Well it depends on your sound man. What kind of mike he has, and believe it or not how old he is. In the 'good old days' microphone technique was a skill, and if your sound guy is an old fart he might have some really good microphones and expect you to be able to use them.

Sadly though that is very unlikely to be the case. Most performing mics nowadays have hefty blast screens built in so you just go right up to them as close as you can. This leaves you with very little room to vary your mic technique. Just get in close and stay there.

Should you be lucky enough to get a good sound engineer with a good mic, then you will find that he positions the mic just below your mouth pointing slightly upwards. This allows you to sing across the mic instead of directly into it, which will cut down blasting and popping. You will also be able to vary your mouth-mic distance to control expression. Get in close for quiet passages and move away two to four inches for loud passages, or to match your output to that of your quieter partner.

So watch the previous performer. Chances are, he'll have the mic stuck almost down his throat, and you'll have no choice other than get right up close.

So what I'm trying to say is '"There is such a thing as mic technique but it doesn't get used much nowadays".

Break a leg Kris.

Bert.