April is a big month for small to medium festivals in Las Vegas. We have
done our fair share this year. Here are some of the challenges, trials and
tribulations of one of the festive festivals we have done so far. 🙂
This JAZZ thing.
The Promoter has been doing this for 350 years. We have been doing this
with him for two years. He is not hip to modern technology. In fact, I heard
he once yelled at lighting guy for bringing LED pars instead of Par 64s.
Said “those lights are too small”
He literally said this to me: “I don’t want to give these bands what they
want.”
“They all get Yamaha PM5 things. Nothing else… And NO SHOW FILES!! I am not paying for show files. I am paying for a show.”
So two days, 12 bands, one wanted the “Yamaha PM5 thing,” everyone else
wanted a pair of Profiles. So what’s the easy resolve? Well, bring two
Profiles, and one “Yamaha PM5 thing” and all is well right?
NO!!! Bring TWO “Yamaha PM5 things” and thats it! Says he.
Knowing he will never know or look, we decide to bring 3 consoles. Tell him two are
the “Yamaha PM5 thing” and one Profile when in reality, it’s that in
reverse.
“I’m not paying for three consoles, just bring the “Yamaha PM5 things”
So we bring two Profiles, and tell the one monitor guy who actually needed the “Yamaha PM5 Thing” because he had 14 musicians on stage using ears and wedges, “sorry dude, we tried, good luck, we are ALL counting on you.”
So what happens? His band set starts 20 minutes late with a hard curfew.
Squeals and howls coming from the stage for the acts WHOLE 20 minutes they
got to play…
Who does the promoter scream at? You guessed it.
I suppose we could have brought two “Yamaha PM5 things” and had the other 11
bands run late?
How would you have handled this? He is the customer, give him what he wants, and eat a poop sandwich all day from the other 11 acts?
Let’s discuss
