In Chapter 51 of the Carol Story, the first paragraph was the girls doing one of their informal training sessions whilst at the "school" in Korea. The published version was just one paragraph long, but originally, it was a bit longer:
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"Hi again, everyone!" said Jenny. "So today we want to share our experiences of what we call 'Stage Etiquette'... or 'how to behave when you're performing on stage. I'm not going to say that the way we do stuff is perfect, or that everyone does it like this, but it seems to work well for us. We've handed out some notes, so we'll take things in that order."
Dianne took over: "So, number one, it is NOT all about you! You are part of a team, whose task it is, is to 'put on a performance'. Yes, you are a key part of that, but there's a lot of other people needed to make it happen. Let's start with some less obvious people: the venue staff. They are there to make the place secure, ensure the fans get in ok, sell food and drink. Yes, all part of 'the experience'. Next, and probably most important, is your tech crew. The PA guys have your lives in their hands: they can make you sound very good, or - if you upset them - very bad! Then there's the lighting team, the visuals team, and for us ladies, the people who help us get dressed and do our makeup. A lot of people, all so that you can look and sound good when you perform... so don't forget it!"
As Dianne spoke, she paused every sentence or two, and someone else was translating what was being said into Korean.
"So, you have a team around you," continued Linda, "be nice to them: a happy team works better. One thing we always try and do is to publicly thank our team - if you were at the festival the other weekend, you may remember we made a point of thanking everyone. You will be surprised how much it is appreciated."
"If you're on a tour, then you'll be working with the same group pf people much of the time, so, if you can, get to know them a bit, especially get to know their names." said Carol. "Jenny is really good at remembering names, and it's amazing how surprised people are when you, the 'big star', remembers who they are. Be polite to them, a quick 'thank you' isn't hard to do, in fact it's nothing more than normal good behaviour."
"If you have a technical problem during your performance - like a guitar string breaks, or your in-ear-monitor isn't working right - then there's often a 'go to person', the person whose job it is to get things fixed... they may not do it themselves, but they will get it done. My brother, Callum, is almost always that person for us, and we know that we can rely on him, so he's the one we deal with." explained Jenny. "So go to THAT person, not anyone else."
"Problems will happen, but that's not an excuse to be rude at someone. Well, not usually!" said Jenny, looking at Carol! Often it's a small problem, and one of the team can fix it, but if it gets beyond that, then that's what your manager is there to do."
"So, once you start your performance, you guys OWN the stage. That is YOUR office. People should NOT be coming into your office unless they have a very good reason to do so. Sometimes one of the stage team need to come on to fix something, but they should not be getting in your way. Cameramen should know their place: if you are happy with them coming up close, then let them know, and maybe let them know WHEN it's ok. Otherwise, they should not be getting in your way... that's definitely something for your manager to sort out!"
"Talk to your crew during the performance if you need to: we have a great in-ear monitoring system. We have some simple signs we use to say when we need to talk to them privately. So, if you need to change the running order, then let them know what's happening: if they don't know what's going on, they can't make you sound good, can they? Oh, if you get a rogue camera man, you might like to tell the guy on the intercom."
"Back to on-stage cameras: we've done a couple of performances where Paige here - lady behind you - has been filming us for a live web-stream: we specifically gave her permission to get 'up in our faces'... luckily Paige knows us well, plus knows what we tend to do on stage, and unlike the main camera men, doesn't have a big wire that gets in the way, so she's able to move quickly. What I'm saying is: only do that sort of thing if you trust the person doing it!"
"Before you go on stage, you WILL get stressed and nervous: we've done a couple of tours now, and the feeling never goes away. So be prepared for those feelings. Take a few minutes before you perform to relax: you can tell people to just 'go away'! Sometimes you HAVE to! But feelings like that can actually be good, it makes you a bit more aware of things, and can actually make your performance better!"
"And finally: you are supposed to be performers, so make sure you ENJOY performing. Yeah, you'll have off-days, but that's normal. For me, actually PLAYING our own music is the best part of what I do!"
