On Monday night, I performed solo in front of 700+ people; just me and my guitar. It was probably the largest crowd that I’ve ever played for as a solo act, and it was a totally cool experience. I did a lot of covers in my set ranging from James Taylor to the Beatles – even some Lynrd Skynrd. But the highlight for me was playing my new instrumental song, “Que Cosa.” I created a backing track that I downloaded to my iPod, which I routed through my PA, then played the guitar lead over the backing track. I’ve actually been rehearsing doing this for months, but finally worked up the courage to try it out in a real gig. I was really overwhelmed by the response.
I think the issue for me doing a purely instrumental piece had to do with some self-doubt. I really didn’t know if I’d be “good enough” to pull it off. But I broke through that doubt because there was only one way to find out if I was good enough. Based upon the response from the crowd, I guess I did fine. Of course, I’m always pushing to be better, but at least now I have the confidence to continue doing things like this.
Guitar Gear 
That’s great! Any recordings of the show?
I’ve never performed solo in front of crowd. I can only imagine how nerve-racking that can be. Good for you for pushing through your doubts! Congrats!
Thanks for the warm regards! I’ve been performing solo for years, singing and playing, but never did a guitar instrumental with my electric. I’d done lots of Michael Hedges-esque stuff but nothing where I actually had to improvise in the middle of the song. Yeah, it was a bit nerve-wracking, but now I’m hooked!
Thank you comments.