Your Stage Presence Is Cringe? Here's Why

Stop The Cringe! Get Stage Presence That Feels Real

There is a specific kind of internal panic that happens when a musician realizes they are just "standing there" (and for the record, many musicians never even get to the point where they are aware of that!) 

You might start to swing your guitar, or move around on stage, or even worse, you decide to make "rock faces". Kids might call that "cringey" and suddenly, you feel like a total fraud.

The secret to great stage presence has nothing to do with choreographed moves or looking cool like a rock star. The truth is that this has much more to do with how you make your fans feel.

Amplifiy

On a stage, subtlety often gets lost. If you feel 100% engaged, your audience might only see 70%. To look engaged and exciting to everyone enjoying the show, you have to turn your internal dial up to 110%. Think of it like you would going into a job interview. You are giving your fans like the absolute best version of yourself. It’s still you, just the version of you that’s larger than life and loud enough for the whole room to hear!

Use Your Eyes

Instead of staring into the dark abyss of the crowd, find some friendly faces or specific spots in the room (left, center, right). Spend a few seconds truly connecting eyes with someone before moving to the next. This creates an inclusive energy that makes the whole room feel seen. 

Silence the Technical Brain

Stage presence is the first thing to go when you’re struggling with your parts. If you’re looking at music, lyrics, chord charts, tablets, or just thinking about the bridge in song three, you aren't present. True performance begins where the "thinking" ends. Your playing and singing should be pretty close to second-nature by the time you hit the stage so you can focus on the performing part of your performance.

Be The Performer You're Meant To Be.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start leading your band with professional confidence, check out our deep-dive resources and courses at Danny Robertson Music.