It's a classic technique used by magicians over the ages.
As the classic Lover's Rock track 'Kunta Kinte Dub' comes to an end, the audience's attention is diverted away from the stage. A sea of faces turn towards the upper circle of Manchester's O2 Apollo where trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi and saxophonist James Mollison appear.
Then, as if by magic, the other three members of Ezra Collective are on stage. And before you know it, the gig is in full swing.
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The afrobeat jazz band from London have been on quite the journey. Forming at a youth club in Camden more than a decade ago, they now have a Mercury Prize to their name, winning the prestigious award in 2023 for their second album, Where I'm Meant to Be.
Their talent has taken them all over the world with each trip to Manchester requiring a bigger venue as more and more people want to join the party. Starting out at Night and Day, they went on to play Gorilla and Deaf Institute before selling out Albert Hall last year.
But the beauty of this band is that it doesn't matter where they're booked. They can transform any size venue into a carnival of joy.
Their third album, released in September of this year, sees the band stick to their winning formula. Dance, No One's Watching captures the energy that the captivating quintet have become known for - but nothing beats seeing them live if you want the full experience.
Drummer and frontman Femi Koleoso instructs the audience to get acquainted with each other early on. "We want to make sure every single person in this room feels seen, feels connected," he says, setting out the band's mission statement at the start of the show.
The dancing doesn't stop as each song rolls into the next with the band drawing on all aspects of its discography. The endless medleys are also peppered with some covers including nineties banger 'Sweet Like Chocolate' and noughties favourite 'Wish I Didn't Miss You'.
But no words are sung throughout the one-and-a-half-hour set - aside from on one track which the support act, Manchester's own Children of Zeus, are invited on stage for. The almost entirely instrumental performance showcases each musician's talent in turn.
Perhaps the most impressive individual is keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones whose mesmerising solos steal the limelight more than once. But what's even more impressive is the band's ability to make the audience feel fully immersed throughout - almost part of the band.
As the horn section splits the crowd in two, bassist TJ Koleoso joins the duo to dance with fans as the band plays the triumphant 'Hear My Cry'. The audience is quite diverse, as Femi remarks, but they are all united by one thing - a desire to dance like no one's watching.
