I have written about the blame game before (INMF, It's Not My Fault) and no matter how funny certain situations seem in retrospect, there is usually little humor to be found when confronted with an ugly situation and you are the one who is standing in the line of fire.
I spend a good part of my working day speaking to clients about their upcoming show or audio rental, and quite often, my conversations exceed the limit of what might be called an audio job and cross over into the undefined role of production manager or production consultant. While this progression from audio manager to production manager is not an unusual situation, it does create, by its indeterminate character, a gray area–or a production Bermuda Triangle– where balls will be dropped and signals missed. Whole gigs seem to mysteriously disappear from the radar on show day, leaving some engineer, client or artist scratching their head in disbelief as they point an accusing finger in every direction but their own. One way to combat this type of confusion is to get as much as possible written down in an e-mail or fax. Ask the client to detail what they expect from your company regarding load-in times, load-out times, sound check and show times, addresses, directions, contacts and–most of all–ask them to be specific in regards to how payment is being handled. Even after you think you have everything outlined on paper, go back and make sure that you know who is providing you with power, a stage, lights and load-in and load-out labor. In many cases, I like to take control of as much of the production as possible, ensuring that I will have everything I need to make for a successful show without any major drama or disaster. It's not that the clients are stupid or malicious (though I do wonder about a few); it is just that they do not know any better and need to be given direction.
I like to be assured that my shows are going to run smoothly and according to plan, thereby placing me in the position of accepting responsibility for the success (or failure) of the event. Sometimes, the added responsibility proves to be more lucrative, while other times, it is just more work. Either way, slings and arrows will be headed in my direction if anything should go wrong, and a simple e-mail or fax outlining the scope of work provides a great shield to thwart all attacks. For example, if there is no stage when you arrive at an event and the client claims that your company was to provide it, just whip out that trusty e-mail or fax to prove yourself.
This type of written defense protects you from the "he said, she said" type of argument that can impede the progress of an event, but remember that it works both ways–the little missive that you hold up as defense might actually prove the client right. If that's the case, be a man, accept responsibility and do whatever it takes to correct the situation. It is not the end of the world if you're wrong and, while it may not seem that way at the time, think of it as one less mistake you will make on the next event.
No matter how much planning and preparation one spends on any given event, the possibility of some negative occurrence always looms just over the upstage truss. Anything can happen to hamper the intended flow of any given event, from a flat tire or a blown speaker to an act of God, and the only thing we can do is to be prepared, protect ourselves and, most of all, be honest and be accountable for our actions, intentions and responsibilities. Keep in mind that at the end of the night that when you get back on the bus or close the club, turn off the amplifiers or load the last rack onto the truck, it all depends upon you, regardless of your job.
Take a moment, reflect upon the show and even if the show was a great success, try and see if there is any way to improve upon your portion of the event. If you are the A-1 or A-2, FOH or monitor engineer, the event planner or the production manager, it's important to accept responsibility for your own words and actions. Difficulties are not the problem–for every dilemma, there is a solution.
We live in a time when we are confronted with tragedy and dilemma almost daily. Some of these problems are inflicted upon us as an act of God, while other calamities are perpetrated by our fellow humans in accordance with some horrible agenda. Our response to these exigencies takes on the same immediacy as our accountability to our shows and events, and for the most part, I do not see anyone standing up to accept culpability in a world that seems to be corroding around the edges. As I've said before, I will accept as much responsibility as needed to ensure the success of my little portion of the world, and I expect that others in this business will do the same, but when the trucks can't roll because of high oil prices and our business suffers due to fear for our safety, I want someone to stand up and be accountable–if not for the problem, than for the solution.
