Pretty nervous about my first gig

[Jose EB5AGV]

As the date of first gig approaches (21st July, 8PM Spanish time) I am getting more and more nervous... I know that I will press lots of wrong keys and that has me kind of locked into thinking I will regret having got into this at my age and, above all, with little experience.

 

And knowing that quite a bunch of people I know will attend does not help either. Nor the scorching hot weather we are suffering 🥵

 

I know everyone has had a first gig and probably with similar doubts that I have now. So, sorry for this message, but I need some support from fellow keyboard players. Where else could I find that?. Hope you understand 🙏🏻

 

Perhaps in a tad more than two days I will be back here, happy about the gig results... I really wish so!

 

Regards,

 

Jose 😥

 

[NewImprov]

If you have time beforehand, get some extra rehearsal in, if you are comfortable and competent on your parts, you will probably feel more confident. Make sure your gear is working, and you have all the cords, pedals and power adaptors you need, and maybe a few spares. 
 

on the gig, try to relax and go with the music. You will make mistakes, don’t obsess over them, just let them pass and focus on the moment. 
 

With the heat, stay hydrated! Make sure you have enough water to get you through the set. 
 

Above all, enjoy yourself! Music is a wonderful way to communicate with your band mates and audience, be open to whatever comes. 
 

I hope everything goes smashingly! Report back!

[CyberGene]

I've gigged only a few times and I'm usually not very nervous, so take my advice with a pinch of salt* and I know I will stir a lot of mud here but I think having just a bit of alcohol, like e.g. half a drink of what you usually drink, might make you calmer. It's how a small amount of alcohol works for me and as an added bonus I seem to play and improvise better when having a little bit of alcohol 😀 I will repeat: a little bit. More than a little bit and my playing starts deteriorating. Sorry for the controversial advice and I'm not sure what the policy about this is on the forum, but the mods may feel free to delete this and I apologize in advance.

 

* It’s tequila that goes with a pinch of salt 🤣

[synthizen2]

If this is your first gig... don't be nervous... be EXCITED!  This is your first shot at making a musical impression on some people. Give it your best!

 

If it's a big crowd, try to imagine that you're just playing this music to a handful of 3 or 4 people. You'll feel more relaxed that way. Yes, you'll slip up on a note or two here and there... don't worry about it, keep playing... if you exude confidence, people won't notice those tiny mistakes.

 

I know I was excited as all hell, at my first ever gig back in 1985. Couldn't wait to get onstage. You should feel similarly!

[Stokely]

Hey, I may--I stress "may"--be in somewhat of the same boat in the future.   I'm still not feeling ready.   While I've done a ton of gigs on keyboards and even vocals, I've never ever played guitar at a gig.  I'm scared to death of trying it.   I may even keep my volume down in FOH the first gig, listening only in my monitor    Or at least lower.   

People can and do make mistakes.  Hell I probably mess up multiple times at every single show and I've done hundreds.  Even pros mess up.  The show must go on, just remember that it's very unlikely anyone will notice unless you draw attention to it afterward.  I've seen plenty of players get mad at themselves or even start glaring at each other when someone screws up--not good.  Just keep playing and forget about it if you do screw up.

I usually have a couple beers to loosen up.  I'm not going to say it makes me a better player, nor does having more than a couple beers, but it does make me not care    

Good luck!  Just remember even if you have some bad moments this is an experience to grow from.

[Docbop]

Everyone makes mistakes the key is don't react to them just keep going.  Most the time no one even notices unless you "telegraph" your mistakes by dropping volume, making faces,  dropping out, just keep going.  Relax and focus on being part of the band, don't just focus on your playing. 

 

Story time....

Guitar legend Robben Ford had a new member in his band doing his first gig with Robben.   They come off the stage after their set and the guy is really stressed.  Robben asked the guy what wrong, the guys said I made a few mistakes.   Robben starts laughing and tells they guy.... If you're not making mistakes it means your not having fun, we do this to have fun, don't worry about it. 

[bfields]

As a maybe-a-few-times-a-year performer I've found Bulletproof Musician's advice sometimes helpful: https://bulletproofmusician.com/how-to-make-performance-anxiety-an-asset-instead-of-a-liability/.

