[A few months back, we ran an article in this space detailing the infamous "$300 Gig" and what it really costs you to take it. Well, everything is relative, and recently one of our Anklebiters took a gig that, for all intents and purposes (and disregarding the low-five-figure payout), was a $300 Gig. In the end, the client got way more than he paid for, and the soundco had destroyed their relationship with the company that supplied much of the gear, pissed off a bunch of crew members and earned very little money for a full week of work. Let's take a look at what went wrong and what can be learned from it. –ed.] Paul: A number of years ago, I started providing sound for a cowboy poetry festival in the small town of Heber City, Utah. It started out with a single stage but has grown over the years into a six-day long event (including load-in and load- out) with multiple stages, nationally-known acts and satellite events before and after the actual festival. The budget for the event has grown as well, but not at near the rate of the event itself. When I was contacted about the gig, I took it. At the price they offered, that was a mistake that I am still paying for.
The gig is fun, but very hard. It includes multiple stages over a six-day period of time. Some of the events included a kickoff steak dinner with entertainment, an old-time railroad train with entertainment on six cars, three stages with continuous entertainment for three days and a cowboy church stage for Sunday. Each of the stages requires monitors and FOH with a two-person crew to man the positions. On the continuous entertainment stages there were no scheduled breaks for food, etc. The main stage had three two-hour shows per day and sound checks in-between the shows.
I guess that the big question is: What is an Anklebiter doing with this gig? Why would I get involved in something this large?
That is what I am wondering, too. How does an Anklebiter get from our "normal" business to this level? Should we go for larger gigs? How do you plan for growth? Remember that all of this was accomplished on an Anklebiter budget. The gig paid in the low teens and yet expected a $40,000 performance from the sound company. Brian, I have informed you about this gig, what do you have to say?
Brian: This kind of show takes tons of planning and coordination, as well as a large quantity of equipment and labor. You're certainly right that this doesn't seem like the type of thing an Anklebiter would normally tackle. I think that if I was approached to provide production for this type of event, I would sub out all of the production to one or two of the regional companies in the area, and I would assume the role of production manager for the overall event. The major problem is doing it on a budget that should cover one stage for a day or two. I can't imagine pulling all of that together within such a tight budget.
It's not that I wouldn't try to do larger shows. Over the years, I've done some huge shows with multiple systems, delay towers, everything imaginable. Just not with my own gear. I think that the key to growth of a company is slow and controlled. Sure, there will be some big jumps forward. You'll know you're there each time you find yourself with a bigger contract than you've ever had before. And you're likely to stress a little when you look at your budget and place the order for the next piece of expensive equipment you need to make that show happen.
I just ordered the rest of the parts to finish building a new splitter snake. And with 56 inputs, multi-pin disconnects and a total of 400 feet of cable, it's not cheap. The cable and the stage box are already sitting in my shop, long since paid for. It's the $3,500 price tag for fan-outs and mass connectors that just about gave me a stroke. But you've got to make these investments to make money. This business is hard. It really is. I have to keep reminding myself that this cable alone will rent for around $1 per foot, and owning it will leave around $100 in my bank account each time I do a show that necessitates something more than my current 125-foot, 24-channel snake. Its just part of a slow growth process.
Maybe one day, I'll be able to step up to the plate and do a $40,000 show, but for now I'm dealing with all the ones that bring in a few hundred dollars. Occasionally, I'll have a show that pays as much as $3000; the first time a promoter said, "You can handle this," I was petrified, but I pulled it off. Next month brings a show that will pay a little over $8,000, and it's a bit of a challenge for me. But as time goes on I will be better equipped to handle incrementally larger and larger shows. Maybe one day I'll be a regional company…
Paul: The only way that the budget for the Heber gig could work is to increase it dramatically or reduce the equipment list. Let's look at how to increase the budget.
Does the promoter have the money in the gig that will allow for a larger audio budget? Are the seats selling at top dollar and are limited in number? If this is the case, then asking for more money probably won't work. The promoter, as well as the Anklebiter, does not have a money tree to pick the excess cash from. Analyze the gig and see if you are being paid what is customary in your area. If not, then you need to work on selling your service for a higher price.
The other scenario is to reduce the equipment list. Analyze each gig and see if it can be done with less gear. Do you need to consolidate monitors and house from the same position? Is it possible to use fewer cabinets and still have excellent coverage? Do you still need a stage person to change over acts if it is a multiple act gig? Can you hand the gig off to someone else and stage manage the show? Will the company that you hand it off to steal it next year and leave you out? Do you want to give your competitor some of your clients?
Brian: Well, I don't exactly want to just turn over clients to a competitor. You might as well just go work for them and take a commission on your sales. Maybe I'm lucky to have a good working relationship with a great regional company in my area. A big chunk of my workload is subcontract work I do for them, and I certainly don't make any attempt to steal their clients. I would hope that they would have the same respect for me. Of course, maybe I'm just naïve, and don't see the potential danger of handling a show that way.
Then again, there are whole companies that do big business just doing event coordination. And most of what they provide to their clients is contracted out to various production companies. I guess putting anyone else in contact with your work could be risky, but you've got to know when it's more than you can handle alone, and when it's just time to grow a little. I just don't think that growing in huge leaps and bounds overnight can be healthy for a business.
Paul: I have had local companies steal clients and also contract to send to me certain specified gear and then at the last minute change the equipment and leave me stranded. I would much rather grow gradually or contract out to a third party than to experience this type of situation. The most important single task is to create a business plan with contingencies for what we have described. Plan your work and your growth, or you will have many problems.
