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There is an Open Mic show on Wed.


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Don't be shy Phil and rock it out. Take one guitar for sure, just make sure you string it up fresh a day or som before and play on it a bit to get the strings all stretched out. Take a little tuner with you if you have one and a list of a few songs you know and could get through. Be cool with the band guys and they will likely help you out. They can be your lifeline up there so play nice in the sandbox and you'll have a blast.

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Thanks for the replies. Lots of good stuff to think about. Most of it I didn't even consider. (I'm considering them now). Maybe too late for new strings, but certainly will be taking an extra set with me. Communicate early with who ever is running the thing is really good advise. I never realized there may be a house band backing me up. Interesting. Trying not to be shy, trying to have fun with it. Hopefully that shows through to the audience. It would be nice if I could record it. But I really don't have the means to do that right now. Getting drunk waiting for my turn might be my biggest problem. I hope my guitar doesn't break. I have had kind of a bad gear week. (different story). Thanks again for the support.

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phil-the-thrill wrote:

I just got back from the open stage and all I can say is wow, wow, and wow. I have so much energy built up right now. In the morning, I'm going write down some thoughts about how It went, good and bad. I learned a lot tonight. I'll post more tomorrow.

 

I would go out and run a few miles to get rid of the adrenaline.

Running naked is best.

 

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I showed up 1/2 hour early. They had a house band that played a set first. They played mostly metal. There were about 15 people there, including the 4 band members. Stamina was not a problem as I was trying to focus my nerves into positive energy. I made a few mistakes but was able to play right through them. Mostly playing a little flat on a couple of full bends. The biggest thing was how different it sounded to me as compared to how it sounds in my music room. I used their amplifier and Mic. After getting started, I realized the amp was dialed in with some reverb. Twice I turned down the volume. Twice the sound man turned it back up. I left it alone after that. It seemed like both the voice and guitar were too loud. I kind of went on auto pilot and was not able to get the emotion in my voice to make the story more interesting. It sounded like an amateur at open Mic night. Maybe because that's exactly what it was. Lol. I focused on having a good time. All in all it was a good time. And even though I didn't realize that playing to an audience was one of my goals, it felt like an accomplishment. They were all very nice and I received "polite applause". I had a blast.

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IMO metal soundman is an oxymoron. Still you might have been on the timid side. One thing you gotta watch is your own hearing. If the levels are too high, say so and ALWAYS check that any monitors pointed your way aren't at rock club levels. Never continue with something blaring at you.

Glad you had a good time too.

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Good for you Phil! Sounds like a positive event for you. Stage sound is always and elusive thing. What I do is always make my stage volume feel good for me. I'll turn up or down to make it sound just right where I am standing and let the guy at the board worry about how it sounds out front. Not always easy to do but you make the best of it. It's one of the challenges you learn from these experiences and that kind of resilience can seriously improve your playing.

The best thing you can do for your playing is form a band. The practice room is fine and all, but nothing beats taking the training wheels off and going it alone.

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