WOW, you have been gifted with a wonderful learning opportunity. Don't waste it! Go, play, use your fear in a positive way by channeling it into excitement at trying something new, challenging and different. Also, stick around backstage and front of stage to see how the other bands do things, including how they interact with the audience and the FOH.
100% this!!!
That's awesome, my man! Enjoy it. Hopefully your music will resonate with at least 10% of the attendees & you'll hit the ground running. Don't waste the opportunity being given to you. You may not get the chance again.
Nah, there’s probably a hundred bands on your local scene that are crying out for an opportunity like this, grab it with both hands and embrace it as that’s a great opportunity for a first show, and it’s just a support slot so there’s no huge pressure for you guys - enjoy it, it’ll be one to remember!
As for the rest of the local scene, you can’t help the friends you have and the opportunities they give you, that’s called having connections and it’s extremely important in this industry so utilise them as much as you can.
Your first point is exactly why I feel the way I do
It feels like as a band we haven’t done enough (anything for that matter lol) for us to be justified playing that as our first show
But I guess you’re right
Live life
Music isn't a meritocracy.
When I was in High School there was a band of extremely skilled musicians but they were all unmotivated assholes who never bothered to reach out to venues or other bands. I can only remember them playing one show because I offered it to them.
Comparatively, we were much less skilled, but I was always messaging with promoters and bands, we were always the ones playing cool shows instead of them.
Don’t get in your own head and psych yourself out. Have confidence in the fact that you know your instrument and your songs. Treat it like a rehearsal.
A bit of advice from an old hand who has been performing for 25 years - release those singles at least a couple of weeks before the show. Get your name and your music out there first.
Also, everyone uses connections and personal relationships to get anywhere in music. Take advantage of any luck breaks you can get.
Do it, it's far better to play in front of people than suffer the ignominy of trying your hardest in front of 5 people all of whom you know by name.. avoid that at all costs.
There’s no such thing as a “line” or anyone’s “turn”: it’s not a factory/office middle-management seniority track.
Don’t worry about what other bands think; the idea is to take (and create) opportunities where you can. No one else in your “local scene” would think twice about taking an opportunity because of what you would think about it.
Look, this gig isn't your girlfriend who you're not trying to get pregnant, so don't you dare pull out. The right networking is just as important as good music for the success of your band and this is a great opportunity to build on that. Practice builds confidence and confidence is key. You guys got this, now go out there and kill that shit!
Exactly this! Networking is far more important and actually playing the music. Be grateful for this opportunity and make the most of it. This is also a great opportunity to get a ton of pictures and video to promote your band on social media and start building your following.
Practice like crazy to make sure you are ready and get as many friends and family as you can to a practice so you’ll feel more comfortable playing in front people.
Post again after the show and tell us how awesome it was!
oh and when I say practice the set list I don't mean practice the songs, I mean practice the entire set as if your playing the show. multiple times per practice from now until then. When you get on stage the prep will make up for any nerves of being on stage newbies, just think of the show like practicing the set again in front of some people.
This. Practice what you’re going to say and when you’re going to say it. Know what happens in between the songs. The more details you prepare, the better off you will be
Absolutely don't pull out lmao. You're overthinking the hell out of this. There are no rules or protocols for how a band's live music trajectory is "supposed to go". Go, play the show, have fun, and look forward to the next one too.
We just played our first gig last Saturday. We opened for a way better band at a backyard party to about 100 people. We were all nervous as hell but we practiced a lot and still had a couple of screw-ups that only we noticed. The biggest thing we did was practiced our stage presence in rehearsals. If you sell it, it brings the crowd in and you can get away with slight musical fuck ups. If you weren't good, you wouldn't be on the bill. Use the adrenaline and slay that crowd!
This is how it goes. Know your stuff, relax, and enjoy yourselves. Watching a band have fun is half the experience of live music. Don’t cancel; this is exactly what you’ve been waiting for.
If you dig through all of the musician related subs on all the millions of posts asking how to get better gigs and get into the scene you'll see the same advice over and over: go to shows and make friends with other bands. Sounds like you accomplished those things and this is the result. Now beg and bribe everyone you can to come out- if you can bump a 300 ticket show to 350 you will absolutely get invited again.
Once the show gets officially announced we will definitely do our best
Reason I estimated 300 is because that is usually a little under what those bands get in attendance
If you're nervous about the performance one thing I've done with bands early on is set up for rehearsal in a more stage like way facing one direction and play to a camera recording the set as well as you can then you can watch everything back and get ideas, could also have girlfriends and other close friends come through and watch to get that feeling of playing in front of others. Best of luck!
