I'm just a boy who plays guitar, how can you expect me to understand how I feel?
Perhaps you do.  I've been laboring under that funny, fizzy feeling that is part adrenaline induced euphoria, and part stomach-wrenching agony that Yes, you did in fact make an arse of yourself in front of 100 complete strangers.  You see, I endured that unique rite of passage for aspiring performers... the Open Mike.  
I went alone, and I didn't know anyone there, but, I brought my love of B&S and a bittersweet heart.  For my first ever performance in front of actual live people, I chose a mellow Replacements song to get me in the mood, and then to bring the house down, "Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying", a rather prophetic selection it turned out.
My name was called, I plugged in, I adjusted the mike... so far, so good.  Eyes closed, voice choked to a whisper, left hand shaking so much that I can't even form a D chord... begin.  OK, forgot the words halfway through the first song, right on schedule.  Press on, make the rest up as you go.  OK, now for a *really* good song, they'll love this one.  By way of an intro, I yammered on about how wonderful B&S were (no one seemed to recognise the name) and that everyone should discover them, then I just started.  Seconds, several muffed chords, and a number of pleading wails (from *me* not the audience, silly), later, it was over.  A smattering of applause greeted my departure from the stage, and I breathlessly recovered at the back of the room before sliding into the night, not nearly unnoticed enough.
Perhaps, the gods heard a small voice singing the sad songs, for as the darkness swallowed me, their tears mixed with mine.
~cw~
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
.     This message was brought to you by the Sinister mailing list.
.        To send to the list please mail "sinister@majordomo.net".
.  For subscribing, unsubscribing and other list information please see
.            http://www.majordomo.net/sinister
. For questions about how the list works mail owner-sinister@majordomo.net
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

