We’ve all been there – unfortunately, sometimes unhelpful hecklers are just a part of being a professional performer on stage. Hopefully, they are a rare phenomenon (there may even be a few lucky people that never encounter a heckler!). However, it’s always good to be prepared. In this blog, we’ll give you some top tips on dealing with hecklers…
If you’re working in the world of private events, encountering hecklers is a rare phenomenon. Generally speaking, guests at weddings, corporate events, and other function sets are all there to have a good time.
Being amongst friends, family, or colleagues usually brings something of an obligation to behave well. While they still have the potential to be annoying, audiences at private events are not prone to interrupting much.
However, with public gigs (as the name suggests), anyone can show up, and you have no idea who might be in the audience. As such, it is probably fair to say you are more likely to encounter hecklers at public shows than at private bookings.
Dealing with a heckler is not a straightforward task. It depends a lot on both your personality and theirs. Some bands and solo singers thrive on audience interaction, and a good-natured back and forth is one thing.
However, it’s important to remember that no musician should ever have to endure abuse on stage.
What is a heckler?
A heckler is an audience member who interrupts your performance with some kind of interjection. Sometimes, this can be good-natured and in good fun. However, occasionally drunk or obnoxious hecklers can be meaner-spirited with their contribution or just plain annoying.
It’s important to remember that this might have absolutely nothing to do with your performance – some people just like to interrupt, usually as a performance for their friends.
How to deal with hecklers
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with hecklers. However, the first (and most important) thing to remember is that your safety should always come first, and no one should have to deal with abuse at work.
There are also a couple of strategies that can help with your crowd management when dealing with hecklers.
Ignore them
Unlike stand-up comics, musicians can always just play another song. If someone is talking loudly or interrupting, sometimes just going straight into the following number can be enough to get them to shut up.
Kill it with kindness
As musicians, the most common heckle will probably be something like “Why can’t you play this” or “I want to hear that!”.
Whether you can’t play the song or just don’t want to, a simple “Sorry, we don’t do that one. Next time, eh?!” can usually put a stop to things. No matter how outrageous their request might seem, try not to mock or scorn them and be polite. If they become more insistent, you can always add the song to your post/pre-gig recorded playlist, but rewarding a heckler is rarely a good strategy. If they are becoming belligerent, simply ignore them and carry on playing.
Enjoy the interaction
A bit of back and forth with your audience isn’t always bad. If someone isn’t rude, engaging with them can be pretty funny for all involved. Sometimes, confidently sharing a laugh and a joke with your audience members can help endear your act to them, especially if you’re new in town.
However, this absolutely must be on your terms. If anyone crosses any line, ignore them, carry on, or speak to the venue. Never forget – it’s your stage, your rules, and you are in charge.
Speak to the venue manager or security
If you don’t feel comfortable or safe at any point, then always speak to the venue and ask for the heckler to be removed. Take a break from your set, be polite, explain your reasoning and the situation to the manager, and any good venue should take it from there.
You may even find at particularly outstanding venues the problem might be dealt with before you even have to say anything.
If your venue has door staff working, you can always speak to them, but it’s generally better to go through the venue manager first.
Do you have any tips for dealing with hecklers? What has worked for you in the past? Leave them in the comments below…
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