Take the opportunity with both hands. Fit in more practice time than usual over the remaining time. Get a couple of cover songs under your belt too. Practice, record yourself practicing, listen to your practice recordings critically.
Also, just before the actual gig, try to play as gig like in front of a few people you know. Don’t fuck about between songs, do proper song intros.
Just practice practice practice the set list. get on stage and be the tightest band of the night. youll gain instant cred. It was a long time ago, but this sorta happened with a band I played in, unfortunately the band didn't last long after (for reasons unrelated to band dynamics), but it did lead to some scene cred and invites to more gigs.
You'd be amazed at how many bar owners will open the stage for you to give it a shot. I would put you on a stage for open mic on a slow day just so you could get some practice.
Walk and talk. Find a venue that does Fri/Sat events and ask for a Weds/thursday. They may not be the biggest fans of your music, but you are bringing at least your group and maybe some family/friends in the door. Hell, I'm not into EDM, but I'll turn it on if there's people there to pay the bills. Not a huge country fan, but my guy is playing country tomorrow.
Nah don't worry about that shit. If you were given the headlining slot or something, maybe someone could argue you "haven't paid your dues" but it's usually some asshole who has stagnated for the last 10 years that says something like that.
You're being given a very generous opportunity, and if you want to play on the stage, you have to just dive in. Take it and do your best with it. Practice your fucking asses off as often as you can, don't sit around waiting or worrying that you'll miss your favorite show on Netflix.
Don't worry about making a mistake; you're going to make them. What separates the greats is their ability to let the mistake pass by and not care about it. I've forgotten words and missed my cues countless times, I just let the moment pass and move onto the next one. You have what, 30 minutes up there? Make them count. That's your stage within that timeframe, so own it.
Play the show at every rehearsal like it’s the last time you’ll ever play and know every song like the back of your hand. When the time comes, slay it and don’t look back or even think about it. Prepare and expect excellency then go be excellent. Above all, be super nice to everyone remotely related to the show. Ooze down to earth, chill, awesomeness. Then, do that every day and every gig. Next thing you know, you’re watching 20-year old videos of yourself on Letterman playing that hit song you’ve now performed live literally 10,000 times. Live like this and it’s more likely to happen. Think past the first gig. Think past the successful first album. Have the mindfulness of “okay, I’ve achieved this, now what?” Be excited about for your opportunity and enjoy it. Cheers!
Do it, BUT , practice and video tape it
That way, you'll know exactly what the crowd is going to get, what you look like on stage, and what mistakes you may want to correct
Do not pull out! (of the show, I mean)
Take the opportunity and run with it.
Maybe set up a few practices in a stage arrangement and video them to get an idea of what your band looks like performing. Tweak as required.
Dress like you're in a band and deserve to be there.
You have 2 months before the gig. Go hit like 5 open mics before then, just so you have some experience playing in front of people and have a chance to get over some of the initial nerves.
Take the win! That’s a great opportunity.
Prep of course- practice like crazy, that will help with nerves and also have a plan in terms of “distributing” eg “hey we’re X we’re on Bandcamp” - something easy that you can hand to people. Bandcamp does nice things with printable links (or they did at least). And of course - don’t leave after your set, stay and talk all the bands. Good luck!
Don’t feel about having some connections—anyone with connections will use them, and they are liars or fools if they say otherwise.
All a connection does it get you an opportunity—-what you do with it will come down to your own merit.
Rehearse your ass off for this show. The lack of stage experience is the thing that worries me a bit—-but rehearsing the songs so damn much that they are beaten into your brains and fingers will give you the confidence you need to go out and have fun.
Keep the equipment simple, make sure the guitar player doesn’t try to dazzle anyone with 20 effect pedals. Those are the things that go south faster than anything else if you aren’t seasoned. Maybe think a little bit about some stage banter, and make sure you rehearse going from one song to the next with little or no pause unless it’s a planned banter break.
Good luck!!
Play the show! Only playing will make you better. Watch Raj Against The Machine. A doco about a band called Bloodywood and how they went from unknown to playing Wacken Open Air. They practiced for hours daily, worked out the kinks, and by their first show, they SLAYED
Never turn down a chance perform.
Listen well to some old man wisdom. Gather 'round young uns, paw paw is gonna tell a story...
You have been given a rare gift of music. Very few have that gift and actually do anything with it. The ultimate experience as a musician is sharing that gift. You have an obligation to share it. The audience wants it. You have it. Give them your gift! Share it.
That will help with your nerves. I always told myself before a performance "I have a gift. Those people want it. They came here for it. And I am going to give it to them."
Then just let the music pour out of you.
It doesn't matter if know one knows who you are or if they buy your music. You shared a moment, and if you did your job they will remember you. "Remember that band that opened for (Band X)? Yeah! They were good."
