Post Gig Blahs and Pointers – #MusicianTips

Once again, I’ve hit the post-gig blahs. How do we keep focus and momentum at times like this?

The Gig Was Good, So…

It doesn’t matter if the gig was good or not. If it was a “big” gig (define that however you like), it can come with post-gig doldrums. The energy required to create and perform are enough to recover from. Don’t let the blahs get to you, though.

Thankfully, the “8th Amendment and Friends” concert was excellent. The audience was incredibly responsive and our sense of connection with them was quite rewarding. Add to this that we performed as well as we could have hoped for and you have a recipe for a win.

Coming Up From The Blahs

Still, coming down from the big-gig is often a thing. I’m certainly feeling blahs this time. So, as self-promoters, organizers, marketers, performers, and directors, we need ways to recover without losing all of the momentum available after a wonderful gig.

I recommend a few things. And I’m practicing them, so hopefully they will work (again).

Finish

Clean up the trailing bits. It may be difficult to motivate yourself for this in the blahs. Give yourself a moment. It may not come first, but if we neglect the mess too long, it will just be there for us deal with when it’s even more of a problem.

By this, I mean both clearing the venue, following up with any musicians who need to be acknowledged or paid, and so on. But I also mean the trailing bits in us. Let those ear-worms have their way for a while. Put the cameras and tablets back on the charger. But also don’t push too hard unless these things are really in your way.

Acknowledge

Be sure to thank the others who were involved. Musicians, organizers, hosts, or whatever all appreciate and stay connected when you show gratitude.

After all that, be sure to acknowledge and show gratefulness to and for yourself. You put a lot into this. Pat yourself on the back.

Blahs Palate Cleanser

Don’t let the blahs distract you from yourself. Step away. Do what works for you to give yourself a breath, a shift from the energy of preparing for the gig, and maybe a short break. What does that look like for you?

I took a drive and walked along the shore of a local lake. Thankfully, I had anticipated needing this, so I took time off from my day job.

Begin Again

Once you’ve taken a few steps to shift from the blahs after your previous gig, it’s time to see how to move forward. You might ask yourself:

• How can I use the energy and new connections from this past gig for future shows?
• Who asked to play again or wanted to collaborate? Reach out to them if they seem like a match for you.
• Did the venue work for me and my music? Contact them (see the “acknowledge” thing above) or set a reminder to contact them after an appropriate length of time.
• What were my lessons learned from this gig? Did it drain me too much? Did I need to delegate more to other people who want to help me? And so on…

If you want to play another gig, there’s no time like the present to ponder the possibilities. Good luck and keep going!