NAMM’s Believe In Music program, a celebration of the people who bring music to the world, featured livestreamed educational sessions and workshops Jan. 20-21. The free online event included the session, Take the Stress Out of Touring: The Artist and Crew Relationship. Hosted by Chris Lose, PLSN columnist and lighting/video designer, the session explored ways the touring crew and the artist they are supporting can work together more effectively to ensure a positive and successful touring experience for all involved. In this session, Lose interviewed Phay Mac Mahon, production manager, site coordinator, and lighting designer for artists including Def Leppard and Aerosmith, among others.
Nearly 200 people tuned into the online session. It was available to watch online until Sunday, Jan. 23 through midnight PT, along with nearly 100 sessions on other topics.
The session was filled with funny and insightful stories. Mac Mahon spoke on how every artist and crew has a different dynamic, and “reading the room” from day one is key. “The first thing you want to try to do is get people in the venue to relax around you,” he says. “If they are relaxed, they are listening.”
MacMahon told one of an artist wanting a big set piece in the middle of every arena, and when it was explained that most of the time that would involve digging up the floor, the artist sincerely responded, “What’s wrong with that?” Creating a line of communication between those creating the show and the artist is always the goal but sometimes a challenge. Another story involved an artist’s “assistant” who demanded that a certain type of bottle of water be available for the artist traveling in Europe that was hard to get normally, and impossible to get in Scandinavia. “It became a massive headache for caterers, production, people everyone,” he said. MacMahon got out his pencil and his phone and called to learn how much 20 pallets of this water would cost; and then how much would it cost to freight it, etc. “I went to her and the artist, showed the cost, and low and behold that request went away,” he said with a hearty laugh. “Suddenly Scandinavian water was okay to drink! I knew I just had to get around this person and get to the artist.”
Both Lose and Mac Mahon spoke from experience when they talked about how the more an artist knows the crew and understands each individual role, the better the tour goes. Also, a lot of common sense and understanding goes a long way: “When you have a tour that has co-headliners, and one band demands eight dressing rooms and the other 10, well, few places have 18,” MacMahon said. “Also, maybe the champagne and orange juice doesn’t need its own room.” In one of the best lines of the session, he also pointed out that maybe artists need to remember that they can go from “do you know who I am?” to “do you know who I used to be?” in the blink of an eye. (So be kind to those around you on the way up, because they will likely be there on the way down, he advised.)
Among the active participants of the session was Zach Phillips, NAMM’s director of professional development. “We’re thrilled with today’s educational sessions for NAMM Believe in Music,” he said. “It was inspiring to watch the industry gather to engage with new ideas, strategies and trends for the new year. The education program represented the crossroads of the industry—with impactful sessions for music retailers, brands, pro audio and live event production professionals, educators, students and more. And by the way, registration for Believe in Music is free and open to all. If you haven’t tuned in yet, we’d love to have you join us through the weekend and look forward to seeing everyone in-person in June.”
Lose’s session was just one of interest to the live event industry. Here are a few others that took place:
Stop the Show: The Who, When and How of Show-Stop Procedure. They say, “The show must go on,” but sometimes, safety requires that it be stopped immediately. In this session, Jim Digby of the Event Safety Alliance discussed the importance of a pre-established show-stop procedure with Bryan Huneycutt and Tyler Scollon.
Changing Lives Through Music. A look at how NAMM uses its trade shows and global gatherings to reinvest back into community to change lives through music.
The free events were livestreamed Jan. 20-21, with sessions available to view online through Sunday, Jan. 23 at midnight PT.
For more information, go to www.namm.org