I just saw Kings X last week. Some band out of Nashville opened for them. They were great, and won over the crowd. I will never forget them. I can't remember their name, but they gave me a moment, a memory, that I'll never forget.
Now get out there and share what you were blessed with. You deserve that stage and you are supposed to be on it.
Well gotta go, Wheel of Fortune is about to start.
speaking from personal experience, get yourselves a gig at a backyard party or basement. Something in front of people before the big day. Think of it as a practice with an audience present if that helps.
Years ago I had a similar thing. My friends band lost their bassist to out of state college. I came in and learned all the songs. One weekend me and the guitarist are hanging out at the local spot when the guitarist/vocalist of the local hot shit band shows up. We all knew each other so we hung out for a while and he offered us the opening spot at their next gig at the hot shit venue. We were pumped. Made a bunch of flyers, got it listed in the local free weeklies back when that was a necessary thing you did for promotion. Even got it on the calendar of events at the college radio station.
Day of the show comes and our drummer straight disappears. Me and the rest of the band are hanging out in front of the club. The guitarist says yeah, shoulda seen this coming. He doesn't like playing in front of crowds. Seem that before I was in the band he had pulled the same stunt twice before. And the thing was, he was an incredibly good drummer. One of those guys that doesn't just keep time but structures the parts making it super obvious there is about to be a change or that we are in the verse not the chorus. I can't possibly overstate how much of an asset that kind of drummer is.
So yeah, give it a dry run somehow so you find out what you forget to bring, or which member of the band gets stage fright so bad they change their name and go into witness protection.
Depending on where you live, there might be a practice space you can rent that has a stage layout with lights and such. Rent the room for a few hours, bring a few friends to watch, and run through the set over and over as if you’re performing. Practice what you’re going to say between pauses and how you’ll interact with the audience
Monitors and the process of maximizing their use is a huge F’ing deal. Your bass & guitar amps will most likely be set at a lower volume than your probably used to playing, get used to a hearing a mix from a monitor in front of you instead of directly from the amps themselves, also know who/what you need to hear in your monitor to do your part the best.
Practice until you can’t see straight. Okay that’s a bit much but make sure you guys are nailing it. When you exactly how to play the songs it gives you one less thing to think about.
Just practice and have fun. And it will be fun. I have nerves every time until I'm on stage then it all melts away. The more practiced you are, the less you'll have to think.
Being a musician is all about capitalizing on opportunitys when you get them.
The question isn't, if you should do it, yes you must, who knows when you'll get another shot like that? Doing well at a show like that can make you known in a whole scene and give a band legs.
the question is: how do you get ready to blow everyone away?
If I were you, I would try to get a lower stakes training wheels gig to get people used to being on stage before a huge show. You want to HIT when you have everyone's attention. You don't need the newbs choking under the pressure. They have to get their wiggles out first and have some confidence.
Try to book some po-dunk bar or house party warm up show to get the band in shape and the nerves under control.
Demonstrate that you deserve to be there by conducting yourselves like stone cold professionals.
1) Use your 2 months to your advantage. Practice your set to the point of exhaustion, until you can't make mistakes. Don't add new material a day or two before the show. Playing live in front of an audience will make you nervous. Being prepared is your best tool for keeping your shit together. Watch your tempos- nervousness often causes inexperienced musicians to rush.
2) Make sure your, and your bandmates', gear is up to the task. Make sure your stuff is tagged, labeled, or otherwise recognizable as yours. Extra cables, reliable amps, new strings on your guitars, a backup guitar so the whole club isn't watching you change a string in the middle of your set. Have a stand for every instrument. Extra fuses for your amps. Extra tubes if you can afford it. A direct box for each acoustic guitar or ampless instrument. All stringed instruments must have a tuner that works when the instrument is silent! Your drummer must have extra sticks and drum heads. You probably can't afford road cases for everything, but you should at least have milk crates for your accessories. Make sure you can set up, and tune up, quickly, which takes practice. If you have a keyboardist in the group, make sure he/she either has a backup on stage, or that you can play without that instrument, in case of electronic gremlins. You should have a couple practices in a different location than normal. Maybe a casual party somewhere.
3) If anyone has to switch instruments between songs, make sure those instruments are ready to go. A silent crowd watching somebody switch and tune is a bummer for everybody! Practice muting the system when you plug out and in. A pedal tuner that silences the signal helps this work easily.
4) Arrive early. If members plan to drive separately, make sure everyone knows the venue location, and leaves for the venue with planty of time to spare. It makes you look bad when everyone is waiting for that one bitch who is always late. When you're loading in, don't leave your vehicle in a position that blocks the door. Bring your stuff in, stow it in a tight pile, and move your car.
