COVER A HIT SONG
Even superstars who have sold millions of albums will occasionally cover a well-known classic in their set. Throw one in toward the end of your show. Trust me. People will appreciate a new arrangement of a popular song. Just make sure it’s a song your target audience will know.
ENGAGE YOUR FANS
Get them to sing along with that cover song. Or one of your own. (At least encourage them to sing the chorus). Hey, if you can get me to sing at one of your shows, you’ve done a good job. The audience is likely getting a bit restless towards the end of anyone’s set, so leave them with a great feeling from singing along or asking them questions during the show. Even using, “How’s everyone doing tonight?” is better than just performing song after song.
TALK BETWEEN SONGS
To make sure we haven’t fallen asleep or aren’t tempted to check our phones for messages or new Facebook posts. Don’t talk between every song, though. Script out your set-list with pre-meditated patter at key intervals.
Write out some funny lines or stories. Practice them in front of your friends or family to make sure they are good—and be sure their reactions are honest.
Most successful touring artists use the same stories over and over, just like comedians, because they know from past experience what will make a crowd laugh. If you want to do well as a touring act, make sure you are entertaining between songs as well as during the songs.
MEET & GREET
Before your last song and before you get off stage, be sure to tell everyone you’ll be at the merch table right after the set. Let them know they can purchase CDs and shirts, and mention that you’ll sign autographs and pose for photos. Fans will use Twitter and Facebook to let their friends know not only how great the show was, but also how nice you were to them after the show. And yes, be sure you are nicer than Mother Theresa. No one likes a snobby or rude artist.
WARM UP YOUR VOICE
Before the show. Yes, some very successful artists, such as Daryl Hall, use the first couple songs in the set to warm up their voice. With far too many singers, however, poor warm-up techniques cause their performance (and, later, their vocal chords) to suffer.
Most of all, HAVE FUN! If you’re truly enjoying yourself on stage, your audience will too.
JENNIFER YEKO is President and Manager of boutique talent management and music licensing company True Talent Management, based in Beverly Hills, CA. She has over 12 years of experience in pitching indie artists to film and TV and has licensed music to over 50 shows, feature films and ads, including Sex and the City, The Hills and The OC. Yeko is a frequent speaker at industry events and teaches “Music Supervision for Film and Television” at UCLA Extension. She also runs a music PR firm, True Talent PR, which focuses on new and developing artists and bands. Read her blog at truetalentmgmt.wordpress.com. Reach her at mc@truetalentmgmt.com, truetalentmgmt.com and truetalentpr.com.
