Improving your Band’s Stage Presence for better Gigs |
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March 31st, 2007 | Live Performance |
What is stage presence anyway? This article will clarify the importance of energetic stage presence during your gigs and give you tips and tricks for performing a fun and visually stimulating show. We have all seen music videos and live performances of our favorite bands. Images of high energy and musical intensity quickly pop to the surface. However, for indie musicians who are just starting to perform live, the stress of simply putting on a good musical performance can often cause you to forget the vital importance of a stellar visual performance as well.
Basics:
In order to possess great stage presence it is critical that you understand why stage presence is important in the first place. Basically, the energy that the band delivers at a live performance can cause amazingly contagious reactions amongst your crowd. Your fans will leave with great things to say to other potential fans, buy your cd, visit your band website, and best of all, come back to more shows. On the other hand, a band full of static, low energy players is giving subtle cues to their fans that the music is similarly low energy.
At any live performance, whether it is theater, comedy, the circus, or a Broadway play, the shows must be fun and enjoyable for viewers in order to be deemed successful. Why should a live musical performance be any different? You must keep in mind the difference between live performance and recorded music. Listening to an album can be incredibly high energy, thanks to the high production value and the fact that you can clearly understand lyrics and become emotionally attached to them. However, during a live performance, because of the nature of the acoustics and loud volume of the accompanying instruments, it is highly unlikely that all or any of your lyrics will be understood by the listener. Therefore, in order to create that same emotional effect as with recorded music, you must make great stage presence a fundamental part of your performance.
Techniques:
Throughout the rest of this article, keep in mind that the main ingredient for all stage presence is high energy! It is important that throughout the entirety of your performance your body language is reflective of the music which you are playing. In other words, illustrate your intensity and belief in your music through your body language. However, too much chaotic movement can also go too far. Allow yourself to feel the vibe of the music, let your inhibitions free, and be controlled by the song itself. The worst thing you can do is make it look like you are consciously trying to create active stage presence rather than truly feeling the music. Remember to take up lots of space on stage (without hitting the musician next to you!). Moving around to different locations prevents the fans from being bored by the same scenery. Just as a theater changes its stage scenery, feel free to move around and try new things to keep each song fresh and original. As a rule of thumb, while playing your show constantly monitor your level of stage presence and make sure it is high.
Keep in mind that this high energy doesn't have to stop when the song does. Use that time to warm the crowd up, tell a few jokes, or simply be yourself. The key is to keep the ball rolling and not kill the intensity you have been trying to build by slow and sluggish lags between songs.
Conclusion:
You may have read this article and thought to yourself, "I already do all these things!". Great! For many indie musicians seeking a record deal or maybe just some more fans, this aspect of a live performance can be forgotten in the stress of it all. Don't let it get you down; keep practicing, and videotape yourself as often as possible. Remember, you fans aren't just there to hear your music; they have to look at you too! Make sure you are 'something to look at'. Who knows who is in the crowd... A&R people, talent scouts, hungry indie producers, etc. You get the idea. Rock on and just get into it.
