Exactly right FM,IMO.Learn and practice scales,runs,riffs,etc.Play them until they become second nature.Play along with some backing tracks and improvise with what you've learned and try to really feel it.Put your emotion into it.Not only will you become more confident,but you will also develop your own style(much more important than just copying someone elses riffs).Then when the time comes and you're in the spotlight,forget everything and go from the gut.Sometimes your fingers know more than you do.(That's a quote from another guitarist)Best of luck!