nerves....

[sliprigilio (Al)]

Hi Dave

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on pre-gig nerves....
Do you get nervous before a performance?   (do you get nervous half-way through?!!)
Do you have any pre-stage rituals (including any superstitions)?
Do you ever have a complete'blank-out' in the middle of a number?
How often do you have mundane thoughts during a gig (e.g. have I left the gas on or this gig is going really badly I'd rather be doing the washing up!
Cheers,
Slippy

[peggy]

Hi Slippy. Luckily I really don't get the nerves much . My most recent attack was the first gig I did with P.J. when just before we went on I thought"Hang on a minute - you aint playing the bass now and you are gonna have to sing and do some spiel in between songs" It was  a moment. I have been lucky  with stage fright. Mainly, cos I worked a lot with my very good friend Ralph McTell who gets incredibly jittery before going on and it can be infectious.  I tend to ignore the fact that there's an audience out there waiting till the very last minute. I have seldom had moments where my concentration has gone during a gig. ( Bladder, yes) However this is not what my friends tell me!