There are several factors which need to be practiced and employed in your performance which apply regardless of the style of music or popularity of the song. These include communicating with the audience by making eye contact during the performance and chatting between songs. This doesn't need to be a dialogue of your life history, a simple introduction to the song and the odd bit of banter will help to break the ice and encourage the audience to pay more attention.

Audience participation may not appeal or suit all singers, but inviting the audience to participate along with the chorus of popular songs can make them feel more involved in the performance, although there is no guarantee they will join in with enthusiasm and should only be attempted if the entertainer feels confident and comfortable with this approach.

Whilst most people appreciate technical ability and competence in a performer, it has to be balanced with emotive quality and expression using movement or gestures. The performer should not only be good at and enjoy what they are doing, but also be capable of interpreting the song in a manner that conveys their pleasure or involvement in the lyrics and music to the audience. Without this the performance can appear lifeless, dull and uninteresting, fine for supermarket music - not for live performance!

Organising the style in a manner that highlights your vocal abilities and attracts the audiences attention takes a certain amount of trial and error where specific songs are concerned. but a typical set list used in most areas of music, often has fast or effective songs starting and ending each set, providing the singer or band with the opportunity to grab the audiences attention followed by songs that vary in tempo and style. The final song should be a show stopper that creates an impact, this can be anything that displays the performers talent, encourages the audience to participate, makes them want to get up and dance or reduces them to a hushed silence in admiration, whatever works best for you - always leave the audience wanting more.

Added to all this it is important to pace out the songs in a manner that not only entertains but also preserves the voice. Too many complicated or vocally demanding songs in the first set may cause the voice to become overstressed and unable to cope with the rest of the performance.

Getting the right mix for the type of audience you are aiming to please is a matter of gauging reaction, moving songs into different slots, adding or changing the material. Some artists/bands hit on the right formula for they way they perform, retaining the same style and format for years, others constantly change, expand and juggle their material around to suit the preferances of the venues in which they perform. Both strategies work but it is up to the artists to keep the performance fresh and interesting regardless of how often they've sung the songs before.

And Finally......
The most popular singers and entertainers are those who have successfully integrated their natural abilities with a variety of techniques to develop their own unique approach and style. Much can be learnt by observing professional singers who can capture the hearts of the audience with their charisma and make the art of performing appear effortless. This doesn't happen overnight, even the most talented singers have had to work hard to produce consistantly good live performances. So the next time you totally screw up at a gig, don't get too depressed, learn what you can from the experience and move on. Try not to dwell on disappointing performances for too long or attempt to anticipate how the next audience will react. Each gig has to be approached with enthusiasm, an open mind and a desire to perform with feeling to the best of your ability or it will reflect in your performance, besides which it is not uncommon to encounter a bad reception at one venue and then receive thunderous applause and appreciation from the next - even when the venues are located in the same town!