onewilyfool Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Well........tonight I went to the same open mic I went to last month. This time, two of my really old friends came to listen, which perhaps made me a little nervous. The guy who went before me was GOOD. He had a strong voice, and although not a virtuoso guitarist, he had a hard driving style and sang some very good songs he wrote himself. A strong stage performance. Tough to follow a guy like that!! Anyway, I played Steamroller blues pretty well, but then played a couple of Beatle songs my friends requested........I had the room for the first song, but lost it in the next two. For some reason, I was so nervous I could actually feel my right hand shaking uncontrollably....lol.....I made it through the two songs, with some mistakes, but it was like the air was let out of a balloon....lol.....down in flames!!!! Everyone was nice enough and applauded, but I knew the difference. This was only the fourth open mic in my life, so I am cutting myself some slack, but wow...what a feeling. One thing I think I learned tonight, I'm usually a ballad singer, trying to sing with a lot of feeling, but I really need some up-beat songs to start and finish with, and I guess after all these years, I'm going to have to learn to play with a flat pick.....lol.....I'm open to any suggestions to beef up my play list, and any advice on how to recover from this tough set!!!I NEVER want to sit up on stage with that feeling again!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasAK Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Wily, I have never played an open mic. I have not gigged for many many years, so take or leave my advice. Some gigs go better than others. First of all, don't take requests; they can get you into trouble. You need to be the one in control. Play what you know! If your music is simple that is OK, just keep it good, professional, and sweet. There is nothing wrong with simple and sweet. There is always the advice of keep practicing and getting better. I have never been a singer, but I assume one needs to know his voice. Concerning the playing, if a number is giving you some difficulty slowing the tempo a tad can make a big difference. chasAK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Hard liquor then get back on the horse! You're a humorous guy, so incorporate a few anocdotes in between tunes to make contact with the crowd, not comedy - leave that to the stand ups! I wouldn't wildly alter your act just yet - you have been working on them quite a while! Give the same tunes another run and take it from there.... If I was there I would be VERY interested to hear about the geetar you are holding.....not perhaps forum length in depth descriptions, but a smattering of interesting facts....but the other half would go to the bathroom, so keep it short. Keep at it! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOESTONE Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 You need to be more relaxed and confident. Never let them see you vulnerable. It's 90% attitude. I know artists who are mostly ego and not quite as talented as they believe themselves to be. They seem to be the ones playing all the time with huge fanbases. I used to tell my bandmates, when you take that stage, act like you own it. And remember, you are your worst critic. More than once I thought a performance was less than I would have wished for, only to be told afterwards how great it was. Before each performance I need to psych myself into the performer mode. Meditation or prayer (rosary) works for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Back in 2009 my at-the-time quartet played a jam on a mountain in northern New Jersey. We played three songs. One of them was Willin' and another was When Will I Be Loved, and I had the harmony. Where we were set up, and my being behind the PA, and without monitors, I was so horribly off in my parts. I could tell the crowd noticed, and it bummed me out. It was ironed out two weeks later at an open mic, which went much better, and it was good to have that experience behind me. You ain't alone Fool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 I used to tell my bandmates, when you take that stage, act like you own it. I was surprised to see my old bandmate playing the superbowl with Paul McCartney several years back. I also noticed he was smiling a lot. He was having a great time! I'm not sure how you do that with 100,000 live audience and how many millions more on TV. Having fun playing before an audience is either an honest reaction or, more likely, a planned part of the performance. I wouldn't doubt McCartney or his people instructed the band members that they should look like they're having fun out there. When you're having a good time, the crowd has a good time. I've seen this in lots of playing pro's. Playing music is pure fun, and getting that across, even if it's really just part of the act, often seems to be an important component of a performance, right alongside the technical ability of just playing the music and singing. Plus, talking yourself into just having a good time probably helps with the nerves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 . For example... Brian Ray on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Just my take old friend but I think Beatles songs while great in