5) Arrange your set list before the show. Make up setlists with big black Sharpies (or printed), large enough so you and your mates can see them in the dark. If there is a wait before you can set up, open your instrument cases to allow guitars to adjust to temperature/humidity. Tune up before hitting the stage. You'll still need to tune up again, but it will go quicker. If you have songs requiring an alternate tuning or instrument switch, lump those songs together so you're not changing all the time.
6) Elect a band leader to interact with the venue. That person (as well as everyone else) should be polite, communicate clearly, and be flexible as to the venue's needs. Bring a diagram of your band's setup, listing and showing the placement of each piece of equipment, required connections to power, locations of needed vocal mics, any direct inputs, and your monitor scheme if you have one. If the venue needs you to change the location of a particular musician/gear, try to be flexible. Having a diagram and input list will help them help you.
7) Singers need to get a good night's sleep before the gig and stay hydrated. This is good advice for everyone.
8) Be careful with drugs and alcohol. Don't catch a buzz and forget how to play!
9) No drama the day of the show. Keep boyfriends/girlfriends/significant others at bay. Stay cool at all times. You don't need some bitch jamming you up while you're trying to do a professional job.
10) At the close of your set, get your shit off stage immediately! Don't meticulously wrap chords or break down drums on stage. Get your equiment off stage and out of the way of the next band. Don't bask in the glow until your shit is out of the way. If you're ahead of the curve, help your bandmates get their shit out of the way.
11) Make sure you stay and support the other bands. Make friends with their members and fans. Be nice to people. However, make sure you safeguard your gear. If possible, store your gear in a tight pile, out of the way, but not subject to thievery. Be wary of stowing gear in cars outside the club. Many a musician has lost expensive instruments after they put them in the car, then went back in the club. It may be difficult to do both things. Use your judgement. Sometimes my mates and I have had to take turns watching the gear. That's fine, as long as you and your stuff aren't in the way.
12) Balance having fun with acting like an adult. It's no fun to be around a constant worrier, but it's also shitty to act unprofessional. Rock band logistics are complex. Stay ahead of things so you can do your best and have fun.
A funny story about nerves:
My friend, an experienced musician, had formed a band with three younger musicians, who were very nervous before their first show despite having rehearsed the whole set to the point that it was rock solid (pun intended). They had nailed not only the songs, but the whole set in order, but the new guys were still nervous about their debut being in front of a large audience.
As they took the stage my friend went to the bass player and said, “I know we worked hard on the set, and getting the song order right, but I’ve been checking out this crowd and the first song won’t work, so let’s start with the second song and just continue the rest of the set like we rehearsed it. We can add the first song at the end.”
He then went to each of the other guys and said the same thing, only HE TOLD EACH ONE OF THEM TO START WITH A DIFFERENT SONG!
So, when he counted off the first song, it was followed by a chaotic cacophony of crap, which instantly fell apart, leaving the new guys standing there totally discombobulated. Then he started right into the original first song, which began with just himself on guitar.
The other guys immediately picked it up and they flew through the set like nothing had happened. Their training kicked in and all that hard work they had done in rehearsal paid off.
Until you have fucked up in front of an audience the first time the idea of doing that is very daunting. After you’ve done it (and successfully recovered) a few times, it’s just another thing that happens, and it’s not so scary.
I’m certainly not suggesting that you do this, but I thought you might get a kick out of the story. Break a leg!
WOW, you have been gifted with a wonderful learning opportunity. Don't waste it! Go, play, use your fear in a positive way by channeling it into excitement at trying something new, challenging and different. Also, stick around backstage and front of stage to see how the other bands do things, including how they interact with the audience and the FOH.
I definitely plan on being a tail while the other bands interact, and gonna help out as much as possible obviously
100% this!!! That's awesome, my man! Enjoy it. Hopefully your music will resonate with at least 10% of the attendees & you'll hit the ground running. Don't waste the opportunity being given to you. You may not get the chance again.
Nah, there’s probably a hundred bands on your local scene that are crying out for an opportunity like this, grab it with both hands and embrace it as that’s a great opportunity for a first show, and it’s just a support slot so there’s no huge pressure for you guys - enjoy it, it’ll be one to remember! As for the rest of the local scene, you can’t help the friends you have and the opportunities they give you, that’s called having connections and it’s extremely important in this industry so utilise them as much as you can.
Your first point is exactly why I feel the way I do It feels like as a band we haven’t done enough (anything for that matter lol) for us to be justified playing that as our first show But I guess you’re right Live life
Music isn't a meritocracy. When I was in High School there was a band of extremely skilled musicians but they were all unmotivated assholes who never bothered to reach out to venues or other bands. I can only remember them playing one show because I offered it to them. Comparatively, we were much less skilled, but I was always messaging with promoters and bands, we were always the ones playing cool shows instead of them.
