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Here is the problem with so many young musos. Look at some of the role models. Booze and drugs have been romanticized - lookit Hendrix and Stevie Rae and Janis an on and on from previous generations and still today. They maybe think they are so good and invincible that their drugged or drunk state will bring a certain magic and raw edge to the music. That is totally impossible - its difficult enough trying to get it right sober. Haha and some of these guys were really bad to begin with. I just get peedoff cause my son used to take playing in a band seriously - still does. Luckily the line up he has today feels the same.

I appologise in advance to all people who drink to take the edge off their nerves, but here goes. I can't help noticing a similarity in a toddler who won't let go of their dummy and a performer nursing a drink of some sort like it'll grant them super powers. It's a security thing, and I gues I'm not saying we should be super heroes and feel no fear, but it's not always an element of your personality that you want to advertise. Some performers look like thy're eager to let the world know how unprepared they are.

I drink to make myself believe that other people would want to listen to the crap that I can bring forth   I agree with all the points, I am just way too shy to perform sober, probably why I don't really perform

Fritz, I haven't heard you play the guitar yet, but you're very entertaining on the harmonica.

I think it's not unusual for people to be nervous before going on stage and seemingly confident whilst on it, or to be shy away from the limelight but a confident performer. I think the performer you see on stage is not necessarily the same person you would meet if you met the performer off stage. I'm not just referring to obvious cases like Alice Cooper - who clearly doesn't go around with all the makeup and a snake draped around his head. I have heard tales of tea being drunk and scrabble being played on tour busses.

Thanks Viccy!  To be honest, I have no aspirations of being a guitarist.  I only picked up a guitar so that I could have something to sing along to.  In my heart I'd rather be a vocalist / songwriter / harp (harmonica) player. 

So thanks for that compliment, seems I am at least doing ok with one of my goals

you can easily overcome any shyness by being good at what you do.............

so whatever your skill if you good at it people will acknowledge it....

however they don't call it show bizz for nothing .......... you need to entertain any audience ....

and mostly these are tricks you can learn by observing other great entertainers no matter how shy you are ...................

and yeah i found if you learn a few stage tricks it can go miles to get you connected to the audience........... i deliberately  pep up my original world music set with some onstage humour and slapstick antics with the guitar .... and have a giant OLe in bold white print on the back of my guitar i flash at the opportune moment ......... (you can only use a gag once or twice... no overdoing the same trick)   but it always brings the house down ... this is not me being an extrovert i'm also very shy when i'm not onstage...... but they are all just stage tricks i learnt from my years working in musicals .... comedy especially when you playing potentially serious music is somethig one can learn and use to overcome your shyness.....

and if people leave your show after having been entertained they have loving memories of it..... where sometimes just the musical abilities goes over many's heads ..........

all the great musicians have a show... they move in a specific way... they pout they show off their "tricks"  mick jagger/freddy mercury/ most every rock band....

so yeah if you shy .... just learn and rehearse some entertaining moves and phrases to entertain your audience .... 

bono was quoted as saying ."the hardest part of performing was the rehearsed sponteneity"    so yeah a lesson from the greats

oh and yeah one last point if you suck as a musician ...stay off the stage ...... no stage tricks can save you if you can't deliver a professional product...... and remember you only have one opportunity to make a 1st impression ..... so rather if you not ready woodshed some more and then shy or not when the audience applaude you you will feel fabulous......... cos most audiences recognise talent .... and are more musically sussed than most musicians give them credit to be ......... hehehehh

peace and light Keira

good luck with performing ... the hard works def worth it 

Hahahaha - in fact Wayne Harker was arrested by the army for not reporting for service (so eVoid had to re-recruit erstwhile drummer Danny de Wet (now with Wonderboom) to fill in while Wayne was in jail)...so that paper bag was quite possibly motivated by something other than shyness...