bombing on stage?

i have never played in front of an audience, and am doing so on the seventh of june.


has anyone messed up SO MUCH that everyone had to stop playing and restart a section or a whole song? what was the audiences reaction?

my drum teacher says they WONT set a lion on me but i dont know...
 
Yep. In the mid 80s the band I was in had a residency at a small bar. For some reason our regular supporters didn't show up and we were dealing with a new crowd. The first set didn't make much impression on them.

During the break we engaged in the smoking of illegal intoxicants of unanticipated strength and came out feeling rather ... relaxed for the second set. We were due to start with an original song and we'd only just finalised the arrangement the night before. It was one of those songs that takes a while to work out just right and it had quite a few changes.

It was going smoothly at first and we'd worked up a decent funky groove until we reached a point where no one could remember whether to go. Was it supposed to be another verse, the chorus or the middle 8?

I chose one, the guitarist chose another and the bassist another again. The song simply fell apart and we had to stop.

We cracked up laughing and so did the audience. The singer made a few jokes about it and we tried again. When we got through it without mishap the audience cheered wildly. From then on the place was rocking :D That's the only time it happened. Embarrassing but hardly the end of the world.

I would'nt recommend it as a way of getting the audience onside but it worked out for us on the night. I guess the moral of the tale is remember that music is about the joy of life (even death metal, I expect) and while we try to get things right, sometimes we stumble and that's a learning experience (like don't get wasted at gigs, especially when playing songs you don't know well).

I've made plenty of smaller blunders that I recovered from. Learning to recover quickly and not dwell on mistakes is important. It's gone and can't be undone. Just make the rest of the song work.

My advice for a first-up gig is to play within yourself - nothing too fancy. Try to keep the time as solid and even as possible to make it easier for the other band members, keep eye contact with them as much as possible ... don't zone out ... and don't think about errors. Better to keep your focus on the song and trying to keep it happening.

Break a leg! :)
 
I've played in several jazz bands before and I'll tell you I've gotten off beat a time or two (especially those first few performances). Now we've never BOMBED and had to start a section or song over, but did have some mess ups here and there. Its just always gonna be part of the show. My advice is just go in there confident and just play. If you get off just pause, then play a simple backbeat to get yourself (and your band) back where you need to be. Your drum teacher is right, they wont go ape on you, especially because sometimes if you play it off right they won't even notice. Like I said just be confident and do what you know how to do. Don't over play (damn adrenaline) and you'll be fine. Hope this helps, good luck, and let us know how it goes. What kind of show are you gonna play?
 
i have never played in front of an audience, and am doing so on the seventh of june.


has anyone messed up SO MUCH that everyone had to stop playing and restart a section or a whole song? what was the audiences reaction?

my drum teacher says they WONT set a lion on me but i dont know...

I have very little experience playing for an audience, like you. I've played a few open mics and BBQ parties, things like that. I'm paranoid about being prepared (in everything) so when we were set to play in front of people, we made sure we practiced just before. I think that helped a ton...especially being a newbie. By the time we got out there to play we were super smooth and relaxed...and it was a GREAT time, every time.

Be prepared and HAVE FUN!
 
It happens. You just laugh it off and carry on. Don't be afraid of anything, it won't help you at all. Like when the rest of the band ends the song and you're still playing. Oops! Ha ha sorry! Next!
 
im playing two songs, "let it be" and "imagine"
we only have three or four rehersals, and im also singing two other songs with the choir,
its for our youth service, a whole sunday run by us.
and we have to do it twice.

i remember, the first rehersal, i couldnt even play, i had gotten some sort of mental block from my uncle that went away in my garage, but practicing with the other musicians, i was playing at 30% capacity, i was shaking something fierce, and i couldnt even do my little groove breakdowns :/

playing with other people is probably a main cause of my apprehension.
 
the good thing is, the audience is pulling for you if they're you're friends and they came to see you. they want you to succeed and they're willing to forgive your mistakes. if you do mess up, just keep playing and chances are no one will even notice or care.
 
im playing two songs, "let it be" and "imagine"
we only have three or four rehersals, and im also singing two other songs with the choir,
its for our youth service, a whole sunday run by us.
and we have to do it twice.

i remember, the first rehersal, i couldnt even play, i had gotten some sort of mental block from my uncle that went away in my garage, but practicing with the other musicians, i was playing at 30% capacity, i was shaking something fierce, and i couldnt even do my little groove breakdowns :/

playing with other people is probably a main cause of my apprehension.

