Showmanship...?

i'm sort of shy on stage, and my face shows it.

that's why i wear a kfc bucket over my face.

haha :lol: yeah. The Colonel is always a jolly looking man. I can really see the crowd connecting with him
i realize my joke wasn't that funny, but i wasn't expecting it to miss by -that- much.

Don't worry, I got it. I lol'ed at work no less.

You can try to do something like this

http://www.cmt.com/videos/keith-urban/255840/you-look-good-in-my-shirt.jhtml?id=1590626

The trick is to play lead guitar. Emotion and energy onstage is for bassists and rhythm guitarists ;)

you my be right but playing lead with emotion and energy just makes it even better. 8)

Yeah, I play lead & rythm as I'm the only guitarist in the band (apart from Bass) :lol:
Lately I've been watching alot of SRV & Jimmy Page & thinking 'f@#K it!' so I've just been cutting loose & trying to care less what people think - I think it's working, too. They just played from the heart, that's what I'm doing & just trying to not be so self conscious. Maybe learn a few tricks like playing behind my head, but its a bit tricky with a Gretsch!! 8)

If you guys can catch the VH1 Rock Honors The Who on tv sometime watch Mike McCready (lead guitar of Pearl Jam) during their cover of "The Real Me". He dances and jumps around like crazy.

Edit: you can watch it online

I highly recommend watching their version of "Love Reign O'er Me" as well. Incredible.

i'm not the greatest player myself
i'm still completely nervous to play anything infront of anybody besides myself
but most of the things already stated are a little superficial i believe
the true key to showmanship , in my opinion ofcourse, is to be yourself
connect with the music and become it rather then just play and preform it
obviously easier said then done,
but figure out what distinctive qualities your music has, think about it, find something to match it and go for it
before the examples like jimi gypsy looking, or how srv is texan looking, if you think about it you can hear it in their music
they are what they play

...good point meglomaniac 8)
Now the hard part is figuring out who I am :lol:

ooooooor...just wear a stupid costume with a huge hat n no one will care if your not dancing around n pulling faces lol...a clown, an amish guy, a space-bunny - its all good

Like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm0J6yWeoQc

Or these guys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZGyE-WpoN8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzQVOWwAPmQ

Pull that off... act like Perry Farrel but with a guitar.

Random thought:

Play some Rockband/Guitar Hero?

You can really play-it-up and not feel so self conscious since it is just a game...

Yeah I'm not looking to be too outlandish, juts need to show poeple that I am having fun, & yes, I am still alive back there :lol:

Try interacting with your bandmates first and try to see which person in the audience is digging that. Then smile at that person. There you go.

Really liking the music helps, too.

I've been doing this a loooooong time now - (it's my profession).

First of all, you need to have fun on stage. That's why they call it playing music. If you don't look like you are enjoying yourself, the audience isn't going to enjoy themselves. I remember a booking agent telling the band "Nobody wants to see a sober faced musician."

And it is show business, so your showmanship is important. But that depends entirely on the crowd you are playing for. Nobody can tell you what to do, because it has to be real and it has to be you.

As far as having an intoxicant before you are playing, I've been all through that. It is my advice to neither have a legal or illegal drug when you are playing -- that includes beer BTW. I have never, ever heard a musician play better when their senses are dulled. You may think you play better, but you won't. Guaranteed (been there, done that, learned the lesson). Plus, the club owner/manager will have more respect for you and all other things being equal will hire you more if you are straight. After all, you are working, and in most businesses, people working are not supposed to be drinking.

And don't be nervous. Remember, no matter what level your playing is (1) You play better than the vast majority of the audience - if not the entire audience and (2) no matter how good or bad you are, there will always be other musicians who play better than you and those who play worse than you. There is no need to be nervous.

Insights and incites by Notes