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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1330893584' post='1564554'] I can't imagine suffering from stage fright because it would kill the enjoyment I get out of playing and can offer no useful advice to you other than my sympathies... [/quote] Nail, head. Thanks, I appreciate it. I'll work it out somehow......might help if/when my hand /arm are healed and I can actually start to practise again.

It seems to be just me but I much prefer his hypnotic, repetitive stuff to anything else; Okonkole Y Trompa, Kuru / Speak Like a Child, the fast part in Badia / Boogie Woogie Waltz Medley on 8:30.

[quote name='LemonCello' timestamp='1330881665' post='1564294'] From my classical music days I knew a Glasgow GP who happened to also be a very good pianist. He used to prescribe himself Beta Blockers. A vice principal Violinist who had to have at least 5 large Vodkas before going on. You are not alone, there are many 'names' who suffer terribly with the heebeegeebee's. Many of these have developed interesting 'coping mechanisms' over the years. One famous soprano used to go on stage wanting a wee, which gave her something else to think about! I've heard that hypnotism helps? LC [/quote] Nice to know. I'll avoid the wee thing though; I have enough trouble as it is. I'll never forget John Frusciante having to go for a pee into a bottle behind his amps at the Leeds Festival some years back. that was funny. I've heard that too. If it continues it's something I'll consider.

[quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1330888089' post='1564433'] That's a great picture. [/quote] That's me after 5 pints. But I have less hair. I'll add that this is my previous band with a stand-in guitarist. The new thing (not my tunes, so far at least) is a stripped down acoustic affair.

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1330884358' post='1564348'] It must be really tough to get up on stage if you suffer from a lot of anxiety. Like others have said more eloquently, get yourself a routine, know what you are doing, try and avoid all the band politics and embrace the situation. I have a few aches and pains from a mis-spent youth and the only time they seem to go away completely is when i am on stage playing bass. Its a unique space. Where else can you get paid to stare at loads of lovely young specimens... oh and play some music? [/quote] I suffer from anxiety anyway TBH. It's just worse onstage. Don't get me wrong, I've played gigs where it isn't a huge issue, but it's currently debilitating.

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1330882867' post='1564311'] On occasion when we're playing somewhere really busy and I see few members of other local bands in the audience i get that nervous feeling as the place fills up before we go on. I love it tho. It's that kind of "I feel very alive" moment. I'm a fanatical kitesurfer and when you turn up at the beach with the wind howling a gale and big waves rolling in you get that same nervous feeling. It makes you respect the situation and keeps you sharp. I know my nerves don't sound like a patch on yours but I guess they're what makes it addictive. [/quote] I'll add that I hate, hate, hate the sensation of adrenalin surge. The sensation is horrible. I'm your ultimate chill-out guy.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1330880254' post='1564260'] My self talk is appalling anyway and I am always aware of how I am playing but I don't really care what anyone else is thinking at any given moment. If I am not happy and someone says it was great, it doesn't make me feel any better. Likewise, If I think it was great and someone says it was sh*t, I'm inclined to dismiss them. [/quote] Oh absolutely +1. But it's more of a physical thing. It's more like my body simply going into shock. I was fine Friday until the first note. Must admit I used to always play much better when hammered (I have the tapes to prove it!)

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1330879038' post='1564245'] There's a reasonably clear line between pre-gig nervousness and stage fright. Most of us are afflicted by the former and many are afflicted by the latter. In either case, some simple, established routines and mental exercises can help. Positive visualisation and avoidance of external stress helps. One can develop one's own approach, but, for myself, the following helps: * Early arrival and a quick scout round the venue to familarise myself with the general layout. * Briefly occupy the 'stage area' before set-up and look out at the room, while thinking "I own this space". If the stage area is big enough, walk round it to 'establish my territory'. * Get my rig set up as quickly as possible then get off the stage, leaving other band members to have their little stress-outs. Return only when they're done fussing. * Soundcheck (if poss), then find a quiet place to run through the intro parts to each song in setlist order - once only. Put the bass in position then go for a stroll. * Going on - I look at the audience and think "I'm not standing up in front of [i]you[/i]. You're sitting down in front of [i]me[/i]" [color=#ffffff].[/color] [/quote] The problem is I pretty much do all this (although is it better to mark your territory by spraying? ). Then the set starts and I freeze. It's not that I can't play, my chops are pretty decent. It's more a red light fever kind of thing. I just go blank and basically become incredibly tense; I could barely move my fingers Friday. I don't think it helps that the past couple of gigs I've had to hit the instrument completely cold and I always like to warm up for a while first (pretty essential given current issues anyway). FWIW I'm the same with public speaking. Been on the courses, read the books, still absolutely useless. I used to know a guy who could play darts to world standard down the pub, but stick him in a competition and he was useless. Similar issue.

