How can I prepare for the event?
How can I connect with the audience?
What happens if I make a mistake?
What should I keep in mind when making my song setlist?
These are just a few of the many questions this blueprint will answer.
Are you set to perform live and want to ensure you give the crowd a performance to remember, for the right reasons?
We know that performing live can be nerve-racking, and not always the easiest gig to get, so when you get one, you want to ensure your performance is one in which the venue owner invites you back.
We're here with a blueprint to ensure your next live performance is a successful one, and one of many future live performances to come.
This "blueprint" will provide everything you need to do for a successful live performance.
1- Prepare for the event The first thing you need to do is prepare for the event. This goes far beyond simply practicing. By preparing for the event, we mean ensuring everything is properly setup so that your show will run as planned.
This includes ensuring equipment is packed and ready for use, conducting sound checks, having back-up plans and knowing the stage (to plan your performance).
If you have a manager, you can basically skip this step, but if not, when you first see the venue you will be playing at, our recommendation is to get a feel for the stage and what is needed. placements of equipment and even start planning your on stage routine (to provide a memorable experience).
Now that you're aware of the set-up and your routine, it's time for a sound check. You want your sound to reach every person in the audience at a high quality. In order to guarantee that, a sound check is needed.
Even if the venue supplies its own equipment, this is your performance and you want it to sound as good as it possibly can, so do not be afraid to do a sound check.
One recommendation we have is for each member to be responsible for checking their own equipment. This includes ensuring it is tuned, all necessary equipment is connected, and anything else which may be needed.
This leads into our back-up plan. Unfortunately we live in a world where the chances everything goes right is slim to none. As a result, we always encourage performers to be prepared for the worst.
It's the age old saying, expect the best, but be prepared for the worst. This includes, but is not limited to brining backup equipment if possible.
2 - Warm-up This is one is very obvious, we know, but it's importance cannot be ignored. Do you want to hit the stage and open your performance with a voice that isn't warmed up?
Probably not. Your first impression can have a long-lasting impact on your audience and so hitting the ground running so to speak is critical.
In order to do this, run through your vocal exercises and do not be afraid to work anything out (even if your show is quickly approaching).
If the song is quite fast or complex, take some time to slow it down and work out all the hard parts before going into full speed and hitting the stage.
The last thing you want to be doing is fumbling around on stage during your performance and a routine warm-up can eliminate this.
3 - Stage presence The way you move on stage can change the atmosphere, mood and enjoyment of the performance (from the audience's perspective).
People that attend live performances are looking for more than just great music. If they simply wanted to hear great music, they would stay at home and listen to your songs online.
They're watching you live because they want to be entertained visually too, in addition to what they hear.
So how can you improve your stage presence? It's all about showcasing your personality. That can be in the way you dress, but also in the way you act. It's called a live performance for a reason, you're performing, not just vocally.
While you'll probably be a little nervous and maybe uptight, our best advice is to relax as much as you can. When you're relaxed, your true emotion and personality will come out, which is exactly what the crowd is there to see.
As a result, you do not need to worry about planning a dance routine, or some other structured "act." You can definitely plan a path to take on stage (so that you reach all parts of the audience), but too much structure can look overly rehearsed.
Just be yourself. Show off your goofy side. The crowd will love it!
4 - Engage with your audience
Engaging with your audience is not only recommended, but practically mandatory. This is because it allows you to build a deeper connection with your audience, through eye contact, gestures (such as pointing the mic out for the crowd to sing, etc).
The more engagement you receive from the audience, the more energy there will be in the venue and the more you (and the fans) will enjoy themselves.
In order to get the best engagement out of your audience, you need to be able to "read" them. For example, if you can tell that they are feeling down, or not super involved in your music, try switching up what you're doing.
This may include swaying your arms, or clapping (in which they will follow). It's super simple and almost always works.
We also have a full blog here, which includes even more great tips to ensure your crowd is engaged in your performance.
5 - Do more than sing As stated in tip #3, most people that go to a live performance don't expect to simply see the singer stand in front of a microphone all night long and only sing.
While that's what you signed up for, unfortunately the life of a performing musician requires more. So what can you do to ensure you're not just standing still on stage performing?
Make jokes, talk to the audience, explain the meaning behind each song you sing and relate it to the audience.
For example, let's assume you're singing a song about a breakup. Before singing it, get the audience involved. One way to do this is by saying something like, "I want everyone in this room right now to think of a time they had their heart broken."
"It might be a time when you got dumped, or maybe when you lost a loved one, but no, I'm not taking about the time you dropped a fresh donut on the ground." *Crowd laughs* "Dig a little deeper."
"This song I am about to sing is about my first heartbreak and I want us all to be in the same mindset before I sing this, because it does have a happy ending, shockingly, and when we get there, I want us all to realize everything happens for a reason and we're all here to help each other."
