Nothing Worse Than a Sloppy Start

Having been at a conference where I got to see a lot of different acts of differing levels of experience perform, one thing that I really noticed was the opening. Not so much their opening trick/song/etc, but how they walked on to the stage. People talk about about your opening trick, but the few seconds … Continue reading “Nothing Worse Than a Sloppy Start”

Having been at a conference where I got to see a lot of different acts of differing levels of experience perform, one thing that I really noticed was the opening. Not so much their opening trick/song/etc, but how they walked on to the stage. People talk about about your opening trick, but the few seconds before you get to your opening trick is often overlooked.


Here’s an example of a band I saw. They were introduced, they walked onto the stage, plugged in their instruments, and then started to play. Here’s another example of another band the same night. They were introduced, a video started to play to the bands music. It was a 30 second sizzle reel, then the signer walks on to the stage as the lights comes up singing a continuation of the song that was in the sizzle reel with the band onstage already playing.


Guess who got a lot more work?


Give up? It was the second band.


The second band didn’t waste anytime, they were professional, it felt like a stadium act! How do you enter the stage? I do it with energy, and it’s part of the bit, there’s not fumbling while I try to figure out my first trick. I walk out, greet the audience and it’s on!


You need to put as much thought into how you get from the wings of the stage to your opening trick as you put into your opening trick. You can lose the audience on your walk to the microphone.