How To Make The Best Of Your Performance

Originally from The Legion email list - Condensed for readability

Live performances have never been more important to an artist's success as they are now. 

Since streaming services and platforms like Youtube have essentially made listening to music free, putting on a good live show is crucial for any artist who wants to make sure they are compensated for their time while doing what they love.  

Here are some tips to help you shine on stage.

1. Your audience is not going to remember too many details from your performance, but they will remember how you made them feel. Entertaining the crowd is the entire reason why you are on stage.  So be entertaining! Make sure you focus your energy on keeping the crowd interested.

2. Remember that you are the only one focused on the small errors that are unavoidable at any live performance. So don't worry too much about that.

3. A ton of beginning performers shy away from this next important live show component:eye contact. Nothing keeps your audience engaged like a performer who directs their performance to individual members of the audience as well as the whole.  Not only does it help the audience feel like a part of the performance, it helps you to ‘feel out’ the energy of a room, allowing you to create an even better experience or everyone.

4. One underrated thing that can really make all the difference between a decent performance and an unforgettable one is how you talk to the audience between songs. This is your opportunity to really connect and personalize the experience for your fans. Plus, it allows you to catch your breath and break up the live performance into a more digestible format.  Just make sure you don’t talk too much, you have a job to do!