Tips For Good Stage Presence

[jugalo180]

Somethings To Ponder: No More Bad Shows-Rehearsal is Not A Bad Word

by Davey D

I have been doing this Hip Hop thing for over 20 years, and I finally had enough. For now on my motto is ‘No More Bad Shows’. I’m not sure what’s going on. Nor am I sure as to why, but with Hip Hop being more than 30 years old, there is no excuse for continuous bad shows and I’m sick of it…Over the years there have been more than enough examples of stellar artists who deliver tip top performances. KRS-One, Naughty by Nature, Outkast, Public Enemy, Kool Moe Dee, The Roots, Hiero and Run DMC are among those who get busy on stage.

In a previous column, I mentioned my conversation with rap pioneer Mele-Mel who broke it down and stressed the importance of being able to do live performances. His point was if an emcee can rock a party and have his performance felt then we really need to re-evaluate his emcee status.

Grandmaster Flash also spoke to this a couple of years ago when I interviewed him. He bragged about how back in the group's hey days they would pride themselves on going out on stage as an opening act for top tier groups at the time like the Barkays or Confunkshun, and rip their performances so hard that the crowd would be left exhausted. Flash noted that it wasn’t always a good thing to have them open up a show, because they would take advantage and win the crowd over. He talked about how the group would do their set and then knock on the dressing room doors of the next performer and wish them good luck while laughing because they knew it was hopeless for anyone who followed them.

Nowadays, I’m not sure if artists don’t pay attention or have a false sense of reality, but I been to one too many shows where I finally had to say enough is enough… No More Bad Shows. In 2005 there is no excuse to see a group on stage that hasn’t mastered holding the mic correctly. I’m tired of hearing a cat yell 15 times for the soundman to turn up his sound. I’m tired of seeing the artists on stage with 55 homeboys from his neighborhood who all wanna shout into the mic at the same time…

Gone are the days when people would actually rehearse for their shows and work on well timed routines. Far too often it feels like the acts I’m watching got word several minutes before they came on stage that they are performing. The word ‘Rehearsal’ seems like a foreign concept and unfortunately no one has been honest enough to let cats know that getting high or getting drunk before you hit the stage will improve your performance. But hey, we live and learn-so today I’m gonna pass along a few gems.

Below are some 5 hard and fast rules that I want everyone to pass along to up and coming artists so you don’t have to pay hard earned money to see a popular act that can’t hold his weight. I included one bonus Golden Rule

1-DON’T TELL THE SOUNDMAN TO TURN YOU UP- If you’re not the headlining act you will only be given so much sound… The problem here is a lot of acts don’t show up for sound check and they basically wind up working things out on stage in front of a live audience.

The other mishap is that they have not recruited their own trained, professional sound guy who can take over the boards while they are performing and make sure everything is just right… Acts like KRS or PE always have their own qualified people working the boards during a show.

Last, make sure to get some good monitors or make sure the ones you have been provided with are good. What usually happens is a guy is on stage yelling “turn it up” because he can’t hear or feel himself in the monitors. By the time the house sound is turned up we the audience are subjected to distorted speakers.

2-ALWAYS LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE-This applies to new groups. Look, let’s be honest, if you new to the scene, do 2 or 3 songs and bounce. Don’t do an entire album worth of material. Don’t do your old demo songs before you got signed. Trust me, no one wants to hear all that. They are waiting for the headliners. Come in do a couple of songs. Do them well and leave the crowd saying ‘Damn they were good I WISH they did more’. Don’t leave the crowd saying ‘Damn I WISH he'd hurry up and get off the stage.’

3-ALWAYS HAVE PLAN A, PLAN B AND PLAN C- Look, we all been to enough shows to know the sound is always messing up or that the turntables are gonna skip or the CD player isn’t working correctly. This has occurred enough times for us to know that a prudent rapper will have back up plans ready to go in case of a malfunction.

I know a lot of artists who pride themselves on carrying a set of choice battle rhymes in the back of their heads just in case they are called out. They clearly understand the importance of anticipating and being prepared. With that in mind, I’m confused as to why that same artists does not have a few stage shows prepared for those ‘just in case’ moments.

