The Tolerance of Inadequacy
If you went to a restaurant and ordered a meal that was given to you under-cooked then there is no doubt that you would request a replacement. A return trip to the mechanics would not be given a second of hesitation if the very repair you just paid for didn’t work. I can name many more scenarios in which one would demand a “do over.”
So, I am amazed that audiences of local live music would tolerate the inadequacy and downright poor quality of the lighting of the musicians that they have just determined a dedication of their most precious asset, time. I have ventured to many venues during the time I have been photographing musicians in the greater Austin area and I know for a fact that if the fans saw on their television set what they see on stage it would not stand.
Lighting is critical to a pleasant experience. Just last night, I was periodically blinded by two moving lights from the back of the stage. This was atop of viewing the musicians as blue smurfs with a hint of shadow, pink lollipops, and then bleached out by an orangish red. How is this pleasing? How is this entertaining?
Stage lighting is a key component to creating intoxicating performances. The lights illuminate the stage, highlight key focal points, set the scene, and more. From giving visual direction to grabbing the audience’s attention to shaping and enhancing the environment, lighting adds a unique layer to every show.
Stage Lighting Theory | Illuminated Integration (illuminated-integration.com)
I want to take this a step further. Musicians have an obligation to give their audience an experience, i.e. make it worth the time and effort it took to get there. Good, great music is important but stage presence is also. Walking onto a stage in clothing that looks like you either just got out of bed or just don’t care is wrong.
“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” – Coco Chanel
I saw a band in which the lead singer put on an immaculate costume as well as face paint. Time and effort were put into her look. She obviously cares. Her band members did not compliment her at all. Just think of the eye appeal if they had a look. That I would want to see again. What will they wear this time?
There are too many “attention grabbers.” Be the dominate thought in a fan’s mind when trying to determine how they spend their time. Make it worth their while. Just playing well is not enough. There are so many talented musicians. What is it about you that makes one want to choose you over others?
I am a photographer who competes with thousands of smartphone photos. I see many, many poor quality shots of musicians posted. This is my competition so I have to, first and foremost, post a photo that is better than those I see. But this is not enough. I have to capture and hold your attention. I want to make you wish you were there. That is what I strive to do. That is what I will do.
Stop it!!! Stop it NOW!!! Your time is precious. Do not let it be abused. Demand the best!!! If if offends then that is their problem. They are asking you to be there. You chose them over others. Were they worth it? Demand the best from your musicians and the venues they play in. This is the only way Live Music Performances will survive.
Love this!
Years ago, I had the pleasure of being a Lighting Director for a popular concert venue in Lubbock. It was old school, back then. No moving lights, nothing was digital. It was climb the trussing, hand spin each light fixture for coverage, and point the 1k watt, par 64’s, then load the gel frames for the color formats provided by the touring artist. I absolutely loved it!
Over the years, many of the artists coming through would ask if I was still there because they knew the level of my work.
It’s a funny thing when you politely ask a venue’s LD – who is typically also tasked with running sound – for some basic scene changes, and they respond “yeah sure” and they actually go out of their way to keep a band in the dark.
Then there are those mighty few, who actually respect the requests and even appreciate when you give them a cue sheet with your set list, and then actually try their best to give you what you have asked for.
Venues, tech staff, and bands should care more about the product they provide to a paying public.
Maybe that is why the more popular bands have decided to carry their own production – they can’t trust or rely on the venues to represent them well enough, and have taken the time and effort to make sure their audiences are getting a great show.
And for most of us – have you priced bringing in a rented light or sound system and someone to run it? Easily 3-4x what a band is – or might be – paid to perform.
The frustration is real.
It is a shame that Austin carries the moniker it prides itself with so vainly, and venues in San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston actually do more to step up and treat patrons and bands better. And do Austin’s venue operators even know or care? The balance leans far too much to the side of indifference, and that’s a shame.