Stage Banter
Whether you're an artist who writes songs for yourself or you're a songwriter who writes songs for other people, performance will likely be a part of your life. This is especially true in cities like Nashville where songwriters play out with the same regularity as artists. It is with that reality in mind that we must discuss stage banter - the seemingly lucid and spontaneous conversation performers have with the audience between songs.
Performance has several basic components. Vocal performance - how your voice communicates the lyrics - is obviously of the greatest importance. Choreography - general movement, whether you'll sit or stand, and how your hands communicate - is another aspect worth considering. Today, we'll talk about stage banter.
When we go to shows put on by mega stars, they often speak to us in between songs. Sometimes they crack a quick joke, tell a story about a song, or reveal some quotidian detail about their life that lets us get to know them a bit better. These moments often feel as if they're happening on the fly. However, if you were to see an artist perform several times throughout the same touring cycle, you might notice that you hear the same jokes, stories, or quotidian details over and over again. This is because their banter is rehearsed.
When I counsel artists as they develop their stage performance skills, I often urge them to script their set. Stage banter needs to feel spontaneous but be rehearsed. That way, a set feels fluid and natural. So, for those of us who might just be starting to make stage banter a part of our sets, here are a few good guidelines and things to consider.
1) Plan when you are going to introduce yourself. Saying something like, "Hello my name is____," is incredibly important. If your audience wants to search for you on Instagram, Facebook, or Spotify after a performance, they'll have to know your name. So, make sure to introduce yourself. It is best to do this before or after your first song. In addition, remind your audience of your name before you play your last song.
2) Don't ask an unfamiliar audience to cheer for you by asking, "How're you doing tonight?" Often times, a new audience will struggle to engage with music they haven't heard before. As a new artist or songwriter, you're already asking your audience to acclimate to a new voice or new songs. Mega artists can get away with hyping up the crowd, but new artists and songwriters should opt for something that shows their appreciation for an audience willing to listen. Try something like "I'm so grateful to be here with you" or "I'm very excited to be tonight." This is an effective way to show your appreciate to an audience and gain points with the crowd.
3) Prepare dialogue between songs. Take the time to prepare stories or jokes that help introduce your songs. These quips need to enhance the audience's understanding of a song without simply repeating the main conceit. So, the following can be effective choices: tell us who the song is about, tell us about the emotional space you were in when you wrote the song, or tell us a bit about the writing process of the song. Specificity and detail in these stories will make your audience feel more connected to you.
4) Rehearse your dialogue. Once you have a general idea of what you're going to say, you need to rehearse how you're going to say it. Speak your dialogue and see where you need to pause, where you need to speak quickly, and where your voice needs to raise and lower in pitch. I also encourage you to do this in front of a mirror so that you can see how your face changes throughout the dialogue.
5) Plan when you'll introduce your band and hawk your merch. If you're going to play for other musicians, it is proper etiquette to introduce each of your band members. Doing this near the middle or the end of your set is a good choice. In addition, if you're selling merch, make sure that you alert the audience to its existence. Otherwise, they aren't going to purchase it. Remember, this is a music business, so if you have things to sell then go ahead and sell them.
6) Thank your audience and repeat your name before the last song. Making sure to thank your audience will endear them to you as you make your exit. And, the repetition of your name will encourage them to seek you out on social media and online music retail sites after your performance.
