Too Nice To Rock- Confidence and Rock
How many people reading this right now know exactly what it feels like to be really nervous. I'm talking about the kind of nervous that makes some people violently ill. Sure some of you know what I'm talking about, because you have preformed in front of an audience. Most people will do this at some point in thier lives. For some reason some of us get physically ill just thinking about it, while others thrive on it. I am somewhere in the middle, Although I have never gotten ill, I do get nervous. I have also learned to thrive on that energy, as long as the energy of the room is good. Confidence is probably the biggest thing (next to musicanship) that seperates the newbies like the Wurling Juggernauts Of Doom, from the seasoned professionals!
The Thing that seems to elude most people is the fact that no amount of fame or money ever eases the pressure, and the nervousness. I'm sure if anything it probably increases it. Sucessful musicans still get nervous and they still fuck up. It's only human to make mistakes. It's how we learn and improve. Kurt Cobain, the late frontman for the now legendary band Nirvana would often be ill before a preformance, and he is quoted as often saying that he still got very nervous playing for large crowds and that he prefered smaller more intimate crowds.
I have noticed that after playing in bands for almost fifteen years , and seeing countless bands play, the audience is the one uncontrolable factor that can make or break a bands preformance. A seasoned band will always give it thier best, but the one thing they can not count on is how the crowd will react. Sometimes the crowd will ignore, or worse boo the band onstage. If the band shows that the crowds reaction is affecting them, the bad feeling in the room will multiply, and the band could find themselves in a lot of trouble.
One of the wierdest shows I have ever seen was in August of 2004. The Darkness were headlining the reading music festival in England. Thier confidence started off strong. After many stage antics from Justion Hawkins, ( the lead singer) The crowd seemed to grow restless. It was obvious to the band that the crowds attention was fading, So they had to take it up a notch. Thankfully for all, the band played amazingly after about mid point into the show. They finished the set more rocking then ever, complete with fireworks, flames and giant 30 foot screens flashing fuck!
When a band preforming and an audience watching are both into the preformance. WhenThe chemistry is just right, amazing things can happen. The band and the crowd feed off of the energy that is is in the air. Anything can happen at a show like this. I'm sure that this sounds compleately lame, but anyone who has even had a taste of what I'm talking about will tell you the same. It is this unnamed phanomana that has managed to keep Rock and Roll alive and fresh for so many years. It is why every band in existance braves the butterflies and the stage fright, and preforms. It is at the soul of every person who has ever picked up a drumstick, a guitar, or a microphone. Even if they don't know it. But I have no idea exactly what it is or how to harnass it. Some of us have it and some don't. It will come and go, and you can always tell who has it. The best thing about it is that it doesn't subscribe to one look or sound. It is always changing, multiplying and evolving.
The only thing I can be sure of is that as time goes on my ability to play the drums improves. ( I hope anyway) As I play more shows with better musicians, My confidence will improve as well. I have struggled with my confidence for many years, in the past it has affected my ability to play. Once to the extent that it got me kicked out of a band. (something everyone in bands should experience once) Unfortunately you can learn to deal with confidence issuses, but they are very hard to control, and it is something that I will be aware of until my very last drum fill.
The Thing that seems to elude most people is the fact that no amount of fame or money ever eases the pressure, and the nervousness. I'm sure if anything it probably increases it. Sucessful musicans still get nervous and they still fuck up. It's only human to make mistakes. It's how we learn and improve. Kurt Cobain, the late frontman for the now legendary band Nirvana would often be ill before a preformance, and he is quoted as often saying that he still got very nervous playing for large crowds and that he prefered smaller more intimate crowds.
I have noticed that after playing in bands for almost fifteen years , and seeing countless bands play, the audience is the one uncontrolable factor that can make or break a bands preformance. A seasoned band will always give it thier best, but the one thing they can not count on is how the crowd will react. Sometimes the crowd will ignore, or worse boo the band onstage. If the band shows that the crowds reaction is affecting them, the bad feeling in the room will multiply, and the band could find themselves in a lot of trouble.
One of the wierdest shows I have ever seen was in August of 2004. The Darkness were headlining the reading music festival in England. Thier confidence started off strong. After many stage antics from Justion Hawkins, ( the lead singer) The crowd seemed to grow restless. It was obvious to the band that the crowds attention was fading, So they had to take it up a notch. Thankfully for all, the band played amazingly after about mid point into the show. They finished the set more rocking then ever, complete with fireworks, flames and giant 30 foot screens flashing fuck!
When a band preforming and an audience watching are both into the preformance. WhenThe chemistry is just right, amazing things can happen. The band and the crowd feed off of the energy that is is in the air. Anything can happen at a show like this. I'm sure that this sounds compleately lame, but anyone who has even had a taste of what I'm talking about will tell you the same. It is this unnamed phanomana that has managed to keep Rock and Roll alive and fresh for so many years. It is why every band in existance braves the butterflies and the stage fright, and preforms. It is at the soul of every person who has ever picked up a drumstick, a guitar, or a microphone. Even if they don't know it. But I have no idea exactly what it is or how to harnass it. Some of us have it and some don't. It will come and go, and you can always tell who has it. The best thing about it is that it doesn't subscribe to one look or sound. It is always changing, multiplying and evolving.
The only thing I can be sure of is that as time goes on my ability to play the drums improves. ( I hope anyway) As I play more shows with better musicians, My confidence will improve as well. I have struggled with my confidence for many years, in the past it has affected my ability to play. Once to the extent that it got me kicked out of a band. (something everyone in bands should experience once) Unfortunately you can learn to deal with confidence issuses, but they are very hard to control, and it is something that I will be aware of until my very last drum fill.
posted by Spenzilla at 8:19 AM
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