If the sound is bad I suggest an act cut his set short and tell the crowd the sound is bad so while the house gets it fixed up, he’ll rock it accappella. A really good artist will have a nice accappella show prepared as back up. By doing this the artists keeps the crowd entertained and sympathetic to his plight. He puts the house on note that it’s their fault, not his for the messed up sound.

The other thing is for an artist to shorten his songs. If the sound is bad a good act should have a music medley set ready that contains shortened versions of his hit songs. The worse thing one can do is try and rock an entire song when the sound is faulty. Keep it moving is the name of the game.

4-DON’T BRING 50 PEOPLE ON STAGE UNLESS THEY ARE INVOLVED IN A CHOREOGRAPHED ROUTINE.-This has got to be the biggest complaint folks have about rap shows. You have a guy who is either insecure in his showmanship abilities or he feels like he owes his homeboys a thing or two, so he invites everyone on stage who in turn decide that they wanna be big stars like the act we paid to see. This is extremely wack.

What I suggest is that if you really must bring the entire posse on stage make sure they 1-Aren’t holding any mics. 2-Ask them to make like Fat Joe and ‘Lean Back’ so that the performing artist is the center of attention.

If one must bring a whole bunch of folks on stage try and put them to work. Have them all dress the same or have them do some sort of choreographed routine. Good examples of this might be Public Enemy’s S1W soldiers or Bay Area artist Paris who during a recent show had his homies all wearing black hoodies while they held up signs emphasizing the points Paris was making in his songs. At the very least have them develop some sort of synchronized routine or walk through the audience carrying banners but by all means get them off the stage.

Lastly if we gonna have a bunch of cats on stage holding mics, please make sure they don’t all talk at once. Back in the days, groups like the Crash Crew and GM Flash or the Cold Crush excelled in harmonizing. If you gonna get on the stage and be a group, act like one-complete with well rehearsed routines that are reflected all the way down to the way you dress.

5-LEARN TO WORK THE MIC- It seems simple enough, but apparently for many artists the simple task of holding a microphone correctly alludes them. Please stop cuffing the mic. Hold it away from your mouth so we can hear you clearly. Carry an extra set of batteries so you can recharge the wireless one just in case the house is in short supply. Most good emcees actually invest in their own mics which they bring to shows. This is no different then a good deejay who shows up with his own needles. Kool Moe Dee speaks a lot about this. He wants folks to learn how to be clear on the mic and it starts with you having good mic technique. Instead of having all your homeboys on stage, send a few out in the audience where they can positioned in the front and the back and can signal to you when you arejn't sounding clear or your distorting.


BONUS RULE-STOP YELLING ‘EVERYBODY SAY ‘HO’-Yes I know getting a crowd to respond to your every command can give one a sense of power. How can you not be seduced? But like I said before, Hip Hop is 30 years old and when pioneers like Keith ‘Cowboy’ came along back in the mid 70s, he started off that ancient ‘call and response’ routine’. Over the years that whole bit has been done and redone with different variations and new words infused designed to get us hype. But let’s keep it real folks. For most people who do the whole ‘Get the Crowd’ hype thing, it’s a crutch designed to hide the lack of skillz. Furthermore, we in the audience know it’s a crutch. Yes, Lil Jon can do this well. That’s his MO. It’s his area of expertise and it shows when he rocks a party. He took that whole bit to new heights. So for the rest of us please let’s leave the call and response thing to him and move on.

Also let’s please refrain from doing that tired bit where we try to see which side of the room is the loudest. It’s old. It’s worn. It’s 2005 lets try something new.

So there you have it..I know I didn’t cover everything, but it’s a start. Like I said I’m tired of bad shows…. Holla back if you something to add.

 

[jugalo180]

this Thread Is For Any Tips That You May Have

 

[jugalo180]

Along with learning mic control...

breath control, enunciation, and projection are necessary.

Also... rhyming over your own voice is wack and as annoying as having 50 people on stage who don't know how to use mics.

Don't forget about the audience- stop performing with your backs to them and performing to yourselves.

