My band and I opened the Sturgis North Mainstage in July, in beautiful Salmon Arm, B.C. It had been a while since I’d performed on a large stage with a full band. I prepared as much as I could, because I wanted to kick ass. No regrets. I also wanted to be in the moment during those sets, something I don’t think I’ve ever done in my twenty some years of performing live. (Yes, twenty some years….I played my first live gig with a band a month after I turned 15.)
These were my goals for the performance:
Put on a kick ass show. Have fun.
If you haven’t seen the countdown to Sturgis North series, you’ll have to go to My youtube page and see part of my process.
Because I hadn’t performed with a band in such a long time, I needed to oil up the rust. I had to make sure that I was prepared. For more than a few reasons. It was a local show. The local papers had done a huge writeup. I’d done tons of talking it up. I wanted to give my local fans a reason to keep following me and my music. I wanted to prove to locals that just cause you come from the Salmon Arm area, it doesn’t mean you have to play hippie music. And I needed to prove to myself that I hadn’t lost the passion that made me step up on a stage in the first place.
I made sure my set list was right. My band and I rehearsed our asses off and I rehearsed on my own. I got my butt and my voice in shape. I got the right merch. I did advertising. I wanted to be totally prepared.
Because I was prepared, I wasn’t really nervous. I don’t usually get nervous until the day of a performance, usually the fear of not being prepared, I call it. But once I hit the stage, those nerves are gone. Of course there will always be a bit of nervousness, I think if you don’t feel that tug in your gut before you go on a stage, you don’t have that edge, that attack, the on your toes-ness. For me, anyway.
We got to be the first band on that stage, and the only band to do soundcheck. That was cool.
Soundcheck came, and it’s been so long since I’ve done one, I forgot what it’s really about. Soundcheck is exactly that. It’s about getting sounds right in the monitors, in the front of house speakers and onstage. It’s about getting the right eqs and effects and blend of voices and instruments. It’s not an ego dance, it’s not about doing your best performance ever… I forgot this and once I opened my mouth to sing and sounded like crap in my own ears, I had a moment of panic. We went through a few songs…but all I could think of was: where is my high vocal range? How in the hell am I ever going to hit those high notes? I was warmed up enough, hydrated enough…WTF?
I stepped off the stage and every single fear and pressure I had been stuffing down over the last few months reared their ugly heads. Big and loud. All the nasty things I had ever said to myself and about my singing came through loud and clear in my head. I wanted to bolt. I wanted to say screw it, I suck…see ya, will they notice if I’m MIA? I took a breath and surrendered.
Fortunately, I had less than a half hour to get out of my head and into makeup and my stage clothes, so I didn’t have a chance to think, as I worried about whether my band had gotten anything to eat.
I looked at them. They had invested a chunk of time and effort to get this show together too, and I saw the crowd. Just for me.
I dug down, found my inner Goddess of Rock and Roll, pulled her out by the hair, gave her a swift kick in the ass, and hit the stage.
Ahhh. Sweet relief. I was home. This was my stage. Looking out at the crowd and looking over at my band, it all became very clear. My instincts were right. This is why I am on this earth, and this is why I do what I do.
It wasn’t a perfect show (are they ever?), but we rocked. Those who came to see us, were blown away, and those who were walking by and coming from the back end of the venue (they had booths and couldn’t leave them), to take pictures, got an eyefull of a real rock band who put on a real rock show, and looked like they had a blast doing it. (And we did.)
The next day’s show was even better.
Here are a few other highlights:
*-meeting fans new and old of all ages and chatting with them.
*-I was the first artist interviewed by the Alive Drive team at Sturgis North (right off the stage; I was pumped) check out the video on My Youtube channel
* – seeing bands like, Silo, Throttlecaster, Fear Zero, and some other great Canadian rock acts
* – the lady with the net shirt on who caused my significant other’s eyes to bulge as well as any other male who noticed her (hey, she was over 40, had nice natural boobs. Good for her!)
*-watching a wedding with one of my friends and fans at the Fairground Stage. Both the bride and groom came roaring in on custom built bikes for a touching ceremony. It was so cool.
*-visiting with the bikers from all over North America in the dinner tent while it poured rain
*-watching Canadian acts like Ray Roper (I know the drummer), and Harlequin and their amazing bands put on a great show.
*-having people come up to me throughout the festival (Volunteers, vendors) who caught my show and wanted to tell me how much they enjoyed it even though they couldn’t be right at the stage (oh, yes, they could hear us).
*-talking with a vendor who carved amazing leather stuff; he showed me a photo of the guitar strap he made for Metallica’s James Hetfield.
*-proving to myself that I could still rock a stage (I’m probably an even better performer than I ever was, now I’ve learned about preparation…I’m such a procrastinator). That’s priceless.
If you want to see some Sturgis North shots go to Robin Brock’s flickr photos .
If you want to check out the merch (very cool!!) The Official Robin Brock Merch Shop