[quote name='urb' timestamp='1330854359' post='1563678'] I have a suggestion - if so many of us hate slap at these things why don't we start a bloody petition or movement to NOT slap at all? If it really is that offensive lets get some t-shirts printed up saying "Slap Is For Twats" or "Slapping Sucks" - wearing ond and casually standing next to people who are doing it, for comic effect Just a thought M [/quote]

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1330873279' post='1564135'] Fortunately its something I've rarely had to struggle with. But you could take some comfort in the fact that because you're the bass player, no one will probably be paying much attention to you!! Haha It's best to remember that a crowd are there to watch you and are probably quite enviable at the fact that you could even get up on stage to showcase your talent in the first place. That puts you in the driving seat, and once you figure out that the adrenaline pumping through you from a great crowd reaction is an incredible rush, you'll find that you start relaxing a lot more and enjoying what you're doing. That's the aim of the game really, you're up there to enjoy yourself! [/quote] Apart form a 3 year interlude with a great band, I haven't managed that in 30 years sadly. I actually thought I was up there to give me another stick to beat myself with. FWIW the audience is generally very complimentary. For some reason that only makes it worse.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1330868435' post='1564000'] Chemical assistance? Maybe you should - get it over with! [/quote] On Friday I watched the band who followed us (after dropping some of the worst clangers of my 30 years of playing) and the singer/ acoustic guitarist was physically [i]so[/i] relaxed. Didn't appear to be either stoned or hammered either. He looked like there wasn't an ounce of tension in his entire body. I always used to think the same watching Stuart Zender in Jamiroquai, although I suspect there was definitely some chemical assistance going on there.

[quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1330869292' post='1564032'] Back in the day it was a very fine balance between drinking enough to get on stage and not blank out from fear and [b]drinking too much, getting over confident, overing play and making things up on the spot [/b] [/quote] This is bad??? Crikey, that's my entire career written off in one sentence.

[quote name='Alex Spencer' timestamp='1330868407' post='1563999'] In the words of the great Nelson Mandela, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it". Everybody gets stage fright, just in varying amounts. [/quote] I read something recently, "cowardice is not caused by an absence of courage but by a surfeit of imagination". I think that's my problem. Whilst obviously dealing with far more stressful live situations than I ever have, I believe stagefright may have been what caused Kate Bush and a certain member of XTC to give up touring.

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1306148789' post='1241405'] However, THIS is the video that's telling me to stop being such an idiot and save up for the Will Lee model. Forget the playing, the tone is just great. [/quote] Weird. That's the tone that I can't stand that so many people seem to want, the tone I'm trying to get as far away from as possible. To me it sounds like really stiff strings banging against wood amplified through a tweeter and nothing else. Ah well, each to their own I guess!

In my previous band (in fact most of my previous bands) it was doubly difficult in that I'd written all the material, and was often singing too (lead or backing). I know that no-one notices your mistakes, but it's not about that. Nowadays as soon as I step in front of an audience it's like I'm almost paralysed. Although I haven't vomited yet so I'm one up on Ozzy and Kate Bush!

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1330812062' post='1563441'] I'm a huge massive fan of 70's (ballpark) Floyd. For those struggling with the Floyd, try not to take them on face value. [b]Just close your eyes and let yourself be taken in a journey.[/b] [/quote] Big +1000 there Rich. WYWH changed my musical life, aged about 14 or 15. Still the greatest album ever made IMO. The intro to Shine On is my favourite bit of music ever by an enormous margin and my favourite bit is that opening chord fading in; utter perfection.

