Guitarhacker ... To answer your question.... I don't think you can get that out of a book.  The way to become comfortable in front of an audience is to simply enjoy what you're doing and feed off the audience's energy. One good way to be comfortable on the stage is to have good reliable gear and know the songs well.   I would avoid all natural and artificial stimulants and pharmaceuticals.  Drink water and go on straight and sober.... don't forget to pee before you go on stage.  ...

 
1000% agreed. That's not to say that stimulants do not help or enhance or whatever anything you do ... I found out that I could cook in a very fast restaurant and not loose a beat, on some amazing sunshine, and the eggs were red, green, blue, but I could still cook everything for the whole 8 hours ... and that's when you know there is also a "mecahnical" side, when you are well versed in it all ... but I am not sure this should be "recommended" to anyone at all ... I have not met, or seen, enough folks that did not freak out, or could not handle the whole thing in any discipline, and the arts is one of the worst for it in many ways.
 
My sister (well known artist in Paris) will only have a glass of red wine while painting ... period. And coffee of course ... nothing else!
 
It's an experiential thing ... if you can learn from it, it enhances what you do ... if you are afraid of it, and have to run for the book, I say, go to the book and quit the arts, is probably best!
 

Guitarhacker ... As for me, I haven't played in front of an audience for some time, but I know I enjoyed it then and if I was to play again in a live situation, I would be looking forward to it as soon as I found out about it.  For me, the bummer starts when the stage lights go out after the show. ...

 
If you know and are comfortable with your material, this should never be an issue. If you are there to make the audience shake their booties and dance, and you have to convince them, because the music is not making it, that's another story.
 
In general, from my directing days ... it's about the "depth" of the work that you do, and how you relate to it. If you take it seriously and do your "homework", you will rarely have any reason to get scared ... except one ... in theater it is when they laugh hard on something, and you have to PAUSE what you are doing to acknowledge the audience, which is an extremely tough thing to do ... FREEZZZZZEEEE. RESTART .... but, you eventually get the hang of it, and we always made sure that we had a way to get in and out of those situations ... and because of my rehearsal techniques, guess what I was known for ... the unknown! And one lead, her first time in a show, and in a lead role even, got a standing ovation ... for actually doing something that was totally amazing, nowhere near the script, but it fit so beautifully, that even the professor asked me if that was planned!!!! How the heck could I plan a 20x30 map (50 years old, too!!!!) to fall over her head?
 
Music, is no different, and probably one of the toughest things all around, is that the audience sometimes wants to applaud some moments (specially rock audiences!!!!), and this is not permitted in most classical music, which, as we know, lowers the beauty of the moment, and hides it somewhat.
 
All in all, this is one of those things, that it is not about you being a show off or not. You make yourself comfortable at home in your couch is how I look at your performance, if I am directing you ... and this is what will carry the natural you through any instrument, be it your voice, or your butt (dance), or your instrument!
Concentrate on what you are doing, and the people that are on it with you! That is your primary focus!
 
The rest is all fun!

webbs hill studio
"A lot of words being typed here, but Drew has the short answer. Know your stuff." ...

 
Usually helps the most. But you also have to know/understand what the others are doing, so you can cover each other better!
 

webbs hill studio ... definitely the key-also recognising you probably will make a mistake and being prepared when it happens. I hate gigging and we have agreed if you get lost just dick around until the 1 comes around again. ...

 
This is really sad.
 
If there is a "mistake", in general, the audience will never even know about it ... only your high level self criticism will know it (and the band's), to such a nasty point, that the performance ends up suffering and the only thing folks can do is point ... instead of helping fix the issue!
 
This is horribly bad, and the worst thing that can possibly happen to any band, and more than likely this is a band that won't be around long.
 
As I posted previously on this thread, you can get around this by rehearsing with fun stuff in the wrong place, as a way to teach each other how to stay together and not "break" the feeling, and the music. In many ways, this is the most important part of any director, and the work they do with actors, dancers, or anyone on stage. With the exception that musicians think they are stars already, and they don't need any more help showing off a fake banana!
 
You would not vomit, if I were directing, and I will gladly bet you any money you want! But you have to show up for rehearsal! 

Amine Belkhouche

webbs hill studio
 
definitely the key-also recognising you probably will make a mistake and being prepared when it happens.
I hate gigging and we have agreed if you get lost just dick around until the 1 comes around again.

Agreed, making mistakes happens, but you have to try your best to keep going no matter what. I find it liberating when you're no longer afraid of making mistakes. You, ironically, make less mistakes.

AND, above all, get better at what you do, and deservedly so, because you are paying attention! And here goes ... some physics for you ... quality is inversely proportional to quantity ... meaning that at 100% concentration, it will take you 1/10 the time otherwise to learn and get better! Guaranteed and proven scientifically!

Hi,
 
Rehearsal techniques, are well defined in theater and film. There is a lot of material about this, however, since it is, for the most part, an experiential thing, this is harder to explain, but several schools of thought actually taught rock music a lot of things. These techniques can even be defined and varied depending on the style of theater!!!!
 
