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4. GET THE CROWD INVOLVED You can interact with an audience through talking directly to them over the mic. However, if you can get a member or two of the audience up and onto the stage with you, it will do more than anything else to make for a truly memorable night. Those who do get up onto the stage will only be those who want to be there, even if they play at being reluctantly in the spotlight. Everyone else watching will identify with the person up there. Some will be relieved that they’re now under no pressure to get up there themselves, others will be keenly waiting for the next opportunity to get up later. As far as the band is concerned, you’re the ones in control so it will pay you to get someone up that your audience will enjoy watching for whatever reason. You’re obviously free to use your discretion and only invite up someone you’d like to see a little closer or maybe get to know a little better if that suits you for whatever reason and you’re not too creepy about it! How do you get people to join you in front of everyone else? If it’s a private party, you get the host or birthday boy/wedding couple up,
Get the crowd on your side: an enthusiastic audience will help you play better and so you’ll enjoy your gigs as much as the crowd does.
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3. LOOK FOR ‘HELPERS’ IN THE CROWD One of the most valuable tips you can ever learn about audience interaction is that not all members of a gig crowd are equal. To really engage an audience you don’t just put out your best moves or one-liners and hope someone in the crowd responds. Instead you focus them on the people most able to help you go down better on the night. At every gig there will be people who are more open and responsive to the
If your songs are lousy or if your gear doesn’t work properly, no amount of cool moves or slick patter will save you…
band. You need to check out the room early on, as soon as you start playing. You might even check the room out a little while you’re setting up and shortly before you go onstage. See who looks like their having a particularly good time or like they’d be most up for one. These are the kind of people who are moving a little more than most when you start playing, singing along or just looking intently at one of the band. Those who clap most enthusiastically after the fi rst number are often a good bet. If you’re really lucky so early in the night, they might even be dancing! Make a point of actively looking for these best candidates to aim your moves and words towards. Even to just to use the bulk of your smiles and eye contact with. Try to fi nd a number of these people or groups scattered around the room. Even when there’s only one, that can still be enough to work the magic you need. You’ll fi nd that when you play up to these people and encourage them to be more extrovert you’ll actually infl uence the rest of the crowd to have a better time. It’s almost like giving everyone permission to open up and go for it a little more themselves. Try it and you’ll see what I mean. Just keep in mind that once these helpers are identifi ed, you have to make sure you don’t completely ignore other people during the show.
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Props can also help your audience share your limelight without risk of your real gear getting damaged or stolen.
5. IT’S THE WAY YOU TELL THEM As far as stage banter is concerned, most of the impression you make will come from the way you talk rather than the actual words you use. A lot of musicians have a tendency to mumble
when they talk on mic so make sure you speak up and out when you talk to the crowd. Aim your words out towards the top of the far wall in the room and deliberately talk louder and more slowly than feels natural to you. This way what you do say will actually be heard and understood.
6. CHOOSE YOUR WORDS – BEFORE YOU PLAY Every crowd is different and you’ll want to leave at least some room for some spur of the moment words to the crowd. However, you can avoid awkward silences if for example nerves have a tendency to make your mind go blank, with a little preparation of what you’ll say before you get out onto the stage. A handful of reliable one liners can be your fall-back position if you really can’t think of anything to say on the night. Practise these actions every time you play and you’ll put your band way ahead of your competition.
more than once if necessary. If it’s a public gig the easiest way is to tell them you:“Need some help onstage.” This ‘help’ can take the form of some additional rhythm (pack a spare tambourine, bongo drums or triangle – yes really), backing vocals, dancing, to be sung to, for an air guitar contest or to interact with infl atable instruments or other props. When you really engage audiences like this they’ll be queuing up to get on there.
Gareth Bird is an active semi-pro musician who gigs regularly at venues like the Hard Rock Café. He’s the author of Gig-Getter: How to get more gigs than you can play and Rouse the Crowd: How to interact with audiences for gigs they can’t forget. He’s written about gigging for Total Guitar and Bass Guitar magazines along with numerous online publications. He’s currently fi nalising details on a Gigging Masterclass for the ICMP in London scheduled for later this year. For more gigging and band booking tips visit Gareth’s website at -
www.gig-getter.com
The master: Mick Jagger is a natural extrovert but anyone can learn how to whip the crowd into a frenzy.
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