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You go to a lot of trouble to put on a live show. Ever felt that in order to justify all the work involved you need to maximize your results? Your mailing list sign-ups, your CD sales?

Here’s introducing the 5 elements. The best thing is that there’s no script involved, there’s no gimmicks, and it’s not hard to remember.



Element #1: Fire = Connect

First off, you want to connect with your audience right away. Connecting right off the bat will help you to stop feeling anxious at the beginning of your show.

Three simple approaches include:
1.Setting the intention to give the audience your energy.
2.Being genuinely interested in the people in the audience.
3.Looking into people’s eyes.

Now you are ready to say a few words. You might smile (or growl), you might introduce yourself and let people in the crowd know what you are up to and what you are about.

TIP: These 5 simple exercises done just before the show will greatly increase your willingness to connect right away.

Element #2: Earth = Serve

The reason that so many artists have a hard time selling their services (and their swag) is that they forget that they are offering services and that the point is to serve.

How do you serve your audience? You figure out what they’re looking for, and you give them what that is. People WANT to have an experience, they WANT to be pulled out of their seats. They WANT to have fun. They want to feel a connection, be entertained, distracted, feel emotion, be transformed. These are all things that music provides, when delivered in the right way.

Everyone is there for some reason. You might ask them directly. If the crowd doesn’t know you, gauge the energy in the room, and adjust your set to where the crowd is at. If the crowd needs warming up, you warm them up, rather than plunge right in to your darkest, most intimate song. So you gotta try and work with what you got.

Sometimes what you’ve got and what they want or need is not going to be a match for everyone in the room. That’s OK. No need to take it personally. Do things right, and they may refer one of their friends who does like your style of music to your next gig.

TIP: Treat your potential fans as you would treat the people who are already your fans (for example, as if they have already bought a CD). If people are paying you, you’re going to show up to serve them, right?

Read about the remaining 3 elements (Acknowledge, Be Curious, Give Them A Choice) here: http://aaronbergbusch.com/maximize-your-live-show

The simplified version:

Talbot's Musical Theorem:

Self-satisfied or mediocre players drift toward mediocrity. As do bands who tolerate their performances being less than totally outstanding and embrace 'good enough.'

cheers
Talbot

we've always had great success when we include fire eating midgets and scantily clad dancin' gals at our gigs! (uh...excuse me, i mean "shows").

As I see it there are several variables at work in a live performance.

Firstly, lasting art is and should be unpredictable. There needs to be a certain level of excellence in the music being written and recorded and/or then performed. After that concern it becomes a matter of style in the presentation, which is how the performers of any art relate emotionally to an audience.

For live performance, there is always another level of excellence beyond the song and recordings. Engaging an audience is a talent unto itself that could fill volumes of books.

But everything you need to know about success in any endeavor can be gleaned from Mr Big in the kid's show "Robots" when he said, "Find a need, fill a need". Do that and you will never be unemployed.

Some people need fire eating midgets (why didn't I think of that???) and scantily clad ladies to appeal to their audience, while others only need be the best musicians available on their particular instrument.

But the "greats" were all people going in a direction that no one else was willing to try before them. That is what being a leader is. The Beatles weren't even close to being the best musicians in the world...but they were (the only white people) willing to sacrifice their time and effort to do something which only Buddy Holly had done previously. Namely, depending on their own original music to carry them.


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yod wrote:

Some people need fire eating midgets (why didn't I think of that???) and scantily clad ladies to appeal to their audience, while others only need be the best musicians in the world on their particular instrument.
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doh! NOW you tell me, ted! well, since the latter isn't an option fro me, i guess i'm stuck w the little people and the gals.

and lemme tell ya, those little fukkers don't work cheap.

Planetguy wrote:

yod wrote:

Some people need fire eating midgets (why didn't I think of that???) and scantily clad ladies to appeal to their audience, while others only need be the best musicians in the world on their particular instrument.
.

doh! NOW you tell me, ted! well, since the latter isn't an option fro me, i guess i'm stuck w the little people and the gals.

and lemme tell ya, those little fukkers don't work cheap.

I'm kinda short....how much do you pay?