Engaging with the Audience

[Marc Ferry]

Hey folks,

Later this month I'm performing solo on the showcase stage at the Jenny Brook festival. (If you're going, please come see me Saturday from 11:45-12:15!) I've decided on the set list and I'm working at perfecting all the tunes.

But of course, I'm not just going to go up there and play... to give a good performance, I need to engage with the audience! I've only performed solo a few times before, so I don't have much experience with this.

So, reply with all your tips on bantering and engaging with the audience! :)

[lflngpicker]

As a singer/songwriter performing solo on acoustic for over 45 years, I always like to have a couple of short anecdotal stories about the origin of the song-- where I wrote it and why, how. It is a good idea to not introduce every song with the title and year as that would be laborious for the audience. Play 2-3 songs in succession without an explanation, while introducing a few others briefly by title and then, finally tell the story of a few key songs. The key is to vary it and be yourself. Let the humor come naturally and enjoy your songs and message in each, and it will naturally come together. These are my recommendations.

[wsugai]

This is a GREAT question and I look forward to hearing the responses (I hope there are many). We've recently started playing retirement homes and my general attitude is that these people are here to be entertained, not just to listen to some people play music. If they wanted that, they could just turn on the radio.

[Paul Busman]

Don't overdo the engagement thing. Your audience will mainly want to hear music.

[lflngpicker]

I want to add that I was speaking of a concert environment, which doesn't fit all gigs-- i.e., restaurants, amusement parks, cigar bars, etc. I was referring to a theater/auditorium/retreat kind of stage. I agree with Paul: some situations call for just playing and singing and very little talking is desired. wsugai-- I play twice a month at a convalescent hospital and they do enjoy being engaged with in a low key manner. I have to speak up! :) That is my favorite gig.

[EdSherry]

IMHO, performers have a tendency to summarize the song before singing it. I find that practice distracting. It's one thing to explain why / how the song came to be written, or where you learned it ("here's a song I learned from a Pete Seeger album back in 1973" or "I wrote this one in 1985 about my ex-girlfriend"), but teletraphing the song's message ruins it for me.

[JeffD]

Audience engagement is very difficult for me. If its a bunch of folks I know, I can do it really well. Without trying. Just like visiting, with a mandolin in my hands. But if its the normal audience type of thing it feels so artificial and awkward I seem to have no access to my own personality.

I am envious of folks that do this well. To my mind one of the greatest audience engagers (though not a mandolinist) was Utah Phillips. He was a master at it.

[bigskygirl]

I don't perform but as an audience member I like to see the performer having fun. Some movement if possible, eye contact, SMILE, engaging stories or anecdotes, SMILE, a humorous story or two as appropriate, and SMILE......

[Dave Greenspoon]

I suggest that the OP's question be flipped. It's not our engagement with the audience, as much as it is commanding the audience's engagement with the music. Sure, we need to know what they want to hear. But even so, that's one part of it. The live scene is much about the energy as it is anything else. Connection happens more with great music and being laid back than over-forcing it. IMO, THE master was Steve Goodman (of blessed memory). Check out his ACL sets for superlative examples of Steve just getting audiences to fall in love with the experience over and over again; the sets span a few years. Spoiler alert: his duet on Tico Tico with Jethro is mind-blowing.

[Michael Bridges]

The most natural way to engage an audience is to let them set the parameters to a degree. All of the above suggestions are good (song introductions, stories, etc.), but it will all vary from group to group, as to how they react. One trick I used to use was to pick one or two folks (close together), try and establish a rapport with them as the focus. If they don't respond, pick another pair. Once you have a good back and forth going with them, other folks will want to join in, and it becomes a really comfortable situation.

[JeffD]

I suggest that the OP's question be flipped. It's not our engagement with the audience, as much as it is commanding the audience's engagement with the music.

Excellent point!!! With that kind of emphasis I might even be encouraged.

[allenhopkins]

Someone who devotes a lot of thought to "performance skills," including developing audience rapport, is singer-songwriter Vance Gilbert. He's done several festival workshops on how to relate to an audience; here are (http://www.mp3olimp.net/vance-gilbert-open-mike-critique/) some MP3's of his "open mic critique" at a Falcon Ridge Festival.

Haven't listened to them, but did attend one of Vance's workshops at another festival, and found a lot of his tips useful: set structure, introductions, eye contact, pacing, etc. Anything I've learned about the subject, over about 50 years of performing, has been strictly trial and error -- lots of error...

[Tim Griffin]

Make sure you speak slowly and distinctly into the mic. I have seen inexperienced performers rattle off words too far from the mic and no one has a clue what they said.

