No, it's not the name of the next band you'll be working with or even a way of looking at the future of analog consoles. I saw that phrase on the cover of a magazine recently. It was a teaser to an interview with the publisher of Wired Magazine, and it referred to the entire idea of print publishing — from its efficiency as a way to disseminate information in a timely manner, to its effectiveness for advertisers seeking to get their stuff seen by the right audience. The phrase has stuck with me because it does a great job of describing the way I have felt but have been unable to express well for the past decade-plus. On a non-publishing front it is a great way to describe how it remains important — even crucial — to do the basics well, but that the basics are no longer enough. Example: last night I went out to the MGM Grand Garden Arena to talk to the audio crew and catch part of the show with the Southern jam band Widespread Panic. The band and the crew had the basics down for a show like this. The band went on lots of extended, danceable instrumental excursions, and the crew knew the material and the people well enough to know where they were going and to keep the big beat ever present. Good stuff, but not enough. The band and crew together upped the ante a notch or three with cool visuals and some of the best arena sound I have heard recently — maybe ever. And this is in a room that can be tough to mix in.
That mastery of the basics coupled with the ability and drive to go further points right back to that magazine cover. Not dead. But not enough.
Most of you who have been reading FOH awhile know that I am stupid enough to still play out from time to time, and I have encountered the same thing on the band front. After more than a year of unsuccessful attempts at booking in Las Vegas, we took a hard look at what we were doing and saw that we had the basics down but needed more. That led to a total refocusing that has us booking three different kinds of gigs under three different names with a much stronger "show" element, and now the phone is starting to ring. The idea of just playing good music? Not dead. But not enough.
That same idea is about to permeate your favorite live event audio publication. I am proud of the job we do at FOH every month, and think we are pretty good at putting together a magazine that gives a good overview of a complex industry while both inspiring and educating our readers. Not dead. But not enough.
As the world has gotten more digital, consumers of information have come to expect more choices. And, truth is, we have done only a so-so job of offering those choices. We have had a digital version of the print magazine available for some time now, and people really like it. But the FOH Web site is what it is. It has it's high points — the forums that we started almost two years ago are going pretty strong–and areas that need to improve, and in the next few months you will see a major redesign of the site, including the ability to search back issues, more interactive content, Web-only content, plus downloadable stuff with an emphasis on very current news and education.
Finally, you may have already received an electronic notice to update your listing in the Event Production Directory. With the issue that is being put together now, you will not only be able to update your listing online, but the whole directory will be available — and searchable — online. For those of you who are working individuals and not company owners, stay with us. There is something in the works for all y'all as well.
Just like you have to stay on top of current production and audio trends to be successful, we have had to look at where things are heading and what our readers need from us and make some adjustments. Like I said, we are pretty good at what we already do, and print is not dead. But it's not enough. Things are about to get real interesting…
