The safety of the stage? What the heck could I mean by that? Well, those of you who understand true performing, should know exactly what I mean! Basically, I am talking about what it really means to feel comfortable as a performer, so much so that the very act of climbing up on that stage now puts you into a better state of mind, and puts you into a mode where you actually feel safer than being in the “real” world, down there, off the stage!
Think about it….when I can think back to my days of heavy road touring, you must log hundreds of hours on the road, in buses, hotels, restaurants, airports you name it, all for just a tiny amount of intense, yet rewarding time on that stage. And this has always held true for me, whether as a backup player, or as a front man. In the early days, I used to have a fair amount of nervousness before going onstage, and even while still onstage, but later on, I began to be able to channel that nervousness into positive energy that ended up really helping the overall performance I had to give.
This is fundamental as a performer, because many artists, no matter how veteran they may be, still experience this “positive anxiety” prior to playing onstage, and then are always ready to channel those nerves into their performance, making their show even more intense.
I can only offer to you that this surely gets better with time and experience, and really that we must all go through it, no matter how much of a natural performer we may be. I used to love to say to folks that I felt more comfortable in front of a crowd of thousands, compared to a living room of four people staring at me! Most performer types have always agreed with me when I bring this up, and it seems to be a real common denominator among all of us!
So, don’t be afraid of that natural anxiety you may feel before playing, because you’ll eventually be able to turn it into pure, positive energy that you can plug right into your show! You’ll be better for it, I guarantee it! The “safety of the stage” beckons you!