10. Missing Your Part
One of those things that happens when you're nervous, everyone else comes in, but you forget when to start playing.
9. Not Being In Tune
It's happened to all of us, we forget that we're tuned half a step down and start playing with a backing track or band when everyone else is in standard tuning. This only usually happens if you are using 1 guitar for the entire gig. But it can happen with multiple guitars: You pick up a guitar that's in drop D, thinking it's in standard.
8. The Pedal!
When you're playing on a small stage or if you don't move when playing, then you're safe. But if you're like me and many others who move around the stage while playing, then you'll know that you have to be careful where you go at what times of the song, because the worst thing ever is when you put your foot out to activate a pedal, then notice your pedal board is on the other side of the stage. This happened to me, once and my rhythm guitarist. My rhythm guitarist needed an overdrive pedal to turn on, but he was standing at my board at the time and I was at his. We both had to find each other's overdrive pedals and turn them on.
7. Power Supply
Before gigs, always check that all amps, pedals, wireless transmitters and mixers are properly plugged in and on. The last thing you want is to step on a pedal and realise it wasn't plugged in to the power supply, muting your signal. Or stepping on an A/B-Box to switch amps, then realising the other amp isn't on.
6. Feedback
Sometimes it's cool, like when it's part of a song or something or part of your outro. But it's not cool when you're walking around the stage and suddenly enter the feedback zone in the middle of your solo.
5. Forgetting The Name Of The Venue
Happens to very few people, but extremely embarrassing. I've done it once. I was greeting the audience before a song, having to worry about guitars, picks, tunings, pedals and everything else, I greeted the audience thinking I was in Tokyo, for some reason. While I was in London.
4. Power Failure
This isn't as embarrassing because people know it's not your fault, but it will get embarrassing when the power doesn't come on after half an hour and the crowd starts to leave. Now your 'Unplugged' show is literally 'unplugged'.
3. Dropping A Pick
Happens to us all, we're about to start our solo we prepared hard for, when you drop a pick. You end up playing with your fingers or searching your pocket for another pick, while the band play the same riff over, and over.
2. Breaking A String
Every guitarist's nightmare, this one is even worse when you don't have a backup guitar. Forcing you to allow a drum solo while you change your string.
1. Guitar Falling Off
Ever heard of strap locks? Lots of us think they are ugly and not very 'punk'. Neither is running around the stage with your Les Paul hung low, when suddenly your strap pops off. This is fine for most of us and more irritating that embarrassing, and is actually quite cool when you catch your guitar and have to sit on the floor and play the rest of your solo on one knee. But if you don't catch it in time, then I's a problem. And the worst thing that can happen is if your audience is allowed to stand right up against the stage, and your guitar hits someone on the head.
