Actually, it's not exactly the first-first, just potentially the largest crowd and most public venue thusfar of my singing "career..." as it were.

In a couple of weeks, I'm going to be singing downtown for the twin-cities festival here in Montpellier, France.

Any good remedies for the jitters? As much as I love to sing, I am feeling a bit nervous...

Just picture yourself in front of everybody, naked.

No, wait...

beauhall said:

Haha, sure.

My blockage is a bit more like the idea of separating work from fun. When what I've previously done for fun begins to feel like work, well then...

Good luck!

Heiress said:

Seriously, practice till U can sing in your sleep,...there's the work ; and have fun singing live, like your as big and solid as a mountain , the practice will kick in and carry you through...
Enjoy , take along a change of underware just in case too...

FLUX said:

I agree with that. I've performed a few times, not for huge crowds, but I practiced until there was a thin line differentiating me and the music. It was so much a part of me that I needed to get it out and express it, share it, like a wave falling into the ocean. Performing can be a true joy.

Good Luck

Keep in mind that you're doing something that EVERYONE wants to do but only a very few blessed ever get to do. You'll hit the stage with joy in your heart and you will absolutely blow them away.

Get really drunk.

Maybe not.

No easy solution. Even after having done this kind of thing for years, I still get "stage fright". Mind you, I would also be worried if I didn't; it's a good thing in that it obviously indicates that you're doing something you care about passionately. Then again, you might not be nervous at all on the day. There's absolutely nothing rational about nerves. However, most people (myself included) get more nervous about small audiences rather than large ones. Big audiences are an ego boost; they might not be there to see you in particular, but in my experience, it helps if you kid yourself that they are!

I'm sure you'll be fine; the first ten seconds are the hardest, and the rest is usually a piece of piss.

FLUX said:

Hey, thanks for the advice. What I've been doing is walking around the house singing as I paint the walls (lots of fix-up work going on here) in order to memorize the new songs I've learned. After singing each one about 20 times, I find that I add new frills & trills fairly naturally, without getting all scientific about it.

RodeoSchro said:

You're right. This opportunity came about more or less by accident, really. I'll remember what just said, thanks!

jjam said:

Ay, getting drunk beforehand is what I have to really, really try NOT to do!

I have a feeling that a larger audience might be easier than a small one...

heartbeatocean said:

Thanks!

...like physically getting into the middle of the music, more or less. As if there's just you and the music, not as if you're on display like a circus freak for all these folks. Yeah, I can handle that.

Get a bit of privacy before you go on and get singing, get warmed up and into it - you don't wanna be going on and singing the first song from a standing start, you wanna hit the ground running
[Edited 6/27/05 3:43am]

rocknrolldave said:

I'll insist on this.

My first performance is after the mayor's inaugaral speech. Which opens the festivities...

beauhall said:

I'm playing my first show as bandleader this Sunday--it's at a nudist club!

The weirdness of playing a three hour show that I was completely unprepared for was in fact cancelled out by the weirdness of playing for a nudist club--and vice versa.

Imagine the audience is a bunch of Orgers. They have just stated their opinions. You do not agreee. Use that energy!! You'll have fun if you can harness that and let it rip.

andyman91 said:

haha, funny to think of NOT having to resort to the nudity trick!

do share with us your feelings on performing before a literally nude audience. that just sounds so wacky.

ChiveDavis said:

haha, i performed briefly on Monday w/ a friend (sound problems, lack of organization on the part of the city) and did some bluegrass for almost an hour last night.

it was lots of fun. i addressed the crowd in english most of the time (there were several americans), kidded around with them telling them they were sinners & the like before i did some gospel. had a great time.

Hey nice to hear it was a Fun time. Plus sounds you gained a lot of confidence.

Heiress said:

I think the actual technique is to picture the audience in their underwear, so I was still able to do that!

I tried not to look at the audience very much. From my experience, nudists are not the most attractive folks in the world, and this group was no exception. There was one girl, about 25, who was looking fairly perfect, but I couldn't look at her either, because the moment I did I messed up.

The real distraction was that the other guitarist & bassist are members, so they were nude, too. I don't know the songs that well, so I need to watch the other guitar player for his chord changes, and I was reluctant to do that.

I can't imagine a more supportive crowd, though. We played for hours and were quite unprepared. In that sense the venue was perfect. In an environment like that, people are just trying to make each other comfortable.
[Edited 7/6/05 11:37am]

FLUX said:

oh, droves of it. i feel really at home now, on a stage. Thanks.

andyman91 said:

Ay yi yi, so you were one of the only ones in the room with clothes ON! That must have been awkward. Did you feel overdressed?

I'm sure they are supportive... they might be used to musicians getting nervous.

Heiress said:

A few songs into it someone requested that we get naked. Our two nudists obliged, and I got into the spirit by removing my hat.

I didn't feel overdressed at all. My bandmates said after a while "It's not very comfortable holding a guitar to your sticky body...I want to wipe my hands and I have nowhere to do that..." Not to mention the sunburn!

I think it's just a supportive environment. You put yourself in a sensitive position being naked, so they lose all attitude and are very kind. I liked that about it.

So was that your big show on Monday, or was that a warm up for the big one?

andyman91 said:

The big one was an hour on Tuesday evening... I had one more bit of a performance last night as well. Tues went exceptionally well. For the other days, was working with a guy who kind of wanted to do his own thing, Springsteen from the 70s and the like, which doesn't go over exceptionally well here, but oh well.

With the latter dude, we did manage, last night, to perform one song together, an acoustic version of Paisley Park, a la purple hippie, tambourine & all, with some Johnny Cash-style speaking instead of singing on the transition. Now that was a crowd-pleaser.

Like your nudity experience, seems that every performance has something to offer in the way of learning, growing & improving, isn't that right?