Our recent advice from a big label. Your thoughts?

[oneamongthefence]

So my band played a show with a national headlining act last night and it was absolutly amazing. We had alot of people there and more people were there to see us than any other band. Through some lucky events, we were able to get one of the owners of a MAJOR label to come see us. This was an all ages show so there was no alcohol to soothe the nerves. We normally put on a really good show, but due to nerves our energy on stage wasn't the best we've done. The label owner called and said our music was good(better than the headliner even) but our stage presence and energy, or lack thereof, lost it for us. While I'm torn up from our lack of being able to perform at our best and make a good impression, I want to take the best from his advice and rectify this. When we have alcohol in us and are having fun we put on a good show, so getting over nerves will come.

My question to you all is, what can you do to get better at this, and not only get better but to have energy on stage without sacrificing music quality? I mean, sure i could swing my guitar in the air and other crap, but it makes it harder to play that way and i don't want to be some band that looks good but sounds like crap. So, any tips and or techniques on what you all do to get the crowd involved and have energy on stage?

 

[ToneAddictJon]

Stage presence is something that's hard to develop if you get nervous in front of people. I've always gone on stage (sober or drunk, too much of the latter) knowing that the people are their to see some music and a good performance, so I do all I can to interact with the crowd as I play, if that means making a solo look 4x's as hard as it is (tapping something down on my knees that could as easily be done with a single hand for example) and just interacting with the crowd is huge!! Whether it's screaming out "WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HEAR!!!" even if no one there knows your band or your music, you get them yelling back at you. Knowing enough covers that if someone screams out "PANTERA" you can play either a pantera song or something in that style (this goes with any style of music), even if it's just a riff. It's really hard to explain and just comes from experience and experimenting, you'll get it wrong more than right, but once you know what get's people going, keep it coming and push it further and further. Being confident on stage helps as well, if you look nervous people will feel that, even if you're nervous keep an air of confidence about you. Interact with your band as well, head bang with the bass player and singer, yell at the drummer, pull people up on stage, play trivia with the crowd (name that tune while the drummer takes his time to set-up with a reward of a drink). I think self confidence is the biggest part of any of this, if you screw up don't look pissed off, or upset, chances are no one but you (or your band) noticed. There's a million other things to do for each crowd, but the big one is build up your confidence and the crowd will feel it. Make sure you love the songs you play as well, or at least act like you do.

 

[Charlie]

I think you should just crap in your hands and throw it at the crowd.

If that isn't stage presence I don't know what is.

 

[sam adams]

I don't think you can blame alcohol. Everyone in my band is totally sober and an exciting live show is something we're pretty known for. Though I admit the stuff being played isn't exactly the most technical or difficult to play. It's fun and energetic. A good rocker stance, maybe a couple punkrock jumps, big headbangs with the guitar, ect... All makes for a good show. Plus takes my mind off of any nervousness and shows total connection with the music. You can't force this stuff because it will stick out. I also show an excited smile a lot of the time. Like a "whoa this is badass!" face to make sure everyone is totally aware of how much fun I'm having. Because we all know that's contagious. :lol:

 

[metal190]

Off topic: what's the name of your band? Who was the major label?

On topic: I know of a lot of very successful bands that don't have stage presence in the sense of jumping around and head banging even when everyone else in their genre is doing it. There are a lot of ways to show connection with the music. I think that the number one has got to be confidence, like ToneAddictJon said. Even if you don't have it, act like you do. Exaggerate it. Cause during the experience, most of the crowd won't pick up on subtle things. Everything has got to be amplified to get to the audience, even your attitude. And avoid too many significant gaps in the music. Even things like "Make some noise!!!" or whatever between songs can be enough. Yell at the crowd between songs, don't just talk to them. Radiate energy. It doesn't all have to be physical movement during the song itself.

