PROJECT 1

What makes a successful live music event?

I enjoy the feeling of being onstage and being amongst other musicians, as well as the audience watching. Bringing across certain emotions and engagement that members of the audience can relate to as well.

Introduction

Within this article, I am discussing what makes a successful live music event. I will be discussing what is important before, during, and after the performance. Putting your point of view into the position of someone working behind the stage, with the lighting or sound, as well as the performer's feelings before a big show and their point of view.

My own experience with being a part of a live music event as well as being a member of the audience, would be how do the performers deliver towards the audience? and what skills do performers have to have in order to engage with the audience to keep them entertained?.

What makes a successful music event?

During The Performance

Performer's engagement

Having stage presence is key to grabbing the audience's attention, this is not essential but arguably makes live performances more engaging and entertaining to watch. For example, Queen's live performance of 'We Will Rock You' had the crowd involved by simply stamping their feet and clapping their hands on the beat of the drums. Queen are a British rock band formed in the 1970s, the lead vocalist Freddie Mercury was renowned for having a large charisma and to be a show-stopping performer. He reaches out to every audience member and calls out for them to sing the lyrics back to him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvKkIttJLcc

On this link, it shows Queen performing 'We Will Rock You' at Live Aid in 1985 and you can see Freddie Mercury's engagement with the crowd as tells them to sing back the words. Live Aid was a charity multi-concert, held at Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium in the United States. The concerts were fundraising for starving families in Africa, organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. Freddy Mercury's performance was labeled as the best performance throughout the whole concert , his body language and his connection with the other band members while he moves around the stage.

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/queen-live-aid-concert-performance/

'How Rock Royalty Stole The Show' is the headline for this Rolling Stones article, it informs how each band in 1985 had roughly 20 minutes to perform, and Queen stole the crowd during their set. It was through them knowing exactly what the audience wanted; which was crowd engagement

Brain May speaks on Absolute Radio in an interview about how the idea was created for 'We Will Rock You' and became revolutionary for live performances. He wanted to create a certain connection with the audience so that they can join along with the band by simply clapping their hands and stomping their feet.

Overall, it is important to have engagement and confidence when performing live, but it can be argued. A band like Radiohead do not have the same crowd engagement and performance skills as Queen. Thom Yorke's presence is very different from Freddie Mercury's performance due to the different genres of both bands and the type of audience that each band attracts. Radiohead's genre is very indie rock and performs melancholic and unnatural sounds. The band focuses on the storytelling.

This performance of Creep in 1994 I really enjoy watching, simply because Thom Yorke is feeling the music and not necessarily looking at the audience or making an engagement, but you can see he's sharing an experience with small gestures. The recording cuts to Johnny Greenwood on the guitar as his head is completely bowed down to the guitar.

Radiohead are known for their unusual and complex sounds as well as mesmerizing sonic layers to create a loud noise to engage their indie rock fans.

The Guardian newspaper reviewed Radioheads live performance "scattered rhythms overlaid with echoing vocal loops and waves of electronic noise – is arguably the most abstruse and uncommercial piece of music you're ever likely to hear booming around an arena venue". Radiohead's visuals and musical practicality is highly professional and ""His hair scraped back into a pony tail, he appears to be following the advice of that terrible little poem about dancing as if no one is watching you: lost in his own world, there's something weirdly magnetic about him."

- https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/oct/09/radiohead-live-review-o2-london

Additionally, even before the show, your working with tech-team whom you've never worked with before. By having a good reputation and work engagement, people on the tech- team or venue management will know about other venues and the word will spread about your band's behavior. If you are easy to work with, a good word will spread and big opportunities can be made.

Professionalism

In the music industry, professionalism can include being punctual and prepared for rehearsals and performances, presenting oneself in a professional manner, and having a positive attitude and strong work ethic.

It is also important during a live performance, that musicians are professional and respectful to their audience members. Such as no swearing when children are in the audience, or if so put out a disclaimer before the show, warning them of any language and the audinece can leave if needed. Such as putting out an age restriction to your gigs, saying what age groups are allowed to attend. Whether it is 16+ or 18+ and therefore no confusions can be made .

By rude and ignorant can make others not want to work with your band again as well as the audience not coming to shows, by keeping a level of politeness can help your chances of becoming well-known and being easy to work with.

Finally, they must have a positive attitude to bring to their workspace with enthusiasm, allowing their work environment to be positive and fluid. Ultimately if you have a good attitude you make musicians want to work with them again, and having a great attitude will make others have the same sensible attitude.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meUdoOMWzHo

Before The Performance

Sound Engineer

For a successful live event, having a sound engineer helps the musicians to make sure their instruments sound just the way they want them to sound before they perfrom. The performers and the sound engineer cant run without each other. The sound engineer must have some key skills in order for the live event to be successful:

One skill would be communication, this is such an important skill because without it, the musicians will not get what they want and the performance will not go as planned. So therefore with key communication, the performance will run swiftly. Normally before an event, the musicians will be given time allocated to have a sound check. From 5 to 10 minutes, musicians and the sound engineer should use the time effectively to get the instruments sounding the way they need to be. Sound checks are important, especially if the artists want certain things adjusted or added to their instrument, it is their role to tell or place onto their type rider the sound engineer these adjustments or else they will not happen.

Additionally, knowing their skills, through being educated and trained in order to know the layout of mixing desk. By having a high degree of technical competence and an excellent knowlege of musical recording technology.

https://abbeyroadinstitute.co.uk/courses/diploma-music-production-sound-engineering/

Promotion of the artist's event

The promotion of an artist's live music event is crucial, as without advertising an audience can not be created. Some bands would have a tour manager or an events manager who would organize where the band would play, but most of the time the band will arrange where they play and promote themselves to get gigs.

In contemporary society, bands may use social media in order to promote themselves and where they will be heading, so their fans can book when to see them. The right advertising would have key information such as the price and the location at which the event is going to take place. Artists can show off their new material at live events and certain music projects that they have created. Tour dates will be released by the band's management and then spread all over.

In the past before electronics and social media platforms, bands would be promoted through posters being scattered around the streets on lamp-posts and leaflets handed out to people walking by. By the 1980s the development of TV became a huge platform for upcoming artists such as performing on MTV. https://www.britannica.com/art/rock-music/Rock-in-the-1980s-and-90s .TV channels such as 'Top of The Pops' and 'The Tube' were known for promoting new and upcoming bands to showcase to viewers who to look out for. It also gave the opportunity for artists to receive gigs and for bars and clubs to target those who will help make large crowds flood their venue and the owners will receive popularity.

Arguably, I believe that this is essential for a musicians live event, as it could target large to wider music agencies

When arriving at your event, show great attitude and mannerisms to the venue owners and additional people who help you make your event the way you want it. Such as not expecting everything to happen as you wish, through kind gestures and a polite attitude and the event will run smoothly and successfully. All venues talk to one another and collaborate on events, so by acting nicely a positive word would be spread about your band.

The artists have an equipment checklist.

Before an event, it is important for the musicians to have a checklist of what they need for their performance. They would send their plan to the venue of what they would need and the event will help to provide what is needed. It is the musician's own responsibility to organize themselves with the equipment, this may include remembering to bring their own instrument, leads, tuners, pedals etc. Additionally, it's helpful to reach out to other local musicians who may have the equipment/instrument that you are missing. Asking in a polite manner and creating a community not competition amongst other musicians.

Another list will be given to the tech crew; giving them instructions on what lighting you want and any special effects needed. You are advised to send these plans at least two weeks prior to your event so it gives the crew enough time to sort it out. It is the band's responsibility to write that Tech-Rider list and check off what they need. Communication from the band members and the venue owners on what is needed, as communication is so important when working with others, along with clear instructions and layout of what they would like set/sound crew to do.

After the Performance

Reflection of the band's performance

Focusing on the positives

A couple of days after a live performance, it is important for the band to come together and reflect on the pros and cons of their performance. Discussing what went well and what didn't go so well, starting with the positives and keeping the mood happy and upbeat, "it went well because......" and "even better if......".

Once you have identified what you did wrong and tried to learn from it, decide to be proactive. You can come out stronger and more improved by taking action on your mistakes. It is critical, once you know where you went wrong. Just knowing what went wrong is only half of the solution.

What to do next time?

If the performance did not go as planned, reframe the event in your mind. Do not allow it to be a defining moment in your musical career, and accept that it is a learning experience. The next stages for musicians are crucial, especially after a bad performance It is important to look forward and have moments of realization that mistakes happen to all artists.

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