How to perform better in a gig?

Question:tips on how to be a better showman for a solo artist. mainly pubs and 21st's...

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: tips on how to be a better showman for a solo artist. mainly pubs and 21st's...

First, I think you'll want to ask what kind of showman you need to be. I'm assuming you're a guitarist-vocalist. There's a wide range of styles for both: you can do flash stuff like Hendrix or you can stand in your own little world like Jerry Garcia. You can strut like a mad Steven Tyler or you can just belt 'em out like David Clayton Thomas.

Once you've determined your desired style, you need to practice it! The idea about videotaping is a good one; you also can try working in front of a mirror.

Some people have a hard time learning how to attend to the audience rather than to the task of making music. I taught myself how to pay attention to something else by watching soap operas while I practiced (I don't think it would have worked if I had been watching anything I cared about). I quickly got to the point where I could do tableside minstreling at banquets and be able to sidestep when the servers came by--all without missing a beat.

A pro once told my band that we needed to make a video of ourselves. Then we could watch the video and see what we could do to improve our showmanship. It works really well. Good luck.