((I'm going to shamelessly use this photo of me playing bass my freshman year of college))
Sadly, many artists either ignore their stage presence factor, or (perhaps worse), assume their presence is already excellent and needs no improvement!
The latter of these is never the case; there is always room for improvement!
While there are a few artists who have been able to pull off the shy-ish, quieter, my-art-is-the-only-reason-I'm-here type of stage persona, most of the time the audience wants to see you completely LOSING yourself in your music. Since the audience-to-stage-members ratio is heavily tipped, you have to utilize all of the space that stage gives you while skillfully producing the music. This is difficult, and if you're doing it right, you should be leaving that stage sweaty and exhausted, but high and happy as a kite.
Here are just a few tips for the artist who doesn't know how to start tearing up the stage:
Play the music that you love. It should mostly be your own, but covers(well-done covers) are good; people love what they know.
If you're not producing the type of music that you enjoying singing and playing, you either need to get to work on a new album or find a new career( unless you want to wind up playing someone else's music for a manger who's sold you out to Disney. That works for some people. I can say that it's a good way to make money).
Sleep well beforehand. If you're touring, it's easy to get caught up going out for drinks late after the show, but you owe it to your fans and to yourself to be rocking that stage when you're on it. Not only will you have more fun, but this 'sleeping' method actually helps prevent the misuse of energy aids (drugs). You know.
Go big. If you want to want, wave huge, with your whole arm. If you're gonna jump, jump high or leap far. Own your space and make your existence within it tangible to the fan in the very last row. It's just like when you were a little kid trying to be what you wanted instead of what you were-make yourself known. The people are there to see you loving your life in the magical sphere of sounds, and going big is not too much, however grandiose it may feel to you.
Thank the audience after the first or the second song. It never ceases to amaze me that bands either leave this til the second-to-last song or forget it altogether. You're there to share with the audience, so address them as soon as you can, Bring them in to your circle. Furthermore, you're there because they paid (or because you're hoping that that later, they will pay) to be on that stage sharing your art. So thank them.
Don't insult the sound guy, and don't have that one band member who's the butt of all the onstage jokes. Even if that's your band's dynamic while you're hanging out in the cramped tour van (let's be honest, there's usually that one person who's just so easy to laugh at), you don't need to show that side to your audience. Not during a show. It make the audience feel like you're one of 'those people', the ones who are cool because they're "in" and they get to choose who's not. Good-natured ribbing is alright, but overall, the audience is buying into a magical world for a few hours, a world where the music makes you feel and makes your neighbor feel and everyone's feeling and that sort of atmosphere requires a safe environment.
You're onstage, you're the one who sets the tone.
Make the environment.
If you're playing a festival or opening, don't forget to mention you or your band's name a few different times. Make 'em remember you.
Obviously, the whole point is to enjoy yourself and enjoy sharing what you've made with your fans while you're making it.
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