Write a Concert Review
Magazines, newspapers and Internet blogs publish concert reviews to give readers an opportunity to see what they missed, relive the event or just get information about the type of entertainment they can find in their area. Writing a strong review makes readers feel like they were there with you. Follow these steps to learn to take notes and write a concert review.
Instructions
1. Take a notebook and pen with you to the show, or use a hand-held voice recorder if such devices are allowed. Any notes you can take right away will assure you remember them later.
2. Get a set list before the show if possible. Often the venue will offer a list of the songs the band plans to play. If no list is available, write down song titles as the band tells them or ask audience members for any title names you may not know.
3. Give basic information at the beginning of the article or in a sidebar. This information includes the name of the band, the venue, the date and time of the concert and the individual names of band members and the instruments they play. If you don't know some of this information, write around it, but if you have too many holes your readers will stop trusting that you are a credible source.
4. Write about the band and the songs they performed. Tell whether the concert was a success or a failure and what the band did to cause you to come to that conclusion. Give specific information about the way the band performed, how well they presented the songs and the atmosphere of the stage. Make sure to tell readers what style of music the band plays and whether this was a debut concert or a regular performance.
5. Use a tense best suited for the medium publishing your review. Most use past tense, as the event already happened, but many prefer present tense to make the reader feel they are there.
6. Be objective. Unlike news articles, the purpose of a review is pure opinion backed by facts, but giving too much opinion takes away the journalistic credibility. The audience trusts you to give an accurate telling of the event, whether you personally liked it or not. If the band was horrible, tell what specifically made them horrible.
