

05-07-2012, 12:25 AM	#16
Cynic Luguta Tapping Pro~ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,906 Thanked: 76 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	No videos up yet, but here's a couple of pictures: (Me in the white shirt doing a stomp or some shit) BabUShka and JStraitiff like this.

05-07-2012, 02:47 PM	#17
Windwaker ss.org Regular Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 25 Thanked: 0 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	It looks like rock-age was achieved. How did you feel about it? Learned anything? Enjoy Avant/Progressive Metal? Check out my band, http://www.facebook.com/autocatalytica.

05-07-2012, 09:45 PM	#18
Cynic Luguta Tapping Pro~ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,906 Thanked: 76 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	^ Practice, practice, practice. Bring a longer cable. Empryrean and Solodini like this.

05-07-2012, 10:45 PM	#19
patrickWLV ss.org Regular Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Bronx, NY Posts: 76 Thanked: 3 Feedback Score: 2 reviews	watch youtube videos of your favorite guitarists and learn killer stage presence from the pros

05-08-2012, 03:46 PM	#20
CTID Duh-Jent Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Savannah, GA Posts: 214 Thanked: 8 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	At least it looks like your vocalist didn't just awkwardly stand there as most vocalists tend to to on their first shows. Then again idk if it was his first show or not.

05-08-2012, 04:15 PM	#21
VBCheeseGrater not quite a shredder Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Hampton Roads Posts: 1,731 Thanked: 31 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Cool man, nice looking set up for your first gig. mine was at at country bar as a metal act. We about got booed out of the establishment, but switched to blues jams just in time :-) Good times. Ibanez ARZ307, SA32EX Gibson LPJ, Squire II frankenstrat of doom Dual Recto Rev G,6505+, B-52 AT-100 POD XT Pro, Velocity 100

05-12-2012, 09:29 PM	#22
Cynic Luguta Tapping Pro~ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,906 Thanked: 76 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Okay, the videos are up! L1ght likes this.

05-12-2012, 11:38 PM	#23
L1ght Copypasta All Over Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,269 Thanked: 11 Feedback Score: 11 reviews	That crowd blows.

05-13-2012, 11:05 AM	#24
DoomJazz Classic Lojack Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Chicago Posts: 525 Thanked: 9 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I've learned that making shows more personal, interaction with the crowd, both on and off stage, is a huge part of making your band successful. I don't mean be that guy that gets all up in someones face because they are the front row arm crosser, but I like to try and be funny during my sets and make an ass of myself. Sometimes I'll get off stage and walk up to a friend or someone I don't even know and while I'm screaming something totally brutal, I'll make it look like I'm having a regular conversation with them. It's even better when you find someone that's not even paying attention, and have the spot light put on them by putting the mic in their face for an extended period of time when they have absolutely no idea what's going on. Also, if you do breakdowns, shake your ass, not your face, and make people laugh. "That guy has a great butt!" attracts more people than "They all headbanged...". iRaiseTheDead and Solodini like this.

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