nicovlogg
Things have started picking up for the band I play in, and we have a few decent sized live shows coming up (Tings and Times in PTA tomorrow afternoon FREE PLUG! ?)
I've been wondering about what constitutes good stage presence. Is it simple things like looking in the eyes of the crowd and appearing excited or is there something more going on? I'm not really very expressive on stage, and was wondering if there are any tips that you good people could give me to help improve my level of .. audience involvement. ?
FruitarGeek
Well.
Im assuming your a guitarist, so first things first, dont always look down at your instrument, it makes you look like a newbi. It goes a long way being able to know and play your stuff without looking at the fret board.
Have fun on stage, its a tricky situation, cause I hate seeing bands who are 'forcing' the whole rock out thing, but I love seeing bands who really are having fun, and are rocking out as if no one is watching.
Those are pretty much the basics, there are no standard preformance procedures really. If your good at your instrument, and can play whilst moving around a lot, and smile :? your all good.
Oh: and rock out to the rhythm of the song, or else people will laugh at your faulty movements haha.
StephenG
do not smoke while playing!
nothing grates me more than seeing band members light up a smoke whilst they are busy playing a gig....
i'm a smoker who can chain together 4 or 5 smokes with the best of them.. but I find it totally disrespectful when bands members smoke while on stage,.
nicovlogg
I feel like there's more to it than that though - like some bands just seem able to draw people in and involve them in the music. It sometimes feels like other bands might as well be in studio - they're just playing for themselves and don't care if there's a crowd or not.
FruitarGeek
If you guys are good (as in the music) then thats all that is needed really. Those bands that naturally draw the crowds in, draw them in because of their musical talents.
I would tell you to do the whirlwind strumming or light the guitar on fire like hendrix did, but if you guys are not musically there yet, then its pointless. Then you would be perceived as one of those bands trying too hard.
I actually have a good example, something I witnessed once at a show. There was this very very average rock/emo punk band, they were not that great, and the crowd was also just standing there like meh :-\ Nothing exciting at all. The singer/guitarist then decides he was going to do a trick, and attempted to fling his guitar around his shoulders (very cool trick) unfortunately for him, he didnt have straplocks and the guitar came off flying in pieces in front of me. I wont lie, that was cool to watch, but it didnt make the music any better. Even if he had successfully pulled off that trick, I still wouldnt of gone back to see them play again.
The stage performance comes with age and practice.
Keira-WitherKay
you're definitely hit the nail on the head ...... a band does need a good presence.......... how you get it can vary from slick moves to dress sense to just looking cool some people have it naturally some learn it ......
i been a fulltime pro for almost 20 years and will testify that a band needs stage presence or at least maybe just the frontman ...... but without it frankly people will rather watch someone else.... talent is important but we hope all bands at the same level ( being pro or doing pro gigs ) least have enough of that ? or is that wishfull thinking ........... but never forget an audience wants to be entertained.and not always by tricks or dance moves but sometimes by just watching an intense performance ..
my only advice to any bands is video tape yourself as often as possible.....( i still do as often as i can )... then watch it and be critical. look at how you stand...... how you move ......is your guitar at the right height for your body shape...... do you look the part ......do you pull faces while you play tough bits :-\ and things like is the lighting right cos lighting from underneath or the wrong colour for your wardrobe or complextion can make the coolest looking muso look aweful and just be critical and slowly iron out what you don't like....... unfortunately NO ONE can learn personality( as in talking to the crowd in such a way that they respond warmly) that you either have or don't but if you a lousy talker on the mic .don't talk ..........nothing is worse than hearing a band member announce 12 times in the set ."and the next song is......" and the next song is ect ect ect rather go with the words of the almighty guitar guru frank zappa who said " shut up and play your guitar "
but yes apearance and image and how you are perceived by the audience is critical if you want to do more that just your debut gig .and of course some talent is required in the mix .......
good luck
TomCat
Be encouraged. You guys cannot be worse than This:
Been on the forum before but worth another see....
singemonkey
As always, Keira's bang on. Watching video of yourselves gives you a harsh look (you'll hate it but it's worth it) of what the most critical audience member would see.
