Stage fright

[kenny mac]

Was just reading a forum,didn't know andy patridge from xtc suffered from delibilitating stage fright.
Sad,,,,,talented guy.
Terrible muso illness

[cuthbert]

That's a good point, kenny - I remember reading about that too. I don't know the whole story, but I thought his debilitating stage fright was an incident that occurred after years of touring and not getting a lot of money or recognition for the work, as well as some personal life issues that happened to be occurring around the same time. It basically ended their touring career.

I remember seeing XTC playing smaller venues on television in front of studio audiences through the 90s, and the past stage fright didn't seem to negatively affect his performance in those settings. And it definitely hasn't dampened his recording output. He's a stellar talent (along with Colin and Dave), but maybe not as recognized as they should be. So in one respect, maybe not touring actually improved his work? He's had the time to concentrate on perfecting his art. Hopefully, he's happy overall with how it's gone - I know I am happy with what they have created (and continue to create)!

[Oldrottenhead]

an extract from wiki about it

On 2 April 1982, a Friday night, XTC were scheduled to play at the Palladium in Hollywood, California, but did not appear. The audience milled about the open festival floor for a long 45 minutes/hour after opening act Oingo Boingo departed the stage, and then finally it was announced that XTC would not take the stage due to the "illness" of one of the band members (later revealed as Andy Partridge's ongoing fight with stage fright in Chris Twomey's book XTC: Chalkhills and Children). XTC never played another tour date.[5] (XTC would perform several acoustic sets for radio only in 1989.[6])
Studio years: 1982–1998

Andy Partridge's breakdown, which manifested itself as uncontrollable stage fright, was reportedly precipitated by his wife throwing away his supply of Valium. According to the band's biography, the drug was prescribed to him as a teenager during his parents' divorce but he was never withdrawn from the drug and became dependent on it. Concerned about her husband's dependence on the drug, Partridge's wife threw his tablets away—without seeking medical advice—just before the Paris concert. Partridge particularly needed the medication to cope with the grinding monotony of concert touring, which he had always disliked, but had endured for the good of the band.[7] The sudden withdrawal of medication brought on anxiety attacks of such severity that he was soon forced to withdraw from performing permanently. The European and British dates were cancelled and after completing only one show in San Diego the whole US leg was also abandoned. Since then, XTC became exclusively a studio band, apart from occasional live-to-air performances from radio stations, and a handful of TV appearances.

i think if andy didn't have such stagefright they would have been bigger than REM and the likes.

[cuthbert]

Thanks for the info from wikipedia, Jim...I remember at the time that there was a somewhat complex story behind it.

i think if andy didn't have such stagefright they would have been bigger than REM and the likes.

Maybe so - money and recognition certainly can make things better sometimes. On the other hand, I know that even with the path taken by XTC, they have consistently been a much better band and songwriters (to my ears, anyway) than REM and the likes - and I'm an REM fan, too (at least through the 80s and 90s).

[Oldrottenhead]

i read a book, i think was called chalkhills or something like that, and it went into great detail about andy's problems. i think they might have even went on strike to get out of their crap record contract but maybe i dreamed that.

[Oldrottenhead]

i totally admire and love andy partridge, his fuzzy warbles boxed set should be checked out, it contains lots of demos recorded in his garden shed of some of their biggest songs.

another hero of mine, todd rundgren produced their album skylarking, (i think their most successful comercially) andy and todd apparently fought every day. the stories surrounding the recording of that album are fascinating. there is a documentary in that chapter of xtc's career alone.

[kenny mac]

Really interesting stuff chaps,didn't know a lot of this,it's a terrible thing to cope with at that level,xtc where ahead of their time.

[phantasm777]

i could never do public speaking i would get very nervous, but playing in public, doesn't really bother me. we all have our own things to deal with i guess. some people are afraid of riding in planes and that doesn't bother me either, i'd be more nervous in a long boat ride!

[bruno]

Stage fright is really weird. I've played publicly all my life (mainly as a kid in violins and orchestra's) - hell I even played in the Haringey Young Symphony Orchestra on the stage at the Albert Hall - that was stage terror!!!

Playing in bands over the years, standing on stage logically didn't bother me - but my left hand would go cold - no friggin idea why, but freezing cold. Okay once we started playing - but I always found it odd.

Its all in the mind though. I always say to my kids, have an out of body experience - don't be you, just imagine you are watching - and the fear disappears.

That said, in one of my weirder moments, when I was playing lots - you do hit a purple zone. I remember playing and it be so effortless that I felt that it wasn't me playing - and that if I took my hands off the guitar, it would continue on its own. True, but and very, very strange experience. Only happened to me once or twice, and not alcohol or drugs were involved :-)

B