I am on the organizing committee for a large, 3 day, outdoor festival last weekend that I was also the entertainment promoter/director.
I had several acts on Sunday and a 4 band lineup on the main stage. Sunday evening was the 3-1/2 hour headlining concert; which my band was the opening act and Still Surfin', a Beach Boys Tribute Band.
The National Weather Service told us there was a possible severe storm scheduled to hit us with high winds and heavy rain. I, normally, have a back up plan to move the entire show; but, it's at a high school auditorium several blocks away and it would take much time to move in the middle of the day. Thankfully, I have a back up plan to the back up plan with these types of shows. I also always have a stack of stage risers in various heights for whatever set up we need and a large, covered stage area.
The weather held off through the first two bands. I already had a 1-1/2 hour changeover time scheduled between the second band and the headliners because we had to set up gear and sound check for two bands. Well, as fate would have it, as soon as the second band finished, the clouds decided to open up and dump a rain storm on us and water was running into the stage area.
I quickly gathered my band, the other band and their sound technician, and the sound company owner and we all agreed that we were going to do the concert even though water was running underneath our feet. Everybody pulled together and we configured the stage risers so that we could set up two drum kits side by side, have the keyboardist and amps up, and we could all stand on risers up out of the water underneath. Everybody started to move stage risers, gear, and get power boxes and cables in safe locations as quickly as possible. It looked like 11 people all doing something the right way in an organized fashion with little instructions in a confined stage area.
The other band's bassist told me to use his amp so that we could have less gear on stage and only one amp to sound check and less turn around time between acts. I could not have thanked him enough for offering his amp to me. Hey, us bassists have to take care of each other and make things organized.
Some of the crowd had left when the rain started; but, another crowd started to come in during the rain with their chairs and umbrellas. Many of them were people I personally know who drove up to an hour in the storm to see us. I told the audience that we were going to do whatever we could to do the show and we would be a little late in starting and we appreciated their patience.
We sound checked Still Surfin' and they got off the stage. My band did a quick sound check as the crowd was getting bigger as the rain slowed down. We started right away and decided to shorten our set. It's tough when you are rushing around and then start playing. It also was hot and humid. My band received a great response and applause after every song. We shortened the change over time between bands to about 10 minutes. Still Surfin' not only decided to not take a break and play straight through, they even played 20 minutes over.
The audience was so happy and appreciative that we decided to perform for them even with the weather conditions we were handed. Fortunately, the rain stopped while we were playing. I received so many thank yous, and even hugs, that I could not count them all. The festival committee was so grateful that they want me to do the same show already for next year. Even though the crowd was about several hundred instead of the several thousand the event usually draws, people were smiling, laughing, singing along, dancing, and having a great time.
When you deal with professional people who all pitch in and handle a situation to make the show happen, great things occur. It makes me feel great as a musician and a promoter to know that these are the types of people I have the pleasure to work with for a show.
I had several acts on Sunday and a 4 band lineup on the main stage. Sunday evening was the 3-1/2 hour headlining concert; which my band was the opening act and Still Surfin', a Beach Boys Tribute Band.
The National Weather Service told us there was a possible severe storm scheduled to hit us with high winds and heavy rain. I, normally, have a back up plan to move the entire show; but, it's at a high school auditorium several blocks away and it would take much time to move in the middle of the day. Thankfully, I have a back up plan to the back up plan with these types of shows. I also always have a stack of stage risers in various heights for whatever set up we need and a large, covered stage area.
The weather held off through the first two bands. I already had a 1-1/2 hour changeover time scheduled between the second band and the headliners because we had to set up gear and sound check for two bands. Well, as fate would have it, as soon as the second band finished, the clouds decided to open up and dump a rain storm on us and water was running into the stage area.
I quickly gathered my band, the other band and their sound technician, and the sound company owner and we all agreed that we were going to do the concert even though water was running underneath our feet. Everybody pulled together and we configured the stage risers so that we could set up two drum kits side by side, have the keyboardist and amps up, and we could all stand on risers up out of the water underneath. Everybody started to move stage risers, gear, and get power boxes and cables in safe locations as quickly as possible. It looked like 11 people all doing something the right way in an organized fashion with little instructions in a confined stage area.
The other band's bassist told me to use his amp so that we could have less gear on stage and only one amp to sound check and less turn around time between acts. I could not have thanked him enough for offering his amp to me. Hey, us bassists have to take care of each other and make things organized.
Some of the crowd had left when the rain started; but, another crowd started to come in during the rain with their chairs and umbrellas. Many of them were people I personally know who drove up to an hour in the storm to see us. I told the audience that we were going to do whatever we could to do the show and we would be a little late in starting and we appreciated their patience.
We sound checked Still Surfin' and they got off the stage. My band did a quick sound check as the crowd was getting bigger as the rain slowed down. We started right away and decided to shorten our set. It's tough when you are rushing around and then start playing. It also was hot and humid. My band received a great response and applause after every song. We shortened the change over time between bands to about 10 minutes. Still Surfin' not only decided to not take a break and play straight through, they even played 20 minutes over.
The audience was so happy and appreciative that we decided to perform for them even with the weather conditions we were handed. Fortunately, the rain stopped while we were playing. I received so many thank yous, and even hugs, that I could not count them all. The festival committee was so grateful that they want me to do the same show already for next year. Even though the crowd was about several hundred instead of the several thousand the event usually draws, people were smiling, laughing, singing along, dancing, and having a great time.
When you deal with professional people who all pitch in and handle a situation to make the show happen, great things occur. It makes me feel great as a musician and a promoter to know that these are the types of people I have the pleasure to work with for a show.
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