Mark Johnson Well here it is, our first guest contributor. Please welcome Mark Johnson from Inner Secrets, The Australian Santana Show. Mark is a brilliant guitarist who I’ve had the pleasure of working with in many bands over many years. He has a great deal of experience and I look forward to his regular contributions to this site. Please check out his website and his band. You won’t be dissapointed! Cheers, Mark Gibson.

First up guys and gals, welcome to “Improve your music”.

I was really flattered to be asked to be a regular contributor to this site. I wish that something like this existed when I was starting out. It sure would have helped to be able to pick the brains of more experienced muso’s anytime I felt like it.

Anyway, I thought I’d open with an article on first gig jitters as this is something that is relevent to myself as I type this.

It is certainly nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your first band ever, or if it’s the thousandth time you’ve done it. We all get them, and anyone who says they don’t probably should seek professional help.
As I said, I am experiencing this situation myself at present, so I thought I would share what’s happening with me and maybe you can relate it to your own situation.

The Santana show that I’m currently doing is currently in the studio rehearsing it’s butt off, and has been for months now. We have our first gig coming up on the 24th February, and all of us are getting more and more apprehensive as the day approaches. All of us have been in this game for at least 15 years. I myself have been in it for 25 years.

OK, so why the nerves?

For the band, we have suffered a couple of line up changes through the last couple of months. The last one as recent as last week. Instability will definitely contribute highly to the freak out factor. No one likes change that close to the end. We have had to re-analyze some of the material we’re doing as well as it’s not working out the way we’d hoped. Remember, we’re two short weeks away from the launch and now we discover some things aren’t working and need to learn some new material.

Now, to me personally.

I have worked for two years to realise the dream of a Santana show that alot of people said wouldn’t work. Well, several thousand dollars of initial investment in promotional material, studio time, talking it up all over the place and beating my chest in defiance at the nay sayers, the time has come to put up or shut up. My personal reputation is on the line, along with any future credibility in the industry.

There’s a lot riding on that first gig. Any band can spend months in a studio getting the material together and sounding great, but it means nothing if that first gig doesn’t come off and nail your audience right from the word go. There’s an old saying, “there’s no second chance for a first impression”.

The trick with those nerves is to try and make them work FOR you. The band is at the stage now where the jitters are really kicking in and our senses are on high alert to any problems, real or potential. You have to encourage your band members to talk about their concerns and be seen to be taking them seriously by acting on them, or taking the time to explain things very clearly to the concerned member. Never let it slide. Fear can turn the most steadfast into an olympic gold medalist sprinter, and they will sprint straight out the door never to be seen again. Use the fear energy and focus it on any last minute tidying up, but try not to be neurotic about it. That just annoys people.

Finally, gig time.

This is just a word of advice, not a hard and fast cure all. Five to ten minutes before you’re due on stage, clear the band room of non band members. This includes wives, girlfriends, mates, cousins, family members etc. This is band time now. The band should spend this time alone with each other and psych each other up. You know each other well enough now after all that time locked in rehearsal rooms, to know what to say to each other that will encourage everyone to do their best and not worry about mistakes. Let’s face it, they will happen so don’t get hung up on potential disaster. Again, when you hit that stage, use the fear to focus your performance. Last of all, as you’re walking to the stage, take a few deep breaths, smile at each other and blow that venue away.

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