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[Leon]

Assume you're extremely nervous, like for your first music gig or something. Would alcohol help calm you the fuck down?

I'm asking because I'm close to performing in front of a live crowd for the very first time, and if I get too nervous, my voice starts to break and I can't have that. Does chugging a glass of hard liquor help relieve the stress level in these kind of instances? I have asked others around me, but the more opinions/experiences the better.

 

[aoi tsuki]

Yes, but the more you drink the harder it is to function porperly. Unless you are just so good that you understand the music instinctively, i'd look for another way to calm your nerves.

 

[Alcibiades]

yeah, sure helps...

I drank for the first time in more than a year (or more probably) this past Sunday when I was getting paranoid over strains/tightness/inner-stretching feelings I was getting my chest/heart area.

Helped calm me and hopefully thinned out my blood a bit for fat/cholestoral/vein concerns...

It basically helped me through the night as I waited for me Doctor's appointment the next day (tests seem to show normal health, though my I check my cholestoral resulsts on this Friday).

I'll definitely be drinking more alchohol nowadays as it seems to be an effective way to calm anxieties.

Just drink slowly and don't overdo it.

 

[demon]

I dunno. I've never drank(drunk?) to "calm my nerves" or wind down or whatever. I only drink to loosen me up.

 

[GDGF]

Indeed it does.

 

[WasabiKing]

Hmm... I think back to the time my buddy essentially gave his testicles to his wife, and the event proceeding it. He was so nervous about the wedding, and we had to break open the bottle of Absolut that was mysteriously sitting in the ready room. One guy pussed out and wouldn't do the shot, so the groom took his. He was calm for sure.

Just don't rely on it, or else you're form a nice habit called ALCOHOLISM.

 

[warabi-mochi]

Well, if you ABSOLUTELY have to drink something before singing, don't do hard liquor. It can sometimes have it's own unintended consequences in regards to how your voice sounds.

Second, I've had a few friends who became alcoholics/drug addicts because of this same problem. Once you start drinking/taking drugs to help with performance anxieties, it becomes especially hard to stop. I'd recommend staying away from the situation personally.

Really, what you're going to have to do is just bite the bullet and perform sober, and nervous. Try and push the nerves more into the realm of exhiliration though. There's really nothing like getting to perform in front of a crowd. It's a great rush. Try and feel that instead.

First live performances usually aren't that great, and there's no reason to get yourself worked up about them. It's just the starting point. Things generally get better from here on out.

According to my old piano teacher, his first live gig went horribly wrong. He ended up being so nervous that he just held the pedal down on the piano the WHOLE time. No one had a clue what he was trying to play. Everything just became a huge, loud jumbled mess of notes. After the show they asked him what the hell he was doing, and he felt confused, since he couldn't even remember what he'd just done.

Just hope you don't do as badly as he did.

 

[demon]

According to my old piano teacher, his first live gig went horribly wrong. He ended up being so nervous that he just held the pedal down on the piano the WHOLE time. No one had a clue what he was trying to play. Everything just became a huge, loud jumbled mess of notes. After the show they asked him what the hell he was doing, and he felt confused, since he couldn't even remember what he'd just done.

Ouch.

 

[Rabid Wolverine]

Pretty much.

Swearing also increases.

 

[Mike Works]

Don't take a big swig of hard liquor. Just have a beer. It will relax/calm/soothe you/your nerves. Don't drink too much though, because while liquid courage is good, too much will fuck up your song. Just have 1, maybe 2 max 20 minutes before the show.

 

[Flynn]

Know this:

Alcohol's shares side effects with both stimulants and depressants.

Reaction time (internal clock) can slow.
Heart rate actually elevates.