This is such a great thread. The only advice I have is from the audience perspective (and a sometime actor) is to avoid at all costs separating yourself from the audience, without going out and sitting in their laps. I have often seen the link to the audience break so easily -- either the artist is lost in his own world uninterestingly -- this seems to be a failing of the technically proficient for some reason -- or the band is talking amongst themselves as a secret society with their own jokes (audiences really hate that -- they start their own conversations in response), or using the audience as a chorus without giving them a chance to do it properly.

It is also worth saying that in my experience audiences are really desperate to see people do well -- they will put up with all kinds of problems if you are new and sincere.

yours, Peter T.