It is very common for an automated lighting programmer to be hired to program and operate for a one-time concert. These "one-off" events are often tied to other productions such as corporate events, houses of worship, parties or music festivals. The programmer must prepare for a band they know little about and operate the lights accordingly to keep the audience and band member's interest. Sometimes these gigs can result in additional work, and other times they are just a simple evening's entertainment. The "disposable" nature of the event requires important considerations for the automated lighting programmer.
It's All About the Music
The very first thing a programmer should do when learning about a one-off concert is to ask for a copy of the music and a set list. As the concert is based on the music, this is of utmost importance. I recently lit a classic 1980s act and they were happy to provide a set list. I was not surprised to see it was filled with their usual hits. I downloaded the songs that I did not already have on my iPod and created a playlist for the show. Another time when working with a band I had never heard of, they sent me .WAV files of the songs they planned to play. Yet another band said they had no idea what they would play, but it would be mostly covers of typical party songs. Gathering insight into the music is essential for creating a one-off show that looks like a fully programmed touring act. If you cannot get the music or set list ahead of time, then you will have to wing it (punt, busk, make it up as you go). However, that is the topic of another article.
Once I have the music, I listen to each song and create a chart for each. Keeping it simple is the key, and I cannot stress that enough. With most of these gigs, programming time will minimal, and you will never program all the songs if you try to program as if it were a tour. Most songs have the same basic structure: intro, vocals, chorus, break, repeat. I separate each song into these big chunks and write down a description of what I think will work with each (static look, ballyhoo, strobes, fading chase, etc). I try to average about 10 cues per song.
Let Those Fingers Fly
The next step is to figure out what your lighting rig is going to look like. Maybe you are the LD on the event, or maybe you are not. Either way, I bet that you will be tasked with coming up with looks and programming the concert. After building my palettes/presets, I will usually dive right in and start creating cues from my notes for each song. I do not worry about the nuances and instead build big chunks of looks to correspond with each cue. As always, I try to ensure that each of the songs has a unique look and that I am not repeating looks, gobos, effects, or content amongst the songs. As with any concert, I create a page per song, with a master cuelist for each song. I label everything as I go so that I know the song and cue with which I am working.
Once all this is done, I create a number of additional playbacks to intermix with any of the cues at any time. In most cases, these will live on a template page so that they are available for all playbacks. These live manipulation playbacks include color bumps or fades, ballyhoos, audience blinders, flyouts and strobe cues. By combining these live with the basic pre-recorded cues, I can create an exciting and energetic concert during the event. Some songs may require a specific bump button cue, which I add to that song's page at the same time I am creating the cues.
Rehearsal Time
If (and this is a big if) you can find some time to listen to the music and play back the cues, then your show will be much improved. However, many of these gigs do not allow this luxury, and you will just have to play back when the band goes on. When rehearsing, it is important to ensure that you have an understanding of your plan with the additional cues on your template and try to notate this on your cuelist. Sometimes, it is best to just reveal a look and hold it for an entire song (this works great with ballads). Remember that less is more, and that you do not always have to be creating an awesome light show. Some people actually come to the show to hear the band! During the rehearsal period, do not be scared to simplify your cueing by deleting some things that may not be needed. On the other hand, try not to get carried away thinking you can reprogram a song or two. In most cases you will not have time to do this, and your first approach might be the best.
It's Showtime!
When the concert begins, focus on your cueing and then add your supplemental modification playbacks. You might also want to modify things by working live with fixtures within your programmer. You can select a group of fixtures and change the position with a key change or similar audio cue. Or you might decide to move all your spots to the drummer during an unexpected drum solo. It is important that you understand how to smoothly transition in and out of your programmer and how to make parameter changes in specified fade times. These tools vary from console to console, so be sure you understand how your console functions.
In addition, during the show, the band may play songs you did not prepare for, or they might change the tempo, skip a verse, etc. If you are really listening to them and are ready to modify or jump around your cues, then these changes should not catch you off guard. You might even find that you can re-purpose cues from an un-played song for a new song that you did not expect.
The After-Party
When the gig ends and the band exits the stage, then you can finally relax. Hopefully you managed to play a decent looking show and did not get too frazzled by changes. Keep in mind that you are working a one-off, and do not be upset if you took a cue early or if something did not quite match the music. As long as you did your best and made notes to improve for next time, then you did your job.
The Size of Your Head
One-off concerts can be lots of fun and provide a programmer opportunities to work as a programmer, LD and operator all in the same gig. One more word of caution: remember that you are not the band's LD, just a person who lit them for one night. I once read a resume of a guy that claimed to be the LD for U2. Everyone knows that Willie Williams is and has been their LD for a long time. Turns out, this guy did a one-off someplace and then decided to claim he designed lights for U2. True, he may have "designed" the looks for that night, but that certainly did not make him the band's LD or give him the right to claim the LD title. So at your next one-off concert, make the most of it and have fun; just try not to let your head get too big.