You're the drummer man. Don't play with them, make them play with you. They don't keep the time, you do.
 
Relax. Count. And don't stop playing.

Go up there and play your set list the same way you do at rehearsal.

I played my first gig two weeks ago and it went off without a hitch.
 
I have something for you to read....enjoy (I wrote this awhile ago):


Defeating defeatist behaviors..:

Drumming and music are activities that demand both a development of technique through practice and an ability to create 'in the now' in many situations. While both concepts can work together to help a person become a better musician there are times where they can also overlap and possibly counteract what the performer is trying to achieve either in the practice room or in a live performance.

Performing in the practice room

The practice room is where you want to refine what you know; break concepts down, practice coordination, learn new material and basically open yourself up to a well…sometimes humbling experience. For instance, making the transition from being a rock drummer to a jazz drummer can be very difficult at first. However, the goal of practicing and learning is to challenge yourself and attempt things you do not yet have a strong grasp at understanding. This is how we grow.

One observation I have made with myself and others is that people do not always scrutinize themselves or attempt to learn new things. People can spend large amounts of time playing what they already know rather than practicing what they do not. This can create a false sense of security. While it's a good practice to work on refining styles, grooves and techniques already learned, it will not necessarily prepare you for a wider variety of styles. Understanding music notation was something I focused on to improve my overall picture of music. Improving my own reading skills helped me hear things differently as well.

So, when you are practicing, take some time, evaluate your routine and be honest. Are you learning anything new? Are you performing something you already know? If the answer is the latter, you are probably impeding yourself by staying too close to your comfort zone.

Practicing during performance

Another area in which I have corrected over time involves resisting "practicing" while performing. Many of us have played in a situation where the material is not always something as fun or interesting as we would like. Eventually performing live can result in "science experiments" that are not always agreeable. Sometimes space is simply more desirable than clutter, and an untried "cool" idea may in reality be clouding up the sonic landscape. While it is true-sometimes great music, art or ideas happen by mistake- it is also true that contrived unnatural playing can also result in something better left in the practice room.

The questions in this case would be are you playing music? Are you playing a practiced routine that might not be enhancing the other musicians? Are you being honest enough with yourself to hear and know the difference?

Anxiety during performance or practice

Anxiety is something that can occur in either a live performance (fear or stage fright) or in a practice situation (frustration or a lack of concentration). In either case, the result is usually not good. I can remember having bouts of anxiety before performances that felt completely uncontrollable at the time. One particular instance stands out from when I was at the University of Pittsburgh preparing for a recital of a Marimba piece with piano accompaniment. My own practice schedule was intense pushing tempos during rehearsals far beyond the required speed. I felt very confident. On the day of the recital, nervousness took over from a lack of experience performing classical music, and the comfort of a band to "hide behind". Frankly, it felt nerve racking. Nonetheless, I pulled it together that day and went into the room to perform. I counted the piece off signaling the pianist and we were off. I played the piece probably as fast as I had ever played it and while there were few errors my 'inner judge' (helpful in the practice room-not so good while performing) started an ongoing critical essay of the situation causing my mind to wander and worry. Eventually, I stopped dead in my track-to a silent room. It seemed as if everyone (myself included) was stunned. Pulling it together, I finished the piece to some very gracious and loud applause but I felt awful for giving up on the piece and ultimately, myself. Afterward, many of the other musicians I spoke with were surprised because they had not noticed my mistakes during my initial performance. Suddenly, I realized the problem was from my own internal analysis. Overconfidence without experience was a culprit, along with my own internal critic constantly chastising in my head.

Much time has passed since that recital and I have learned that performing at least needs to have an element of fun to it. I learned over time mistakes can and do happen, even the best performers will make them and it is a matter of finding a way to work with them or navigate your way out of them without simply stopping or letting them further interrupt the flow of what you are doing. This comes from experience and part of it is coaching your way through the nerves by thinking and feeling positive about what you do rather than being overly critical of yourself. Ultimately, it is not a matter of life or death.

Similarly, when practicing it may be difficult to stay focused but for different reasons. As previously stated, practicing is a time for learning, trying new ideas, and a time of growth. Often new exercises won't develop as easily as we would like due to roadblocks which can be physical, mental, or a combination of both. Feelings of frustration can take over, making the entire learning process even more difficult. Patience is a must to continue to move forward. Recalling concepts such as 'baby steps' can assist such progress. Any exercise can be broken into smaller sections and then built back up again. I love the old expression "How does one eat an elephant? One piece at a time!" because I feel it applies to so many things when learning. I have had students who were on the verge of quitting after frustrating points with their progress. Stressing to them the concept of smaller pieces building a whole can be very helpful. Those feelings and thoughts of 'I can't' are replaced by 'I can' and a 'defeatist behavior' is defeated.


Ultimately music is an art that involves some science and frequently hard work. Keeping the various details of the learning process in check is all part of being a drummer/musician. It's also a bit of a balancing act between emotions, thought, skill and experience. Having an honest assessment of your own practice habits and performance behaviors will keep you on the right path to grow, learn and enjoy your own experience as a drummer.
 
I have something for you to read....enjoy (I wrote this awhile ago):


Defeating defeatist behaviors..:

Drumming and music are activities that demand both a development of technique through practice and an ability to create 'in the now' in many situations. While both concepts can work together to help a person become a better musician there are times where they can also overlap and possibly counteract what the performer is trying to achieve either in the practice room or in a live performance.

Performing in the practice room

The practice room is where you want to refine what you know; break concepts down, practice coordination, learn new material and basically open yourself up to a well…sometimes humbling experience. For instance, making the transition from being a rock drummer to a jazz drummer can be very difficult at first. However, the goal of practicing and learning is to challenge yourself and attempt things you do not yet have a strong grasp at understanding. This is how we grow.

One observation I have made with myself and others is that people do not always scrutinize themselves or attempt to learn new things. People can spend large amounts of time playing what they already know rather than practicing what they do not. This can create a false sense of security. While it's a good practice to work on refining styles, grooves and techniques already learned, it will not necessarily prepare you for a wider variety of styles. Understanding music notation was something I focused on to improve my overall picture of music. Improving my own reading skills helped me hear things differently as well.

So, when you are practicing, take some time, evaluate your routine and be honest. Are you learning anything new? Are you performing something you already know? If the answer is the latter, you are probably impeding yourself by staying too close to your comfort zone.

Practicing during performance

Another area in which I have corrected over time involves resisting "practicing" while performing. Many of us have played in a situation where the material is not always something as fun or interesting as we would like. Eventually performing live can result in "science experiments" that are not always agreeable. Sometimes space is simply more desirable than clutter, and an untried "cool" idea may in reality be clouding up the sonic landscape. While it is true-sometimes great music, art or ideas happen by mistake- it is also true that contrived unnatural playing can also result in something better left in the practice room.

The questions in this case would be are you playing music? Are you playing a practiced routine that might not be enhancing the other musicians? Are you being honest enough with yourself to hear and know the difference?

Anxiety during performance or practice

Anxiety is something that can occur in either a live performance (fear or stage fright) or in a practice situation (frustration or a lack of concentration). In either case, the result is usually not good. I can remember having bouts of anxiety before performances that felt completely uncontrollable at the time. One particular instance stands out from when I was at the University of Pittsburgh preparing for a recital of a Marimba piece with piano accompaniment. My own practice schedule was intense pushing tempos during rehearsals far beyond the required speed. I felt very confident. On the day of the recital, nervousness took over from a lack of experience performing classical music, and the comfort of a band to "hide behind". Frankly, it felt nerve racking. Nonetheless, I pulled it together that day and went into the room to perform. I counted the piece off signaling the pianist and we were off. I played the piece probably as fast as I had ever played it and while there were few errors my 'inner judge' (helpful in the practice room-not so good while performing) started an ongoing critical essay of the situation causing my mind to wander and worry. Eventually, I stopped dead in my track-to a silent room. It seemed as if everyone (myself included) was stunned. Pulling it together, I finished the piece to some very gracious and loud applause but I felt awful for giving up on the piece and ultimately, myself. Afterward, many of the other musicians I spoke with were surprised because they had not noticed my mistakes during my initial performance. Suddenly, I realized the problem was from my own internal analysis. Overconfidence without experience was a culprit, along with my own internal critic constantly chastising in my head.

