LARRY BUTLER
diditmusic.com
Larry Butler specializes in live performance, touring and artist management. At Warner Bros. Records, he was the in-house tour manager for new and established artists, bringing professionalism to their staging and performances. Those efforts led to a full-time position, as National College Manager, then West Coast Artist Development Director and finally VP of Artist Relations. His recently released book is The Singer-Songwriter Boot Camp Rule Book.
The Essence of Banter
Audiences want a connection with the artist. Relating on a human level is vital. Your songs may not reveal who you are––but banter can. Banter not only adds to the performance, it can also make it much more entertaining, which should be the goal of every live show.
“But My Songs Speak for Me”
If that’s true, that’s great––but there’s a high standard for the material. The Beatles were horrible at banter, but their songs strongly connected with their audience. If you are as good as the Beatles, you can let your songs speak for themselves.
Banter Template
Most banter should be more than three words and less than 300. It should take 20 seconds to a minute. More than that, it better be a very compelling story.
Practice Makes Perfect
Artists sometimes have a hard time understanding that banter should be rehearsed. You rehearse your songs, don’t you? Why would you do anything on stage that isn’t rehearsed? That’s what separates pro’s from amateurs. Pro’s rehearse everything they do on stage––and leave room for spontaneity.
The Banter Shuffle
You should have at least four to five stories for each song that you’re going to talk about. Fans may come to more than one show (hopefully) and if they hear a different story, it seems more spontaneous and real.
Banter vs Songs
Bruce Springsteen is a master at banter. Fans know the songs but not the background behind them. I have a friend who is a big Springsteen fan. After a concert, he told me he didn’t remember the songs “The Boss” played, but he remembered every word Springsteen said about the songs.
Epic Fails
Epic fails usually occur when you go off script and try to be smart, funny or meaningful. Fails are much more common when clichés are involved. Like asking questions that can go wrong, such as “How you all doing?” might get an answer you may not like.
Personality Rules
Banter is about revealing your personality. Who you are as an artist and a person. When you are an unknown, banter can help you connect with the audience. In fact, even if you have a less than positive personality it can still make a difference in your favor. •
