What do you guys think about the singer's job, besides singing? Like connecting with the audience and giving them a good time, entertaining them. What ways are good for this (head banging, hitting yourself in the head with the mic, running around, jumping, ect.)?

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strip naked, cover your dick in gasoline and set it on fire maybe?

i dont know, generally the audience is fairly involved anyway, and will sing along, and that sort of thing, so i really think all they need do is annoounce the song (possible with a little story to go with it) then plug into it

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I've seen a few vidoes of live bands so....I think the main thing is that you don't do it EXACTLY like the studio version of the song. As long as you're "getting into the groove." Feel the music. Hell, for a part where you do a soft singing line, scream it out like a growl so it's really felt. Although in some live Metallica and Sepultura videos and even Slayer videos, you can tell they barely remember the lyrics and are making up words.

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Yup. I would like to add putting the mic in someone's face for them to sing is also very good.

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Too much bullshit inbetween songs will kill the atmosphere (<-sp?), so if you need to have a longer break (drummer needs to rearrange his cymbals because he broke one or something), do something with the audience, like have them scream something. A good example of that is what the In Flames singer did once. He asked the audience to help him count, he screams 6, they scream 6 6, he says they're worse than a bunch of first graders, he tries again, taunts them again, tries again, tries again. Goes on for like a minute, and then the audience is worked up for the next song (which "happens" to be Episode 666).

Just keep the audience going. You don't want to give them time to calm down too much. Have them know you're there, poke fun with someone, tell them you like their mosh pits, whatever.

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Haha, that would be the day to have the singer insult a selection from the audience. It would be a stand-up metalhead comedian.

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Oh here's a good one: If you headband to a reeeeeal thrashy beat, don't headband with the beat. Do it slow/off beat and wide where it look like with feeling. It looks so cool.

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dystopia_is_mtv:

if you play an instrument (guitar or bass) as well as handling the vocals, you dont have to jump around and shit, cos well, obviously you cant.
but it sort of depends on the local bands, live up to them and youll be alright.
but yeah, provoke the crowd, tell them to improve the mosh, taunt them and theyll want more.

and yeah, i agree with those big bands. watch the new slayer dvd and see how tom struggles with war ensemble

its all well and good to give the audience the mic to sing along, but how many people will know the words to a little local band just starting out??

say the name of the song, maybe a short something about it, between songs if you see a hot chick or fat guy yell stuff at them and keep going.

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Yeah, and dedicate a song to someone in the audience.

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I always liked seeing singers raise their nose and eyebrows up to the ceiling and scream just to come right back down into a growl with there chin in and eyebrows low. I always found that cool. Also, just doing things with the mic and your hands at the appropriate time is great. When not singing, be casual and stand normally. When you sing, especially aggresively, get in a stance and stick your upper torso out a bit or back, just do something with it. I find stances to help the singing as well as the mood of the show. I see a lot of hardcore shows and I just love how some of the singers can be.

http://massgrave.punkanddisorderly.org/index2.htm

The singer in this band does something like that very well. They have videos on the site.

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