Use it to incrementally improve your stage show. Very few people can pull of an act right off the bat. The performance experience breeds confidence - and that's what the audience likes to see. Even the quiet ones are appreciated if they look quietly confident in what they're doing. Get into the music while you're playing it, and share that enjoyment among yourselves and the band - and with the audience.
And make some kind of effort to look good. In Grunge the performers looked like the audience. But that was a conscious statement. Even Cobain used to put on a dress or a zany hat from time to time. The worst thing, as I've said before, is to look like you made no effort at all.
Sean
TomCat wrote:
Be encouraged. You guys cannot be worse than This:
Been on the forum before but worth another see....
Yikes, I remember this video, watched it again now, and just could not stop watching... it's
that bad ?
LooneyAtTheGate
I agree with FruitarGeek on some points but disagree that good musicianship is more important...
The guy who smashed his guitar is usually more memorable to the average person then the technical muso.. its unfortunate! ALWAYS bring a cheap guitar to smash ?
Videoing yourself is vital.. We had a singer who boasted how he was 'going off' and 'going crazy' on stage but when we played him the video he was just standing there bobbing his head. His nerves must've confused him or something!
After watching the vid of my first gig i realized that i looked like a complete dork, my movements looked forced and at odds with the band so i changed my stage presence style entirely.
MIKA-the-better-one
just be yourself................ If that is standing there shoegazing, then do that.................. if its doing the most ridiculous dance while playing, then do that...........
But Dont ............. do all those stupid very overdone "rock" moves, such as whirlwind strumming, solo ing on your knees, Slash impersonations, or that stupid guitar flick trick, which every band managed to pull off in 2005
IceCreamMan
in my case and we have yet to do a proper gig is to avoid shi$$ing myself with fear....
however , i think the major trick is to have a good time and not be detracted , aloof from the audience but to interact with the audience.
Stage craft is an art all by itself i guess , as much part of the show as the music itself an in some cases more important than the music by a long way wiht osme of the stage shows around ...think alice cooper/kiss etc ...
Mika hit a true point there i think and that is be yourself ....
singemonkey
MIKA the better one wrote:
just be yourself.......
... provided being yourself is something people want to see. >☹
Being yourself is good advice when its understood that it means being yourself as you can be. Don't be somebody else. But it doesn't mean be shy and unengaged, and obviously nervous because that's what you feel. It means being the self you are when you're the centre of attention. Not the self you are when you wish the earth would swallow you up.
Most people gaze at their shoes, not because they're entranced by their music, but because they (quite normally) don't want to face the fact that they're on a stage with people staring at them. If you're doing it for the former reason - by all means, carry on. If for the latter, you're probably not going to be much of a hit and it'd be worth looking for that "other" self to be.
IceCreamMan
even the greats fail sometimes
vic
Nico...you may want to consider wearing an Elvis Las Vegas suit... ? .
guidothepimmp
stage presence will come with confidence and comfort on stage. il never forget our 1st 5 or so shows... thinking back we were so stiff looking cos we were more worried about messing up than anything. fast fwd to our last 5 shows and we were totally different.. interacting.. jumping.. smili/g grimacing.. standing on amps.. hair flinging and just generally enjoying not only the music.. but feeding off the energy onstage.
its a process. so dont worry.. couple of shows and your stage dynamic will develop naturally
FruitarGeek
Yes. Agree with guidothempimmp
First show you will look like a un-choreographed floor sweeper, its the nerves. My first show the only thing I did was look at my fretboard. THAT WAS IT. Someone took photos of me, and they all proved that. After a few shows, there are no nerves (well there are some, but not enough to overwhelm) and you play naturally.
deefstes
TomCat wrote:
Be encouraged. You guys cannot be worse than This:
Been on the forum before but worth another see....
ROFL. That is true class! But I daresay, this fine cover band may have pipped them to the title of "worst cover ever".
nicovlogg
Thanks for all the responses! Been spending some time watching great artists' live shows, and found someone who has GREAT presence: Buddy Guy!
The whole live in Montreux DVD is amazing, he is always engaging the audience, and you can see that he's really into the music. Awesome to watch.
nicovlogg
deefstes wrote:
OK, if anybody beat me past 3 minutes into that video I'm impressed. Pure torture.
