Too often, we all think of great productions in terms of state-of-the-art audio gear, massive sets, awe-inspiring lighting, pyrotechnics and special effects — of course, all accompanied by an amazing performance — but the one thing often ignored is the human factor. Everything has to happen with split-second precision, and a professional, well-oiled (and rehearsed) crew is an essential part of the process.
One of the secrets to great shows is teamwork, with everyone working together for the common cause — and establishing camaraderie and morale among the crew is fueled by production management and sometimes the artists themselves. In terms of the latter, recall that some performers kept crew members on salary during the pandemic shutdown (or at least as long as they could afford to do so), which is something that can definitely make a difference. Certainly, a sour-grapes attitude among the staff can have a negative and noticeable effect on the production.
This month, on page 20, we are pleased to share the excellent Production Profile by industry veteran Danny Abelson on the current Foo Fighters tour. After spending some time with the crew, he was impressed by frontman Dave Grohl and his management and staff’s creation of an atmosphere that recognizes the audio personnel that pride themselves on supporting one another, their client and the entire production team. It’s a shining example where teamwork really does start from the top. And there was no drama here — Abelson also noted that the Foo Fighters’ touring enterprise exhibited one of the calmest, most non-hierarchical, mutually-supportive audio teams he’d seen in a long time. Bravo!
Travel safe!
