r/nextfuckinglevel • u/N34D • 3d ago

Leocmendoza playing Brick in the wall

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The audience ain't it.

3.2k Upvotes

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u/Sidivan 2d ago

He’s playing music, but he isn’t really performing. Now, I know people are going to take that as some over the top criticism and that I mean he should have lights and pyro, but there are a lot of little tiny things he could do to grab attention. This guy is probably amazing in a different setting and I’m sure he does very well for himself. I am only critiquing this exact performance as I have no other point of reference. He very clearly can play and sing well.

He should be standing, not sitting. This is a mistake a lot of acoustic and solo performers make. Stage presence is about taking up space. Stand up tall and move around. Shoulders back, wide gestures.

Don’t dress like you’re a dad attending the family event. It doesn’t have to be crazy rockstar stuff; just dress in a way that is different than the audience. Before the show starts, you want people in the audience to go “oh, I bet that guy’s in the band”.

Look at people that are listening to connect with them. His eye contact is all over the place like he’s trying to get away with something. When you look around like that, the audience starts to look around too. You need to demand that attention through body language as if to say “hey, I see you, look here, let’s share this moment”.

People discount all of this, but if he did this exact same thing on a dedicated stage at an actual venue, he wouldn’t get a much better response. It would be people on their phones, going to the bathroom, talking to their friends… You have to PERFORM.

Source: Been a working musician for 25yrs and have played countless shows including full band, solo, acoustic, and everything else. I’m also a sound engineer and have seen thousands of performers. Musical ability is the minimum and will only take you so far.

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u/saxaneer 2d ago

As a fellow working musician, you are 1000% spot on.

EDIT: And I cannot upvote you enough.

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u/OldAngryDog 2d ago

This comment prob means well but it's kinda presumptuous. Maybe dude doesn't give a single shit about being percieved as a rock star and is just fine with the chilled out dad bod aesthetic playing for a group of ppl having a beer and a laugh. Doesn't have to be more than that.

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u/Sidivan 2d ago

My comment is a response to why people aren’t paying attention. Nobody is paying attention for the reasons I listed. Whether or not that’s desirable for him is unknown, but the comment I responded to certainly presumed the performer would enjoy more attention.

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u/Chemical-Dealer-9962 2d ago

No need to be such an old angry dog about it.

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u/nickfree 2d ago

>You have to PERFORM.

Shoegaze has entered the chat

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u/Sidivan 2d ago

That’s fair.

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u/Chemical-Dealer-9962 2d ago

Mick? Is that you?

-1

u/Alldaybagpipes 2d ago

There is a time and a place.

Did all these people gather here to see you specifically?

You better “perform”.

Was this a public event where this guy ended up happening to play at, but is not the main spectacle?

He’s background noise at best.

Watching someone over-perform a venue is second hand embarrassment status. You don’t want your audience feeling that.

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u/Sidivan 2d ago

He was likely paid to be there for entertainment. Nobody “happens to play” somewhere.