GETTING OVER BAD ONSTAGE EXPERIENCE(S) - HOW?

[Fire]

Hi Guys,

I recently played out to a not-so-friendly crowd which left me rather upset. Long story short - there were some people who were drunk and high in the audience and they said some pretty terrible stuff to myself and the band. It wasn't any show-stopper stuff with beer bottles and what-not being thrown at us - just stuff that the guys in the band didn't really talk about afterwards.

Its eating away at me and I don't know how to get over it; and I want to go back to being a bedroom player (at least, until I start feeling better).

How many of you have had such bad experiences? What have you done in those situations? And what do you suggest the best way is to handle such people?

Thanks...

[weserman]

Ignore the idiots, have faith in your own ability and just move on. You can't expect everyone to like your music. Don't ever play that venue again, but keep gigging, it's all experience in the end. Try to let what happened make you stronger.

[shred4Him]

anybody who has played out long enough has a story like that.

[Two hands31]

And start thinking up things to yell back that (assuming they're drunk/high enough) they won't get right away

Not a gig-related story, but an example of dealing with hostile drunks:

Me and a bunch of friends were in a park near a friends house at around 9:30 at night (so, it was dark out, but we had been there since before the sun went down) and a few drunks came over. They had decided that we were too loud and we were disturbing their drinking (their words ) and wanted us to leave. A couple of my friends that were their were some of my female friends that scare me because they could beat me up, but the drunks ignored them when they were getting mad and telling them to go away cuz we can be wherever we want (their boyfriends were holding them back ). Then, one of my male friends stands up (not very threatening/strong looking, and a punk-type dresser, wearing baggy pants, a funny t-shirt and a tie with happy faces all over it) and all of a sudden the drunks take notice, saying "Ooooh, wanna fight buddy? Oooh, look it's Avril Lavigne" (because of the tie, and all my friend did was stand up, but these guys wanted to fight). My friend just replied "Who?" So the drunks turned their attention to a couple of our friends (both female) who were sitting down still right next to each other (one of them is now my girlfriend). One drunk said "What are you two, lesbians?", and my now-girlfriend replied "Only on weekends".

I kid you not, it took ten minutes before one of the drunks said "Hey, today's Saturday"

[jemsite]

you need alot more self confidence to perform live over time. these rough gigs are a good character builder.

if you played well, you can't have a few degenerates at a local pub sway your opinion of yourself. harsh but a reality. good luck... glen


BTW - please fix your location to a valid one as per the rules

[hamand]

Shrug your shoulders, put a MASSIVE grim on your face and laugh your ass off it about it, preferably with your bandmates.

Go see the "Rawhide" scene in the movie Blues Brothers and see the funny side of it all.


Why?

Because those lamers in the audience just missed the best gig of their lives. And when you look back on this in a month, maybe 1 year, maybe ten years time...you'll realise that it's just meaningless nonsense. They blew their chance, are you going to do the same?

Hendrix has been there, even when he was at the height of his fame. Stevie Ray had some horror stories when he was on stage. Satch and Vai similarly so when they were young and they still get abuse. Heck, even Eddie Van Halen, on a regular basis, gets boo-ed on stage. If they stopped playing when this behaviour started, think about all that amazing music we would never have heard. They step up to the plate, night after night after night.

Taking critical advice to heart is a crazy idea most of the time; if you believe in your self, then that's all cool. But taking critical advice from people in a live musical venue, who are high or drunk....bro: puh-leeze.

What say you?

[Two hands31]

Makes me wonder why people bother going to the show if they're just going to boo/heckle them. I can understand if it's just a band that happens to be in a bar the people decided to drink at, but people around here will pay money to go to a concert and then ignore the stage, mosh like idiots, try to hurt people (they'll say that's why they're there too), and shout random comments at the band. No one cares about music anymore.

[7]

Nah, just keep playing, man. The quicker you play the uicker you'll forget it.

[Fire]

Thanks guys, I guess you're right... I am bit too sensitive sometime about my music (especially the love ballads when I get all tender and soft), but yeah - it's all part of gigging and life itself. May you all have to play less at such gigs.

[babahi]

Don't let it get to you. Ask yourself if they could do any better; if not, then don't worry about their opinion. They probably need somebody to feel pty for them and are taking it out on you. And playing less gigs is not necessarily the answer -- I play 6 gigs a week, have been doing so for years (even playin in South Africa this month). The occasional person who doesn't like what you do is entitled to his opinion.

[hanban]

Originally Posted by 7

Nah, just keep playing, man. The quicker you play the uicker you'll forget it.

by that logic rusty cooley needs to write down what he did 5 mins ago so he wont forget

[little wing]

yup, ignore them. just play your best. you'll have no regrets.