There are so many different venues I have played and known, and there is literally no end to the variety of places one can play. In the end, the real factor that plays into which place you end up liking or not is usually the feeling you had either connecting, or not connecting with the audience. This “intimacy” factor is critical, and a lot of it has to do with how you, as a performing artist, reach the people and communicate with them.
Your audience has to “be with you” to begin with, and if they’re not, it’s hard to win them over, but not impossible. I have, many times, walked into a place and already could feel that the crowd was “mine.” But sometimes, it was truly clear that they’d have to be “won over.” And “won over” is really what they want, because they do want to be entertained, and they do want to have a good time and appreciate you. If you are the opening act, you are already walking in with two strikes against you, but it’s in your power to eliminate that third strike, and get the crowd to like you and to come over to your side!
When this happens, intimacy becomes something that you have with each and every member of that crowd, regardless of the size of the place. The communication is straight to the heart, no matter who is watching or how many folks are watching you. Sometimes, I find it easier to be in front of 1000 people than to be in front of 10, because they become a solid entity unto themselves, as opposed to a handful of people whose eyes can all be seen and felt!
Regardless of the size of the crowd, you’ll always find it to be a challenge to win them over and to develop that intimacy we all so strive for. Of course, your own confidence level is very crucial to this process, and the kind of confidence you either do or don’t exude is critical. No matter what, never let any of these experiences bring you down, because every performance in front of a crowd is a true learning experience, and in the long run will truly shape just who you are as a performer and as a musician.
I learned in front of audiences, and the process taught me well……hope you have similar experiences, and that you can always “win them over!”