One

Grand Emperor Supreme

 

[jugalo180]

Each month, MusicBizAdvice.com answers your questions about the music industry.

How to Improve Your Stage Presence:
Q: How can I improve my stage presence? It needs work, but I'm at a loss.

A. Stage presence is something that comes with time and experience in front of a live audience. But if you're willing to work hard at it, there are a few things you can do to help speed up the process:

1. Play, play, play. Play out everywhere, to a variety of types of audiences. The more types of people you get in front of, the more situations you'll be able to handle, which will make you more confident.

2. Study concert videos or DVD's of artists known in the industry for being great live performers. Jon Bon Jovi, Shania Twain, and Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon are a few who are excellent at working a crowd. Watch the show once all the way through, then turn the sound off and observe what the performer is doing to get reactions from the crowd. Watch how they communicate with the audience. Don't copy their movements, but use what you've learned as a basis to learn how to communicate with your own audiences.

3. Choose two or three people in different sections of the audience, and play to them. But do it in a way that makes it look like you're looking at larger sections of the crowd.

4. To get the back of the house involved even when you can't see the people well enough, focus your vision in several places at the back of the venue--a doorway, the bar, an exit sign, etc.--and play to an imaginary person there.

5. Go to every live show you can, and learn from what you see.

 

[jugalo180]

So your band has been practicing together for a while, and things are sounding pretty good. You've landed that first gig, and have been rehearsing in earnest. Besides practicing your songs over and over, what else can you do to make sure the show is a success? The truth is, if you're a novice, you have a lot to learn about playing live. Only experience and dedication will make you a successful live performer. However, there are some things you can do to create a great first impression, especially if you have little or no experience playing live. The following guidelines will ensure that all your rehearsal doesn't go down the drain when it comes to the live performance.


By Paul Hardy

Arrive Early

How early you arrive prior to your performance will depend on what is required of you for setup. For example, if you need to haul in and set up your own P.A. system, you will need to arrive a little earlier than if you were using a house system. Whatever your situation, leave yourself enough time to properly set up and deal with any potential problems that may arise - and they will arise. Bad cables, missing drum hardware and malfunctioning guitar or bass rigs can all throw a wrench into setup, and can prove to be insurmountable obstacles if you haven't left enough time to deal with them.

Dress Appropriately

What is appropriate dress? Shirt and tie? Tuxedo? Casual? Dirty denim and ripped t-shirt? All are fine, depending on the type of music you play, the venue that is hosting you and the audience you are performing for. The great thing about being in a band is that there is no dress code. In fact, many bands eschew the idea of appearing concerned about their look. But make no mistake - deciding not to be concerned about onstage appearance is in itself a stylistic decision.

Coordinating the band's look sounds easy enough, and often doesn't even need to be discussed when all the band members are like-minded and have a similar outlook on fashion. The task becomes a little more complicated when a band is made up of musicians with various backgrounds and possibly even different ages. In those cases, there should at least be some basic planning around the type of clothing everyone will wear. That doesn't mean everyone has to wear matching Hawaiian shirts, kaki pants and white canvas sneakers. But your band should at least look like a unit. Come to an agreement on whether you will dress casual, formal, rag-tag, whatever. Use some common sense and remember that presentation is critical for a live band. If the singer is dressed in a button down shirt and a pair of slacks, the guitar player probably shouldn't be wearing a cowboy outfit - unless you're going for some kind of weird Village People-type look.

Avoid Excessive Alcohol Consumption

The key word here is "excessive." There are varying schools of thought on this subject. Some musicians adopt a zero tolerance approach and limit themselves to non-alcoholic beverages before and during a gig. The opposite end of the spectrum is made up of musicians who believe it is necessary to chug as many beers as possible before a gig because they will have little time to do so while on stage. The rule of thumb regarding alcohol and performing is that there really is no rule of thumb. The key is to know yourself and how alcohol affects you, because everyone is different in this regard. If you're the kind of person who gets plastered on three beers, then it's probably best to stick to soft drinks and bottled water before and during a gig. If you have a higher tolerance for alcohol, then by all means enjoy yourself - you are after all entertaining an audience, not chairing a board meeting.