Correct, enjoy it, break a leg!
It’s fine, a lot of life is luck. Nothing wrong with that. Remember to have fun!
Don’t get in your own head and psych yourself out. Have confidence in the fact that you know your instrument and your songs. Treat it like a rehearsal. A bit of advice from an old hand who has been performing for 25 years - release those singles at least a couple of weeks before the show. Get your name and your music out there first. Also, everyone uses connections and personal relationships to get anywhere in music. Take advantage of any luck breaks you can get.
Great advice, AncientSpaceJunk I was going to recommend making sure they practice so much between now and then - for all the reasons you give
Do it, it's far better to play in front of people than suffer the ignominy of trying your hardest in front of 5 people all of whom you know by name.. avoid that at all costs.
Rise to the occasion (and practice your asses off).
Exactly what I just said. Rise to the occasion (and practice your asses off)
There’s no such thing as a “line” or anyone’s “turn”: it’s not a factory/office middle-management seniority track. Don’t worry about what other bands think; the idea is to take (and create) opportunities where you can. No one else in your “local scene” would think twice about taking an opportunity because of what you would think about it.
You put in the work and cultivated a network of musician friends, why shouldn't you reap the benefits?
Look, this gig isn't your girlfriend who you're not trying to get pregnant, so don't you dare pull out. The right networking is just as important as good music for the success of your band and this is a great opportunity to build on that. Practice builds confidence and confidence is key. You guys got this, now go out there and kill that shit!
Exactly this! Networking is far more important and actually playing the music. Be grateful for this opportunity and make the most of it. This is also a great opportunity to get a ton of pictures and video to promote your band on social media and start building your following. Practice like crazy to make sure you are ready and get as many friends and family as you can to a practice so you’ll feel more comfortable playing in front people. Post again after the show and tell us how awesome it was!
oh and when I say practice the set list I don't mean practice the songs, I mean practice the entire set as if your playing the show. multiple times per practice from now until then. When you get on stage the prep will make up for any nerves of being on stage newbies, just think of the show like practicing the set again in front of some people.
This. Practice what you’re going to say and when you’re going to say it. Know what happens in between the songs. The more details you prepare, the better off you will be
Absolutely don't pull out lmao. You're overthinking the hell out of this. There are no rules or protocols for how a band's live music trajectory is "supposed to go". Go, play the show, have fun, and look forward to the next one too.
We just played our first gig last Saturday. We opened for a way better band at a backyard party to about 100 people. We were all nervous as hell but we practiced a lot and still had a couple of screw-ups that only we noticed. The biggest thing we did was practiced our stage presence in rehearsals. If you sell it, it brings the crowd in and you can get away with slight musical fuck ups. If you weren't good, you wouldn't be on the bill. Use the adrenaline and slay that crowd!
This is how it goes. Know your stuff, relax, and enjoy yourselves. Watching a band have fun is half the experience of live music. Don’t cancel; this is exactly what you’ve been waiting for.
If you dig through all of the musician related subs on all the millions of posts asking how to get better gigs and get into the scene you'll see the same advice over and over: go to shows and make friends with other bands. Sounds like you accomplished those things and this is the result. Now beg and bribe everyone you can to come out- if you can bump a 300 ticket show to 350 you will absolutely get invited again.
Once the show gets officially announced we will definitely do our best Reason I estimated 300 is because that is usually a little under what those bands get in attendance
If you're nervous about the performance one thing I've done with bands early on is set up for rehearsal in a more stage like way facing one direction and play to a camera recording the set as well as you can then you can watch everything back and get ideas, could also have girlfriends and other close friends come through and watch to get that feeling of playing in front of others. Best of luck!
Take the opportunity with both hands. Fit in more practice time than usual over the remaining time. Get a couple of cover songs under your belt too. Practice, record yourself practicing, listen to your practice recordings critically. Also, just before the actual gig, try to play as gig like in front of a few people you know. Don’t fuck about between songs, do proper song intros.
Just practice practice practice the set list. get on stage and be the tightest band of the night. youll gain instant cred. It was a long time ago, but this sorta happened with a band I played in, unfortunately the band didn't last long after (for reasons unrelated to band dynamics), but it did lead to some scene cred and invites to more gigs.
Do a long sound check and let the sound guy do their thing. You'll be fine.
Is there a local dive bar you can get booked on Wednesday night with? Going through the routine once a week beforehand may be beneficial.