The English Theater, known as "angry young men" in the 50's is easily the precursor of the rock music of the 60's and 70's and culminates with the punk scene, more or less, when looked at from a distance. The rehearsal techniques for the National Theater and the Royal Shakespeare Company gave us a string of actors in the late 50's and 60's that dominated film and theater, and some of its productions affected a lot of music in the late 60's ... like the whole crazy scene in London was not almost the same thing as cabbages rolling in Marat/Sade, which is subtly mentioned in at least 5 to 10 rock band's material!
 
The same in America ... like the Actor's Studio did not affect the individualilty that became known as "jazz" and "rock" in the late 50's and 60's, all the way to the death of its stars ... how romantic (sic!!!) ...
 
There is a lot that can be weaned from that world, but I am a believe that music has to develop its own road in this area, which, for the most part, is an issue when folks reject it, and think it is all just hocus pocus. It won't be the "same thing", but it will have parallels. This you can learn from!
 
Again, see if you can sit through "The Tightrope" with Peter Brook ... it will be one of the single greatest lessons you will ever have on rehearsing ... now go see if you can add something to your band!

''Where have all the angry young men gone?
Barstow and Osborne, Waterhouse and Sillitoe
Where on earth did they all go?"

webbs hill studio ... definitely the key-also recognising you probably will make a mistake and being prepared when it happens. I hate gigging and we have agreed if you get lost just dick around until the 1 comes around again. ...edit:(or until the melody reappears)

  This is really sad.   If there is a "mistake", in general, the audience will never even know about it ... only your high level self criticism will know it (and the band's), to such a nasty point, that the performance ends up suffering and the only thing folks can do is point ... instead of helping fix the issue!   This is horribly bad, and the worst thing that can possibly happen to any band, and more than likely this is a band that won't be around long.
 
Hi Mosh/Pedro,
I understand you are a well known director,critic and cook of eggs but do you actually play an instrument and have you ever played in an actual band,in front of an audience?
I am asking because I have had some exposure to theatre and a little bit of film and I have never been on a set or theatre stage where there was the same tension and electricity of a live rock concert.
the fact that if you are playing your own lines,not someone elses and the only direction you have is the faces in the first few rows and your tech in the sidelines,it can be daunting(for some).
it would be nice to play in a cover band or do 400 year old songs from sheet music but when it`s your own material it becomes way more personal and there is far more room for error.
there are obvious areas of the arts that crossover but to be giving advice in a discipline you are not involved in and have no personal experience is,to me anyway,disingenous. 
as a few people have stated,it`s usually only until you realise that :
yes you can hear the foldback,yes you are in tune,you have eyecontact with each other,it`s all good and off you go.
I am not a rock star and doubt I will get the chance to gig enough so that it becomes relaxed and comfortable. 
personally I would retire from gigging if I didn`t get butterflies or feel that rush when you are introduced.it would then be just a job,like a mechanic or a critic or whatever.
 
just my 2 cents worth...........
cheers 

OP:
 
   no one seems to have actually answered your query for a book so I googled it for you:
cheers 
 
edit:sorry Kenny-missed your post..                                                                  
                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                                              


                                                                                       



                                                                                                                    



               
  
        

 
                                                                                                


 



                            



             
               

Hi,
If I can get the band to play a not too complex fast song first, that everyone can play in their sleep, that is what I like to start with. Then you don't have to worry much about some misplaced lick. If it is fast you don't have much time to think about stage fright.
 
 Pick one person in the center of the crowd to play to on the first song and make eye contact with that one person if you want to look at the crowd.
 
Just do your best and play. If you never screw anything up you are not working very hard, so don't worry.
 
Keep an eye on who ever is in the lead and support that person. Listen to your band mates, I mean really listen.
 
I really did not look to see what you play but if you are the drummer or the bass player you better have your **** together musically and know the material. The rest is just more or less icing on the cake anyway except for the vocal. 
 
If you are lead singer and you forget the line let the lead guitar player or the piano pick it up or just back off the mic and mumble something...lol
 
The only way to get over fear is to do the thing you fear.
 
Drinking or doing drugs will only make you THINK you are ok and the crowd will know who your are. IF you are getting paid then be a pro and go there to work. Nothing wrong with having fun, but work comes first.
 
Everyone has the jetters on the first set from time to time, so it is no big deal. You have been on stage before and it will most likely be less of an issue than you think it may be.
 
It is just a gig, so go to work!!!
 
Cheers,
 
Billy

Randy P
It seems to me this is being made much more complicated than it should be. I've played literally 1000's of gigs and I was always nervous before a show. It didn't matter if it was a club, theater, festival or arena. I was always excited and nervous. It's a natural reaction in performing. I can remember my hands shaking as I played the first song of the night and literally struggling to hold the pick and fret the chords. It ALWAYS went away before the first song ended.

This (^^^^^^) is my experience as well . Most professional entertainers and athletes experience it the same way. The problem is not anxiety or nervousness - it's actually a much bigger problem when those don't exist.
 
 

webbs hill studio
 
it would be nice to play in a cover band or do 400 year old songs from sheet music but when it`s your own material it becomes way more personal and there is far more room for error.

You'd be surprised how not nice centuries old sheet music can be, particularly solo works. You'd think some of them had it out for us.