 

[Restless Rocks]

Confidence, confidence and more confidence! These guys are all dead on with that. Crowds detect your lack of confidence much quicker than how well you play and sound. Also if this particular record label is more interested in how much you jump around than in your music and sound look elsewhere. Unfortunantly most non musicians (especially women) hear with their eyes and not their ears. (I said most, not all, no offence to anyone). Remember your recording career is about selling audio CD's and if they are great then people will be willing to come and "watch" your show. How many bands have you seen live that suck but their confidence sold the show (and unfortunatly the music)?
To my point: As a musician, one of the most moving and inspiring live shows I've ever had the pleasure (and honor) of attending was three guys with acoustic guitars, sitting on chairs. They played their a***s off and well, I probably was moved to tears. Their names are John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola, and Paco DeLucia.

The important thing: Beleive in yourself and your music beyond all doubt and everything else will fall in place.

 

[Elpelotero]

Confidence, confidence and more confidence! These guys are all dead on with that. Crowds detect your lack of confidence much quicker than how well you play and sound. Also if this particular record label is more interested in how much you jump around than in your music and sound look elsewhere. Unfortunantly most non musicians (especially women) hear with their eyes and not their ears. (I said most, not all, no offence to anyone). Remember your recording career is about selling audio CD's and if they are great then people will be willing to come and "watch" your show. How many bands have you seen live that suck but their confidence sold the show (and unfortunatly the music)?
To my point: As a musician, one of the most moving and inspiring live shows I've ever had the pleasure (and honor) of attending was three guys with acoustic guitars, sitting on chairs. They played their a***s off and well, I probably was moved to tears. Their names are John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola, and Paco DeLucia.

The important thing: Beleive in yourself and your music beyond all doubt and everything else will fall in place.

al dimeola is such a monster it's not even funny!

I personally have pretty crappy stage presence...I try to focus on not messing up so I'm looking at the fretboard a lot, unless it's a simple riff with one hand position.

I really wish I had a wireless though...Wireless would enable me to move around a lot more...**** cables.

 

[oneamongthefence]

Thanks for the tips guys. It is a **** shame that, like you said, peole hear with their eyes. It's something we're starting to learn the hard way. It's one simple truth, marketability. I don't think we need to be more energetic, but it would increase our chances and definitly complement our music. Thanks again.

 

[fireonhigh]

I think you should just crap in your hands and throw it at the crowd.

If that isn't stage presence I don't know what is.

:roll: gg alin,,thats old ****

 

[Eric]

Im working on the "show" part of the gigs we play. Im rather new to gigging and had the stagefright thing going, I would just lock up and stand still with my head down. In the beginning I noticed its a big energy trade, the more you put out the more you get back. About three gigs ago I said screw it and jumped around and tried to go as flippin wild as I could and it paid off. The rest of the band joined in and it had a direct effect on the crowd. I also went wireless recently and I try to move about the clubs while playing. Our singer went wireless also and he gets in the pit when he can. If all else fails crap in your hands and throw it.....

 

[danvortex]

,here are some tricks i use to improve my stage presence

1. Always get a good warm up before going on stage. Play as long as you need to get the shops and blood flowing. Also do some streching and exercises to prepare your whole body.
2. If you want to get used to move a lot on stage than practice moving around and doing hawkward moves while rehersing with your band.
3. When you practice the song your play live(alone or with your band) stand up, don't practice sitting on a chair and try not to look at your fretboard for entire songs, at first your playing will be a mess but keep doing it once in a while and you'll get better and better, i think it is important to make eyes contact with the crowd and you can't do it if always looking at your guitar

 

[jtb226]

yep. wireles is great. you can go wherever you want. interact with the bass player or singer, get up on the drum riser, go out in the crowd.

i used to be pretty nervous myself. i still find myself looking at the fretboard too much sometimes, but you get better at it the more you play.

one of my favorite things to do in the bars we play is, when i don't have to sing backup (which i have to do a lot), i love to go out in the crowd, find a chair to stand on, and let the women take pictures in front of me while i basically stand there and strike a pose.