 

I try to find a musical goal to focus that's relevant to the particular event and that isn't about me and what people think about me.

 

In the days before I put some extra effort time into the beginning, as that's usually when I'm most nervous and adjusting to how everything feels and sounds.

 

When I'm playing I try to pay special attention to breathing and taking my time, to counteract the tendency of adrenaline to make me rush.

[HammondDave]

I have never played a gig without making at least one mistake, and I have been playing live for over 50 years. 
 

And don’t drink alcohol or smoke pot before a performance. That would be the biggest mistake you could make, especially on your first gig.

 

Like everyone says, have fun. That’s the most important thing. And remember, very few people will notice any mistakes that you make.

[Bill H.]

Back in the early days if I could feel my heart pounding before playing, I'd go outside and run to burn off that adrenalin. Used to help a lot. 

 

Don't know the nature of your gig - solo, or with a group? If it's a group, the nervousness will go away real fast - within a song or two. Solo takes longer unfortunately. 

[Jose EB5AGV]

19 minutes ago, Bill H. said:

Back in the early days if I could feel my heart pounding before playing, I'd go outside and run to burn off that adrenalin. Used to help a lot. 

 

Don't know the nature of your gig - solo, or with a group? If it's a group, the nervousness will go away real fast - within a song or two. Solo takes longer unfortunately. 

 

Thank you all for your comments!. They are helping me a lot 🙏🏻

 

It is a 6 member band gig (female vocalist, bass, guitar, sax, drums and myself). And they didn't have a keys player before. So I could be silent and everything would go fine 😆... Well, not really, but close. On some covers I use synth sounds that really help the music.

I have applied something I read here: be sure my playing helps to make the music better. So I try to not overplay nor entering forbidden areas (as the bass register) except on a song which is heavy on rock piano and was asked to add the bass note with a kind of interlaced rhythm with the bass.

 

Jose

 

[Al Quinn]

I have a gig this Saturday. Even though I’ve been gigging since the early ‘70’s and I’ve been practicing for decades, I will likely make some mistakes. In my experience people don’t care too much about mistakes; they care that you’re passionate, sincere, expressive, and having fun. Of course, being prepared is very important, but once on the gig just try to enjoy yourself, pay attention to what’s happening around you musically, and do what you can to make the group sound as good as possible. 
 

What type of music will you be playing?

[Bill H.]

33 minutes ago, HammondDave said:

And don’t drink alcohol or smoke pot before a performance. That would be the biggest mistake you could make, especially on your first gig.

 

I second Dave's opinion on this. Drinking alcohol before a performance can quickly become a habit, and after awhile it becomes extremely difficult to disconnect playing before an audience from alcohol consumption. I speak from experience. I'd recommend sucking it up and doing it straight. 

[Jose EB5AGV]

1 minute ago, Al Quinn said:

I have a gig this Saturday. Even though I’ve been gigging since the early ‘70’s and I’ve been practicing for decades, I will likely make some mistakes. In my experience people don’t care too much about mistakes; they care that your passionate, sincere, expressive, and having fun. Of course, being prepared is very important, but once on the gig just try to enjoy yourself, pay attention to what’s happening around you musically, and do what you can to make the group sound as good as possible. 
 

What type of music will you be playing?

 

Thanks for the advice and sharing your experience about mistakes. I for sure will make way more 😅, but still keeping going on is the key.

 

We will play pop/rock, about 60% covers (80s-00s) and the rest songs composed by the group (all before I arrived in March)

 

I hope to be able to switch to enjoy mode ASAP, as on rehearsals, when I get into that mode, music flows lots better.

 

Jose

[wineandkeyz]

My biggest advice is to just have fun. They don't call it playing music for nothing!

 

You will make mistakes; everybody does. Your bandmates will probably make their fair share. If I collected and cooked the clams I make during a typical show, I could feed a family of five. The thing is, often the "mistakes" we make aren't noticeable to anyone but ourselves. "I was shooting for this, but played that." Stay in the moment, don't look back, and focus on the musical moments to come.

[Jose EB5AGV]

2 minutes ago, Bill H. said:

I second Dave's opinion on this. Drinking alcohol before a performance can quickly become a habit, and after awhile it becomes extremely difficult to disconnect playing before an audience from alcohol consumption. I speak from experience. I'd recommend sucking it up and doing it straight. 

 

Don't worry, I usually don't drink alcohol. But after the concert, a beer or two will be welcomed. I hope they will be to celebrate!

[timwat]

Already a wealth of great advice given. Here's a few things I've learned over the decades, in no particular order:

 

1) At the end of the day, it's not about me. In band shows, it's about the music, it's about the audience enjoying the music, it's about the sum of many other things. My role is one element, it's important, but it's not the only one.

2) Don't sweat what I can't control. I can't control the other musicians, most times I can't control the set list, or the weather, or how many people show up, or the size of the stage, or...try not to waste mental energy on those things.

3) ...Because I need mental energy to focus on the things I CAN control. These include my hardware and my preparation.

4) I have made it a normal habit to practice setting up and tearing down. I do this routinely in my garage until my normal gig rig can be set up in 15 minutes or less from beginning to first song. This way the hardware stuff is the least of my worries.

5) ...So this way, I can spend time working on my musicianship. Every key phrase, patch changes, tricky riffs, solos, etc. What I play is the main value I bring, so I try to make sure I'm ready for everything I can control...

6) ...and that way I can focus on projecting having a good time, enjoying myself and the music, and showing the audience there is nothing finer and more joyous in life than playing music in public. 

 

I cannot be relaxed until all the other things become second nature. It took me a long time to put those mental gremlins into their appropriate boxes, and allow the hyperawareness that comes with being on stage to fuel artistry and musicianship. And it's a delicate thing that can be disrupted by all sorts of distractions. But at my best, the music flows out with little impediment. I think this is probably true for a lot of us who have been playing live for a long time.

 

Best of luck to you - you're going to do just fine!

 

Tim

[stoken6]

1 hour ago, HammondDave said:

I have never played a gig without making at least one mistake, and I have been playing live for over 50 years. 

This. Every time this.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[stoken6]

36 minutes ago, Bill H. said:

I second Dave's opinion on this. Drinking alcohol before a performance can quickly become a habit, and after awhile it becomes extremely difficult to disconnect playing before an audience from alcohol consumption. I speak from experience. I'd recommend sucking it up and doing it straight. 

+2. I'm not anti-drink, but I find even the smallest drop of alcohol takes away from my performance in ways I wouldn't expect. Make sure you're relaxed in any event, by planning properly, arriving in plenty of time with spares for everything.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[CyberGene]

To make things clear, I'm not a drinker and just for pleasure I probably drink a glass of wine or two once every two weeks or even once a month. But I've noticed with a very strict positive correlation that a small amount improves my feel and musicianship, so I'd say it's very personal and some may find it worse for their performance, but others can find it beneficial. I'm still rather an alcohol opponent. But I also think that if one is overly nervous and he's one of those who feel alcohol relaxes them (and possibly improves their musical feel and performance), it can be beneficial for a first time performance, without this having to become a habit.

[b3plyr]

- Remember this: MIles Davis said “there is no such thing as a bad note”. If that is good enough for him, it should be for you.

- Have fun, no matter what. Your playing will love you for this.

- Never show any expression that indicates you played something you didn’t intend to. Note that I am following MIles here and not calling it a bad note.

- Usually you are your own worse critic. You probably sound much better than you think.

 

Good luck and again, have fun!

[Viv Savage]

As someone who is not that many years away from his first gig, I’ll echo what others have said here and add that I still get the pre-show nerves — I think  it comes with the excitement of live performance!  My experience is that the audience rarely notices mistakes. So try to relax and have fun!  The best advice I can offer is to arrive early to set up and get oriented. 🙂  Unexpected little things always come up at the last minute and you want to save yourself the stress of dealing with them while you’re setting up.  

[DovJ]

Last summer I played my first classical recital in 4 decades. 25 friends and family were in attendance when I played a bit of Bach, Beethoven and Scarlatti. 
 

Was every note perfect? No! Did the audience notice most of the mistakes? No!

 

Did I prove to myself I could do this, and not be overly nervous as I played? Heck yeah! Did I enjoy myself? Boy, did I ever. 
 

That first public performance is an important right of passage for every musician. When you organize it and around many who know and love you, you’re getting their support for your musical plans, and it’s so helpful. 
 

