As I was watching the Fountaindale Public Library’s wonderful Yule Ball at Home last night, I was inspired to write this month’s Kwikspell column! Both Tonks and the Aurors and Ashley Trix and the WZRDs performed, and their sets were so wonderful and different. I really felt like they represented some of the best parts of virtual performances, but in wildly different ways. So, this month we’re going to talk about how to put your own virtual performance together and how to make it really shine.

Plan the Event

A virtual show can be as big or small as you want. You might be the only performer or have a lineup of 25 bands! The nice thing about doing events online is that people can go in and out as they please. It’s totally okay to have an event online that lasts longer than would be reasonable in-person. Want to play a four-hour set? Here’s your chance! Reach out to any people you want to have involved and agree on a date and time. Wizard rockers are friendly, so don’t be afraid to reach out to bands you don’t know – it’s a great way to make new friends! Make sure you decide on set lengths so that other musicians can plan their setlists in advance, and always build in buffer time in case things run long (they usually do).

This is also the time to decide if you’re paying performers, having a virtual tip jar, raising money for charity, or just playing a free show. Make sure everybody knows the expectations from the beginning!

Decide How to Stream

Next, you need to decide on your tech. Do you want to stream on Facebook, Youtube, or Twitch? Are you hosting a giant Zoom call so everybody who wants to can appear on camera? I recommend streaming on a platform you’re already familiar with, and one your fans will have an easy time accessing. Zoom is a great way to “see” the audience in realtime, which can help everybody feel connected and energized.

You could also have on-camera hosts like the Trapped in the House Show Series does, where Rob, Brian, and Jeremy welcome everyone, applaud after songs, and banter with performers. The Queer Wizard Rock for Trans Kids shows used the program StreamYard to have hosts switch between bands and talk about their cause.

Another option is to have performers pre-tape their performances like Ashley Trix and the WZRDs did for last night’s Yule Ball, which means you won’t have to worry about internet problems mid-stream and gives you fun creative freedom to make edits and get fancy with it.

It’s all about what energy you want to invite – a bustling chatroom, a comment thread full of heart emojis, or a professional show with an MC. The Fountaindale Public Library Yule Ball had nice little animations to welcome everybody to the concert and a count down during intermission! Play around with your format to make something really unique and special.

Plan Your Performance

Whether you’re hosting, singing, playing an instrument, or reading some poetry, you want to come in prepared. You can take this as seriously or as casually as you want, but you want to make sure you have the things you need nearby so you don’t have to run off-camera a lot. Some performers choose a professional setup with microphones and a soundboard, like The Blibbering Humdingers. That’s a great way to ensure you’ll sound crisp and balanced and is really great if your band has multiple members. Of course, you can also just sing into your laptop microphone, or split the difference and have a simple setup with a USB mic and a ring light for ambience. If you see a performance you really like, reach out to the artist and ask how they did it! Chances are they’ll be very willing to spill their secrets to help you out.

Speaking of ambience, give some thought to your backdrop! While you can perform against a plain white wall, it’ll be more interesting if you have a cool setup like Tonks and the Aurors does. Pick a spot with good lighting and little to no background noise (right next to your dishwasher is maybe not the best place for a concert). If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even switch camera angles throughout your stream like Pussycat Dolores did – just make sure you look cool from every angle.

There are so many opportunities for creative expression with online shows! You can have performers from around the world come together for one event, or you can have a cool theme that everybody performs to. The Swedish Shortsnouts did an incredible stream-ception that allowed multiple band members to perform together while in different houses. Muggle Snuggle performed outdoor “socially-distanced” sets that were amazing. Perform to a backing track like Kalysta Flame or do an intimate acoustic performance like Totally Knuts – the choice is yours!

Tell the People

To get people to come to your show, they have to know it’s happening! Put announcements out through social media and make a Facebook Event so that people can get reminders about it. If you’re selling tickets, make sure every post links back to that ticket page so that people have every opportunity to join in. Have a friend or show host post on social media frequently during the broadcast to help more people tune in. A lot of platforms will notify friends or subscribers when you go live, which is super handy for reaching more viewers.

Don’t be discouraged if there’s only a few people watching live at a time – you can always archive your performance so more people will see it later, and remember that with online shows a lot of people will just pop in for a few minutes while they’re online. Encourage people to interact with you through the chat – it will help you know people are around!

Have Fun Performing

The real key to a great virtual performance is to enjoy doing it! Keep an eye on the chat and have conversations with people. Don’t stress it if you make a mistake, and remember that online performances are just as visible as being live onstage at a venue. Put your heart into your performance and have fun connecting with people. And if things ever go awry, just let your pets hang out on camera. All audiences seem to enjoy cute animal or cute baby appearances.

Hopefully these tips will help you put together a magical online event. We’ve seen a huge increase in virtual wizard rock shows during the pandemic, but broadcasting live gigs is something that always helps bring members of our community together. I hope we continue to see great, creative online shows in the future!