FOH at Large

“Be afraid, be very afraid!” At least that’s the message that I am receiving from all of the six major media broadcasters I have been following — and rightly so. On Nov. 13, 2015 attackers in Paris killed 130 people, including 89 at an Eagles of Death Metal concert in the Bataclan Theatre.

It’s official; Sex does not sell!

To be more precise, naked girls in Playboy magazine do not sell, which is why in the upcoming year the people in charge of the monthly journal are changing their 63 year-old format from naked women to scantily clad women.

Insurance is a game of chance — a gambler’s game similar to Wall Street trading and big casino betting that, much like trading or gambling, is also a for-profit profession. Therefore, it would be a judicious move on the part of anyone entering the insurance field to ensure that the odds are stacked in favor of the house. One way that insurance companies try to protect themselves is through “risk management.” To quote Ricardo Antunes and Vincent Gonzalez: “Risk management’s objective is to assure uncertainty does not deflect the endeavor from the business goals.” The goal in this instance is to make a profit while offering a customer piece of mind against a perceived threat in one undertaking or another.

An Interview with Staff Sergeant Javier Sanz

An audio technician friend of mine recently re-enlisted in the Army, and over the years has been totally positive about it; he was getting a great education and there are many audio opportunities available in the services ranging from recording to live sound. Last month, we began a conversation about some of his experiences supporting military bands — both stateside, and overseas (FRONT of HOUSE, Sept. 2015, page 60).

It amazes me how many schools and colleges now offer audio engineering as a degree program. Quite a few of the resumes I receive from aspiring applicants list a diploma from one of these programs, but while there is great merit in having a degree from one of these schools, there is no assurance the holder of said degree will land the coveted television show or studio position they desire.

An audio engineer friend of mine sent me this item from Wundergroundmusic.com: “Sound engineering has officially been declared the grumpiest profession in the world at this week’s International Jobs Summit in Tokyo, Japan. According to the keynote speaker, Steven Jobless, “sound engineers have reached a level of grumpiness only previously seen in roles held by post-Internet librarians and a specific member of the Seven Dwarves.

As we all know, everybody does production management. From stagehands to company accountants, it seems anyone who’s ever worked on a concert or an event — in any capacity — can then be qualified as a “production manager.” While there may be some truth to this (in certain instances), it might be best to understand the various nuances associated with the title “Production Manager,” as not all production managers are created equal nor are their jobs all the same.

Well folks, as of this writing, it is once again the time of season. The trucks are loaded. the buses are rolling and the tours are well underway with audio rigs small and large flying off the shelves and onto trusses everywhere. Engineers are back in the groove with full time work, and sheds and venues around the world are filling up with fans willing to spend their hard-earned cash to see and hear their favorite bands overwhelm them with hit tunes played through some of the best sound systems money can buy.

One of the more enjoyable aspects of my job is when manufacturers of audio gear come and demonstrate their products for me. In a business that is forever upgrading, it’s important for a rental house to be aware of the products that are viable and trending, and it is also imperative to the survival of a business such as this to maintain a roster of equipment that bands, engineers and promoters are requesting. Considering the expense of maintaining new and updated gear, it’s also necessary for a provider to understand the marketplace for which they are providing equipment.

I enjoy engaging people in conversation and hearing different points of view regarding a wide variety of topics. I take pleasure in hearing about a person’s life, their problems and their issues as well as talking about baseball, music, girls, audio, cars, guitars, home ownership, politics, books, movies and the world at large — though not necessarily in that order.

I happen to be a firm believer in a low-input/high-output gain structure. I also realize that there is more than one way to arrive at a final live mix, and that it helps if one is not so intractable as to adhere to only one approach. I’m always interested as to how different engineers approach and set up their mix and, because of this curiosity, I found myself in a conversation with an engineer friend of mine who works in many different situations — from concert to corporate, in venues of varying size and structure.

One late night as I was channel surfing through myriad old movies, series reruns and infomercials, I stumbled upon Stanley Kubrick’s 1999 last film Eyes Wide Shut, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. As a Kubrick fan, I saw the movie when it first came out, but I remembered leaving the theater less than impressed and a bit confused in regard to the plot. Realizing that sleep was beyond my grasp and wanting to see if a 15-year time span would endow me with more insight,