Enjoy!

[jejefunkyman]

Good luck to you for this first gig 🙂 We've all been through this at least once 😄

 

I can only repeat what many already said: if you make a mistake, just go over it and don't let appear that you (or any other band mate) made a mistake. In the end, the audience doesn't really care about it.

 

Also, if somebody tells you after the performance: "Well done, you played great tonight!", do not answer "Hum, thanks buddy, but I made a few mistakes".

 

Just keep this for yourself, and use it as a lessons learned for the next one.

 

It means that once you've integrated this in your mind, you should no longer have anxiety before a gig because of the fear of making mistakes.

 

Also one important thing: try to stay relaxed as much as possible the day of the performance, and avoid any useless source of stress.

 

Have fun!

[JamPro]

One of the most difficult things for me about playing live is the sound is different from what I heard in the practice room, and different from what I hear when I play by myself.  So expect things to sound different.  And this can be confusing.  I tell people that I seem to lose 20 IQ points every time I play in public, and some of this may be due to the volume of the band alone.  I find that loud volumes make it harder for me to concentrate and think.  And loud volumes make it hard for me to play keys, because I want to pound the keyboard harder to generate volume, and then all my skills go away because I am pounding the keyboard harder.  (And the rest of the band is now playing louder because I am pounding the keyboard, and so I am feeling like I can't hear things well, and so I want to pound the keyboard harder, and etc.)

 

So: expect things to sound different; don't freak out because you are feeling like you can't quite hear stuff; relax and don't pound the keyboard.

 

In my experience, the way to deal with volume issues and feeling confused on stage is to play less stuff, relax, and give others the musical space they need to get used to what they are hearing and dealing with.  For me, this often means the first set is a throw-away as everyone on stage gets used to the sound on stage (and each stage has a different sound), but the second set is where we get together and play and have fun because we are now all comfy with the sound on stage.  So I really hate those one-set shows.

 

For me, that part about being relaxed is difficult when you are in the middle of a song, and the drummer is pounding, and the guitarist is windmilling power chords......it is just not an atmosphere conductive to relaxing.  I think that is an important skill for performing keyboardists - and sadly, that is a skill you only get by getting out on stage.

 

But you can prepare mentally: anticipate that things will sound different, you will feel somewhat discombobulated, and you can deal with this by relaxing, not pounding the keyboard, and playing fewer notes.

[synthizen2]

15 hours ago, wineandkeyz said:

You will make mistakes; everybody does. Your bandmates will probably make their fair share. 

 

Exactly. This happens to the Pro's all the time.

 

There is a reason why individual songs on Live Albums are typically drawn from different live dates during the tour. There is no such thing as a perfect concert. But you can create the "closer to perfect" Live Album by not taking all the songs from one concert.

[AnotherScott]

17 hours ago, Stokely said:

it's very unlikely anyone will notice unless you draw attention to it afterward.  I've seen plenty of players get mad at themselves or even start glaring at each other when someone screws up--not good.  Just keep playing and forget about it if you do screw up.

Yes. If this is a new band, this is also something you can hopefully make the other members aware of. Other players need to know not to look at you when you make a mistake. Not every player/singer realizes this, especially if they haven't been doing it long themselves. (And similarly, don't glare at someone else when THEY make a mistake. :-) )

 

16 hours ago, wineandkeyz said:

often the "mistakes" we make aren't noticeable to anyone but ourselves. "I was shooting for this, but played that." Stay in the moment, don't look back, and focus on the musical moments to come.

Yup. And as an extension of that, often the great player doesn't make fewer mistakes than the good player, s/he just knows how to recover. What you play next can easily turn a mistake into a PeeWee Hermanesque "I meant to do that" moment. Though admittedly, that, itself, is a skill that comes over time. I'm also reminded of that old line, "Once is a mistake, twice is jazz."

 

56 minutes ago, JamPro said:

One of the most difficult things for me about playing live is the sound is different from what I heard in the practice room,

 

You reminded me of another point... It can be beneficial, if you're not already doing this as a matter of course, to set up some rehearsals exactly as you would be set up at a gig. Rehearsal spaces are often set up so that people are playing somewhat in a circle, so everyone can make eye contact with everyone else. On a stage, you won't be set up that way, and you might not have realized how much you may be depending on seeing what someone else is doing or being able to check in with them visually, and suddenly you won't be able to do that on stage, which could be disconcerting if you hadn't ever rehearsed that way!

