Resources » Band Development

Band Development

Some of the things your band can work on to improve your overall performance, appearance and sound:

Stage Entry and Exit
It looks good when you coordinate a stage entry or exit. It doensn’t have to be over the top - just put some thought into it.

Hello/Introduction of band
Many (unknown) bands leave the stage with the audience wondering who they were. Say it loud and be proud!

Eye contact and Communication with audience
Don’t spend the whole set looking at your instrument. Not very interesting fo the audience, check them out. Eyeballing the audience projects your performance out to them.
Don’t be strangers, they want to get to know you. At a rehearsal, practise talking with an audience.

Front Person Skills
Prepare yourself to cover for when technical issues arrive - broken guitar strings, ghost in the PA. Try having a silly converstaion with one of the band members who’s miked up. Afterall, that’s what the band is there for, to entertain the audience, not to play songs to each other.

Space between songs
Time spent discussing which song comes next is going to leave your audience wondering why you aren’t getting on with it. Keep the set rolling. That’s why we make set lists up.

Organisation of set lists to rehearse & to perform
Everyone in the band needs to have a mastercopy of your complete set list. Get together before every gig and sort out your set list for that show. Each band member needs a copy.

Set up your own sound, then run the sound check
Be sure to test out your EQ settings and volume against the drummer before the full band sound check.

Video one of your shows
Find out what is working and what needs working on!!

Claiming your Space on stage
Check that your guitar and fx leads aren’t dangling all around you. Clear a large area around you, and make a point of using all of it!! Lead singers often have a bit more freedom (and longer cables) - make sure you can get around all your guitarists before you start, and plan to visit them all duirng your set, and don’t forget the drummer, he gets lonely back there!

Band Image
Have you thought about the image you want your band to project?
This includes the name of your band as well as the look and the stage dynamics and the song selection. Make conscious choices that all reflect what you want the band to portray. Sometimes this will actually mean “getting into character” when you get on stage, like an actor might.

RDS
This is a malignant disease that many, particularly young bands, find themselves struck with. They are constantly short of songs, meaning they can only play very short sets. It comes about quite insidiously.

¨ No-one’s sure who started it.
¨ Now matter how many new songs get added, there are still only 3 on the set list.

Here are the facts:

Otherwise known as Repetoire Deficit Syndrome - Started by throwing out songs you learn (particluarly the first few) in favour of something you like better (this week!!)

The only way to build a phat set list is to hang on to all your material - as longs as it works, of course. OK you can chuck it out if it’s not working. Otherwise you have to learn 3 songs for every 1 that you keep - no wonder you feel like your not getting anywhere!!