Got The Pre-Gig Blues? By Carol Jack

Welcome to the first in a series of blogs about becoming a more confident performer. I’ve received questions about this from actors as well as singers, and this series aims to answer those questions.

I’ll start with what can happen just before a gig:

So you’re just about to hit the stage and your stomach lurches, your heart starts racing, your hands start sweating, and/or your head starts pounding – and you just want to run away. So what do you do?

These and other symptoms can be described as a fight or flight response, which dates way back to the days when we had to hunt or be hunted. When you think of it that way, this reaction to performing on stage is a bit over the top! 

Some helpful techniques to counteract these symptoms are:

1. Slower, deeper breathing: This will help to slow down your heartbeat and help you feel more relaxed in general.

2. Visualisation: See yourself stepping confidently onto the stage, and passing your message on to a rapt and attentive audience.

3. Remind yourself of why you’re doing this: You love your art, and someone thought you were good enough to be invited to share it with their friends and/or clients.

4. Act ‘as if’: This technique helps you to move towards actually feeling confident. Behaving as if you are totally comfortable will also help the audience feel comfortable with you, which in turn will help you to feel more confident.

If you’d like to start a conversation about this topic, you can Book A Call with me!