Much time has passed since that recital and I have learned that performing at least needs to have an element of fun to it. I learned over time mistakes can and do happen, even the best performers will make them and it is a matter of finding a way to work with them or navigate your way out of them without simply stopping or letting them further interrupt the flow of what you are doing. This comes from experience and part of it is coaching your way through the nerves by thinking and feeling positive about what you do rather than being overly critical of yourself. Ultimately, it is not a matter of life or death.

Similarly, when practicing it may be difficult to stay focused but for different reasons. As previously stated, practicing is a time for learning, trying new ideas, and a time of growth. Often new exercises won't develop as easily as we would like due to roadblocks which can be physical, mental, or a combination of both. Feelings of frustration can take over, making the entire learning process even more difficult. Patience is a must to continue to move forward. Recalling concepts such as 'baby steps' can assist such progress. Any exercise can be broken into smaller sections and then built back up again. I love the old expression "How does one eat an elephant? One piece at a time!" because I feel it applies to so many things when learning. I have had students who were on the verge of quitting after frustrating points with their progress. Stressing to them the concept of smaller pieces building a whole can be very helpful. Those feelings and thoughts of 'I can't' are replaced by 'I can' and a 'defeatist behavior' is defeated.


Ultimately music is an art that involves some science and frequently hard work. Keeping the various details of the learning process in check is all part of being a drummer/musician. It's also a bit of a balancing act between emotions, thought, skill and experience. Having an honest assessment of your own practice habits and performance behaviors will keep you on the right path to grow, learn and enjoy your own experience as a drummer.

Very well written, you basically nailed how I feel in the same situations, it helps to mentally prepare yourself before the show too. Like think of it this way, the crowd is there to see you and enjoy what you are performing. They aren't critics (well most of them) and they probably won't notice any of your mistakes because they are too busy listening to the rest of the song. It's not like they are going to hear the 1 mistake and hold a grudge because chances are they will think it is part of the piece for all they know. Also think about this, you don't want to waste your life away not playing shows because you are scared of making mistakes, the only way to do it is to go out there and give em hell. Just relax and realize that you have a show to play and your not going to let anything stop you.
 
A band I depped for did 2 stones numbers... unfortunately I got a mental block & started playing the other one than the rest of the band are playing.... The frontman stopped us after about 12 measures... ridiculed me as a dep to the crowd... I got up and bowed... then we started the song I was supposed to be playing and away we went!!! It hurt for a millisecond, but you gotta ride the lows like the hi's, and its all comedy at the end of the day!! Get out there, do your best. We all - including the pro's, make mistakes, Just make them and move on, ENJOY IT!!!!
 
I'm in a sort of post=punk indie Interpol-esque band with the songs written by the lead singer. When i joined the band i got talkin to our lead guitarist about what music we play when we're on our own in it was this powerful funky groovin kinda style which is much more fun to jam with.

However our influences were light-heartedly dissallowed from affecting our sound, so when our lead singer's guitar cut out and he shouted "stop playing, my guitar's hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh", we seized the opportunity to lay some brown down in funky town which had the affect of loosening up the crowd and us two, and especially the bassist who just went along with the whole thing and was lovving it. The jam ended in a minimal reggae style which exposed our trendy frontman as a bathroom reggae MC who apparently had a string of narcotic related poety which none of us knew about.....I feel a side project coming on.

Not really a faux par on my behalf, but a great event on stage.

More recently though i thought i'd play with my glasses on to see if it made anything any better, however, half-way through the first song, the stick managed to find its way behind the hinge of my glasses and on the down-stroke flung my glasses way into the crowd. Funny stuff, kept playing with a big grin on my face. These things happen. gotta just go with it.
 
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Oh, shoot! Glad to hear you're okay! I thought you actually had a bomb go off on stage. Whew!