Regardless of your drinking prowess however, it's still best to err on the conservative side and avoid consuming too many drinks before and during your performance. You may be in a bar surrounded by people drinking, but you still have a job to do and must remain professional. Regardless of how well you think you are handling the ten gin and tonics you just downed, chances are your musical abilities have been noticeably impaired. Use your common sense and don't make a fool of yourself or your band mates.

Tune Up Before And During The Performance

Make sure everyone in the band has access to a good quality tuner and tunes their instruments prior to the performance. Also check your tuning frequently during the performance to ensure you are still in key. Nothing can ruin a performance more than a couple of out-of-tune strings on your guitar or bass. The audience will notice. And they won't be thinking, "Gee, that guitar player should tune his D and G strings." They'll be thinking, "Gee, that band really sounds like crap!" There are all kinds of tuners on the market to suit your needs and budget. They can be purchased as small handheld units, stomp boxes or larger rack-mounted units. If each band member is using their own tuner, make sure all the units are calibrated so that everyone is tuned to the same pitch.

Don't Be A Statue

If you're on a stage and people are watching you, you are no longer just a musician; you are a performer. Playing the songs that you've rehearsed to a polished shine is only part of your job now. You must entertain. No matter how sound your musicianship is, people are not interested in watching a musical mannequin. They have come to see a show. That doesn't mean you have to start incorporating Britney Spears-style choreography or pyrotechnics into your act. But you must have stage presence. Stage presence simply means being in control of your surroundings while actively engaging the audience. All of the most successful performers have stage presence. And this isn't limited to musicians. Think of great actors you've seen, or your favorite teacher, or a memorable public speaker you've listened to. Chances are they stand out in your mind because they had great presence.

To project stage presence, you must be enthusiastic about the task at hand. Hopefully, you enjoy the music you're performing and are excited about sharing it with the audience. If you're the shy and introverted type, this is not the time to retreat into your shell, standing stiff-legged and never looking up from your fret board. Let the natural body language and facial expressions that occur project your emotions. Make eye contact with audience members. Play to the crowd, not for yourself. They will naturally pick up on your enthusiasm and amplify it.

Avoid "Dead Air"

Have you ever been listening to a radio station where a song ends and is followed by complete silence? No DJ chatter, no commercial, no station ID, nothing. How long did you wait before changing the station? Not long, right? This is called dead air, and if it happens on stage, an audience is likely to tune you out just as quickly. Avoiding dead air requires careful planning and execution of your set list(s). Each set you perform must be paced out to capture and maintain the audience's attention throughout. It isn't enough to practice all your songs and throw together a set list the day of the gig. You must rehearse your set exactly as you'll perform it live. The way one song leads into the next should be just as polished as each individual number. This means knowing you're cues, ensuring you have the right instrument / amp settings and having your hands on your instrument. Two questions that should never need to be uttered on stage are, "Is everybody ready?" and "What's next?" Ensure all band members have a set list nearby to refer to throughout the performance, preferably written out in large, black letters on white paper.

Be Flexible

As much as you rehearse, sometimes things will not go according to plan and adjustments have to be made on the fly. That is the flip side to rehearsing and performing your set list; sometimes you'll have to stray from the list order. There are a number of reasons why you might need to do this. Consider the following, for example: the crowd is finally coming to life halfway through your first set. People are getting pumped and when the song ends, the crowd applauds enthusiastically and remains front and center, ready to party. You look down at your set list and see that the next song is a low-key number meant for slow dancing. At this point, do you really want to put the audience back to sleep, after working so hard to wake them up? Move on to your next up-tempo song and save the waltz for later.

Learn To Play Through Bad Stage Sound

The kind of sound you hear on stage will vary greatly from one venue to another and will depend on the configuration of the room and stage, the sound system you are playing through and the quality of the monitor system. Very often, the stage sound will be downright rotten, and will be nothing like what you are used to hearing at your rehearsal space, where you have much more control over volume and dynamics. Bad stage sound can be extremely difficult to deal with and if you let it affect you, your performance will suffer. Just remember that what you are hearing on stage is not at all how the audience is hearing you. You must simply trust the sound engineer to balance the room sound and focus on your audience. Resist the temptation to tinker with your amp volume and settings, as this will only make things more difficult for the engineer and result in poor room sound for the audience.

