3 Ways to Captivate Your Audience Like U2

This past Friday evening I had the pleasure of seeing U2’s Experience + Innocence Tour at the Scottrade Center here in St. Louis. I have seen U2 a couple of times before, and they never disappoint. This most recent concert was full of energy, great music, and unexpected moments. (Here’s a review from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.)

U2 is one of the world’s most successful bands. They have a large and dedicated following, plus the reputation and resources to do whatever they want. They seem to live on a different creative planet than the rest of us mere mortals.

While you probably don’t have U2’s resources or massive audience, there is much you can learn from them as artists who captivate and delight their audience. These three principles will help you do the same, no matter type of creative work you do.

1. Create something memorable.

There is a reason this tour was called “Experience and Innocence” (and not just because the most recent album was called Songs of Experience). When you see U2 in concert, it’s truly an experience that you will not forget.

U2 doesn’t just rehash their greatest hits. While they certainly include a lot of their well-known songs, they also combine and re-arrange songs to create something new. They also use creative staging, colors, media, and even a giant video cage to create something unforgettable.

Being memorable isn’t just about what you do—it’s also about what you don’t do. For example, U2 didn’t perform any songs from their landmark Joshua Tree album in this concert. As a fan, I was a little disappointed. But as an artist, I appreciated this bold choice and their willingness to subvert expectations.

What can you do to create something memorable? How can you emphasize your gifts, talents, and abilities to create something memorable and unique for others?

2. Connect with your audience personally.

Popular artists spend a lot of time on the road, and I’m sure it’s hard to make every concert personal to the audience. You might get a “Hello, St. Louis!” (or whatever your city is) but you won’t get much else in the way of personalization for your city.

Several times during the concert, U2 featured maps, video, and other creative elements related to St. Louis on the screen. The audience knows that these elements have to be carefully personalized for each city on the tour. They feel the concert has been specially prepared just for them.

What can you do to connect with people on a personal level? One of the ways I try to do this is by sending handwritten notes. I’m always amazed at the difference this makes. Just a few weeks ago, a former student mentioned how much it meant when I sent a handwritten note with a key inside. I sent it several years ago, but he still remembered it.

3. Perform with energy and passion.

If you have ever seen U2 in concert, you know they are truly passionate about their music. You can see it in their performance, especially Bono’s. He is the consummate band leader whose goal is to engage the audience, not simply perform.

Whatever type of art you do, you are a performer. Writers, actors, musicians, painters, directors … we are all performers with an audience. The question is, are we doing it with energy and passion?

Sometimes we wonder how to muster the energy to keep on doing our art. I think that is the wrong question. Instead, we ought to ask whether we are doing something worth getting passionate about in the first place.

In other words, are you doing creative work you truly love? Are you excited about it? Does it fill your creative well? If not, it will be difficult to perform with passion.

On the other hand, if you’re doing creative work you love, it’s easy to be passionate about it. If you aren’t doing something you love, how can you begin to transition toward that type of work? (Here’s a quick guide on how to decide your creative direction.)

Many artists and writers are like comfort food. They sing the same song, write the same book, and make the same movie over and over again. Some artists make a very good living like this!

But other artists are not content to be predictable and stagnant. They push the boundaries and surprise their audience. U2 is a great example of a band that has carved out its own path and, in the process, continues to captivate its audience.

How can you begin doing the same for your audience today?