“Dipping a toe back in the water: How to execute a COVID-safe live event” plus 1 more

While it’s important to remember that we are still deep in the throws of a global pandemic, there is something resembling a glimmer at the end of the tunnel, enough that artists, venues, and fans alike are salivating for live events to return. 

While anything resembling a normal show remains a ways off, as of yet, live music is once again entering the realm of possibility. In the following piece we offer some pointers on how to ease back into live shows, and certain precautions that should be taken, whether you’re an artist or a venue operator.

Take it outside - With summer on its way back in, performing shows outside gets easier than ever. Rather than risk crowding people into a poorly ventilated club, set up your show outdoors. While an outdoor performance certainly has its own logistical hurdles, the overall level of safety the audience will feel makes it worth it.

Clean it up - If you do need to host a show or concert indoors, make the space as virus-free as possible. While the risk of surface contact has been proven to be minimal, investing in air purifiers and air treatment devices will go a long way towards mitigating the risk of transmission in your space.

Keep it small - While it certainly isn’t a good time for artists and venues to be operating at a loss, limiting crowd remains an important factor in keeping your performances low risk. Fortunately, audiences are so starved for live music, putting a premium price on tickets is much less risky than in pre-COVID times.

No frills - In the before times, audiences might have expected or even felt entitled to certain amenities when attending live shows, but things like coat checks, meet and greets, or even a bar, add layers of risk and complexity to your live event and, at least for the moment, are better avoided.

Shop local - Given the daily uncertainties and fluctuations in what’s considered to be safe, sinking a ton of money into a high-profile band or artist’s guarantee can be risky. Given how clear most artist’s calendars are, you should have plenty of options as to who you hire. For more flexibility, however, you might be better off going with a smaller local group, who might be more likely to adapt to unexpected, last-minute changes.

Ultimately, there is unlikely to be any hard date at which a live music event will feel completely ‘normal’ again, but by taking precautions and being willing to compromise, it’s possible for live music to slowly begin making a comeback, particularly as more and more shots get into more and more arms.

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 Whether you’re a musician in a band, you’re a solo performer or you’re doing something entirely unconventional with your performance, whatever it is, cultivating a stage persona and having a presence that matches the work you’re doing is an important part of reaching your audience effectively. 

One of the beautiful things about stage presence is that everyone is unique and has something to offer, and that includes you. From your fashion sense to your interactions with the audience, your stage presence is your unique means of communication with your audience. 

While, of course, your work should speak for itself, there’s no harm in using other tools to assist you in that pursuit. No matter where you stand in the band or where you are on your journey, here are ten tips that will help you improve your stage presence.

1. Start With Self Reflection

When you’re just starting out, your stage presence might feel like a foreign idea, but the most important thing to remember is that your persona is just a version of yourself. Think about your mannerisms, try to distinguish your personal style and think about what characteristics define you best. When you know yourself, the rest becomes easier.

2. Get Inspired

Knowing yourself doesn’t mean you can’t look outside of yourself for inspiration. Consider some of your idols and inspirations and take a look at how they move on stage, how they carry themselves and how they dress and accessorize. You are uniquely you, but understanding what qualities you appreciate in others can expand your inspiration.

3. Collaborate With Others

If you’re a musician, it’s likely that you have other creatives around you who are doing similar things. If this is the case, turn to one another and talk about cultivating your stage personas. Ask for advice from those you trust. Work with one another and see what knowledge you can share.

Express Your Personal Interests With Your Style

Of course, fashion is a big part of stage presence. Not only is fashion a visual performance, but it can also communicate all kinds of things to the audience. For example, punk or hardcore musicians might want to express their style with tattoos, piercings and punk clothes. Another example would be local bands or cover bands showing their regional support by wearing a local sports jersey or college t-shirt. There are so many ways to signal your personality with your clothing.

1. Take Up Space

If you’re struggling to jump out of your comfort zone because you tend to be a bit shy in your regular life, one of the ways to combat this is reminding yourself that it’s okay to take up space. While this is often taken figuratively, you can take it literally, especially if you’re working with a big stage where you have room to make use of the space around you.

2. Interact With the Audience

Once you’re actually on stage, part of the performance is about making the audience feel truly involved. This includes making them feel safe and comfortable with you as well as making sure they have a good time. Pay attention to your audience and truly engage.

3. Interact With Your Band

The audience aren’t the only people you should give your attention to, though. In fact, so much of cultivating a great stage presence is often about having fun with the people who are performing with you. If you aren’t doing anything choreographed or pre-planned, have fun with one another while you perform! Crowds love to watch performers have a good time.

4. Record and Watch Yourself Back

If you have a bit of experience already, one great exercise you can try is to record yourself on stage and watch your performance to evaluate yourself and improve in the future. Some people don’t like doing this, so if it causes you stress, you may want to avoid it, but if it does seem like it might work for you, you can always give it a try.

5. Get Lost In the Moment

While cultivating your stage persona and really calculating who you want to be is great, you also don’t want to completely abandon any sense of fun and spontaneity. Get lost in the moment onstage and let yourself feel the groove. It might just make things a whole lot easier!

6. Be Authentic

Similar to the previous tip, it’s important to be yourself and be authentic, even when you’re onstage. People have layers to their personality, and while being in front of a crowd might take a bit more curation, remember that you can still be exactly who you are.

Creating Your Stage Persona

No matter what kind of music you make or what you want out of your stage persona, it all comes down to building your confidence and discovering what part of yourself you want to show to the world. 

 

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