if u wear specs, take them off. thats what i did when i first started playing in an orchestra.

well if ure not confident, pretend to be confident.

couldnt aggree more with led zep's advice. u should listen to him, he performs alot.

yeap i used to play the violin.

anyways, a few words for people new to performing.
go out and do your best, dont get too lost and lose yourself (its easy to do crazy things when u're high on stage), keep your ears open to your band and know that NO SHOW IS PERFECT, theres bound to be things to complain about after the show, so dont be too hard on yourself. there are mistakes (although less) in my fav shows ive played, theyre the fav coz i enjoyed them and so did the crowd.

as for critism, u'll get them and be grateful u get them. if u're too affected by it, maybe u shouldnt be performing (or dream of doing this for a long time). looking idiotic? hey thats a norm for me, everytime i see vids of myself performing, i sure see an idiotic looking guy. haha.

so ure sacrificing musicianship for showmanship.