Tonefiend Forum

Most musicians that I know have some sort of pre-gig ritual, a rote set of behaviours which allows the brain to tune out of life and into music.
I like to eat pasta two to three hours before gig time. I try to have a nap of at least twenty minutes after eating. I stump around my hotel room playing exercises or reviewing material that I need work on. I smoke too many cigarettes. I warm the guitar up to venue temperature and tune up. I test out my sound using all the pick-up combinations, with a trite little "stuff it all in there" arrangement. I stare into space. I have two pulls off a pint of beer just before downbeat. Showtime!

What're your rituals?

Oddly, I chug prange juice before gigs but a little whisky or wine in the studio seems to smooth out my red light jitters.

Try to get people to stop noodling around long enough to get a proper sound check and a good sound analysis on my tone in the room. Fail to do so. Start playing. Make frantic adjustments with feet whenever I get a spare second.

Quote from mwseniff on August 30, 2012, 10:02
I hang out with musicians.(Whatever that might mean) 🙂

According to the old saw, that means you hang out with everyone in the band but the drummer;)

Sometimes I like to take a little stroll around the neighbourhood and return dangerously close to show time. It puts certain band mates on edge and sometimes gets some good first-set performances out of people who might otherwise err on the sleepy side. It also gives you a feel for the energy and flow of the area, which is instructive on how to manage the evening (or the expectations thereof).