Developing Stage Presence

In order to get fans excited about music, the artist has to be excited about their music. The perfect way to get others hyped and excited is by developing a stage presence. The way an artist portrays themselves on stage is a direct reflection of who they are and what their music means. An artist that moves around, dances, and is passionate, truly cares about what they are doing and connects with the audience better.

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Recently, I went to a concert at The Chance Theater to see one of my favorite bands. One of the opening bands couldn’t connect with the audience because they lacked experience performing. It was a little awkward to watch because they didn’t know how to move and bumped into each other. The audience was stiff and unsure of how to react to the music and the overall performance of the band. Even though the band tried to encourage the crowd, it seemed like a forced, unnatural effort. The band needed to calm their nerves, practice, and become comfortable.

Musicians that are comfortable on stage pass that comfort onto the audience. For example, Adam Lazzara of Taking Back Sunday is well known for his stage presence. I saw the band play at The Bamboozle Festival in 2006 and I’ll never forget how Lazzara climbed the truss and sang upside down during one of their most famous songs. A video of the performance can be seen here. I didn’t get the chance to see the band again until December 2011 at The Crocodile Rock Cafe. The venue was incredibly small and even in such a controlled environment Lazzara wasn’t going to let that stop him from performing. He proceeded to sing while standing on bars, hanging on columns, and walking through the crowd. A video of this performance can be seen here.

It is memories like this that will be embedded in the minds of fans for a very long time. This is the type of connection bands need to make with their fans. A good show is forgotten with time; an amazing show will never be forgotten. Encouraging fans to sing along and dance are both good ways of including everyone and connection through personalization. Encouraging fans to mosh and go crazy isn’t such a good idea. Although moshing has become standard at several rock concerts, it’s still very dangerous and puts the safety of others at risk. Instead, MusicBizAdvice.com has a great article that includes 10 ways to develop and improve stage presence. Among the suggestions are connecting with fans, feeling the music, monitoring the energy level, and covering the entire stage. Catch 22 Productions has an even more detailed set of tips about how to refine stage presence and what to do if things go wrong.  The tagline of Catch 22 Productions is absolutely right “Because new bands don’t have fans.” In order to establish a fan base, the band needs to generate excitement for a truly memorable experience. It will make the fans remember the band and more inclined to buy merch and pass on information to their friends. Word of mouth is the strongest resource for a new band.