playing live?

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I advise playing live its nerve racking before you hit the stage but once your playing your set its an amzing feeling of freedom.... i may only be 17 but everyone can experience the same emotions and i cant see how emotions when playing live can differ that greatly when playing live. Its also good that after youve played people may want to give you advice and then you can improve and be more confident the next time.

ubw rookie Joined: Jun 11, 2005 Posts: 68

I have played live many times, and I'm 14. I do theater and stuff, to, tho, so that helps with stage fright. For me, playing live is the only way to play. Something about getting up there in front of a bunch of people who don't know or barely know you, and playing a song makes it the best musical experience. I play guitar and harmonica and sing, Dylan-style, and so I get the added bonus of seeing confusion on people's face when they see me get on stage with my harmonica holder resting on my neck like some weird piece of headgear. It's a lot of fun.
-Tyler

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:41 am

I am very far from the stage life. For now, I am a solo vocalist, no P.A. and no band. I am craving a life in the music scene, but without a band, or stage equipment for that matter, I'm pretty much stuck. Hopefully I'll see a turn around sometime soon. Also, earlier in the thread you asked how old everyone was... I am 20. Related to my age, I have set a goal to get at least some local recognition within five years. If it happens, it happens, and if it doesn't... well, I guess that's life. No matter what, I'll always have the music of others to enjoy. Cheers, cheers, and more cheers, to you!

RiCterMan

Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2005 5:53 pm

Hey there,
I have had the pleasure of playing live at such establishments as Toad's Place in New Haven CT. The band I was in always felt they needed to covers to capture the audience, but originals at this venue (Toad's) are always welcomed warmly, especially with the bands that we would open for. This sometimes would be a difficult point to get across to a couple of the guys in the band, but always proved true! People do want to hear originals,, but you are stuck playing covers at times to initially capture their interest with something that is "familiar" to them.

The best gig's I've ever done are opening for Blue Oyster Cult and The Derek Trucks Band. When I first started learning bass, I basically had my lessons in a "live" format at the local open mic night in which my instructer, who was the bass player in the hosting band, would give me hand signals for the positions while I played, which can be nerve racking but also very exciting and invigorating, because I always felt like I was pushing the envelope.

In regards to my age, my physical body is 43, but my mind will always be young

http://www.unsignedbandweb.com/music/bands/5099/

Tammy

ubw rookie Joined: Jun 27, 2004 Posts: 108

Except for performing with the church folk group at my mother's funeral Mass, I've never performed in public.

That will change next Sunday when I sit in on bass with a friend's band at an open mic. The venue is the Liquid Lounge at Seattle's Experience Music Project-- also known as the Paul Allen's Hendrix Museum. We'll be doing two or three songs as a four-piece.

Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2005 4:49 pm

Ive played live many times in many bands.

Unfortunately, I have grown to dislike playing live, for some reason, I always end up feeling pretentious, self concious.

I did it for 9 years, and really just got sick of feeling that I had something to prove. After all, music is meant to be enjoyed. I have found that I prefer to be the one sitting down front, just listening, rather than up playing.

I always wanted to be in a band that was really atmosphere creating and emotionally entertaining, but for some reason, I only ever ended up playing to drunkards and imovable objects.

I found it totally soul destroying to be in a band (my last band) that made great music, but always ended up rehearsing the same old songs year after year, when my main form of enjoyment was in creating new material. I was forced to do a runner and retire, selling all my live playing equipment in exchange for doing further education.

I would have loved to set up some form of music co-op with many different people coming together in different lineups for one off improvised gigs. This would make me want to get my guitar out in public again. Unfortunately, there is no interest in music really where I live, bands are few and far between, as are gigs. All anyone seems to want to do is have crappy jam sessions where people get up week after week and play the same old rotten covers, or awful battle of the bands contests where you just stand there playing to other bands who all think you are shit and they are better.

So now I just sit at home farting around with my music in my spare time, recording it (when my gear is working) and puting it on the UBW where people can listen to it if they want, and I dont have to stand there feeling awkward in front of an un-responsive audience, and I dont have to continually sit in a room rehearsing the songs I write, which I consider to be finished, never to be played again once I have finished recording them.

Sorry if this sounds negative about playing live, its just me. a lot of people love playing live, and all power to them. Dont be put off.

Anyway, check out this link to my UBW page to see some photos of me in my live playing days, and maybe have a listen to my tunes. Hey, maybe even sign my guestbook, its lonely being empty!

http://www.unsignedbandweb.com/music/bands/3467/photos.php

DAGON. Very Happy

Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2005 5:47 pm

I'm 13, never played live, got plenty of time to do it though. Roughly how many songs do you need to have ready for a gig or opening? just wondering...

Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 11:23 am

It depends on how long you are playing for and how long your songs are. When we played at Toad's, we had a 45 min set and would average 7-10 songs. It depends if you jam them out or just play them through (like a wham-bam-thankyou-mame, next...) If you are playing for a night at a bar figure on having about 30 songs or so (10 a set) and a couple of extra just in case, but don't be surprised of you don't get to play all of them either. Like I said, it depends on how you approach your playing and how long your songs are in general. Hope that helps!

Tammy

http://www.unsignedbandweb.com/music/bands/5099/

Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 6:49 pm

any1 gots any tips on how to play guitar and sing at the same time i tend to miss pieces of the song...

Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 6:58 pm

Practice, Practice, Practice!
Just start out slow and simple and work your way up from there...

Erick

http://www.unsignedbandweb.com/music/bands/5010/

ubw rookie Joined: Jun 27, 2004 Posts: 108

Well, my little gig went OK. We went on first as a four piece and plowed through three quick songs in an event that traditionally caters to single singer/songwriters. (They have a drumset there, but it largely goes unused.) We may have caught them off guard, but that was part of the fun.

And now I can say that I performed in public.

Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 1:14 pm

I've played live quite a few times, .never toured . which was always kind of an unfulfilled dream, not dead yet though . .I'm over 40, . shhheeeit, am I old, . but the last band I was in opened for Blue Oyster Cult at Toads place in New Haven Ct in front of a full house . . doing mostly originals . . What a rush . 45 minute set went by instantly . .!!! just do it dude, it'll be great . . .

, . . .if not , at least you got to do it and say and play what you got to say thru music. . . I can relate to what dagon said as well as far as there is NO REAL interest in original music where I live, at least as far as making a living doing it . . and there is that factor that dagon mentioned as well as far as people being drunk and uninterested . . .oh well, I've rambled on enough. .
peace

Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 2:10 pm

I prefer "LiveDead" by the Grateful Dead myself, hehehe.....A little St. Stephen never hurt nobody....

Sorry can't pass up Dead humor

Tammy

http://www.unsignedbandweb.com/music/bands/5099/

playing live?

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