The Performance

Ceremony_JS1000 · #1 08-12-2007, 10:27 PM

Hey Guys,

I'm 27, play lead guitar & love it.... although I've been playing for 10 years, my first real gig as a lead guitarist in a band was 3 years ago, stayed with them for 2 years, then left because the other members weren't serious enough about the music.

At the moment I'm recording my own material & am aiming to form a band and gig mid next year.

But something has been bothering me ALOT recently... I've been looking at some videos of the gigs from the previous band I was in and even though my playing is great, I look like a bunny caught in the headlights of a car when I'm on stage! At the time I was gigging, i never really thought so much about my body language when on stage, as I was so focused on my playing... But looking at the gigs now... man, I was like a dummy with a guitar on, not even looking at the audience & only making the odd jerk to hit an effects pedal...( It is as bad as it sounds!).

I'm planning on hitting some open jam sessions in some local pubs soon but the only thing that is keeping me back is that I know know how I look when I'm onstage...

Can u guys offer me some advice to help me get over this? Do u guys practice your stage poses? Am I a lost cause!!!!!! lol

I appreciate any advise here friends as music is a big part of my life.

Thanks lads

JeffWiredBeck24 · #2 08-12-2007, 11:24 PM

Is it weird that I would imitate Pete Townshend in front of a mirror when i was 12? Haha, seriously though, watch your heroes perform and let their stage moves rub off on you. Also, a lot of the time people are stiff because they're not confident enough in their playing to move around. Just build up confidence and the moves will come naturally.

rastachild · #3 08-13-2007, 05:20 PM

lol. such an embarrassing thing to talk about, yet so important in terms of discussing live performance. i think it's natural to experience this when you first start gigging, especially if you are the type of musician who is really focused on presenting the music perfectly to the audience. there are some people who naturally are gifted in being able to perform in a natural, relaxed and entertaining manner, but then there's the rest of us

my first gigs were spent looking down at my hands, footpedals and occassionally my other band members. seeing myself on video for the first time was an eye opener just like you experienced. at that point, i knew i had to make a change. you can start in band practice, which is typically more of a relaxed environment anyway. i never practice moves or faces or anything like that, but i do work on being able to imagine myself looking into the 'crowd' and looking natural and relaxed while playing. i allow myself to get into the music and try to move around fairly often. i don't think you have to go all out and have a moshing freakout (unless that's what you feel like doing), but anything is better than just standing in one spot like a statue the whole time.

it takes several gigs, but it improves everytime you gig until you eventually become as comfortable as you would in practice. experience counts for a lot too. nowadays, i'm so comfortable that i will sometimes catch myself watching the tv in the bar during songs. usually during the ones i don't like

Quiksilver98 · #4 08-13-2007, 07:26 PM

HAHA, South Park was on once when I was at a blues bar, I tell you, I didn't miss a minute of it.

Quiksilver98 · #5 08-13-2007, 07:28 PM

Also, I f I had to copy vai's stage moves then people say, grow, get your own like seen on comments on youtube.

HeavyMetal4Ever · #6 08-17-2007, 09:19 AM

Practice your material alot and you wil be much more comfortable on stage. When you know your stuff back to front, you will find it much easier to move around while playing.

It's all about being confident, and if you are absolutely sure you have your material down, there's no reason NOT to be confident

Remember, if you can rock out at practice, you can rock out anywhere

Good luck and...

Rock on!

MrCheese · #7 08-21-2007, 11:49 AM

Here's what worked for me.

Always practice standing up and buy a wireless thingy to connect the guitar to the amp. The one I got is called something like "The Bug" and it is so small that plugging it in is no more hassle than using a normal guitar chord.

Suddenly I found that because I wasn't physically tied to the amp, I would walk around a lot more and was generally a lot looser during practice & gigs. I also stopped looking down at my hands as much.

It hasn't completely stopped me looking like a statue while playing but it did help.

hirah · #8 08-22-2007, 05:28 AM

one thing i like to do is practice a set list without looking at the neck at all. cant check out the hot chicks when your eyes are glued to the neck. it takes a while but you can get by most of a tune without looking. this also helps when the strobe lights are going full on during a solo.
2nd, if you feel that you look stupid moving around on stage, move around more. just make sure you are natural, and not forcing a performance.
3rd, no yngwie kicks.

richard1973 · #9 08-22-2007, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hirah

one thing i like to do is practice a set list without looking at the neck at all. cant check out the hot chicks when your eyes are glued to the neck. it takes a while but you can get by most of a tune without looking. this also helps when the strobe lights are going full on during a solo.
2nd, if you feel that you look stupid moving around on stage, move around more. just make sure you are natural, and not forcing a performance.
3rd, no yngwie kicks.

heh heh i cringed like hell for yanger malmstreem when watching the G3 dvd performance, front kick, spin guitar round neck, front kick, spin guitar round neck, ohh what next front kick, will it be spin guitar? nope darn it was another kick, ohh then a guitar spin round neck, then a kick then ohh spin guitar round neck thenn...annndd so onnn, even looked even more crap as he still dresses like meat load in 1978

then to top it off (which is related to link park thread) the ****** smashes his guitar up! wow!! he's soo cool!!

yeah alright I cant stand the egotistic tw*t, does it show?

fantastic talented guitar player though.

Bet the person who recieved the broken guitar was gutted, i'm sure he would of much preffered it in working order!

andy7jem · #10 08-22-2007, 10:56 AM

^^^

LMAO

crevis · #11 08-22-2007, 11:07 AM

If you need good "stage pressence" to impress people then you're trying to impress the wrong people.

rastachild · #12 08-22-2007, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crevis

If you need good "stage pressence" to impress people then you're trying to impress the wrong people.

...says the bedroom guitarist. lol. seriously, i used to have the same attitude before i started playing live, but things change once you get into a gigging band. on a professional level, these 'wrong people' are A/R reps from record companies who want to be assured that the band can put on an entertaining show and keep the crowd's interest. although most of us won't have to worry about that, your ability to entertain a crowd can affect what type of gigs you get too.

Ceremony_JS1000 · #13 08-25-2007, 10:41 PM

Hey guys,

Just wanna say a heart felt thanks to all for of your advice, much appreicated... It's so great to have a place like this were us guitarheads can voice our problems, or even spill our hearts out and get such great feedback.

Over the last week, I've taken the all your advice on board & now incorporate about an hour of standing up playing my material that I will be gigging in the near future & I have to say that "The Performance" is really starting to click with me now... It really does come down to confidence.... Both in yourself as a guitarist & on a deeper level as a person.

Gimme a few months of this and ill be ready for any live situation! (fingers crossed)

So again, Thanks a million my friends...

Peace

Dave
Ireland.

Martyr Machine · #14 09-03-2007, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crevis

If you need good "stage pressence" to impress people then you're trying to impress the wrong people.

If that were true, then bands wouldn't need to go on tour. They'd just rent a venue, sell tickets, and pop in one of their CD's.

Themattkoonfoundation · #15 09-04-2007, 09:18 AM

Here is some advice, good and bad, that works for me.

good: OVER prepare. confidence is built by preperation.
relax onstage as much as possible.
When you practice, imagine yourself onstage in front of a stressful crowd.
DOnt think about what you look like when you are on stage, just relax and be yourself.

Bad: Drink-but not too much. I know, I know. but it helps me.

recently I was invited onstage to jam with a national act, and it could have been stressful, but I relaxed and had fun and it turned out cool. Check it out if you get a chance.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...deoid=16715948