We are back! After what seems like an eternity, things are starting to move in a positive direction. Venues have reopened, albeit with some restrictions, but music is once again being heard in places that went silent over a year ago. I remember March 2020 well. On the 16th we started cancelling orders and by the 19th the schedule was empty. While shutting down operations came as an emotional jolt, turning off the computers, lights and phones was easy. Walking out and locking the door behind us as we headed to our own personal lockdown was a simple operation, and we just did it. Up until that point, it had looked like the beginning of a stellar year, then there was nothing.
Our company was like a big machine that had been servicing the concert and event community for over 50 years, and we had been steadily rolling along and picking up speed. Our contacts were in place for parts, service and labor, and we were able to manipulate the machine at a moment’s notice without losing momentum.
Well-oiled and fueled, the big machine was dexterous, often with more work than we could seemingly handle, but it all got done and the big machine kept moving and growing. As large as our big machine appeared to be, we were just one part of a community of other big machines all moving along and picking up momentum; just a cog in the wheel, as one might say. Then the pandemic happened, and just like that, all the machines ground to a halt. All the well-oiled machines that fueled an industry went silent, and we collectively had nada, bupkis, nothing. People who were once employed joined the ranks of the unemployed, with many drifting off into other lines of work. Purchases and rentals fell by the wayside and, without staff inventory, maintenance was nonexistent. Manufacturing slowed to a crawl, if not to a dead stop. Venues closed, tours and events were cancelled; everyone and anyone connected to the entertainment industry was affected. The world as we knew it had ended.
The Long and Winding Road
It’s been a long and tenuous year for all of us. Companies had to lay off staff workers, and with cancelled tours and shuttered venues, streaming music was the only way artists could reach out to their fans. Many studios started their own streaming services with the hope of not only streaming concerts to the deprived fans, but bringing in a new revenue stream as well. Granted, most were armed with one or two GoPro cameras, but other studios and companies offered a more extensive experience with accoutrements such as lights, video walls and multiple, high-end cameras. Collectively, we were grasping at straws trying to save ourselves from drowning in a sea of bankruptcy, debt and irrelevance.
A good portion of people who found themselves out of a job gravitated to a new line of work or, for some, a compatible line of work, such as computer programming or driving for viable companies such as Amazon. Others discovered new talents ranging from day trading stocks to landscaping. Some road-weary techs discovered the joy of actually knowing their children and grandchildren and started rethinking their lifestyle. Many older technicians who had worked in the production and touring industry for 30 to 40 years unceremoniously retired or went into hibernation, waiting until their world reopened. Well, it seems as though we have reopened, but not without some minor difficulties. After all, restarting a big machine that was stopped dead in its tracks and left unattended for over a year poses a few problems.
The Un-Glamorous Life
With the possibility of outdoor festivals and tours reopening this summer, there are some issues that need to be addressed — not all of which involve audio, backline or lighting. While replacing labor and sound gear may be an issue, getting hold of some of the less-glamorous requirements such as tenting, fencing, generators and porta potties might pose a challenge. While these are items that most of us either take for granted or don’t think about, they are indeed imperative to making an outdoor festival a success.
Recently I was in need of a 60 KW generator for an outdoor event and I started calling my regular vendors, but everyone was booked and not just because they were receiving an onslaught of calls, but because not all of their equipment was up and running after sitting idle for the past year. I did finally find what I needed, but it would be advisable to take this as a cautionary tale. It’s understood that the revenue flow is not yet available, but if the anticipated surge of work is coming, this is no time to deliberate about rebuilding one’s labor force or making sure inventory is in working order and ready to go.
CNN recently did a piece on the business of porta potties in which they recount how the pandemic affected the portable sanitation industry, leaving a longer lead time in regard to having the units delivered. Not only is there a shortage of truck drivers, but orders are backed up (no pun intended) due to the construction of new product lines that have a focus on post-pandemic cleanliness and sanitary use. Of course, like every other industry, labor is an issue, and a decimated labor force has created disruptions in the supply chain. While sanitation disposal may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the reopening of festivals, it is indeed a crucial part of any outdoor event or concert festival and, like many other items, may be hard to get as a last-minute order.
The Wheels on the Bus
Tour bus drivers, while not at the top of the list when thinking of reopening concerts and festivals, are also in short supply. I spoke to Michael Saburro from Great American Charters in Staten Island who explained how devastating the pandemic was for his industry and how the rehiring of drivers has become a major challenge, due to drivers who have moved on to other careers or have taken different driving jobs. Again, not the glamorous side of touring, but as we rely on getting from place to place in a timely fashion, it is a much-needed service.
The point is, when the calls come in, we need to be ready. Once we get started, we should be able to pick up momentum, but other than making sure our own audio gear and labor is in working order, there are other parts of the big machine that still need servicing if we are to put the whole machine in motion. If we want to be ready for the inevitable return of concerts and events and the reopening of our business, the time is now to prepare for the predicted upcoming surge.