get the whole band to jump up and down. for instance, we cover "my own worst enemy" by lit a lot, and during the intro and stuff, we all jump up and down in time. try to get the crowd doing the same thing you are.

my lead singer also has some good intros to songs. for instance, we also do "sugar we're going down" a lot and he'll say something like, "everybody get ready, cause sugar...we're going down". my drummer plays the drums intro and we go.

next time you have practice, figure out some stuff with the rest of the band that would be good to do at certain parts of some songs. almost like choreography. that makes all of you do it, because you already have it planned, and the crowd will never know.

i've been in the same shoes as you (okay, well not as big of shoes, cause i haven't auditioned for a major label). my band recently auditioned for a major entertainment booking company in PA (Media 5 Entertainment). we'd only been together for 5 months at the time. we ended up getting the spot with them, but they said we had to work on our stage presence more (especially me). it really drives you to work on it when someone tells you something like that.

good luck! i'm also curious to know what your band name is and who you played with and such.

 

[CoG]

I've heard "no stage presence" used as code for "no image" or "too many fat guys." No idea what your band looks like, but Avenged Sevenfold wouldn't be nearly as popular with the kiddies if they were a bunch of 260-pound Bubbas in cargo shorts and 4XL Dream Theater tees.

It's definitely something you need to think about if you're chasing serious label/management support.

 

[oneamongthefence]

Thanks again guys. We've had a couple shows since then and have improved alot in this area. I really think it was the nerves on that show cause like i said...we usually entertain very well. And as far as look goes...we have the look. my drummer has a long *** gotee and is shaved head... kind of like the killswitch drummer... two of us have beards and wear the right clothes and none of us are fat. lol Image isn't an issue. Aslo..for those of you that were wondering...the name of the label was Geffen Records. thanks again for the input

 

[stompboxfreak72]

man there has been some great advice on this thread. I have been an old road dog for years and I cannot stress it enough......

WARM UP BEFORE YOU PLAY.

1. As aforementioned, get your fingers warmed up. Someone mentioned John Petrucci's DVD where he shows stretching techniques......they are kind of dull to watch on DVD but they have gotten me loose more times than knot ( pun intended).

2. Stretch : not just your hands and fingers.....I mean legs, arms etc. I usually find someplace outside or in a dressing room and just take a few minutes loosening up the whole body.

Alcohol ? I know what you are getting at. It loosens you up and kills inhibitions. Just remember that if you can do it with alcohol then you can do it sober just as well. Seen Michael Schenker lately ? Look on youtube and see what years of alcohol will make you do when you are drunk on stage.

Neil Zaza is one of my favorite guitarists of all time. He does not drink ever. Not on stage, not off.

Tool : great band with the absolute worst live show I have ever seen. But hey, I loved it anyway.

Find out what works for you......and then share it with the rest of us. Good luck !

 

[MetalHorse442]

Thanks again guys. We've had a couple shows since then and have improved alot in this area. I really think it was the nerves on that show cause like i said...we usually entertain very well. And as far as look goes...we have the look. my drummer has a long *** gotee and is shaved head... kind of like the killswitch drummer... two of us have beards and wear the right clothes and none of us are fat. lol Image isn't an issue. Aslo..for those of you that were wondering...the name of the label was Geffen Records. thanks again for the input

