Last month, I was chatting with FRONT of HOUSE columnist Steve LaCerra. I’ve known and worked with him for nearly 30 years, and he has an amazing sense of putting a sometimes-technical topic into a form that’s easy to understand. When not writing for us, he manages to stay out of trouble (i.e., keeping himself busy) by doing the three-hands-full job as the tour manager and FOH mixer for Blue Öyster Cult.
While other touring mixers might take a few moments to chill backstage before the show begins, Steve is usually found in a dressing room with his laptop and printer, knocking out setlists for the evening’s show, calling to track down another piece of backline for the next night, or taking care (and reconfirming) transportation or hotel arrangements. No rest for the weary…
Anyway, back to the main point. Steve and I were discussing ideas for his July column. I suggested something on surviving festival gigs, where your band is slated somewhere in the middle of 10 other acts and consoles and/or onstage changeovers can be either smooth as glass, or hectic, depending on the crew, the quality of pre-show communications (stage plots, input lists, etc.). Anyway, with the festival phenomenon at all-time high, lots of such events happening, Steve does a lot of these and as it turns out, he has a lot of good advice to share, which he does on page 41.
Just Literary, or Literal?
You’ve seen these kinds of these “survival” articles all the time, with titles such as “Surviving Puberty” or one I penned, called “A Survival Guide to Musikmesse/Prolight + Sound,” offering travel tips and inside information on getting around in a foreign city. Unfortunately, given some of the recent events and incidents going on in our ever-shrinking world, ranging from the shootings at the Bataclan in Paris, or a similarly grim episode at The Pulse in Orlando, the airport bombings in Belgium or the carnage in Dallas during the Black Lives Matter protest, that term “survival” takes on a meaning that goes much further than leads on the best ATM exchange rates in Frankfurt for tradeshow attendees.
And with that in mind, it seems somehow ironic that in this issue containing a column on “Surviving Festivals,” we also have articles (page 28-29) with “The Event Safety Alliance’s Response to Orlando” (penned by the ESA) and a piece by world-class production manager Charlie Hernandez entitled “Active Shooter Protocol: Practical Suggestions for Touring and Production Pros.” In a perfect world, I would have rather devoted that editorial space to understanding room nodes or cardioid subwoofer arrays, but I think the ESA’s and Charlie’s pieces can take precedence for now, with good reason.
We should all be aware that many of us work in various performance venues — ranging from clubs and street fairs to arenas, theaters and stadiums — and all of these represent “soft” high-visibility targets. And judging by actions in past history, even churches and houses of worship could be considered targets on someone’s list.
No one is 100 percent safe. At the same time, we cannot tolerate being subjected to a two-hour security line screening just to enter a supermarket, shopping mall, local jazz club, cinema or baseball game. We should not allow the admittedly rare acts of cowardice and/or insanity by terrorists (domestic or foreign) to alter our plans and activities.
We need not be scared — but we should be smart, including being aware of our surroundings, even if it’s simply knowing beforehand where the exits are located. And this applies to other life situations, such as counting the number of doors between your hotel room and the stairway in case of fire, or actually listening to the flight safety instructions when you board your next flight. Thankfully, the chances of being involved in a violent situation are significantly less than those of slipping in the shower, but with a little information, some advance planning and a modicum of caution, you can definitely put the odds in your favor — for you and your crew.
So be smart, be aware and be safe.
For George Petersen’s introduction to the July 2016 issue of FRONT of HOUSE, go to http://www.fohonline.com/main-news/15092.