Never Stop Part Way Through A Song, No Matter How Badly You've Screwed Up

No matter how rehearsed your band is and how musically tight you may be, you will inevitably experience the musical train wreck. Here's what could happen: your band launches into a song you've rehearsed a million times before without incident. The song is made up of a verse riff in the key of A, a chorus riff in C (verse / chorus / verse / chorus) a break done in D, a guitar solo over the verse riff and then the chorus repeated twice to end the song. Pretty standard stuff, right? But the singer, who is also the rhythm guitarist, mistakenly starts a nonexistent third verse while the lead guitarist jumps into the break in D. Noticing his error, the singer jumps into the break as well, but is now behind by one bar. The lead guitarist hangs back for a couple of measures, trying to get his bearings, but noticing the drummer is already into the solo pattern, begins wailing while the singer continues to belt out the break. Meanwhile, the bass player has stopped playing completely and can't decide whom to follow. The singer, wincing noticeably at the chaos around him, makes the "cut" gesture with his hand, and the whole ugly mess grinds to a halt. You now want to run and hide under a rock as the singer nervously offers an apologetic line to the audience such as, "Uh, sorry about the technical difficulties there folks, but we're just gonna start that one over for you."

This situation is easily avoided and usually happens because musicians are too wrapped up in their own parts and not operating as a cohesive unit. You're a band, not a grouping of individual soloists. Songs should not be performed by rote. Rather, you should be conscious of all the group dynamics, which will include the occasional mistake. If the aforementioned situation occurs, the solution is simple; everybody follows the singer. If the singer goes into a verse where a chorus should be, then everyone should go into a verse where a chorus should be. It then becomes the singer's job to get the train back on the rails. If you stick to this plan, ninety-nine per cent of the audience will be completely unaware that you've messed up. If you stop the song part way through and apologize, one hundred per cent of the audience will be completely aware that you've messed up.

Be Prepared To Socialize And Mingle With Audience Members

Just like any other business where establishing demand for a product or service entails good public relations practices, you also need to maintain a relationship with your audience that extends beyond the actual performance. Between sets and at the end of a performance, people will naturally gravitate to you. Fellow musicians may want to talk shop, or bar patrons may want to tell you how much fun they had during your performance. Engaging in these conversations may come naturally to some, but can be a little painful for the more shy and reticent among us. Nonetheless, it is important to try and remain as gracious and accommodating as possible. Mingling and socializing, along with good musicianship and stage presence, are essential to establishing a positive public image and building that all-important following. And you never know, that overbearing and slightly obnoxious dude who won't shut up may turn out to be the contact that gets you you're next paying gig.

Have Fun!

You will not be perfect the first time out. In fact, you will never be perfect. But you will get better. As long as you keep a few basic principles in mind, performing live will get easier and will always be a blast.

If you have the talent and opportunity to perform music for people, you are among a very privileged few who get to experience something very special. When the band clicks, and you establish that emotional connection with an appreciative audience, the results are nothing less than magical. Remember how lucky you are and have fun!

 

[ethos]

Good thread.

Yeah, i remember when I rocked my first show.
I thought i ripped it down, it felt like i was on stage jumping up and down and performing my ass off.
The next day i watched a tape of the performance, I was barely moving.
I was stiff and looked nervous.

so my advice, is to be "over animated", because in reality, youre probably not moving and performing as much as it feel like you are at the time.

 

[jugalo180]

Good thread.

Yeah, i remember when I rocked my first show.
I thought i ripped it down, it felt like i was on stage jumping up and down and performing my ass off.
The next day i watched a tape of the performance, I was barely moving.
I was stiff and looked nervous.

so my advice, is to be "over animated", because in reality, youre probably not moving and performing as much as it feel like you are at the time.

thanks for the advice. yeah, I bet that was really dissapointing to anticipate watching yourself rock a show and then feel like you were actually mediocre. I know that feeling almost every other time I record a song and listen back to it.