SHOW GOES ON NO MATTER WHAT by Toks Asher Young
No artiste will tell you that from the word go they had their performance routine on lock or that their stagecraft was perfect from day one and there were no stage frights or nervous moments. Every artiste has experienced a nervous moment before, during or even after a performance. The more gigs/shows and artiste performs the more confident, more versatile and more sure-footed his/her performance becomes. It takes practice or rehearsals for an artiste to hone his/her performance and stagecraft and takes regular performances to perfect.
As an artiste you can rehearse, practice and train your voice every day. You can plan for everything from how to get on stage, how you will walk the stage or how you will interact and work the crowd. But one thing you can’t plan for or have any control over is how the equipment works or will work.
No matter how well and meticulously you plan your performances knowing how to respond/react when your instrument/equipment stops working or becomes faulty right in the middle of your performance and when you have the crowd under your thumb is an art in itself. Nobody can teach you that, it comes from steady rehearsals, practice, great reflexes and muscle memory.
How you hold the stage and carry yourself during those moments is what truly makes you a professional. It is the true measure of an artiste not to lose composure when there is a stage, wardrobe or equipment malfunction. There’s a saying in showbiz that “SHOW GOES ON” it means no matter what happens, once you get on stage give the best performance you can. If there’s only one person in the room, give them a show, if you fall or miss your step get up and carry on smartly if you forget your lines/ lyrics go on like nothing happened, don’t pause or stop, carry on as fluidly and seamlessly as you can. If the DJ’s equipment malfunctions, turn your set into an acapella performance or involve the crowd in a sing-along performance. Don’t be flustered, do something, engage the crowd and continue till the problem is fixed.
Don’t let anything stop or prevent you from making an impact on the crowd with your performance. Whether it’s a paid or free performance, ALWAYS put your best foot forward period. Remember, first impressions always last the longest so never UNDERESTIMATE the power of every performance especially a live one.
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