[Timbofood]

One of the best shows I have ever seen was Junior Brown, he didn't say a word for three tunes, he let the music speak for itself. Then a quick band intro, three more tunes, short interaction, back to music.
Engagement is one thing, chatter, is something else entirely.... Unless you are really good at it.
Slow and clear speech pattern is critical!Tell one good joke and work it's timing carefully, be short with intros to tunes.
But, far more critically, have fun! If you appear to have fun, the crowd will too.

[Marc Ferry]

Thanks for all your responses... some great advice out there! I'm going to compile a list of what we got so far:


Be natural, be yourself.
Be laid-back and have fun.
Don't overdo it; the music is most important.
Get the audience engaged with the music.
Don't be repetitive (e.g. don't introduce every single song with the title and artist).
Be clear.


This is all good stuff!

[Bertram Henze]

Whatever stories you tell, keep 'em short. The only time I saw a singer get away with a long story was when Arlo Guthrie did Alice's Restaurant...

[David Lewis]

No one cares where you grew up or what your kids do.

Don't tell the story of the song. Let the song tell its story: 'this song is about, I think, ...' Boring.

Tell the story if the writing if the song. If it's interesting. Did Paul McCartney halo write it? Then yes. Did you come up with it while siting in the bath? Not so much.

Be funny. But only if you're funny.

Stage banter is like a fart. If you have to force it, it's probably a poo.

Thank you goes a long way.

Don't say 'hope you like it'.

Never apologise. Did the stage collapse and crush an orphanage? It's part of the show.


Most if all, if you're not having fun, no ones having fun. Have fun.

[mandocaster]

It's a showcase stage. The audience will be on your side and will want to like you. I would avoid dissertations about the tunes, but if you have something to say, say it. You only have a half hour, and while you want your music to be the focus it would be nice for the audience to remember you as a person. Rules that make sense in the context of a noisy bar gig aren't as important here. It can be difficult to relax and enjoy yourself, but it should be something you shoot for.

[wildpikr]

Whatever stories you tell, keep 'em short. The only time I saw a singer get away with a long story was when Arlo Guthrie did Alice's Restaurant...

Arlo played a concert locally a few years back and absolutely refused to do Alice's Restaurant. He still had some interesting stories to tell though...

[Marc Ferry]

Thanks for all your input! Here's an updated list of what we've got so far! Keep 'em coming!


Be natural, be yourself.
Be laid-back, relax, and have fun!
Don't overdo it; the music is most important.
Get the audience engaged with the music.
Don't be repetitive (e.g. don't introduce every single song with the title and artist).
Be clear.
Let the music speak for itself sometimes (e.g. play 2-3 songs in succession without an introduction)
If you tell stories, keep them short.
Don't say "hope you like it" but do say "thank you".

[sgrexa]

Slightly off topic, but I have found Leo Kottke to have almost as much talent as a comedian and entertainer with his stories and banter between songs as he has with his music. This one still cracks me up even after hearing it dozens of times :


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW-eAFInW9Y

Sean

[spufman]

Stage banter is like a fart. If you have to force it, it's probably a poo.


Now that's just silliness, right there!

[AlanN]

There's a fine line between too much and too little

jvB5dQHvRSc&feature=player_embedded

[farmerjones]

Marc,
Let me first say, just the fact you're considering this stuff, shows you care and that's important. Simply, you gotta be good at gift giving. Don't put yourself above the gift.

Best of Luck!

[Steve Ostrander]

When we play in a club or at a festival, I always go around on our breaks and meet and greet people, and thank them for attending.

[John Soper]

Don't do a Skaggs... don't doubt his sincerity, but his monologues get in the way of the music sometimes...

[Timbofood]

I think you are taking the right stuff from all of this.
The guys who told the best stories (IMO) were Bruce Phillips, Jim Ringer, Michael Cooney. Not that it matters.
Sounds like you're all set! Have a ball.
Yes, use the KISS method, Keep It Simple, Stupid.
I have to remind myself about that most of the time!:grin:

[Randi Gormley]

I'll add another voice to clarity. Can't tell you how tough it is to try to follow anything when you can't understand what the entertainer is saying for any reason -- too far/too close to the mike, too fast, looking away when talking -- eye contact, a smile and speak clearly -- it all generates good will.

[wsugai]

Since we only do a single set, there are no breaks, so I did this after we were done and people were starting to leave. It's a great way to close out the gig.

I can tell you if I had fun after the gig, but not during it. During the gig, I'm too busy making it look like I'm having fun.