an informal get together are a death sentence on stage. The originals are just so freakin' good. You need to look at how the heck did Joe Cocker get away with it. First off he had that Ray Charles-esque voice. Second, he rocked them harder. He made them his the same way Hedrix made "All Along the Watchtower" his. Point is you might need to figure out a new way to approach some of these old chestnuts. Going back to my string band days while much of our stuff was from the 1920s and 1930s, we would also break into something like "Wooly Bully." But we played it almost Cajun style complete with accordion, fiddle, and washboard. We did the Stones "Paint It Black" but used a kazoo to do the sitar part. When we got to the "No more will my green sea..." part we would change things around and play it as a waltz and then switch back to the original beat. While it may sound dumb it did seem to work and we always had a blast playing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 My advice for having more fun: Lower Your Expectations. You don't profess to being a pro recording artist/performer. Playing and performing skills are generally all over the place at an open-mic event. You belong - you are on that linear performance line somewhere, you do fit. Smile Fierce !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Or get Paul McCartney to front you. I guarantee you all eyes would be riveted on the stage. You could sit up there and just burb. It works every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacamartin Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 My advice for having more fun: Lower Your Expectations. You don't profess to being a pro recording artist/performer. Playing and performing skills are generally all over the place at an open-mic event. You belong - you are on that linear performance line somewhere, you do fit. Smile Fierce !!! Wily....this^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 I think the "lower your expectations" thingy is more like a good idea in that, it's an open mike. The whole idea of an open mike ISN'T to knock them dead and impress every time, but rather, to see how it goes. Point is, a song or two not going well is no big deal. I think everyone has stage fright in one form or another, and deal with it a little differently. I think for some of us, the aftermath is part of it. The how we percieve what we played or what we did. No one wants to suck. But the sobering reality of it is, we ALL suck on stage from time to time, no matter what level we are playing at. To me, the whole open mike thing and the fun in it is the thrill. Part of that thrill is that sometimes, someone WILL suck, and sometimes, it will be the greatest 2 minutes ever to be heard. Personally, when I would go to an open mike as an audience, I want to see that. I want to see musicians taking chances. I bet if you tell yourself the truth, the audience didn't mind nearly as much as you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Well........tonight I went to the same open mic I went to last month. This time, two of my really old friends came to listen, which perhaps made me a little nervous. The guy who went before me was GOOD. He had a strong voice, and although not a virtuoso guitarist, he had a hard driving style and sang some very good songs he wrote himself. A strong stage performance. Tough to follow a guy like that!! Anyway, I played Steamroller blues pretty well, but then played a couple of Beatle songs my friends requested........I had the room for the first song, but lost it in the next two. For some reason, I was so nervous I could actually feel my right hand shaking uncontrollably....lol.....I made it through the two songs, with some mistakes, but it was like the air was let out of a balloon....lol.....down in flames!!!! Everyone was nice enough and applauded, but I knew the difference. This was only the fourth open mic in my life, so I am cutting myself some slack, but wow...what a feeling. One thing I think I learned tonight, I'm usually a ballad singer, trying to sing with a lot of feeling, but I really need some up-beat songs to start and finish with, and I guess after all these years, I'm going to have to learn to play with a flat pick.....lol.....I'm open to any suggestions to beef up my play list, and any advice on how to recover from this tough set!!!I NEVER want to sit up on stage with that feeling again!!!! Wily, I've seen some of your YT vids and you are great! you don't ever need to be second guessing your ability. As for being nervous I no exactly how you feel, I'm 59 yo this past week and only within the past couple of years have started to play outside of my own little click, and only in church setting usually at that (or around the campfire). I'm nowhere near as talented as you are and I bomb more than a ww2 B-17 but every so often I hit it right and those times are like a drug, it makes me want to do better. I am by no means ready for the critique of an open mic though and at this stage I most likely never will be....You on the other hand have already sailed that ship and should never feel the need to doubt yourself. No musician of any calibar would ever find fault with your playing/singing( they've all been where We are) and everyone else is just envious at best or jealous at worst. Good luck and keep pickin' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Lower expectations... but have your s*** together. And smile through mistakes--brass it out. If you are visably suffering up there, its likely gonna make folks uncomrtable. All said by one has been there and done it otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Compete only with yourself, and no one else. You decide what you can, and will do, song wise. Leave the DMC's to other's! If you are comfortable, with what you're doing, the audience will know it. If you're not, they'll see and hear that, too! Enjoy, and Good Luck on the next Open Mic night! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Wily, I've seen some of your YT vids and you are great! From the vids I have seen, I have to agree. I enjoy your style, in particular your mellow but slightly exciting way you sing things. Combined with some of your ambitious picking, there is a lot of things that I personally would think worthwhile to hear you do it than a lot of others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 Folks….thanks for your kind words and good advice……I'm still smarting a little from the night, but am ok, and looking forward to the next one! One thing that throws me a bit is that when I hear my guitar through an amp rather than just acoustically, I lose some kind of audio connection with the guitar, THEN I start to "death grip" my chords and start finger picking harder, as if that will make the connection better. Vocally, I actually LIKE hearing my voice through the amp, so that is not as much of a problem as the guitar. My friend keeps telling me, "You get better at open mics, by doing more open miss…." I'll keep plucking'! Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Agree with BK777 – there's only one way forward. The three HLs : Hard Liquor - Hard Liquor - Hard Liquor On a serious note, I recommend to have 2 or 3 easy numbers ready for an occasion like the one you've just been through. Tunes that won't demand too much concentration, thus allow you to adjust and get the nerves under control while performing them. Of course the trick is to pick songs that don't appear thin as you want to convince the listeners you are worth lending an ear. Based on the same logic, the most difficult and emotional material must be placed on the set-time-line where it's likely that you and the audience have fallen into groove. Good luck owf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 I recommend to have 2 or 3 easy numbers ready for an occasion like the one you've just been through.. that won't demand too much concentration, thus allow you to adjust and get the nerves under control while performing them Good advice. I recently led off a set with this arrangement of , which bottomed out when I missed one of the dimished runs. Should have known better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8_4thesh0w Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Didja get her name and phone number yet? The fabled trick for Public Speaking; "picture them all naked," may not be the best advice in all scenarios. You don't want the crowd to see your reactions go from LYAO to being grossed out and then, on to drooling, in one verse. Like Taylor's song says, "Shake It Off." You've been there and done that and it's over with. I have too. I blew the first of two pieces as a duo at a recital in a packed hall. The recovery with the second piece was liberating. It's a unique experience, to be sure, but if they've seen your worst, they'll really appreciate your best. Give it just that. ϵβ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Rambler, Bromberg makes that song look easy. It is really hard. I don't know how to read music or tabs... Relying on my ears I still can't get all the chords, let alone get the chords and sing and phrase it properly. And I can't cowboy chord my way through it. Kudos. When u get it please share. Another one that kicks my *** is I Like To Sleep Late in the Morning. Sorry for the hijack OWF. Please share your YouTube channel. I would love to listen to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 . For example... Brian Ray on the right. He's a great front man, too. The Bayonets rock! Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 A tradesman never blames his tools...... Don't forget some therapy: BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DenverSteve Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Good job getting in front of the crowd. No one can ever be perfect. The important thing is to have fun and learn something from every experience - painful or not. Anyone who has played for a while ( in my case over thirty years ) can recall a train wreck, or two. Work through the tough times and you will seem more together to the audience than you feel inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 My advice is don't take requests unless you're really good, not serious, or just don't care whether you screw up or not. You want to be comfortable without any surprises. You need to have your setlist ready with a couple backup tunes. That's it. Tell your friends that you appreciate their support and that you want to play the stuff you're prepared for. Everybody has their limits. You need to have fun. If struggling is fun, then take requests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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