CowboyNQ Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 TL;DR - What, if any, pre-show superstitions do you have? The excellent and entertaining thread about dumb stuff caused my mind to think about pre-show superstitions. Some additional context. In my younger days I was a cricketer, and these days I coach the sport. Cricket is a very quirky game, and in my opinion one of the most psychologically demanding sports in the world. As a result many cricketers carry a good deal of quite unhelpful superstitions around with them. I was no exception and still have a few as coach (which I keep to myself in case my team discover how mentally unbalanced I am). I have carried this behaviour into my musical life and have two specific pre-show superstitions: 1. I have to be the last person in the cast to be dressed for the show. I won’t commence getting ready until everyone else is looking good. 2. I always wear two or three rubber wristbands on my right wrist. They’re just our merch items with our website on it. Stupid behaviour but I’m locked into it. For the record I’ve occasionally forgotten the wristbands and no one has died. I’d love to learn that I’m not the only nutcase in this community. Do you have any weird pre-show superstitions of your own? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 3 1 Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursers Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 1. No shenanigans with fans / groupies before the show, affects my focus 2. I always get a chamois out and polish my Nord Lead before every show 3. I always play Rachmaninoff's op. 39 no. 6 in A minor as a warm up before tackling things like Don't Stop Believin' 1 5 Quote The Keyboard Chronicles Podcast Check out your fellow forumites in an Apple Music playlist Check out your fellow forumites in a Spotify playlist My Music: Stainless Fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoken6 Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 So here's a weird one: if I dress/tidy my cables too neatly too early, I just know I'm going to need to address something later. So my superstition and my OCD are battling it out for supremacy. Cheers, Mike. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Williams Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 8 hours ago, Dr Nursers said: 3. I always play Rachmaninoff's op. 39 no. 6 in A minor as a warm up before tackling things like Don't Stop Believin' Dayuhm! (a traditional Appalachian expletive) Between my hand size, my age, and my skill level, I can confidently say that I will never be able to play that. Conversely, I'd gladly pay Ticketmaster prices to go see a band where the pianist broke into that piece. 1 Quote -Tom Williams {First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Quinn Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 Not sure if it's a superstition or actually rooted in science but I believe my playing takes a hit on a full stomach. So, in an attempt to play my best, I find myself eating accordingly. 4 Quote https://alquinn.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 I can't think of one. I used to worry I was jinxing myself by cramming my brain to remember lyrics, but I got better results by "letting go" and not trying so hard. I have a devil of a time with lyrics, while I can remember music no problem. I use an ipad app as a fallback reminder but really try not to read lyrics from it, because inevitably I'll lose my place and then be really screwed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adan Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 Attempting a semi-serious response to a question that wasn't necessarily seeking serious responses . . . I'm am extremely ritualistic about getting ready for a gig. I have my habits and preferences, and I try to follow them to the letter. To the casual observer, it may appear superstitious. I think of it as controlling/eliminating as many variables as I can so that a larger part of my brain can prepare itself to play music. So maybe, for instance, it's seafood linguine 120 minutes before the gig. Not bolognese, and not 90 or 150 minutes. Etc. . . The point isn't that seafood is better than beef, the point is that it's one of many sequential steps putting me in a comfort zone. I don't have "science" to back this up, but I have experience based on what works well and what doesn't. Of course there are exceptions that tend to disprove the rule. Sometimes everything goes right and I play a crappy gig anyway, while sometimes everything pre-gig goes haywire and I surprise myself with one of my best gigs ever. Which I guess is a way of observing that comfort zones aren't always the best thing. Despite those exceptions, I believe the percentages favor the normal. 