I've always suffered badly from stagefright - ironically I've always hated being in the spotlight or being the centre of attention (why I chose to be in bands I don't know!) - and in years past coped with it either simply by gigging as much as possible to try and make it as familiar as possible and so make it a little less scary, drinking to take the edge off, or usually both. The less I gig and the older I get, the worse it gets. The past few years I've done very little gigging and that, combined with my increasing lack of confidence as I get older, exacerbated by physical issues which are currently hindering my playing and making it almost impossible for me to do any real practice, have meant that the stagefright is back with a vengeance. I've recently done a couple of open-mic type things (bear in mind in the past I've played some relatively big gigs and played & sung with my own band at the Marquee) and have quite frankly been almost paralysed with fear. I can't breath properly, the fingers don't work, I go completely blank, lines which I can normally play in my sleep turn into Donna Lee at 400bpm or I simply can't remember them in the first place. I'll add that I'm notorious for being crushingly self-critical at the best of times which obviously doesn't help. Does anyone else suffer from it? If so, how do you get round it?

Never really had to many problems with this, although it's one of the first things I learnt to do when playing which maybe helps. I sometimes actually find it easier singing over quite complex things, don't ask me why! If struggling, learn the bassline off by heart and then learn the vocals separately. There are some lines that I find really difficult but they tend to be where there are cross-rhythms; wouldn't fancy doing any of Kingy's stuff, and that Suzi Quatro thing ("She's in Love With You"?) would be a nightmare. I remember once doing a cover of Rush's Circumstances when I'd only been playing a couple of years; that was quite challenging, although more so because it was way out of my vocal range.

Er, transitional period for me. I don't normally practise much these days anyway (4-6 hrs a day in the early years, now would normally be half an hour a week at best!), but currently can't due to nerve & joint related issues. On the other hand I'm dipping my feet back into playing live (thankfully only 3 or 4 songs at a go as that's all I can manage physically). Unfortunately the former is rather affecting the latter which isn't helping my stagefright, which has come back with a vengeance. It's all joy.

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1330624746' post='1560684'] I don't buy into "The one" . I love all my basses. But they all have their own personality as it were. The all look different sound VERY Different and play different. Having one bass to me is like only having one 10mm spanner in the tool box. It's great and will take off most 10mm Nuts some folk can go their entire lives with one 10mm spanner but now and again you need a different one to get the job done. . I like Basses for being Basses. If I could afford it I would collect them like people collect stamps or rich guys collect classic cars. Part of the appeal (Or addiction the Mrs might say) is the form as much as the function. The enjoyment comes from more than when it's making noises. [/quote] Good post!

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1330511016' post='1558454'] I think that's the point. A lot of players who we deem to be 'underrated' (and most of those listed above) are not so much underrated as unremarkable. I get that everyone has their favourite bands, songs, cds etc and each player has their moment to shine but when we talk about people being underrated, there is an implication that they are in some way overlooked geniuses when they are simply journeymen bass players who can deliver a professional product with some level of creativity. The question for me is always 'what would this sound like with a different player'. Now Duff McKagan may have some merits but I can't hear much that couldn't be delivered by any one of 1,000,000 rock bass players from about 15 years of age onwards. Del Palmer is a quiet contributor to Ms. Bush's work but I hear nothing to get overly excited by. Could he be replaced? In a second. Take Jaco off the Heavy Weather cd and its a different album. Take Kasim Sulton off 'Bat Out Of Hell' and its the same album with a different bass player. Competent and capable, yes. Underrated, probably not. [/quote] Surely underrated just means that they are better players or contribute more to the music (or both) than they are generally given credit for? That doesn't imply that they're necessarily "overlooked geniuses" at all; I think that's reading far too much into it. FWIW I also think Duff (to my ears) is a far more recognisable player than Kasim Sulton and thus contributes far more to his band's sound; I'll add that I do own BOOH and don't own any GnR whatsoever (never liked them as a band) so wouldn't consider myself biased.

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1330617563' post='1560485'] On the basis of our dip into the Alchemist, I think the closest contender for my 'one' would be my old Charvel - a cheap little bass, but an absolute trooper. To lower the cultural tone some, with an Indiana Jones reference, perhaps it's not about assuming then holy grail is covered with gold and gems. Indiana Jones and the last crusade, that one [/quote] Nothing wrong with a bit of Indy. I think the general assumption some people have that it's about finding the Holy Grail is a bit flawed though; that may be the case for some, but I'm sure it isn't the case for all. If you look at guitarists, few people would see something wrong with them owning, say, a Strat, an LP and a Tele, as they all sound different and potentially do different jobs. Same principal applies.