Worst performance of my life

[Music&Chaos]

Title says it all. IDK what was up today but I got the chance to gig with a pretty big local band and just kept eating shit every step of the way. I cannot explain why but for whatever reason - it just wasn't happening. The worst part is that one of the players knows my capabilities and nodded me into the set. And then this happens. Worst possible time as well I feel. Great.

Well that show was absolute shite on my part and I cannot feel more aggravated about it.

The Fender Tonemaster I had to play through didn't do me any favors - made me feel like it was literally eating the notes as I was trying to play them.

All of these crazy, monster licks and riffs and.....nada. Just not meant to be I guess.

 

[DanTravis62]

Man, I'm sorry that sucks.

This happens to everyone that actually gets out there and gigs though, so dont feel too bad.

My first take would be never to use gear you aren't familiar with, even in backline situations. I am okay with 800s, 5150s, basically anything shaped like a half stack with some gain, but my absolute worst gigs ever have similarly been when the "backline" was an amp I wasn't comfortable with, one of the old clean musicman boat anchors, a line 6 bogner alchemist, and a johnson millenium come to mind. It can 100% get in your head and distract you way more than it should even if technically you can find a passable sound.

My second take would be don't be too hard on yourself, but use this feeling as motivation to really truly prepare for every gig. I didn't get this as a younger musician and would just kind of fuck it off, but now that I'm older in addition to band practices I carefully go through our sets and put everything to memory and go over it multiple times. As well as our more common encores if it's a big or friendly crowd. I am always prepared, for every gig, and if you take the time to do it like that the confidence becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[Fusionbear]

It happens. I recently did a solo dinner gig where my looper malfunctioned and it got interesting....lol...

I made it through, but it was one of my worst gigs ever....

 

[Music&Chaos]

Man, I'm sorry that sucks.

This happens to everyone that actually gets out there and gigs though, so dont feel too bad.

My first take would be never to use gear you aren't familiar with, even in backline situations. I am okay with 800s, 5150s, basically anything shaped like a half stack with some gain, but my absolute worst gigs ever have similarly been when the "backline" was an amp I wasn't comfortable with, one of the old clean musicman boat anchors, a line 6 bogner alchemist, and a johnson millenium come to mind. It can 100% get in your head and distract you way more than it should even if technically you can find a passable sound.

My second take would be don't be too hard on yourself, but use this feeling as motivation to really truly prepare for every gig. I didn't get this as a younger musician and would just kind of fuck it off, but now that I'm older in addition to band practices I carefully go through our sets and put everything to memory and go over it multiple times. As well as our more common encores if it's a big or friendly crowd. I am always prepared, for every gig, and if you take the time to do it like that the confidence becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I have been gigging and practicing since the age of 11. I have never in my life had an experience such as this. I have made mistakes and had issues but never before have my hands and brain just died on me.

Yes - I was stuck using one of those Music Man amps after being told NOT to bring my stuff over and over and then being asked if I brought my stuff when I arrived.....

After that, had to stick into a Tonemaster and it was horrible feeling.

Just really sucks as I had a slight reputation, and everyone was kind of waiting and then.....this. Today. I just wish it never happened. And at my friend's retirement party and everything. Oh man......

 

[WizardAmpIphoneClip]

I'd probably just drink, maybe do some light narcotics, go outside and break something and live to fight another day

 

[japetus]

I'd probably just drink, maybe do some light narcotics, go outside and break something and live to fight another day

Yep go throw some wine bottles against a wall, and hit some rocks with a tennis racket. It always helps me.

 

[DanTravis62]

I have been gigging and practicing since the age of 11. I have never in my life had an experience such as this. I have made mistakes and had issues but never before have my hands and brain just died on me.

Yes - I was stuck using one of those Music Man amps after being told NOT to bring my stuff over and over and then being asked if I brought my stuff when I arrived.....

After that, had to stick into a Tonemaster and it was horrible feeling.

Just really sucks as I had a slight reputation, and everyone was kind of waiting and then.....this. Today. I just wish it never happened. And at my friend's retirement party and everything. Oh man......

Brother, that's why you over-prepare for gigs, to try prevent this from happening I've been gigging since being a preteen as well; it's bound to happen to all of us at some point or another.

Just use this as motivation to prepare harder next time, that's all you can do. As @WizardAmpIphoneClip says, live to fight another day. Just make double sure you're more than prepared next time, and remove as many variables as possible.

The backline thing, I totally get it. But now you know right? Never leave it up to chance like that, because you're leaving yourself open to shit like this happening. No sense crying over spilled milk, but now you know to prepare for it.

 

[japetus]

Lemme tell you this piece of advice, it's never as bad as you thought it was...I have played shows that I thought I sounded like a total jabrone and listened back, and it wasn't so bad. Sometimes we are own worst critics, especially in the moment.

 

[DanTravis62]

Lemme tell you this piece of advice, it's never as bad as you thought it was...I have played shows that I thought I sounded like a total jabrone and listened back, and it wasn't so bad. Sometimes we are own worst critics, especially in the moment.

Yep this is totally true. It's never quite as bad as you think it was. Especially if you only fucked up the solos or something

The thing is, if the rest of the band was solid, even if you fuck everything up most people just think "oh the band was mid"

They don't realize "oh it was musicnchaos that fucked everthing"