The Impact of your "Confidence" on a Gig Crowd

An incident this week reminded me of importance of "appearing" confident when you're gigging - even when you don't feel it.

I was at a conference where there were a number of people making speeches to an audience of several hundred. Everything was going fine until one guy got up who was clearly nervous.

You might have been at a similar kind of event yourself. Within a minute or two a growing number of the audience began shifting around uncomfortably in their seats.

I have admit it was pretty painful to watch. I was probably not alone in willing him to be able to relax so that the rest of us could too.

What was interesting is that the effect he had on the crowd had nothing whatsoever to do with what he was saying. The content was actually quite useful (well, relatively so).

The problem was all about how he looked while performing (nervous) and his "delivery".

When I though about it, he had nothing to be nervous about. Nobody really cared what he looked like (pretty much the same as everyone else). Nobody wanted him to make a clown of himself on stage and the point of this is that no gig crowd will want you too either.

If like many of bands, especially when they're just starting off, you're nervous when you play - it can help you to remember that every gig crowd will generally be "on your side". That's to say that when you step out there in front of them, they'll actively want you to have a good gig and give them a great time.

They'll even be prepared to forgive a few cock-ups as long as you don't make them feel uncomfortable in the process. The secret if you don't feel confident is to "Fake it 'til you make it". Just act as if you feel confident. Eventually your feelings will follow.


More ideas here:

Developing Confidence Onstage