Live performance is an art in itself. As a performer, being able to keep the attention of your audience is one of the hardest things to master. There are many tactics you can use to create engaging and memorable shows for your fans. Good stage banter is the main tactic that comes to mind. I wrote an article on Indie on the Move titled 5 Awesome Stage Bantering Tricks that will Hook Your Audience. If you haven’t read that article yet, you should check it out. In it, I talk about different stage bantering styles you can use to make a unique connection with your audience.
However, stage banter isn’t the only tool you can use to keep your audience engaged.
The Giveaway
If you’ve ever been to a trade show of any kind you may have noticed this tactic being used. A company announces that there will be a giveaway at their booth at a certain time of day. All day long, the company is busy collecting information as they get everyone to sign up for the giveaway. The company has all contestants come back later for the giveaway announcement. It could be a free year’s supply of their product, a new tablet, or a bike. Whatever it is, the company has made the giveaway into an event. You could do the same thing at your shows. You could give away a piece of merchandise or a free album. Create sign up sheets and have your audience fill them out. Do a random selection and host a live giveaway right from the stage. It’s a great way to grab the attention of your audience and get them primed for the next part of your show. (Pro tip, this is a great way to also build your mailing list.)
The Switch Up
Doing a giveaway is an example of switching things up. Even if your songs are really good, the repetitiveness of song after song can get boring. So doing things like a giveaway or turning on the lights and pointing out things in the audience or in the building during a transition into the next part of your set, can actually help to switch things up. You’ll keep your audience engaged by having them wonder what you’ll do next.
The Humor
Humor breaks the ice and creates an automatic connection between you and your audience. Telling jokes, making light fun with your audience, and making fun of yourself are all ways to incorporate a little humor into your sets. During my shows, I’ll share funny things that have happened to me along the way. I’ll also look for ways to incorporate humor during my stage banter and while chatting with people in my audience. I once went to an Amos Lee concert and two men started arguing with each other right in the front rows. It was loud enough for the entire auditorium to hear. After they were escorted out by security, everyone was quiet and confused. The incident could have been a low point for the concert, but Amos said…
“I kid you not, this happens at every concert. For some reason my music incites rage among men. So, don’t worry. I’m a pro at this.”
I’m not sure if he was telling the truth or not, but everyone in the audience started to laugh and the moment passed on. The way Amos handled it left a positive, lasting memory.
It doesn’t hurt to have a bit of a humor bone. Learning how to be funny can help improve your charisma and boost your confidence not just on stage but when talking with fans after shows and also just in general life. Using your natural charisma or a learned form of charisma can help you take charge of the room and be magnetizing. If you’d like to get better at being funny, try going to a few improv comedy shows or taking an improv comedy course.
The Participation
Musicians, your live audience came to you to help them escape to another world. What are you doing to help them with that?
— The Crafty Musician (@IndieArtistsDIY) August 23, 2018
When it comes to keeping your audience engaged, participation is a no brainer. Engagement requires participation. Thus, anything you can do to get your audience to actively participate with you will keep their attention and make the show all the more memorable for them. Some examples of audience participation can be getting audience members to volunteer to perform different tasks, sing-alongs, friendly competition between audience members, and inviting other musicians to come up and play along, or even having a quick question and answer session with your audience. Anything you can do to get them talking, singing, laughing, or moving can enhance your show.
The Emotion
Music is very powerful in facilitating an emotional experience. Emotion is what stirs people up and motivates them to do things, feel things, and be who they are. Tap into that with your live performances. You write and play your music for a reason. Every time you sing make sure to reach down for those feelings and allow them to come out in your vocals and body language. That’s how you can really grab people, through their emotions.
In studying the origin of the word entertainment, you’ll find something very interesting. It comes from two Latin words, ‘inter’ and ‘tenere’. The word ‘inter’ means ‘among’. The word ‘tenere’ means ‘to hold’. So putting those two words together, when entertaining an audience, you are holding their attention in the midst of something. That ‘something’ is whatever environment you create. So you’re ultimately bringing them to a certain place mentally and emotionally. That’s the exact reason why they are coming to see you in the first place. They want you to take them to a place outside of their worlds. Who knows what they might be currently going through? Who knows what their life is like? But what you do know is that they are looking for an escape and your performance is supposed to give that to them. So go forth and make people’s dreams come true.
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