It happens. It happened the other night when I was sitting in for a group. Actually, the frontman hired EVERYONE in the 7-piece group to sit in. They were his songs, and the charts didn't accurately reflect his current version of said tunes. There were several starts/stops. Everyone was guilty of going to the wrong place at the wrong time at least a few times. Most of us went there at the same time, as per the charts we were given. It was a wreck from our perspective, but the crowd said it was the best they'd ever seen him (the frontman) perform. "The band seemed really attentive and into it!" HA! HA! HA!
 
Druid, great point about the inner critic. There are times when the inner critic has an important role and times when he (she, in my case) needs to sleep - even when practising. The science and art comment is pertinent here.

I find in private practice the inner critic belongs during the "science" part, say, working with a metronome. Then I like to turn the "nome" off and play the same thing at that tempo, but with soul - at times with the "critic" and at times without. Back and forth.

When it comes to gigs, it simply has to be fun although that's not so easy when filling in for another drummer, don't know the songs all that well, and you have a dictator-style band leader.

Meat the Beat, I love your anecdote about doing a bow after messing up - perfect :)

Oceansikth, also love your impromptu jam.

I find that we can easily fall into the trap of trying to produce performances that will impress (or at least not be judged by other musos) rather than be loved. I've done that plenty myself. However, most people want to see a band to love rather than be impressed by. That's why my old band was cheered after the royal stuffup I recounted in my earlier post - we had become vulnerable and therefore loveable. However, had a record company rep been present, all the cheering in the world probably wouldn't have saved us.

Whatever. If you're ambitious for success and you're good enough then it's almost impossible for you to mess up enough to stymie your chances. Relying on a flukey great performance isn't what it's about when you want to be a pro, in which case it just means that when you are good enough your time will come. Otherwise, your gigs are part of your education and hopefully will be fun enough to bring good memories. So, no matter which way you go, getting out there and having a good time with your band is the name of the game.

One thing I can say is, before the gig, try not to skip on the sound check and be fussy if you have the chance. One thing that freaks out new drummers is walking on stage and finding that it sounds NOTHING like in the rehearsal room. I remember making that mistake at the Tivoli many moons ago. My bass drum had a huge sound though the monitors, my snare could be heard and my toms and cymbals almost inaudible. I could barely hear the bass player and the guitar sound was like a big wash. Because it was the biggest gig we'd played at the time we weren't assertive enough to get things fixed and, as a support, didn't feel we were in a position to question the work of the "big time" enginneer. Our gig abviously lacked soul because it's hard for us to generate a good feel when the sound sucks.

For that reason I always enjoyed smaller venues more because you had control over your sound.
 
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One thing I can say is, before the gig, try not to skip on the sound check and be fussy if you have the chance. One thing that freaks out new drummers is walking on stage and finding that it sounds NOTHING like in the rehearsal room. I remember making that mistake at the Tivoli many moons ago. My bass drum had a huge sound though the monitors, my snare could be heard and my toms and cymbals almost inaudible. I could barely hear the bass player and the guitar sound was like a big wash. Because it was Obviously, it was the biggest gig we'd played at the time we weren't assertive enough to get things fixed and, as a support, didn't feel we were in a position to question the work of the "big time" enginneer. Our gig abviously lacked soul because it's hard for us to generate a good feel when the sound sucks.

For that reason I always enjoyed smaller venues more because you had control over your sound.

Wow, I am so glad none of this has ever happed to me! hahahahaha
 
We were the house band at Six Flags over Georgia in 1984. We opened for Missing Persons (kind of, we played in the park before them). I was very nervous. We played our tunes and it was okay. Missing Persons comes out and Terry Bozzio starts the wrong song. The band was playing one tune and he is playing another. The band stops, Terry makes fun of himsielf, and starts the correct song. It was great! Even the pros make mistakes. Who cares...just relax and do your thing.
 
One time, I came to the point in our set list where we were supposed to start a slower song.

I played a fill and went to start this nice, leisurely groove. While my mind said slow and easy, my arms and legs said DAKA DAKA DAKA DAKA DAKA at double the intended tempo. Two bars of this Animal worthy barrage of sticks and beaters came out before I could stop myself.

The guitarist and bassist stopped and looked at me right as I got my arms to quit flailing about.

I yelled out, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE [expletive] I'M DOING!" loud enough for the whole venue to hear. This set everybody off, After we managed to stop laughing, we started again and it went fine.

So don't worry. If you completely screw up, just yell that and try again.
 
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