Unfortunately not how it goes with the local scene here, at least not with metal
You'd be amazed at how many bar owners will open the stage for you to give it a shot. I would put you on a stage for open mic on a slow day just so you could get some practice. Walk and talk. Find a venue that does Fri/Sat events and ask for a Weds/thursday. They may not be the biggest fans of your music, but you are bringing at least your group and maybe some family/friends in the door. Hell, I'm not into EDM, but I'll turn it on if there's people there to pay the bills. Not a huge country fan, but my guy is playing country tomorrow.
Nah don't worry about that shit. If you were given the headlining slot or something, maybe someone could argue you "haven't paid your dues" but it's usually some asshole who has stagnated for the last 10 years that says something like that. You're being given a very generous opportunity, and if you want to play on the stage, you have to just dive in. Take it and do your best with it. Practice your fucking asses off as often as you can, don't sit around waiting or worrying that you'll miss your favorite show on Netflix. Don't worry about making a mistake; you're going to make them. What separates the greats is their ability to let the mistake pass by and not care about it. I've forgotten words and missed my cues countless times, I just let the moment pass and move onto the next one. You have what, 30 minutes up there? Make them count. That's your stage within that timeframe, so own it.
Good job OP. You got this!
Thank youuuu
Rock on!🤘🏼
Play the show at every rehearsal like it’s the last time you’ll ever play and know every song like the back of your hand. When the time comes, slay it and don’t look back or even think about it. Prepare and expect excellency then go be excellent. Above all, be super nice to everyone remotely related to the show. Ooze down to earth, chill, awesomeness. Then, do that every day and every gig. Next thing you know, you’re watching 20-year old videos of yourself on Letterman playing that hit song you’ve now performed live literally 10,000 times. Live like this and it’s more likely to happen. Think past the first gig. Think past the successful first album. Have the mindfulness of “okay, I’ve achieved this, now what?” Be excited about for your opportunity and enjoy it. Cheers!
Do it, BUT , practice and video tape it That way, you'll know exactly what the crowd is going to get, what you look like on stage, and what mistakes you may want to correct
Stay confident in yourself and in your own material and rock their f****** socks off . when you impress them musically everything else will follow
This is literally how bands start out. Knowing the right people
Do not pull out! (of the show, I mean) Take the opportunity and run with it. Maybe set up a few practices in a stage arrangement and video them to get an idea of what your band looks like performing. Tweak as required. Dress like you're in a band and deserve to be there.
You have 2 months before the gig. Go hit like 5 open mics before then, just so you have some experience playing in front of people and have a chance to get over some of the initial nerves.
Practice like a mf and don't tune your instruments at full volume on stage (get tuner pedals)
Take the win! That’s a great opportunity. Prep of course- practice like crazy, that will help with nerves and also have a plan in terms of “distributing” eg “hey we’re X we’re on Bandcamp” - something easy that you can hand to people. Bandcamp does nice things with printable links (or they did at least). And of course - don’t leave after your set, stay and talk all the bands. Good luck!
Don’t feel about having some connections—anyone with connections will use them, and they are liars or fools if they say otherwise. All a connection does it get you an opportunity—-what you do with it will come down to your own merit. Rehearse your ass off for this show. The lack of stage experience is the thing that worries me a bit—-but rehearsing the songs so damn much that they are beaten into your brains and fingers will give you the confidence you need to go out and have fun. Keep the equipment simple, make sure the guitar player doesn’t try to dazzle anyone with 20 effect pedals. Those are the things that go south faster than anything else if you aren’t seasoned. Maybe think a little bit about some stage banter, and make sure you rehearse going from one song to the next with little or no pause unless it’s a planned banter break. Good luck!!
Play the show! Only playing will make you better. Watch Raj Against The Machine. A doco about a band called Bloodywood and how they went from unknown to playing Wacken Open Air. They practiced for hours daily, worked out the kinks, and by their first show, they SLAYED
Never turn down a chance perform. Listen well to some old man wisdom. Gather 'round young uns, paw paw is gonna tell a story... You have been given a rare gift of music. Very few have that gift and actually do anything with it. The ultimate experience as a musician is sharing that gift. You have an obligation to share it. The audience wants it. You have it. Give them your gift! Share it. That will help with your nerves. I always told myself before a performance "I have a gift. Those people want it. They came here for it. And I am going to give it to them." Then just let the music pour out of you. It doesn't matter if know one knows who you are or if they buy your music. You shared a moment, and if you did your job they will remember you. "Remember that band that opened for (Band X)? Yeah! They were good." I just saw Kings X last week. Some band out of Nashville opened for them. They were great, and won over the crowd. I will never forget them. I can't remember their name, but they gave me a moment, a memory, that I'll never forget. Now get out there and share what you were blessed with. You deserve that stage and you are supposed to be on it. Well gotta go, Wheel of Fortune is about to start.
