In an earlier column, singing expert and GEARED contributor DANIEL KAY noted the importance of loving thy singer. This week, he points out how crucial it is to love thy audience.

Many years ago, I used to work for a retail store selling toasters and washing machines. Retailers have a little saying: “Working in retail would be great if you didn’t have to deal with customers.” The irony of this comment is obvious – no customers, no job. I think many musos have a similar approach to gigs. The thought line might go something like this: “gigs would be great if we didn’t have to interact with the audience.” Ah, bliss! Then we wouldn’t have to respond to the inevitable request for Jessie’s Girl, all because the birthday girl within the group celebrating a hen’s night has a parrot named Jessie … after all, you’re an “originals” metal band! Der.

Of course, like the world of retail – no audience, no gig! The fact is that regardless of the many challenges that audiences may provide us with; they are an absolute necessity to our success. An audience can make or break you. So how do we capture all that is good about our audience and focus it towards a positive performance? Call me biased, but I believe that it starts with the band’s singer.

Like it or hate it, the singer is the first reference point for your garden-variety audience member. So it falls to the lead vocalist to interact with the audience in a manner that is going to engage and control. We’ll deal with control in a moment, but first let’s talk about some helpful thoughts on engaging the audience. Firstly, the wise singer does well to remember that the audience is not at the gig to reinforce the singer’s ego – or the band’s for that matter. The audience is at the gig for them. They have paid their cover charge (regardless of price) in order to selfishly obtain entertainment. Their attendance is very much about them and their needs … not the band’s. This means that ensuring the audience is having a good time is essential. Practically, for example, as an originals band you might have a few covers (in keeping with your band’s genre) up your sleeve just in case you start to lose the interest of your audience. The quick addition of a well-selected, widely appreciated cover can save a set.

Secondly, make sure that the interaction on stage between band members is professional. Your audience doesn’t care if the band is falling apart because the guitarist has just learnt that the drummer is dating his ex. Leave that stuff in the green room. When you are on stage you become the commodity of entertainment and you have been purchased by the audience. Your interaction is all a part of the entertainment value. Audiences love to believe that the band members are like family – a family that they would love to be a part of, so introducing members by their first names, and even nicknames, throughout the set/gig is a great way to engage the audience.

Thirdly, work towards a balance of preparation and spontaneity in your patter. Patter is the stuff you say between songs and it’s often what separates the amateurs from the professionals. Audiences love to hear the background to a song, the inspiration for its composition and other tid-bits of info. In many respects, the singer becomes a tour guide in a gallery of art. The songs are the paintings and the patter is the tour guides narration. Of course, keep your patter short and sweet. The audience don’t care what the keyboardist had for breakfast on the day he wrote the song! The preparation of patter must be held in perfect balance with responding spontaneously to situations that arise at the gig. Using our earlier example of the hen’s group – you might not know Jessie’s Girl, but you can easily highlight the birthday girl asking the audience to sing Happy Birthday (audience participation) and then dedicate a well-chosen piece to her. Trust me – this works every time!

Finally, let’s talk about control. The spontaneous situations that can arise at gigs, if not dealt with well, can blow out and in some cases lead to serious outcomes, like riots. Sure, a riot is an extreme example – but extreme circumstances often have innocent beginnings. Bands wield a lot of control, and with this control comes responsibility. This not only involves the audience member’s perceived entertainment, but it can also include their personal safety. If you start to abuse an audience member (for whatever reason) and they start throwing stuff at the band, and some innocent audience member gets caught in the crossfire – taking a glass to the face – you have failed in your responsibility to control the situation.

Audiences want to have a great time. We, as the entertainment providers, are privileged to service the audience’s need for a good time. Let’s never forget we need them as much as they need us.

DANIEL KAY is the principal vocal coach and supervisor of pedagogy for the DJARTS studio in Brisbane’s Carina Heights. For more info, Daniel’s singing tips and lesson rates check out www.djarts.com.au or call 3398 6758.

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