When we play in a club or at a festival, I always go around on our breaks and meet and greet people, and thank them for attending.

[lflngpicker]

My experience is different from some in that I played Christian folk-rock for years and my performances were gently laced with well considered stories that strategically led to a given song. As I emphasized originally at the beginning of this thread, all of this depends on the audience you are entertaining or serving. I did many other gigs that were popular cover music, and in those you need to keep on playing and keep the party happy.

Larry Norman once said, "I dislike it when a performer gets up and says, 'God gave me this song'. (then Larry would add) 'I bet He was glad to get rid of it!'" :)

Doing a solo concert with an acoustic guitar is a skill developed over many years of writing and performing. No one person's method is right for everyone. What is important is to consider the audience and be yourself. If they have booked you, then usually it is because what you do is working and appreciated. A very interesting discussion thread indeed.

[Jesse Weitzenfeld]

Another thing I would encourage you to do is to watch as many live performances as you can, and really pay attention to what they're doing. There are a lot of "complete show" videos on youtube now that you can study. Here's a good one that I saw recently. I haven't watched all three bands, just the first one. They do a good job of engaging the audience while keeping the chatter to a minimum. Some hot mandolin playing too. I believe their mandolin player is only 19 years old. Music starts at 2:00 if you want to skip the introductions.


http://youtu.be/o8JAm8ejgNY

[Lord of the Badgers]

Here's what Badger does...
Granted most of this probably isn't what you asked for, but it's getting us noticed!

- don't drink...
- Writes a song that ends up with singing something acapella at the end. We/I've been known to silence a bar with that trick a few times
- Stand in the crowd and do it acoustically... (get off the stage) ... good at the end of your set, or midway thru if they look indifferent. Center on a member of the opposite sex if the lyrics lend it that way (as long as it's not naughty thoughts - you could get punched!!)
- Heckle the audience (jokily)
- Stand on chairs to play
- Get a wireless setup so you can do all that maybe
- Pick on someone who looks vaguely engaged and banter with them (takes a bit more practice though I'll admit)
- save anecdotes for tuning

My favourite solo performer influenced me - Curtis Eller (wields a 5 string banjo and can have a crowd rapt for 2 hrs just on his own)
His favourite things to do are...
- Pause mid song to make a comment on his words
- Ask you if he can get you anything
- Ask you if you have any concerns
- Ask if you'd like to hear something ugly or beautiful
- Gets the crowd singing with him
- Lifts his extremely flexible leg over his banjo's fretboard (ok we're all past that one I think.. man's made of rubber)


Just some ideas to have a look thru... sorry if a bit much!

[John Soper]

Curtis has a unique style- Def NOT bluegrass! and he is a great performer.

[Rex Hart]

Don't do a Skaggs... don't doubt his sincerity, but his monologues get in the way of the music sometimes...

I knew it was just a matter of time before Ricky's name was brought up:) By the way, I like his monologues...sometimes;)

[Rex Hart]

Not to hijack the thread, but I didn't much care for the break the young mando player did. He is obviously very talented, but just not my style. I like to hear the melody. However, I really enjoyed the band as a whole. The young lady playing banjo nails it!

[jaycat]

Slightly off topic, but I have found Leo Kottke to have almost as much talent as a comedian and entertainer with his stories and banter between songs as he has with his music. This one still cracks me up even after hearing it dozens of times : . . .


Sure, nothing like a good shaggy dog story . . .


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=682_q3ES02s

[foldedpath]

Here's something that I don't think has been mentioned yet (unless I missed it):

Whatever you think you need to do for audience engagement by talking into the mic, don't start your opening set that way.

Open the set cold, with a killer song, or a killer set of tunes if you're an instrumentalist. Get the audience on your side by showing that you have something to offer musically, even if it's just one song before you go into band introductions or whatever.

That's been the general format of every professional band or solo artist I've paid a ticket to see in the last several years, at least in the Irish/Scottish/Cape Breton/Quebecois trad scene. They never open with a verbal introduction. Open with music... show them what they're getting for the show. Then talk.

[Marc Ferry]

Whatever you think you need to do for audience engagement by talking into the mic, don't start your opening set that way.

Open the sit cold, with a killer song, or a killer set of tunes if you're an instrumentalist. Get the audience on your side by showing that you have something to offer musically, even if it's just one song before you go into band introductions or whatever.

Excellent advice! I also noticed that many great performers do it, and so I'll be using this technique in my performance. I'm starting off with a performance of Old Daingerfield, one of my best tunes, that will be (hopefully) really good, and then I'll introduce myself.