1 Quote Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro Home: Vintage Vibe 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wineandkeyz Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 1 hour ago, Al Quinn said: Not sure if it's a superstition or actually rooted in science but I believe my playing takes a hit on a full stomach. So, in an attempt to play my best, I find myself eating accordingly. Not really a superstition, but similar here. I try not to eat a heavy meal less than 90 minutes or so before a show. And no spicy dishes or seafood, to reduce the risk of having an "everyone out of the pool" moment during the show. 1 2 Quote Live: Yamaha S70XS (#1); Roland Jupiter-80; Mackie 1202VLZ4; IEMs or Traynor K4 Home: Hammond SK Pro 73; Moog Minimoog Voyager Electric Blue; Yamaha S70XS (#2); Wurlitzer 200A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cphollis Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 I play "Superstition" to warm up through my headphones. Or something similar If I can quickly get into a loose, flowing jam, I'm good to go! Might take 10 seconds, might take longer, depending how much chaos has been involved up to that point. 1 Quote Want to make your band better? Check out "A Guide To Starting (Or Improving!) Your Own Local Band" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delaware Dave Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 My only issue is my bad back; finding 4 hour shows to be difficult to get through. Superstitions about playing? none.... 1 Quote 57 Hammond B3; 69 Hammond L100P; 68 Leslie 122; Kurzweil Forte7 & PC3; M-Audio Code 61; Voce V5+; Neo Vent; EV ELX112P; GSI Gemini & Burn Delaware Dave Exit93band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 I too play better hungry. Then after the gig is over I'm ready for a banquet. For big gigs, I sort of ritualize the equipment prep. I empty both of my gig bags onto the bed, rewrap cables, make new snakes if I have to, re-organize the stuff and reload the bags so it's got that freshly-made-bed effect when it's time to set up. Sometimes that includes polishing not just the equipment but the stand(s). Retighten thumb screws or the various parts of my cart. Just general rig hygiene, but I use the "bigness" of the gig as my mnemonic for when to do that stuff. Never use anything slippery for polishing your kit, by they way, which I should probably add to the "Little Things" thread. No Pledge. You will definitely drop your expensive electronics, which tends to make gigs less pleasant. 1 Quote Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RABid Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 As a drummer, if I ate before a show I would get stomach cramps. I think it was from sitting and leaning forward so much. No problems with this as a keyboardist. 1 Quote This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 19 hours ago, Dr Nursers said: 3. I always play Rachmaninoff's op. 39 no. 6 in A minor as a warm up before tackling things like Don't Stop Believin' That's so weird. I always warm up with Don't Stop Believing' before I play Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto (C minor, Opus 18). 3 Quote .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 Before jazz gigs, if possible it's one espresso shot before downbeat to awaken my mind like a mentat. Before funk / corporate / dance gigs, I'll typically have one negroni before downbeat. If it's a particularly trying gig, I'll have one strong martini at set break just to get me through another evening of playing someone else's poorly composed, lyrically anemic dance music for a gaggle of inebriated mindless horny cougars who might be better served by a DJ or karaoke machine or a male stripper with a John Philip Sousa soundtrack. Oh crap did I just say that out loud... 4 Quote .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 I do grab a beer or two, I wouldn't go so far as to call it a superstition. At some gigs I make it a point to get there early so I can relax with a beer, especially at the places with good stuff on tap. Just a loosening up Whatever minor physical impairment this might cause is offset by the more freewheeling mental state it enables (or so I shall maintain) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoken6 Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 1 hour ago, timwat said: That's so weird. I always warm up with Don't Stop Believing' before I play Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto (C minor, Opus 18). Which brings us, once again, to this masterpiece: Cheers, Mike. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyNQ Posted April 13, 2023 Author Share Posted April 13, 2023 I’m enjoying reading all the ‘food’ posts. Everyone’s different approaches are interesting. I much prefer playing on a full stomach but there have been times when I’ve had to skip dinner due to lack of efficiency during set up/sound check. That one doesn’t play into a personal superstition per se, it’s just annoying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cphollis Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 I always grab a Five Guys double burger on the way to the gig ... 1 Quote Want to make your band better? Check out "A Guide To Starting (Or Improving!) Your Own Local Band" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted April 14, 2023 Share Posted April 14, 2023 These are really traditions more than superstitions, I suppose, but here's one that falls in between: I listen to comedy on SiriusXM on the drive to every gig, and if I forget I'm convinced it will be a bad gig. It's not completely untrue, though...! 1 Quote Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUSSIEKEYS Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 I have a superstition....not to talk about superstitions Or was that a supposition? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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