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Written by Jaron Lewis
It does not matter if you have performed live 100 times or a single time. Knowing how to perform at live gigs without being nervous is a challenge that even the most experienced performer struggles with.
Having a stage presence for singers is one of the most important things about performing live because you want people to notice you and get into the music, something that is not easy when the singer is just standing there still. These are some of the most common but disastrous mistakes that you need to avoid at all costs.
Anytime you are singing, you need to make sure that you have excellent posture. Without this, your voice will actually suffer. You do not need to stand up perfectly straight while singing but it can be a huge mistake to crane your neck while singing live, which can strangle your voice and impact its projection.
Even the most experienced singers may blank out on what the next line in the song is. By stopping your singing, hecklers may take over and further frustrate you. Rather than letting the stage fright get to you, you could think about adding in some “oooooo ooooos” or some “la, la, las” in or just repeat the first verse again. These things are infinitely better than dead air and a scared look.
Without having the right level of protection of your ear, you are going have a disadvantage while you are on stage. You want a good molded earplug that are designed for the purpose of hearing all of the music at a level that is comfortable for you while also allowing you to hear your own voice.
You never want to skip your sound check. This is a tedious task that is always necessary especially if you are in a new venue. There are so many different factors that can affect your sound, including the dimensions and size of the venue. You do not want to start off the show on a bad note because you sound awful.
There are some emotional moments when you are singing that you may tend to close your eyes for a brief moment. These short periods of time are fine. However, you do not want to close your eyes for the entire song because this will cause a disconnect with the audience. As the singer, you want to make sure that they feel connected to you throughout your performance to really get into your music.
Everyone gets uncomfortable when they see people fighting in front of them. You should not yell at your band on stage if anyone messes up. That is embarrassing and it reflects poorly on you. If you have an issue, bring it up after the show in private or at your next rehearsal.
You may be tempted to have the monitors turned up as loudly as possible if you can only hear the drums, but this can cause feedback in the space and will negatively impact your music.
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