The moment you take that amazing next step by publishing music on iTunes, the whole music world will seem to open up to you. Fans will post love notes on your Facebook wall (One Direction, who?), local venues will be interested in booking you left and right, and Grandma Jean will call to let you know that she always knew you had it in you.

And once you conquer one genre, you’ll be right on to the next – the incredible live show.

But what if the gig you just booked is your band’s very first? What if performing live is a whole different ballgame?

To help qualm your pre-show jitters so you can get up on that stage and rock it like there’s no tomorrow, here are three unforgettable tips from the masters. Buckle up, future superstars:

1. Connect with your crowd: Though it can be tempting to shut everything out but your music and your passion on stage, don’t – your audience wants to connect with you. Advises Fatboy Slim, “A good [artist] is always looking at the crowd, seeing what they’re like, seeing whether it’s working: communicating with them. Smiling at them.” Eye contact = priceless.

2. Be cool: One of our favorite pieces of advice comes from Mr. Cool himself – Ben Folds. “Don’t feel like you have to beat every note into people’s heads and be Guy Smiley all the time. Just make music and have good manners.” We hear you, Ben. When you take that stage, relax, take a deep breath, and do it your way.

3. Stay you: We know, we know – it sounds corny. But when it comes to rocking it out on stage, one of the most important pieces of advice you can follow is to stay true to your band and true to your brand. Not the smashing-your-guitar-on-stage type? Don’t do it. Weary of 7-inch heels? Leave them to Mother Monster. After all, as the great Kurt Cobain once said, “The worst crime is faking it.”

So once you’ve made the decision to publish music on iTunes, why not take a lesson from the greats and perform a truly epic live show? Sound good?

Good.

We’ll see you there.