 

40 minutes ago, synthizen2 said:

There is a reason why individual songs on Live Albums are typically drawn from different live dates during the tour. There is no such thing as a perfect concert. But you can create the "closer to perfect" Live Album by not taking all the songs from one concert.

 

In terms of minimizing mistakes (as opposed to selecting the most "inspired" performances or whatever), that was especially true in earlier days, before live concerts were often recorded on multi-track platforms rivaling what could be found in studios, and so fixing mistakes after-the-fact was not as feasible then. But I remember reading that one of CSNY's big arguments (of which there were apparently an inexhaustible quantity) was over assembling 4 Way Street, where some members wanted to do post-production fixups to make each track as flawless as possible, while other members wanted it to be a raw document of the performance, clams and all.

 

Anyway, another thing I'd suggest, if you're nervous at a gig for whatever reason, is to embrace simplicity. If there's a tricky bit, it is probably better to play a simplified version and nail it, than to try to do the better, more difficult thing, and screw it up.

[CowboyNQ]

Congratulations on your impending first gig Jose!

 

One thing I’ve learned over the years is not to get overly focussed on mistakes.  We all make them - in 30+ years I’ve never played a perfect show yet.  They’re really never as big  a deal as you think they are.

 

Throw yourself into the experience and have fun.  Music is to be enjoyed, not endured. 
 

You’ll do great, I can feel it.

 

 

[HammondDave]

Three more things that will take an enormous amount of pressure off of you…

 

1. Arrive early so that you can set up your rig in a relaxing (non rushed) atmosphere. I arrive at the venue no later than one hour before the rest of the band. That way I can take my time, set up my rig without the drummer and guitar player getting in the way, test my rig with plenty of time to fix issues that may appear, and then have plenty of time to relax and maybe have a bite to eat. 
 

2. Prep your rig with little things that make set up and strike easier. Like cable snakes….  Adding these take at least ten minutes off my set-up. Have spares and a plan of action in case there are technical issues. I bring spare power supplies and cables. If you don't have a spare keyboard, have a plan on case one of your playing components fails during set-up (or mid gig). 
 

3. During the hour that your bandmates are falling over each other trying to set up their rigs, take a few minutes to go over your first set. One thing I do is switch from song to song making sure the MIDI is working and that all your devices change correctly. Also (with headphones or earpods) go over some tricky sections that you feel nervous about. I do this for every gig. I also take the stage 5 minutes before every set to do this. 

[Stokely]

Along those same lines, I've gradually learned over the years to have backups for as much as is possible.   Sometimes the band can do this (mic stands, mics, monitors) but for my own rig I try to have a spare everything.   99 times out of 100 I don't need a backup, but that one time....

Unless the stage is a long distance from my car, I tend to leave my backup gear bag in my car.  My regular case has only what I know I'll need, that really helps keep the clutter down.  I know that if I need a different mic or instrument cable, or power supply, that it's right out in my car.   This reduces stress by a LOT.   I've had a lot of problems with trying to get too cute with different size rigs and forgetting stuff, and that is a rough feeling before a gig.

Something that some musicians don't bring (I've noticed) is a long-ish extension cord.  I have a 25 foot one in my backup case, but my main case has a furman strip with a 15 foot length.   I don't always need the longer run but sometimes it comes in very handy.

[ajstan]

18 hours ago, EB5AGV said:

 

And they didn't have a keys player before. So I could be silent and everything would go fine 😆... Well, not really, but close. On some covers I use synth sounds that really help the music.

 

I took a 24-year break from playing in bands to focus on family, kids' activities/coaching, and my work.  When I jumped back into the game 5 years ago, I had similar concerns.  Here's what I've found:

 

1.  There is so much going on that mistakes are rarely noticed since they pass by so quickly.

2.  If you're not sure you're going to hit the right note in a prominent spot, just don't play it.

3.  Unless you have a sound tech that's used to working with keys, you are likely to be buried in the mix anyway, so don't worry about mistakes!