My band is signed to a independant label that the parent company owns several TV networks. We got a lot better at stage presence by having every show filmed, watching the show and critiquing our playing and stage presence. It has payed off a lot, we are doing a battle of the bands competition right now for a several thousand dollar prize and a spot on the main stage at a music festival here in AZ. The other bands we played with in round one were decent, one had one of the best lead guitarists i've ever seen in my life, but they didn't move around on stage at all and the crowd sat the whole time. Now granted I am more focused on my playing then anything, but when we got on stage we got the crowd up out of there seats, We all jumped at the same time on a certain part of the song, we all rocked out togather on stage, I jumped off the drum riser once and went into the crowd during my solo and we won both judge and crowd vote that night. We were judged on crowd interaction, crowd response, music composition, how tight the music was, how we all looked as a band, stage energy etc. It's not easy to have great stage presence and still play perfectly but it's something ive gotten a hell of a lot better at over the last year. Sadly a lot of people do care more about how you look when you play then what you play. But if you look cool playing and sound good playing then you've got the audience around your finger. Oh and btw, my band has never used alchohol prior to playing a show, I think it can be a bad thing if you need it before every show and it tends to make everyone a little sloppier and not tight togather. I'm by no means saying my band is perfect just that we've worked out *** off over the past year to get to where we are.

 

[73h Nils]

That's good news, dude!

Another random thing you could do to "interact" with the crowd would be a call and answer type thing. Play a little riff, have the crowd mimick it and go back and forth, ala "Crowd Chant" by Satch. (Unless, of course, you don't have time.)

 

[nor]

Sounds like your dependence on booze killed your big chance.
STOP DRINKING!!
You don't go to work drunk, right?
==========

To improve your confidence on-stage, try these ideas:

NO ALCOHOL AT REHEARSAL - EVER! Plenty of time to drink afterwards...

Mirrors. Lots of mirrors. Ever notice that dance studios cover an entire wall with mirrors? This enables the performers to see themselves from the audiences' perspective. This will help with wardrobe choices as well.

Video cameras: Tape your dress rehearsals, and review as a band to see what rocks - and what sucks.

NOTE: This is the point when most bands discover who is serious, and who is not. Proceed with caution...

 

[plumptone]

I realize I'm chiming in late on this, but here's my $0.02. I'v seen hundreds of bands over the years, some good, some not-so-good, and some just incredible. I'm talking unsigned acts. I've been playing a long time myself as well. Years ago I was out working 4-5 nights a week and what that allowed me to do was really develop a sense of confidence in my ability, the band's ability, and our material.

1. It's already been mentioned, but confidence is key. If you are good at what you do - no matter how technical (or not) - and you exude confidence, your audience will pick up on it.

2. Have fun! Too many bands are way too serious about what they are doing. Most times when people are going out to see a band they are looking to be entertained and have fun. Try it! If you are smiling because you just nailed a particularly tough lick or because your drummer just did a kick *** fill you've never heard him do, let the audience see that! They WILL pick up on these things. Laugh if someone goofs too! It's only music - no -one's getting hurt if the singer forgets the first line.

3. *If* you drink, don't overdo it. You'll play like crap, and trust me - the audience will DEFINITELY pick up on this.

4. Decide if you are going to be the type of band that does a "show" as opposed to a performance. If you are hell bent on putting together a whole "show" - then work it all out. If it's a performance that's a bit looser, you have more freedom to improvise stuff. Both approaches can work well. My current band doesn't even use a set list. It's totally loose, and that's half the fun. Every night one of us is the designated song-picker, and he'll call the next tune. Keeps you on your toes, and allows the show to bild itself in response to the audience.

5. The key. The key is practice. You shoudl be able to play your stuff with your eyes closed. Literally. It's not a bad thing to have to look down at the fretboard once in a while, but you shouldn't be doing that because you need to. If someone in the audience is making eye contact with you - engage that person and look at them too - no matter where you are in the song. One of the things we used to do when we were playing all the time was rehearse the tunes to the point where we knew them very solidly, then turn out the lights and play in total darkness. If you can nail the song with no lights on at all, you'll be able to play it in any situation whatsoever. This allows you to just play and not think. If you're just playing, you're free to have fun. If you have fun, so does the audience. But most of all, if you KNOW you can do the song this way, you will be confident as hell. This approach has worked very well for me and the bands I've played with.

Good luck to you. THis is a tough business, and I wish you success.

 

[danvortex]

very good post +1