In that little blurb, you've connected the room, made them intrigued at what you're about to sing and excited about a happy ending.
While just an example, doing something similar will establish a relationship and set you apart from other performers as the audience is now interested in you.
6 - Create the best song setlist possible
Creating a song setlist is the key to making the live performance as great as it can be.
Many artists have set guidelines when it comes to creating their song setlist. For example many believe their performance should start energetic and then become progressively slower (and more relaxed), before finishing with something that will leave people shouting for more.
Other artists believe that slower songs should be played after faster songs to provide balance, but to be honest with you, we're leaving all that up to you.
What we do recommend however is that you always keep in mind a few things, prior to putting together your setlist.
These include, understanding who your audience will be, visualizing a the vibe you are wanting to give off (and when during the performance), the transition between songs and lastly, how long your performance will be.
Without knowing this, picking which songs to play and the order of them can often be quite frustrating, but when you take the time to pinpoint the details of your performance, all your songs will fall into place.
The result, a killer performance, that flows great and leaves your audience wanting more and more and more.
7 - Allow your performance to flow Building off of tip #6 and ensuring song a smooth transition between songs, one way to do this is by avoiding silent moments or long pauses.
Sometimes pauses are inevitable, but it is important to plan for them (and what the energy level of the audience will be at the time).
For example, if you just played an upbeat song and everyone in the crowd is highly engaged, but then there is a pause, don't just stand there and wait.
It is your job to keep the energy up. Try asking the audience some questions, such as "what did you think of that?" Or "Who's ready for another song? I want you to sing along as loud as you can if you know this song and if you don't know the song, I want you to dance like nobody is watching. Can you do that for me?"
Need more time? Share the background of the song again, or make a joke at the long wait. It's all about ensuring a smooth transition from one song to the next, because let's face it... people lose interest very quickly.
8 - Create moments in your performance One thing about live performances that differs from listening to your music on streaming platforms is that when seeing you live, you become a memory to everyone who is in attendance.
Everyone there wants to remember the night. They want to take pictures. They want to share it with their friends (or online). They want to have a good time. They want to feel like they belong and most importantly, they want to feel connected, like they're part of the performance.
You can create moments by doing what we recommended in tip #5, (through connecting everyone in the room through a story), or through having everyone flash the lights on their phone.
No matter how you choose to create a moment, the goal should be doing something that only those at your performance are apart of.
Not only will this provide FOMO to those who see it online later, (which can help with sales at your next performance), but also, it will long live in the minds of everyone at your performance.
You will no longer be a musician to them, but a friend they shared a special, once in a lifetime moment with.
9 - Don’t make your mistakes obvious Mistakes will happen, no matter how much you prepare and practice. They're simply inevitable, however, they're not as obvious as you think (at least most of them).
If you don't quite hit the note you're aiming for, or if your instrument is a little out of tune, we can almost guarantee you that the majority of the crowd will not notice it, or simply won't care.
As we said before, they're not expecting a a perfect performance. If they wanted that, they would listen to your music online and so the best thing you can do when making a mistake is continue performing, don't even mention it, unless it's obvious.
Fall down? Completely forget your lyrics? Laugh at yourself, make a joke about it. It only shows you're human.
Also, relating back to tip #8, you've just created a moment that no one can get unless they're at your live performance.
10 - Choose the right outfits This is often overlooked, however your outfit sets the tone for the song. It's why so many performers change outfits mid performance (to match the mood of the song).
The best analogy we can give is to that of artwork for your single. While music is becoming more visual, it is traditionally something you listen to.
Artwork for music manipulates your mind into thinking a certain way, or putting your mind in a specific mood, so that when you hear the music, you hear it how the artist wants you to.
The same goes for outfits when performing. In addition to matching the vibe of the song, you're providing a visual representation of the music and in a way manipulating the mood of how you want your audience to feel.
For example, lets assume you decided to wear a flashy and colorful outfit, but played a sad, dark song. That enormous contrast would leave the audience quite puzzled.
11 - Always prepare for an Encore performance After you've implemented all these tips, you will have undoubtedly given an unforgettable, successful performance.
For your amazing performance, we can guarantee your happy audience will be chanting "encore!" Imagine standing there, listening to your crowd cheer you on, but you have nothing prepared... it could be quite awkward.
As a result, we recommend you always be prepared for an encore. It may not always be required, but when it is, ending the night with a final song or two is the icing on the cake.
Also use this time to thank the audience for being the best audience you have ever had (even if they're weren't). That can be our little secret.
That's it, that's our blueprint for everything you need to do to have a successful live performance. Now it's your turn to go out and make it a reality. We look forward to hearing all about it.
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