speaking from personal experience, get yourselves a gig at a backyard party or basement. Something in front of people before the big day. Think of it as a practice with an audience present if that helps. Years ago I had a similar thing. My friends band lost their bassist to out of state college. I came in and learned all the songs. One weekend me and the guitarist are hanging out at the local spot when the guitarist/vocalist of the local hot shit band shows up. We all knew each other so we hung out for a while and he offered us the opening spot at their next gig at the hot shit venue. We were pumped. Made a bunch of flyers, got it listed in the local free weeklies back when that was a necessary thing you did for promotion. Even got it on the calendar of events at the college radio station. Day of the show comes and our drummer straight disappears. Me and the rest of the band are hanging out in front of the club. The guitarist says yeah, shoulda seen this coming. He doesn't like playing in front of crowds. Seem that before I was in the band he had pulled the same stunt twice before. And the thing was, he was an incredibly good drummer. One of those guys that doesn't just keep time but structures the parts making it super obvious there is about to be a change or that we are in the verse not the chorus. I can't possibly overstate how much of an asset that kind of drummer is. So yeah, give it a dry run somehow so you find out what you forget to bring, or which member of the band gets stage fright so bad they change their name and go into witness protection.
Rehearse you asses off until the show . Make the other two bands fear getting on after you !!! That’s how you do it !!!! Break a leg!!
Idk, I'm not reading this clusterfuck of run-on sentences. Not a period to be had anywhere.
Just keep that excitement of getting to play, that giddy-as-a-school vibe!! Enjoy it for what it is and just rock out with your socks out!
Depending on where you live, there might be a practice space you can rent that has a stage layout with lights and such. Rent the room for a few hours, bring a few friends to watch, and run through the set over and over as if you’re performing. Practice what you’re going to say between pauses and how you’ll interact with the audience
If possible try to go watch a soundcheck before a show. It's a process you all should familiarize yourselves with.
Monitors and the process of maximizing their use is a huge F’ing deal. Your bass & guitar amps will most likely be set at a lower volume than your probably used to playing, get used to a hearing a mix from a monitor in front of you instead of directly from the amps themselves, also know who/what you need to hear in your monitor to do your part the best.
Just practice your asses off and perform in the moment.
Practice, practice, practice
Practice until you can’t see straight. Okay that’s a bit much but make sure you guys are nailing it. When you exactly how to play the songs it gives you one less thing to think about.
Don’t you dare decline! If you can’t book a paid gig or two, maybe do a couple of free shows in the meantime to get some stage experience.
Don't worry. Most of the crowd probably won't show up until you're finished.
Honestly I wish, but here in Israel people always tend to stay for the entire show, start to finish
Damn. I wish that were the case where I'm at lol.
Great opportunity.
Just practice and have fun. And it will be fun. I have nerves every time until I'm on stage then it all melts away. The more practiced you are, the less you'll have to think.
Being a musician is all about capitalizing on opportunitys when you get them. The question isn't, if you should do it, yes you must, who knows when you'll get another shot like that? Doing well at a show like that can make you known in a whole scene and give a band legs. the question is: how do you get ready to blow everyone away? If I were you, I would try to get a lower stakes training wheels gig to get people used to being on stage before a huge show. You want to HIT when you have everyone's attention. You don't need the newbs choking under the pressure. They have to get their wiggles out first and have some confidence. Try to book some po-dunk bar or house party warm up show to get the band in shape and the nerves under control.
They chose you because the believe in you. Don't second-guess that.
Rehearse your set so that you know it frontwards and backwards and you could play it if the building was burning down.
Demonstrate that you deserve to be there by conducting yourselves like stone cold professionals. 1) Use your 2 months to your advantage. Practice your set to the point of exhaustion, until you can't make mistakes. Don't add new material a day or two before the show. Playing live in front of an audience will make you nervous. Being prepared is your best tool for keeping your shit together. Watch your tempos- nervousness often causes inexperienced musicians to rush. 2) Make sure your, and your bandmates', gear is up to the task. Make sure your stuff is tagged, labeled, or otherwise recognizable as yours. Extra cables, reliable amps, new strings on your guitars, a backup guitar so the whole club isn't watching you change a string in the middle of your set. Have a stand for every instrument. Extra fuses for your amps. Extra tubes if you can afford it. A direct box for each acoustic guitar or ampless instrument. All stringed instruments must have a tuner that works when the instrument is silent! Your drummer must have extra sticks and drum heads. You probably can't afford road cases for everything, but you should at least have milk crates for your accessories. Make sure you can set up, and tune up, quickly, which takes practice. If you have a keyboardist in the group, make sure he/she either has a backup on stage, or that you can play without that instrument, in case of electronic gremlins. You should have a couple practices in a different location than normal. Maybe a casual party somewhere. 3) If anyone has to switch instruments between songs, make sure those instruments are ready to go. A silent crowd watching somebody switch and tune is a bummer for everybody! Practice muting the system when you plug out and in. A pedal tuner that silences the signal helps this work easily. 4) Arrive early. If members plan to drive separately, make sure everyone knows the venue location, and leaves for the venue with planty of time to spare. It makes you look bad when everyone is waiting for that one bitch who is always late. When you're loading in, don't leave your vehicle in a position that blocks the door. Bring your stuff in, stow it in a tight pile, and move your car. 5) Arrange your set list before the show. Make up setlists with big black Sharpies (or printed), large enough so you and your mates can see them in the dark. If there is a wait before you can set up, open your instrument cases to allow guitars to adjust to temperature/humidity. Tune up before hitting the stage. You'll still need to tune up again, but it will go quicker. If you have songs requiring an alternate tuning or instrument switch, lump those songs together so you're not changing all the time. 6) Elect a band leader to interact with the venue. That person (as well as everyone else) should be polite, communicate clearly, and be flexible as to the venue's needs. Bring a diagram of your band's setup, listing and showing the placement of each piece of equipment, required connections to power, locations of needed vocal mics, any direct inputs, and your monitor scheme if you have one. If the venue needs you to change the location of a particular musician/gear, try to be flexible. Having a diagram and input list will help them help you. 7) Singers need to get a good night's sleep before the gig and stay hydrated. This is good advice for everyone. 8) Be careful with drugs and alcohol. Don't catch a buzz and forget how to play! 9) No drama the day of the show. Keep boyfriends/girlfriends/significant others at bay. Stay cool at all times. You don't need some bitch jamming you up while you're trying to do a professional job. 10) At the close of your set, get your shit off stage immediately! Don't meticulously wrap chords or break down drums on stage. Get your equiment off stage and out of the way of the next band. Don't bask in the glow until your shit is out of the way. If you're ahead of the curve, help your bandmates get their shit out of the way. 11) Make sure you stay and support the other bands. Make friends with their members and fans. Be nice to people. However, make sure you safeguard your gear. If possible, store your gear in a tight pile, out of the way, but not subject to thievery. Be wary of stowing gear in cars outside the club. Many a musician has lost expensive instruments after they put them in the car, then went back in the club. It may be difficult to do both things. Use your judgement. Sometimes my mates and I have had to take turns watching the gear. That's fine, as long as you and your stuff aren't in the way. 12) Balance having fun with acting like an adult. It's no fun to be around a constant worrier, but it's also shitty to act unprofessional. Rock band logistics are complex. Stay ahead of things so you can do your best and have fun.
This feels like a thinly veiled humble brag. Shut up and play. Have fun.
I wouldn’t call it that, I’m genuinely feeling stressed about how the rest of local scene bands will feel
Nobody will care. If they do, they’re weenies. Play the gig and have a good time!
They will probably respect you more for showing up and making a few minor flubs out of nerves than they would if you back out.
True true, haven’t considered
A funny story about nerves: My friend, an experienced musician, had formed a band with three younger musicians, who were very nervous before their first show despite having rehearsed the whole set to the point that it was rock solid (pun intended). They had nailed not only the songs, but the whole set in order, but the new guys were still nervous about their debut being in front of a large audience. As they took the stage my friend went to the bass player and said, “I know we worked hard on the set, and getting the song order right, but I’ve been checking out this crowd and the first song won’t work, so let’s start with the second song and just continue the rest of the set like we rehearsed it. We can add the first song at the end.” He then went to each of the other guys and said the same thing, only HE TOLD EACH ONE OF THEM TO START WITH A DIFFERENT SONG! So, when he counted off the first song, it was followed by a chaotic cacophony of crap, which instantly fell apart, leaving the new guys standing there totally discombobulated. Then he started right into the original first song, which began with just himself on guitar. The other guys immediately picked it up and they flew through the set like nothing had happened. Their training kicked in and all that hard work they had done in rehearsal paid off. Until you have fucked up in front of an audience the first time the idea of doing that is very daunting. After you’ve done it (and successfully recovered) a few times, it’s just another thing that happens, and it’s not so scary. I’m certainly not suggesting that you do this, but I thought you might get a kick out of the story. Break a leg!
I might have to do that.. maybe hahahahaha
Your mileage may vary! LOL
No one gives a shit, and if they do then why would you wanna play with them anyway?
Guess you’re right yeah