I always figured if I practiced long and hard enough that I would become a good enough musician that my skills would guarantee a successful show every time I played. So I practiced and I became a good musician but I found that a good show doesn’t just depend on musical skill. A good show is a collective effort between several different factors.
All the skill in the world won’t make up for a bad mix. If the audience can’t hear you properly, they sure won’t be able to appreciate your skill as a musician. So, as I’ve said before, you better have a good soundman. Likewise your sound isn’t just dependant on your soundman and your skill, you better have a good P.A. to get that sound out to the audience properly. In fact, all your gear should be of high enough quality to let your skills shine through and sound their very best. That’s why I rarely recommend beginner gear for live use, I always use and recommend top level, professional gear.
You also have a band up there with you and each member is critical to putting on a good show. Your band needs to spend the time to hone individual skills and to tighten and gel as a band. You really need to practice your music until it’s tight and sounds as good as you can possibly make it. You have to develop a confidence in each other that all members of the band will be able to do their job well and sacrifice for the overall good of the show.
There are other factors that come into play as well. How you look and act onstage creating your band image. Your light show and even your regular fans that show up at your gigs will determine how successful your shows are. My point is, there are a lot of factors that affect putting on a great live show. Keep reading Live Musician Central and you will find lots of tips and articles on how to put on a successful live show.
Thanks for reading! -Matt-
