Any tips on how to calm stage fright? Handle camera flashes while you are onstage?

I fill it to the rim with Brim!

I sing every once in a while, and right before I'm to perform, my heart starts RACING. My niece clocked it at 160 beats per minute!!!


Have two to three drinks, then stop.
That's how I do it.

When I was in a band and when I performed in plays, nerves were never really a problem. The only little bit of pressure I felt came from the fact that I have a horrible memory, and could (and occasionally did) forget lyrics or pieces of dialog. But performing in front of folks when I'm sure of the material and don't have to worry about memorization? Fun city.

One trick I learned in an acting class is to look "over" your audience. focus your line of sight to the ceiling at the very opposite side of the room, and let that be your visual focal center. it reads well from the audience, and for you, it gives you something on which to focus that keeps your eyes from getting sucked into the audience, which tends to get the best of some performers sometimes.

as for camera flash? i dunno. hire trevor to kick their asses.

Anxiety said:

that is great advice!

SassyBritches said:

Yeah! That's what I do! It works great. Or just close your eyes and focus on what you are doing.

purplegypsy said:

you are gonna be great! i'll be in the audience and you'll be in heaven! besides, i think you know the material better than the writer!

when i first started playing in bands, i used to arrive about three hours before going on so that people get used to seeing me there and i them. plus it gave me the chance to have the one up on people coming to the place by being there first.
now i'm ok. i didn't even need booze or drugs to calm me down. i still get nervous but it's only if i am not really that prepared with the material or i haven't practiced enuff.

most rock stars just take lots of drugs!

It might be helpful to hang around a little before your set, and actually mingle amongst the punters/audience in the club - this is so that you're not SO surprised once faced with an audience. And it gives you a chance to adjust yourself (no, not down there!) and prepare yourself mentally.

Or then you could always fill up on beer...that helps my guitarist! But I wouldn't recommend that. I usually get quite nervous right before and as soon as I hit the stage. But after the first couple of lines in the song, it's as if all the nerves just fade away.

Then you'll start having fun with it and wanting more...it's a high for sure.

Best of luck, and ultimately, don't think so much about it. Like Nike says, "Just Do It!" (ATTENTION!!! free advertising offence committed).

i used to go to the back stage area. just before the lights went down . and sing a real calming song to myself. believe it or not it used to be prince's "damn u".
just kinda focuses me.
as for camera flashes.....just smile
half the time you can't even see the audience....or at least you can't really focus on one of you're moving around a lot. maybe that should be the advise....run around stage a lot!!!!
hon you#ll be fine. most importatn of all.....enjoy your self. ppl can tell if you're not. entertain and get that "high" most performers always talk bout. damn its addictive!

and no drinking
thats a false high.

I know how nervous one can get. My hands usually tremour n i start sweatin n i feel my stomach knot up!!! This was me once upon atime...i still get nervous but not to that terrifing extent
1) Talk to people around you before the performance. SMILE- it relaxes, u will feel people around u warm to that, you'll feel alot more confident too. BE like u are normally. I love havin my friends around me where possible..because i get into "party mode" and when i'm in "party mode" It is a similar high i get when tipsy or drunk...only without the loss of senses

2) Treat da stage as your temporary home...you rule it...you're da one up there, now let your natural self take over n show em what u got! I have no problems now lookin people right in da face..just dont do it all da time or they'll think get funny ideas

3) Perhaps do try starin over da crowd before right at da crowd first! Do try a little eye-contact to engage your audience though once you're at ease

Yup...dat's it Goodluck

thanks everyone! tomorrow night is my PURPLE GYPSY debut (11:15 EST to be exact) and this really helps!!!

VinaBlue said:

That is what I do too. Keep your mind focused on the music and place yourself in a different world and you will be able to get through it.

purplegypsy said:

Have a drink or two and you'll be fine. Alternately, try square-breathing.

Keep perspective and confidence will be there. Most importantly, if you make a mistake or miss something, keep going like you didn't notice and nobody else will either.

Good Luck

luv4u said:

Actually avoid alchohol if you're new to this. It'll only make you more nervous and a lot more sloppy.

As stupid as it sounds, (and it REALLY still sounds stupid), sunglasses helped me a lot - knowing that I could look at people and they didn't know if I was looking at them, for some reason, just makes it a lot easier to perform. It's SO stupid putting them on when I walk onstage, and I feel like a Blues Brothers wannabee for about 10 seconds until I start doing my thing, and then it's all just part of the show.

Another good one is to isolate a single player in the place and play to them... whether it's someone you know or not, just over-animate. Are you doing a play? Or just playing in a band? you can do that in a band, but obviously, saying your lines to a person in the crowd... that wont work.

It's all therapy. Just look at it like that. You're up there to do your thing, and those people are there to see what you're going to do. If they dont like it, they wont stone you, they'll leave.

Okay, I HAVE been hit by a rock a couple times...

I always figured if you shined the spotlight bright enough in someone's eyes they would even notice the crowd.

Well, that fright b4 I go onstage never goes away, but once I'm on it's all over. It helps me if I know someone in the audience. U just gotta find your groove, settle in and reach out to whoever you're singing 2 I think.

Good luck with Purple Gypsy!!! You'll be great!

The faster u can connect with your audience the quicker the nerves go down, so sometimes not focusing on the audience and paticular people can make it worse.

sometimes its good just to pick a few people out of the crowd and sing to just them, u need to feel like ur at home or something, so make the connections.

I like to drink, and it is always good when you have friends on the front row.

And drink only makes me sloppy fi a drink tooo much. otherwise you get hoot fingers

I have to honest my first reply was "Have a Heniken." But in keeping with the people who've posted I'll give a more responsible answer.

I think it helps to know the music inside and out. The way you'll have a confidence in what you are doing and you'll relax more. It's a weird backward Zen thing.

I just watch people and smile and you'll have a good time.

purplegypsy said:

Just want to thank everyone who posted on this thread...I actually took A LOT of your advice and it was such a magical night when I performed.
[This message was edited Wed May 19 18:01:03 2004 by purplegypsy]

purplegypsy said:

Awesome! Is that you in your avatar now?

Crack plenty of jokes, talk about stuff you've been going through, flirt, laugh at yourself, do impressions.

I'm amazed, the more I play & sing on stage, how much standup is incorporated in what we do.

The real key is to just get up there and do it, over and over again. Jump in and do it, almost like swimming. Then, it just becomes yet another thing you do in life, like signaling before you change lanes on the highway. (You do that -- right?)

i just get really arogant and do my best bobby brown impression...
maybe thats not good advice...
*hides crack pipe*