Wednesday, July 30, 2014

How to Improve Your Stage Presence:Ten Steps to Becoming a Better Perfomer

This is directed at lead singers, but this post about live performances has a takeaway for anyone in a band.

If your band is playing a lot of shows, or if you've done a lot of touring this year, at this point in the summer, you're either feeling energized. or tired. or frustrated.

Maybe things aren't happening the way you'd like them to, and you're wondering how to get people to come out to see you perform.

Touring or gigging is hard. Fun, yes, but hard, especially if you're trying to move up to the next step--more tickets sold, bigger venues, more music sales, more merch sales, better opportunities...whatever the "next" is for you.

Here's one way to boost your shows and move toward your "next" without spending a dime:

Improve your stage presence.

Everyone, at every level of the business, strives to be a better performer every night than they were the night before. Even Mick Jagger.

If you work on it consistently, and couple that with solid promotion, word gets out:  "Wow, they were absolutely on fire tonight!" Or "Wow, what a different band than they were before!"

I'd take improving your stage presence over spending an extra hour on Facebook any day, wouldn't you?



Yes, you still have to do the other things to promote yourself.. But at this point of summer, it's easy to become a little complacent with the show, or to slack off because you're tired and it's hot as hell.

Don't be that person. Don't be that band. Get up. Stand up straighter. Take a little extra time with your clothes and appearance tonight. Walk out onto that stage taller, and strive to kick ass.

If you're not the lead singer, discuss this with the rest of the band, so everyone's on the same page. (NO accusations. Just, "I think we can step up our game, me as much as anyone. I was reading this article..." and have them read it and this post. Be sure to include yourself in the "needs to improve" category.)


Otherwise, what will happen is, the one who's read the article will stand out too much, and the band won't look like a cohesive unit. Or, you'll have more enthusiasm than the others and your timing will be different because of your increased adrenaline, throwing the others off.

A friend of mine worked with a drummer who suddenly decided to improve without telling anyone. Can you imagine? Don't do that...

Resolve to make the next one your best show ever. Get everyone on the same page, get out there, and kick ass. Then repeat. 


Here's how to improve your stage presence:

http://musicbizadvice.com/advice/mbadc-performance-coach/from-lead-singer-to-front-man-10-ways-to-improve-your-stage-presence-and-entertain-an-audience/


Have a great rest of the summer!

Rand Reed

Founder, MusicBizAdvice.com
Follow me on Twitter @MusicBizAdvice .