For a great lesson on how to immediately connect with your audience (and audiences captured via immediate viral spread), watch this video. I took it with my iPhone at the concert of the legendary band James at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles last night. In a strategy that became a staple of the band’s entrance to their own concerts, the lead singer, sometimes accompanied by the band, starts the show in midst of the crowd (Figure A), slowly making his way onto the stage (Figure B, for your convenience), connecting with the non-die-hard fans in the back of the room, hence winning over the entire audience within the first 2 minutes of the show.

A simple move one might think, but it creates such an immediate and intimate connection with the audience that the beginning of their performance is met with such roaring response and high engagement levels, which most bands dare to enjoy during their second encore. For a large band, like James, to play incredibly tight and in perfect sync it takes effort and practice. They are a business and understand that their entrance can make the concert an immediate success, in the room as well as over the internet. Not a bad move for a band that is regarded as ’80′s’ to most non-followers. Watch the video and see how the lead singer, Tim Booth, connects with each person, how he takes time to look in their eyes and does not move on until he connects with the people who are standing in the very back of the large theater.

There is a lot a brand can learn from how James captures their target audience, but you should also keep it in mind when you prepare your next presentation to a larger audience.

All it takes is to form a deep, often personal and unconventional connection at the very beginning of the encounter. The band James knows that and it is one of the reasons they have been ‘in business’ for 30 years.

Enjoy the video and make sure to catch up with James’ music: