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Lose yourself in the music. When I can tell musicians are nervous and/or hyper focused, it's less entertaining than when they lose themselves into the music. One such performance recently in a dive bar by Savior was amazing. They just got sooo into it, didn't give a fuck, sweating all over the place, pulled their shirts off, headbanging, dancing, flailing, having a fucking blast. People love being a part of other people doing something they are utterly passionate about. When you can tell someone loves what they do, you love it too. Of course there's the usual stuff, casually cracking jokes relevant to the local crowd during soundcheck, between songs, actually performing well, a no-brainer. Good luck man :)

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The more you play out, the better you'll get at doing it. Experience is the best way to feel comfortable. You've got to have confidence in the other band members, too. If I remember right, you're the drummer... so it's your job to make the songs feel right. You're the one telling the audience what they need to hear to make sense of the rest of the music. Being solid and consistent is more important than anything else. I get really irritated when I see people butchering stuff that they obviously can't play, for the sake of showing off, rather than playing a simpler part that would have probably sounded better to begin with.

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  • 1 year later...

There are so many ways to get the audience more into it, but you need to accept that it takes a LOT for people to get really into shows where they're watching a band they've never heard of, or been to one or two shows.

It's pretty obvious, but the music itself is a big part. Play shit that lends itself to headbanging. Try to view your music from the perspective of someone who has never heard it. This is a very hard thing to do, but it is essential in making sure your music appeals to the audience. Musicians tend to get so into what they write, that they lose sight of the faults in it. Be critical of your music as a whole. Write shit that sounds energetic.

Be unpredictable. Throwing in some drum or guitar solos into your shows gets people really into it, if you have the chops to pull it off. Take the opportunity to showcase the most talented members of the band, and it'll get people fired up.

Act like you're the shit. Stage presence is huge. Every member of the band needs to put energy into what they're doing, and interact with each other. It's similar to the way hearing other people laughing at something comedic makes people laugh harder themselves (scientifically proven). Have your band members give off the energy that you want to see from the crowd. Set the example for them. If you want them headbanging and getting fired up, your band needs to be visibly fired up, themselves. No one get's excited for a band that just stands there, playing their instruments.

Throw in parts that require audience participation. A catchy chorus could be the key here. Tell the people what the words are, and encourage them to sing along when the part comes. This takes a singer who really isn't afraid to talk to the crowd.

 

EDIT: holy hell...I just realized how old this thread is. Well, I'll keep my response up, in case you're still looking for advice.

 

Edited by The Metal One
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I'd never seen this thread before, nice response Metal One. Never too late for good advice. For a small band in a small venue, I think it is good for every one in the band to have a mike and banter a little during the gig. Also don't play so loud that people can't get close up*, that falls under the general category of not being annoying. In my old band we used to throw out Little Debbie snack cakes. That was a popular move, so I guess you should look for a way to give something back to the people.

 *At a recent show I went to (where I saw Black Harvest) about 2/3 of the audience was wearing earplugs, myself included because I treasure my hearing having lost a little of it. Is that Normal? do you wear plugs at a show?

 

 

 

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I always wear earplugs at shows and practice, have for years. @The Metal One, I agree with some of your points. I think that having confidence, making sure your music "feels" right, and delivering an energetic performance are essential. 

For the rest, it really depends on what's appropriate for the music you're playing, the venue, the crowd - and most importantly who the performers really are as people. Throw in breakdowns, solos or audience participation parts for their own sake, or strut around trying to be "metal", and you risk coming across as contrived and formulaic. I've seen bands at every level, in any size venue, fall flat because they were obviously trying too hard to be "crowd pleasers" in the way you describe. I'm not saying it can't work, but there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and I'd rather see honesty than pretense from a performer any day.

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