It's your worst nightmare – you're onstage, your fans are cheering you on, everything is going well, and suddenly, something goes very wrong. Maybe your singer completely blanks on the lyrics, or you have to restart a song because everyone was off, or your guitar gives out during a solo. We've all been there, and we'll all be there again someday.
Part of the thrill of live music is the mystery of how a show will go. After all, we're only human. Technology goes wrong, we make mistakes, songs fall to pieces. It happens. What is most important, though, is how you react. A huge mistake can be brushed off with a good reaction. So here's how to bounce back like a pro after your performance takes a major dip.
Unless your mistake was so subtle that you can just go on without any type of response, you want to be lighthearted about mistakes. Radiohead’s Thom Yorke is famous for giving death stares to his bandmates who play a wrong note or cursing into the mic about technology problems. This tends to make audiences feel uncomfortable. It's best to have a sense of humor about things going wrong. Once, Steve Vai performed a show with an orchestra and one of the timpanis literally collapsed mid-song. Vai responded by laughing, smiling, and calling for a humorous round of applause. This puts your audience at ease. Mistakes are inevitable – laugh it off and respond positively.
After laughing it off, you'll need to figure out a way to get the crowd going again – and fast. Ask them what song they want to hear after you pull yourself back together. Bring out a song you know they want you to play. Your fans don't want to hear the slowest, least inspiring song you have after you just butchered a great one. Pull out the big guns, put in extra heart and energy, and bring the room back to life!
Once, at a Phish concert, a naked guy ran onto the stage and threw off the whole band in the middle of a song. During their encore, however, they changed the lyrics to their song "Run Like an Antelope" to "Run Like a Naked Guy." This made the performance unique for each audience member at that show, and every time they listen back, they'll have that fun memory with them. If you can, play off of the mistake, and do something creative.
At the end of the day, you have to keep going. Unless the mistake is so horrid that you have to restart, you should just play on. Smile through it, keep going, and have fun. Your audience doesn't want to see you get visibly flustered or walk offstage. This results in a bad time for everyone. After the show, you can hash out what went wrong, but when you're onstage, you're an entertainer. Take it with a grain of salt, and keep going with positive spirits. This will go much further than being moody or fussy about a slip-up.
Sam Friedman is an electronic music producer and singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn, NY. His music blends experimental ambience with indie-driven dance music. In addition to pursuing his own music, he is a New Music Editor for Unrecorded and is passionate about music journalism. Check out his music and follow him on Twitter @nerveleak.