[DHopkins]

Don't overdo the engagement thing. Your audience will mainly want to hear music.

What he said.

[Jesse Weitzenfeld]

What he said.

I would say yes, but also add that an audience wants to connect with the performer, and a little bit of connection goes a long way. The quality of the music is secondary to that connection for the average audience member, IMO. Obviously most of the people posting in this thread are musicians, and therefore not average audience members. People go to hear the music, but for a non-musician, that personal connection is what keeps them interested.

As far as how to make that connection, all I can say is be yourself, and don’t be afraid to be real onstage. Engage with your audience, let them know you’re aware of them and that you appreciate them. That doesn’t mean you have to deliver a monologue between each song – it could be something as simple as eye contact, or a smile and a nod to acknowledge an applause break. Body language often speaks more powerfully than words. Just because you’re delivering a performance doesn’t mean you can’t be real at the same time.

I think this is more about attitude, and a comfort level onstage, than it is a specific set of do’s and don’ts. How you choose to connect with your audience largely depends on your personality. I’ve seen Leo Kottke live and his between-song ramblings were more entertaining (to me) than the music was. Not everyone can do that. I listened to a live bootleg of Bill Frisell and he only spoke to the audience one time during the entire show, about halfway through. He said something like, “I feel like I should talk now, but I don’t really have anything to say. I think I’ll just play another song.” The audience loved it! In that one line, he connected with them on a personal level, because he was being himself.

[Timmando]

This might be too corny for your act, because I don't know if you are a bluegrass act or not. But one of the most entertaining songs that we do, that gets the audience listening, laughing and reacting, is Cripple Creek where you play the song thru once, stop, tell a one-liner joke or just a thought to dwell on (like "its a proven fact that more people watch television than appliances." or "4 out of 3 people have trouble with fractions", or "Any cat lovers here? Raise your hands." Pause to let them raise their hands then say "Don't they taste just like chicken?") don't wait for a laugh, just start the song up again and continue with another 5 or 6 one liners, and save the best one for last. Works for us!

[journeybear]

Whatever stories you tell, keep 'em short. The only time I saw a singer get away with a long story was when Arlo Guthrie did Alice's Restaurant...

Yep. But that worked because it's a good stories (couple of 'em, actually), well told. His son, Abe has the best gig in pop music. He gets to sit at his piano while Arlo rattles on for twenty minutes or so, time after time. Easy money!


Arlo played a concert locally a few years back and absolutely refused to do Alice's Restaurant. He still had some interesting stories to tell though...

I know he retired it for a while, but he brought it back in the 90s. He said if they're gonna bring the draft back, he was gonna bring the song back. Maybe he's retired it again?



Don't overdo the engagement thing.

Indeed. It's fine to engage them, but don't try to marry them. ;)

[farmerjones]

My favorite Arlo story: Arlo meets Steve Goodman

[Dave Greenspoon]

When I met Arlo, I asked him about his working with Steve Goodman. Arlo told me the story about the time he called Steve to ask him to appear in a benefit for The Worthington Center, and before he could even finish the question Goodman had already committed.


My favorite Arlo story: Arlo meets Steve Goodman

[EdHanrahan]

... slowly and distinctly into the mic. ... inexperienced performers rattle off words ... and no one has a clue what they said.
Yes!! Related: Don't intro while folks are still applauding for the prior piece; half of 'em won't hear a thing.

This was so much the sin of a classical cellist who's performed twice at a small local venue that I had to say something after the second go-round. (Being a mix of both classical and popular pieces, intros were appropriate as most of the audience would be unfamiliar, by name at least, with a fair share of the program).

[Marc Ferry]

Just wanted to give you guys an update...

The performance went REALLY well. I played a 30 minute set of 10 tunes, and I even got an encore. I got a pretty big crowd (50-ish people). As for the whole engaging with the audience thing, I think I did pretty well. I made sure not to overdo it, but I introduced tunes here and there, and cracked a few jokes. Thanks to you all for the help... I was voted 2nd out of 12 performers!

[Ivan Kelsall]

From Badger's post - "....Center on a member of the opposite sex if the lyrics lend it that way..".The guitarist/singer in the band i had together years ago, decided that his strategy in some songs, would be to sing the song directly (almost), to a girl in the audience. That way he hoped to get more 'feeling' across. He did that one evening at our weekly Folk club gig where we were the resident band. It was going great until the girl to whom he was singing gave him the finger. That was the end of that song & we simply dissolved laughing along with the audience,including the girl, who apologised afterwards. She wasn't being nasty or anything,she just didn't want to be ''serenaded'',
Ivan:grin: