Stage presence

Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Hey,

I currently play in a band that plays mostly covers. We get a fair bit of work but bands that are nowhere near as good as us technically get more work than us. The difference, as far as i can see is stage presence.

I'm the keyboard player and for the sake of my own playing career, i've started to think about my own presence. I also sing backing vocals and lead on a few songs. I have a 2 tier setup and tend to sit down when playing piano and stand up when playing my synth. We play a wide range of songs like rock, pop, standards, jazz, dance.

I recently recorded myself at home and basically i look like someone has just died when i'm playing, i don't even crack a smile lol.

What tips would you give to someone trying to improve their (or have some) stage presence? What pianists/keyboardists would you recommend watching for tips and ideas?
 
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Thanks for the reply.

Our image is good for most gigs we play, i'm talking more about how we carry our selves, how we engage with the audience.
I expect the majority of people who watch us play get bored looking at us lol.
 
Joined
May 10, 2012
Messages
27
Reaction score
3
I'm interested in this. Sadly I have never performed on stage (with a band, I've done solo stuff for recitals and such) so I need a bit of advice too!
 
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Seems to be something that a lot of people in the business don't take seriously but seems to be the thing that makes the difference between busy and not busy bands, more so than the music.
I've came away from lots of concerts thinking "that bands album is great but they were rubbish live". By rubbish, i'm usually referring to their stage show, their presence.

imho, anything can be tough so why not stage presence.

Sadly, not too many suggestions here though.
 
Joined
May 14, 2012
Messages
75
Reaction score
37
Speaking from experience of knowing what entertains me when watching a band, I would say your lead vocalist mainly has a lot to do with controlling the stage presence, getting the audience involved, getting other band members singing along and interacting as a band but its up to all of you as a whole too. I've seen countless bands play, and as a keyboardist, I always check out what the keyboardist is doing as I'm always interested from a gear aspect etc and the best players that add to the atmosphere of a gig are the ones standing up, jigging about and looking like they are having fun. The guitarist and bassist have it easier as they can move about and add animation to stage presence. Its all about letting go, having a great time up there, playing your music without any worries of stuffing up and the crowd WILL react naturally....

This all comes from somebody that has never gigged in his life and would probably soil himself doing so :)

Its all from an audience members perspective. Ask yourself the same questions on what you expect from a good gig.

Unless you're hid behind a curtain, like some poor old keyboardists are, then play as if you were a football team, play for each other, get the best out of each other, interact with each other on stage rather than just rigidly knocking out your parts (not ment to be rude! for the dirty minded ones!) lol and above all have fun, cause if you're looking like you're having fun, the crowd will too and more work will come pouring in I'm sure.

Cheers, Justin.
 
Joined
Aug 12, 2008
Messages
911
Reaction score
276
Location
South Carolina
I agree with Keysdude about interacting as a team.
As far as you, there are some things you can try to do on your own. First, learn your material and instrument so that you can play it without maintaining a deep focus on your hands and equipment. Learn to relax on stage, learn to smile, and make eye contract with people in the audience. Move with the music if you can. Have fun with what you do.
As a group, try to get the other players doing the same things. Plan out your sets and work towards short smooth transitions between songs, talk to the audience, introduce the songs, and during the performance introduce each member of the band.
I have gigged for many years, and creating a charisma on stage is what it's all about. The best groups I played with had some mix of all the things about. Don
 
Joined
Jan 10, 2012
Messages
169
Reaction score
1
Location
North Wales
To be fair, in a more general sense, stage presence isn't everything. I mean Pink Floyd, for example, barely say a word on stage, stand still, do nothing, but are utterly immense, granted they make up for all this with the light show. But I think if your music is good enough, tight enough etc... as long as you don't look utterly bored or mental on stage you should be fine.
 
Joined
Jan 31, 2012
Messages
49
Reaction score
2
Location
Peterborough, UK
If you look like you're enjoying yourself, then generally the crowd will be drawn in and enjoy what you're playing too.
If you're too stressed, or introverted or whatever to get the crowd involved, then - as ootini said - you will have to follow Pink Floyd's example, and spend several tens of thousands of dollars on a light show. ;)
 
Joined
Aug 12, 2008
Messages
911
Reaction score
276
Location
South Carolina
Moving around, enjoying the music and the crowd all help.
Adding lights then makes even more difference.
We had fun in the video letting a trombone player sit in with us.
The dance floor usually stayed full when we played, and we played
as often we wanted for good money. Can't beat getting paid for having fun....lol
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
These comments have been incredibly useful. (And entertaining, loved the humour!) I am so aware that I look like a wooden soldier when I play, and have decided to make a massive effort in becoming more animated. I have only played in two gigs so far, and there are quite a few lined up, so am keeping an eye on here for any more tips. (Am female)
 
Joined
Feb 12, 2017
Messages
184
Reaction score
132
What I look in a performer is how intensely into the music they are, visually and physically. And the biggest one, IMO, is whether they are engaged with each other. Nothing is better than seeing a bunch of guys who are constantly playing off each other, feeding off their energy, making eye contact, and feeling the rush of each-other's playing.

I like to tell people that I play live like I'm driving a car: I focus on the road (audience), the wheel (my instrument), but then circulate between looking to the side and rear views every so often (my mates). If we all do that, and connect at certain times, it makes for a great rush that we can feed off of, and the audience loves it too. Don't concern yourself too much with making contact with the audience—that's largely the lead's responsibility, although there's nothing wrong with it either—the most important thing that moves the audience is to see and feel that you're into it and connecting with each-other on stage. As long as the lead vocalist or someone (lead guitarist) is giving the audience direct attention at most times, then they can sort of act as a "lens" for the rest of the group's energy.

Don't be afraid of moving too much. Yes, they teach you it can be distracting (mostly for concert music) but really 90% of musicians have trouble being too wooden than too energetic. Rock 'n Roll is dance music, so it's natural to groove a bit. Keep the beat going with your body... don't be afraid to LOSE IT a little during a big punk or metal number. And I *ALWAYS* stand, I can't even imagine doing what we do sitting down. That's why Jerry and Little Richard could only stay in their seats for so long!

NOTE: I did play in a metal band for a while who felt like it was their job to stand there like a pole and look pissed off. WE SUCKED LIVE. Don't do it. I don't care if you're the most emo/goth group in the world, if you don't look like you're engaged, the audience won't be either.

Finally: Schtick. It works. I have a keytar that I break out for easy, cheesy 80s stuff. It's wireless and just mirrors my main rig, so I can grab it any time it feels right. I have an accordion for Irish Punk numbers, and a $150 plastic trumpet that I use for Motown, Cake, and whatever. The bass player also plays some keys, so we actually switch-off mid-song (American Girl), and then I play bass for a few tunes. Over time we've worked out some haphazard choreography and skits. I get into a fake fight with the drummer during Jessie's Girl. Nice thing about playing keys in rock is that it's a color instrument, and not 100% necessary all the time, so if you have some other instrument that you play a little of, that you'd be otherwise playing on samples, consider adding that in to your bag of tricks. It's a great visual gag that plays well with the audience and adds some dynamics to the performance. Play a little Recorder? Stairway to Heaven. Harmonica? Train in Vain (Clash). Violin? Baba O'Riley or Come on Eieleen. Sax/Brass: Motown, oldies, etc. It doesn't even need to be the original instrument. I grab the trumpet for Careless Whisper and many synth leads. Plus it's fun for me, and when I'm having fun, some of that will rub off on the audience.

As the evening gets really underway, don't be afraid to get a little crazy. Play something easy that you barely know, jump off stage and play in the audience, get really physical with the music. Live a bit on the edge... and even if it doesn't work out, you and the audience can have a big laugh.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Oct 9, 2017
Messages
716
Reaction score
630
Having played live, I'm still alive too! I've noticed a lot of things that make up for what might be almost called stage presence. I've seen old footage of me and, man, I looked horrible. I looked like I just wanted to crawl under a rock and die. I stood there with my feet right tight together, slightly wiggly my bum with no reference to the bet or meter or whatever. Kind of like a spastic snake with borderline riggermortice. Or maybe like a Q tip. Whe I realized what most of my favourite keyboard players looked like I realized it was the stance. Unless you absolutely need to use your pedals, keep your feet apart and don't stand right up on top of the keys. Stand back and look like a rock star. Even if you're not and I'm not. I know I'm not because I'm old, bald and fat. And I've got a day job. I also have a rotating holder on my stand for my keyboard. It adds to the show. I generally only use one 'board. I know this is difficult on a small stage but it can help I think.
 
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Messages
14
Reaction score
6
Newbie to keyboards and new to the forum here, but I thought that this thread was really interesting and that I could maybe contribute from the perspective of the audience, so I wanted to jump in with something.

First, the Jerry Lee Lewis and Keith Emerson videos are amazing... :D

But I wanted to throw in somewhat of a counter-example: Kraftwerk. I saw them live a few years ago and they barely moved a muscle on stage, and what they moved was usually behind their keyboards and laptops. They make up for it with the music, lights, and video graphics show. While this may not be the right answer for everyone, it gives another possibility. The show was amazing. Here's the video of it (or of the same tour rather):


So, to the OP, perhaps in addition to thinking about yourself and the other individual players, also think about the overall "show" that you put on, and see if there's anything else you can do to spice up the whole thing as a package.
 
Joined
Feb 12, 2017
Messages
184
Reaction score
132
I *LOVE* Kraftwerk. My wife introduced me to them when I first started dating. I actually first listened to "Trans-Europe Express" while we were on a train along on the French/Swiss border!

Kraftwerk definitely do their own thing, and I would say that their stasis *IS* their presence. It's weird, awkward, and draws attention to them. Their whole schtick is that their music and personality is very mechanical, so it's exactly what it needs to be. But they definitely have a performance art aspect that's above and beyond standard showmanship. That said, it wouldn't work if they didn't coordinate their stasis. One dude running around the stage (like the Cure bass player I mentioned) would ruin it.

That brings me to a point, I think it's good for the band to have a clear idea of what they're show is, so that it all works together. Many bands are such that every individual is free to have their own stage persona (within reason), but some show bands really need to have a cohesive whole.
 
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Messages
14
Reaction score
6
Yeah, Kraftwerk rules, especially for people into synths. :)

Agreed with everything you said.

Another band with a similar "group performance art" aspect to it would be DEVO.

Having said that, this type of thing would take the commitment of the whole band, so perhaps wouldn't work for the OP. If that's the case, I think what someone said above about just looking like you're enjoying yourself, and perhaps enjoying playing off the other members of the band would go a long way toward keeping things interesting for the audience.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
13,995
Messages
86,232
Members
13,100
Latest member
Su_uh Innocent Nelson

Latest Threads

Top