FEATURE: The catastrophic Covid consequences in the live industry

 Finally, finally, finally, finally! Every musician, whether amateur or professional, has longed for nothing more than the end of the coronavirus restrictions in the live sector. Countless artistically oriented careers have already been destroyed by the various shutdowns, countless frustrating purchases have been made and countless pounds have been eaten away in Netflix mania, but now, now everything will finally go back to the way it was in 2019, the tours, the festivals, the solo shows, everything will go back to the way it used to be ... the way it used to be ...
Not at all! Even if you don't notice it immediately as a concertgoer, the live industry is on the brink of total collapse for various reasons. Whether it's a small local festival or a world-famous mega-event, everyone is struggling with the same problems. But read for yourself.

Problems? What kind of problems?

Well, there are several problems that have been caused or significantly accelerated by Covid. The total standstill in the live industry for over two years has completely disrupted the lives of musicians, promoters and concertgoers, forcing the majority of the live music industry and all associated professions to completely reorient themselves. But let's first take a look at the basic problems.

1) Planning for 2020

We've all seen it since March 2020: one festival after another, one tour after another, one show after another were postponed over and over again, first on a monthly basis, then on a six-monthly basis and finally on a yearly basis, with fans pinning their advance tickets to their ever-filling pinboards at regular intervals. In the best-case scenario, the message was "tickets remain valid"; in the worst-case scenario, the tour was canceled, the musicians lost money, the promoters lost money and the fans had to go through the annoying process of getting a refund. And not to forget, of course, the advance booking fee is also gone. I myself had to reschedule our European tour a total of three times, which also meant that a very good package had to be put on hold.

However, the organizers of the rescheduled shows are now under pressure to realize a show / festival / tour at the same conditions as 2 years ago, which is simply not possible. Whether it's the murderer from Moscow, China's non-covid madness or the exploding inflation, nobody could have expected these events at the beginning of 2020, which caused the costs for everything and everyone to explode. Whether transport, travel, personnel or spare parts costs, many areas that are needed for the professional realization of a show have risen in price by up to 50%, or even worse, are no longer available for an indefinite period of time. The promoter can no longer adjust the ticket costs retroactively and has to work with the income from two years ago, which means that many promoters can no longer cover their costs and are trying to pass on the reduced income to the artists in the form of renegotiated fees. The mood is correspondingly tense and many names change almost daily on the concert posters.

2) Where is the professional staff?

Anyone who has ever seen a large stage from behind or below can get a rough idea of the gigantic effort involved in the planning and realization of such a monster. In Germany in particular, it is well known that you need a corresponding certificate or training for every job, no matter how small, that takes place in public, which means that only trained specialist personnel are allowed to set up, convert and dismantle the stage or manage it during operation. There are other ways, as I was able to "admire" several times in South America, for example, but that's another story.

I don't know how long experts warned about the following situation. For months, it was mentioned over and over again in all the media like a prayer wheel, but the decision-makers, as so often in the past, once again played it cool in the sense of "it won't be that bad". So it came as it had to and, as predicted, the consequences are catastrophic. We no longer have any specialist staff! There is a shortage of everything that has to take on responsibility in any form, light operators, riggers, FOH, backliners, security staff, even bar staff, simply everything! Why is that?

Well, if you forbid tax-paying citizens from practicing their profession, but in return do not ensure that they can continue to earn a living, you are forced as a family man/mother to look for a new job beyond all artistic fields of activity after reducing your personal nest egg. Whether train drivers, office workers or vaccination assistants, many live music professionals have at some point given up in discouragement and signed new employment contracts which, apart from better and more secure pay, paid vacation and state-guaranteed social security contributions, make even the occasional help-out in the live business impossible.

What is happening now can be seen in every live corner. Many small to medium-sized festivals have already had to be canceled due to staff shortages and now the problem is spreading to the big mega-events. I'm not allowed to mention exact names, but a lot of established and large festivals in Europe are on the verge of pulling the plug. In some cases, specialists have to be flown in from all over the world in order to somehow implement the event, which of course also drives up the event costs. In addition, the few specialists who have stuck with it have of course raised their rates by up to 70 - 80%. Experienced stage technicians for less than €400 per day? No way!

3) Covid and no end in sight?

Even if you really can't hear it anymore, Covid is still not over, strictly speaking. Even if Omicron allows a consistently more moderate course, anyone who tests positive for corona is still out for a week. Even now, colleagues of mine are still constantly falling ill, which means that shows have to be canceled time and again. Making up for these shows is not so easy, however, as most venues are fully booked until the end of 2023. I myself had to experience in my environment how the partner of a colleague was tested incorrectly for Covid by a rapid test during a visit to the gym, the colleague then had to take a PCR test, which took several days to process, which meant that a sold-out festival in Spain had to be canceled due to the lack of negative proof of vaccination. Flights paid for free, organizers without a headliner, fans pissed off, only losers on the whole front. Oh yes, both PCR tests were of course negative.

The fan understandably loses interest in the VVK at some point and waits until the last day to buy tickets at the box office. However, this in turn means that many tours are canceled in advance for security reasons, as the supposedly poor advance booking means that the number of visitors is expected to be poor, which in turn reinforces the fan's behavior. It's a classic death spiral that constantly feeds off each other.

4) The threat of oversaturation

Every day, every city, at least 3 shows - that's the current approach in the live sector. Every, really every band is on the road somewhere at the moment, desperately trying to make up for their failures of the last two years. The resulting effect should be clear to everyone. Even if fans go to a few more shows than usual at the beginning to cover their pent-up demand, saturation will set in by the fall at the latest. Aside from the fact that inflation will knock your personal credit into the ground, you can only go to a certain number of concerts.

Large and established festivals are still comparatively well booked, but quite a few experts are already predicting the end of solo show tours. Nightliners, which only 2 years ago cost €1,700 per day, have now already broken the €2,300 mark, assuming you can get one at all, because as I said, every band is on the road at the moment.


Conclusion

Probably no one realized the extent of the Covid catastrophe two years ago, when Germany's second largest industry after mechanical engineering was sent completely into the desert within a few days without any plan. However, only the real experts saw that this catastrophe would have such repercussions.

In conjunction with the other opponents of art, such as the criminal streaming remuneration, those responsible have succeeded in giving the industry a further blow that will send the professional "art body" tumbling further towards the abyss. Only time will tell whether this blow will be the final death blow that finally reduces the profession of professional musician to absurdity.


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The Comprehensive Impact of COVID-19 on the Economic Landscape of Germany

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has had profound and far-reaching effects on economies worldwide, and Germany is no exception. This report provides a detailed analysis of the multifaceted impacts of the pandemic on Germany's economic landscape, encompassing various sectors, policy responses, and future outlook.

Introduction:

The emergence of COVID-19 in late 2019 marked a turning point in global history, triggering an unprecedented health crisis that quickly evolved into an economic challenge. Germany, as one of the world's leading economies, faced a myriad of challenges as the pandemic unfolded.
Impact on Key Economic Sectors:

a. Manufacturing and Export: Germany's manufacturing prowess and export-oriented economy were significantly hampered by disruptions in global supply chains and a decline in international demand. The automotive industry, a cornerstone of the German economy, experienced production halts and reduced consumer spending.

b. Tourism and Hospitality: The lockdowns and travel restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the virus dealt a severe blow to the tourism and hospitality sectors. Popular destinations, such as Berlin and Munich, witnessed a sharp decline in visitors, leading to hotel closures and job losses.

c. Retail and Consumer Spending: Social distancing measures and economic uncertainty prompted consumers to cut back on discretionary spending. Brick-and-mortar retailers faced challenges as foot traffic dwindled, while e-commerce experienced a surge.

d. Finance and Banking: Financial markets experienced volatility, impacting banks and financial institutions. The German government implemented measures to stabilize the economy, but concerns about non-performing loans and reduced investment persisted.
Government Response and Economic Stimulus:

The German government implemented a range of measures to mitigate the economic fallout from the pandemic:

a. Financial Aid Programs: Extensive financial aid packages were introduced to support businesses, employees, and the self-employed. These included grants, loans, and tax deferrals.

b. Kurzarbeit (Short-time Work): The Kurzarbeit scheme, which allows companies to reduce employees' working hours with the government compensating part of their lost wages, played a crucial role in preventing mass unemployment.

c. Economic Stimulus Packages: The government launched stimulus packages aimed at boosting domestic demand, investing in infrastructure, and fostering innovation.

Challenges and Future Outlook:

a. Public Debt: The extensive economic support measures led to a surge in public debt. Balancing the need for stimulus with fiscal responsibility remains a challenge for policymakers.

b. Structural Changes: The pandemic accelerated existing trends such as digitalization and remote work. Adapting to these changes will require investments in technology and skills training.

c. Global Economic Uncertainty: Germany's economic recovery is closely tied to global economic conditions. Trade tensions and geopolitical factors add an element of uncertainty to the future outlook.

Conclusion:

The COVID-19 pandemic has left an indelible mark on Germany's economic landscape, affecting diverse sectors and prompting unprecedented government intervention. As the nation navigates the path to recovery, policymakers and businesses must remain adaptive to the evolving challenges and opportunities presented by this global crisis.

FEATURE: Downtuning For Guitar Players

 Well, ladies and gentlemen, how many of you remember your first song where you realized that not everything was going "right", usually triggered by the fact that, if it was a guitar-dominated recording, the guitarist played the coolest licks with empty strings and the bands always used strange keys like E flat, A flat or D flat? For me, it was the first Van Halen album in 1979, which, apart from Edward Van Halen's guitar playing, which was absolutely incredible at the time, also had a powerful guitar sound. Yes, of course it was also the legendary tension-modified "Brown" sound, but no, that wasn't what I heard.

Who was the first musician to steer the basic sound of the instrument in new directions by abandoning the standard E tuning of the guitar can no longer be traced exactly, but the fact remains that at the beginning of the eighties the number of lower tuned record productions increased massively, especially in the heavy sector, so much so that there were almost no more recordings in standard tuning. The modification of standard tuning, especially among slide guitarists, is anything but unusual, but the use of open tunings has exclusively harmonic reasons, not tonal ones.

So why is it so important to modify the traditional when it has worked so well for decades? Is it just the urge of the youth to reject something established and to cite the approach "the main thing is different" as the main reason, or is there more behind it? In order to become aware of this, we should first take a look at a classic band constellation with its very own functions.

Starting material:

Let's assume we are a typical, guitar-heavy band in the popular sixties line-up a la Led Zeppelin or Free, i.e. vocals, guitar, bass and drums. Why no keyboards? Well, until the establishment of the polyphonic synthesizer, keyboards meant organ, piano or at least electric piano, which meant a transport volume of at least 70 kilograms per instrument. Best example, Hammond plus Leslie, approx. 200 kilograms WITHOUT flight case or similar. With the plastic bar, a transportable solution appeared on the scene for the first time and managed to capture all frequencies for itself when required. Depending on the craftsmanship (or the transpose control), keys are also irrelevant for a keyboardist, i.e. the subject of downtuning is completely uninteresting for a keyboardist.

However, many note-playing keyboardists were delighted with the first downtunings, as the hated "guitarist keys" such as A major (3 #), E major (4 #) or even F# major (6 #) were replaced by the far more common keys of A flat major (4 b), E flat major (3 b) or F major (1 b). Well, keyboards out of the equation and onto the strings, especially the open strings. If we look at the above-mentioned standard quartet in terms of frequency, the center-heavy orientation of the sound material quickly becomes apparent. Even if the kick covers a lot between 60 and 100 Hz and the bass can lay a good foundation between 100 and 500 Hz, depending on the tone control, the wide gap of frequency holes begins above that.

Even if the note pattern of the low E-string of a guitar in treble clef suggests otherwise, even in the high-gain range an electric guitar that has not been further processed in terms of effects (e.g. octaver) conveys a cutting midrange (approx. 1-3 kHz) and sometimes biting highs (from 4 kHz), but the boost known from modern productions does not really want to occur in this tuning. Don't misunderstand, this statement doesn't mean that you can't create punchy productions in standard tuning, especially as the greatest hits in guitar history were all written and recorded in standard tuning, but in our bass-fixated times, older recordings seem much less punchy, and not just because of the mastering that was unknown at the time.

In addition to the toms of the drums, which sit tonally slightly above the bass, and the snare, which is in a comparable range to the guitar, we also have the cymbals (preferably with a high-pass filter) and our singer, who now has to find a range to assert himself against the guitar board. Quick question, who has already noticed that the great rock hits of the sixties and seventies are a real torture when it comes to male vocals? What has driven many a cover band mad and to desperate acts in the style of "woman-sings-male-voice" was an integral part of the search for the frequency hole. OK, there was of course a bit of showing off and showing off (who gets higher), but anyone who has ever tried to sing AC/DC, Led Zeppelin or Deep Purple in the original keys knows what I'm writing about.


In order to remain equally audible throughout the entire song, the vocalists sang tonally above the guitar, which inevitably resulted in a more than ambitious tenor. In these registers, you are firmly in the registers of a woman's voice. At the same time, we have a low-mid range between 500 - 1500 Hz, exactly the range which, in the overall context, also produces a slightly oppressive sound over the infamous kitchen radio. Now then, let's first take a look at the purely practical advantages of down-tuning.

Advantages

It's anyone's guess, but the first downtuning was probably born out of necessity. We all know the problem: a singer has a cold or other ailment and can no longer manage the high notes. What do the loving and understanding colleagues in the string guild do? They tune their instruments lower. At a semitone, the playing feel is still relatively identical to standard tuning, beyond that the instrument has to be adjusted. Not a big deal in principle, apart from the tragedy of the Led Zeppelin tribute concert a few years ago, where Jimmy Page tuned his guitar three semitones lower and Robert Plant still couldn't hit a note in the high passages.

The second advantage of down-tuning is that the main and upper/lower frequencies of the instruments are shifted downwards. Now the guitar also takes over the low-mid range and thus gets a much more powerful sound, which is generally perceived as "fatter" and is therefore better suited for the classic "thick pants" of guitarists, which we all love so much about our instrument.

Disadvantages

Unfortunately, where there is a lot of light, there is also a lot of shadow. Two main problems arise as soon as you enter the depths of downtuning. The first problem can still be solved with a few changes to the instrument, the second unfortunately cannot, although both problems are based on simple physics. Problem 1 is the string tension of the instrument. With increasing downtuning, the string tension decreases, which at a certain point leads to an unclean attack and decay of the string. In particular, a hard attack with a plectrum leads to excessive deflection of the string, which initially makes the targeted note sound too high, only to hit the actual note after a few milliseconds. In addition, you need to have meticulous control over your string pressure, otherwise you end up in tonal nirvana, as you often had to suffer at some live concerts by the band Korn.

This problem can be tackled with thicker strings, using the rule of thumb "one string thickness more per semitone" as a basis. While the truss rod almost always copes well with the changed string gauge in compensation with the string tension, a vibrato system, especially if it is a free-floating system, sometimes requires readjustment. But what definitely needs to be done when replacing a second-grade set of strings is a professional re-filing of the nut. The thicker strings really bite into the notches and cause the strings to bounce during the tuning process, which takes all the fun out of it.

The second problem is of a larger nature and can only be discussed in more detail in the context of the band. Many of you have probably wondered where standard tuning originated. Why low E-string? Why not lower everything directly, even at the beginning of the electricization of the guitar, the bass? Well, at the other end of the cable is the second important component of the sound, the amplifier and loudspeaker, and at the beginning of amplifier history these were generally much smaller than current products. The lower the frequency to be transmitted, the more energy has to be applied to transmit the signal cleanly. Over the decades, standard tuning has crystallized as the perfect middle ground between transparency, load on the individual components and assertiveness in the human ear, in other words, standard tuning is based on decades of experience.

However, just as many of you have probably seen YouTube videos where a guitarist produces a very fat sound with extreme downtuning, accompanied at most by a drum loop or very reduced drums. On its own, the sound may make your jaw drop, but in combination with a band, it can no longer be located. The more bass there is in a guitar sound, the more the individual signal pushes and the less suitable the sound is for a band. Conversely, this means that the guitar can no longer be heard at an acceptable volume in the mix, or it has to be made so loud that the sound is unbalanced.

the bass player, the poor sock

The whole discussion about downtuning ultimately revolves around the bass part of the guitar sound, which means that the loser of the whole debate is already clear. As expected, it's the bass player whose natural habitat is being infiltrated and massively attacked by frequency technology. The popular call for the five-string doesn't always work. In a disciplined combo with a transparent Jamiroquai sound, i.e. little if any gain on the guitars, the forced escape down to low B may still be manageable, but in the heavy range, which is the main area of application for downtuning, the bassist fights for every single note that is not to drown in the frequency swamp. Ever been to a metal concert? Heard what the bassist plays in terms of individual notes? Exactly ...


Extended Range Guitars (ERG for short)

As if our friend with the thick strings didn't already have enough trouble with his frequencies, the djent movement of recent years with 8- or even 9-string guitars is proving to be a real job-destroying machine. Here the guitars have finally arrived in the real bass range, whereby the bassist can no longer escape downwards. Anyone who has ever heard Korn bassist Fieldy trying helplessly to get his low A somewhere with (unclean) slapping can only feel sorry for him. Djent metal figurehead Meshugaah leave the bass in standard tuning, which then simply doubles the guitar work in order to escape the low-frequency mud. Everyone can make up their own mind about the usefulness of such an undertaking.

Only the combo Animal As Leaders (there are probably other formations that I don't know at the moment) goes the consistent way with two 8-stringers and a drummer in a trio formation, with the two guitarists alternately sharing the bassist function. There is still a lot of room for experimentation here, but the frequency problem remains.

How low do you like it?

In principle, of course, you can tune your guitar however you like, but in terms of optimizing your fingering, the fourths tuning between the individual strings usually remains the same. This means that in most cases all strings are tuned down a certain number of semitones. Up to 2 semitones can be realized without any problems in consultation with the bassist, from 3 semitones upwards the problems slowly increase with a high gain factor. Once you have decided to add another string, the time has come for the 7-string or the baritone guitar. While the 7-string keeps the treble range within the normal radius of a standard tuning guitar and extends it downwards by 5 semitones, the baritone guitar counters the increasing frequency mud with a longer scale length, which increases the string tension and brings the tonal result back towards standard tuning in terms of transparency.

I have solved the problem in my third band MONSTERGROOVE in such a way that both my baritone guitars (76 cm scale length) and our bassist's bass (fanned frets, B-string approx. 92 cm scale length) have greatly extended scale lengths and generate a higher assertiveness due to the increased string tension. I also only play with moderate gain so that the sound remains comparatively transparent.

Another popular type of downtuning is the "Dropped D", where only the low E string is tuned 2 semitones to D. This has the advantage that power chords played on the bass strings of the guitar can now be stretched over 3 strings by means of a small barre chord and the octave shift of the root note gives the chord more power. This construction can of course also be tuned down by one or more semitones, whereby the danger of bass mud occurs even faster.

Here is an example of a dropped D tuning:

Conclusion

Of course, as always in music, whatever you like is allowed, but the limits of physics cannot be overridden. If you want to have a crisp, transparent and at the same time powerful band sound, you should work out a sound concept with the whole band in advance that offers maximum benefits. The listener will thank you for it.

P.S. If, of course, the bass player secretly keeps turning up the bass on the active 2-band EQ of his bass regardless of losses, you can of course save yourself any concept ...

FEATURE: The Stage, My Playground

 The stage, my playground? Is that so? Do you like to appear in front of a more or less large number of spectators and hope for gestures of approval for your performances? Or are you more the person in the background, the mechanic who ensures that third parties get the credit for your achievements and that you are compensated for your work in the form of royalties, salaries or copyrights?

“What kind of questions are these again and what kind of strange article is this anyway?” I can already hear the first readers expressing their displeasure. Well, in addition to all the millions of technical aids that are intended to make it easier for performers to express themselves creatively, the question still remains: why? Why do you make music? Without drifting too far into psychological depths, we can ultimately be divided into the following groups.


1.) The coerced one

Mom and Dad have learned that learning an instrument promotes certain areas of their child's brain that will later make them a better person (a detailed description would go beyond the scope). So son or daughter receives guitar, piano, violin or trumpet lessons, which are to be placed alongside the three additional sports support measures and tutoring for the G8 Abitur.

The youngsters do well at first, but later realize that regular practice is a basic principle for further training and that they don't have/don't want to have the time. Good approaches then die out at the latest when the opposite sex is perceived during puberty.

Development opportunities: “I used to make music too”
Likelihood of being on stage: Only in a drunken head at weddings, company anniversaries or karaoke bars.
Entertainment value: borderline


2.) The latecomer

He/she has already completed vocational training and has successfully entered professional life. You run a company, have a family and have always been interested in music, but haven't found the time to learn an instrument. Since you don't want to let your childhood dream die, you finally decide to fulfill your wish in your mid-30s.

Due to the good economic situation, equipped with more than just basic equipment, you look for a good teacher or have the same person come home to start with full enthusiasm. After a few months, it also becomes clear to this copy that the time factor was not only the reason for the previous abstinence from an instrument, but will also ensure that in the future you will continue to play the same three songs in the study for an indefinite period of time will play which one you learned first.

Development opportunities: “I also have a guitar at home”
Stage probability: zero
Entertainment value: zero


3.) The eternal blouser

He/she learned an instrument as a teenager, formed a band, did a few gigs as a dance musician, played part-time in a blues band, then learned the job, played part-time in a blues band, then started a family, played part-time in a blues band, then built a house, played in a blues band...

Development opportunities: “Stevie Ray Vaughan is the greatest and I have all the records from Bonamassa”.
Likelihood of being on stage: 2-3 times a year at birthday parties and in the local pub.
Entertainment value: the family and close friends are happy...


4.) The nerd

He/she has always felt drawn to instruments, but the craftsmanship and the practice involved have always been a horror for him. The 10,000 hours of practice or daily practice over 10 years predicted by experts scares him, whereas hours of wiring, plugging, soldering, measuring and measuring, and fiddling with VCAs, VCOs, etc. are no trouble at all.

With the help of modern DAWs and various synthetic music styles, he/she can develop his/her own style through a combination of presets and creative mixing of different styles, which can be transported to large stages without much effort.

Development opportunities: depending on your own personality
Stage probability: comparatively high
Entertainment value: depending on light show, stage decoration, LED walls and pyrotechnic puppet show


5.) The ambitious one

He/she learned to play an instrument as a teenager and quickly realized that, deep down, this is exactly what you always wanted to do and always want to do. He/She believes that only disciplined practice and absolute focus will bring the desired success, so you learn and practice until the bars bend.

Unfortunately, in this status you quickly forget to look to the right and left, which often ends in you not only being able to effortlessly recreate all of your idols' output on YouTube, but even outdoing them in terms of technology, but still looking like a Gotha employee Mallorca vacation.

Development opportunities: good if the partner buys him/her new clothes
Stage probability: good, as long as you have a capable booker.
Entertainment value: jazz


6.) The songwriter

In addition to the music, he/she also listens to the lyrics and thinks about what the artist wants to say with them. Technical points only interested him/her peripherally, as the instrument is only the carrier medium for the lyrics and the singing.

Development opportunities: good if you remain open to personal development
Probability of performing on stage: very high, as you can actually perform anywhere and at any time
Entertainment value: folk


7.) The producer

He/she learned an instrument and sometimes plays it very well, but at some point he or she noticed that his/her skills behind the controls bring in significantly more money than his/her face on a stage.

Development opportunities: almost endless
Stage probability: zero point zero
Entertainment value: only via sound recordings

OK, we have now roughly listed our personalities without claiming to be complete. The question of how heavy lead is:

How do I entertain my audience?

Oh, if only it were always so easy to answer. For the sake of clarity, we will also roughly divide the artists into a few categories in terms of the focus of their preferences.


1.) Through craftsmanship

You can think what you want about jazz and its protagonists, but when it comes to technique and understanding of harmony, the ladies and gentlemen, who visually mostly sail close to unreasonable, are very often found in the higher leagues. The listener is usually very impressed by the artist's talent for improvisation; any sweatpants or other casual clothing on stage rarely bothers the listener.

Even in the prog varieties of rock and metal we encounter pioneers who are sometimes exceptionally skilled in their craftsmanship and whose rhythms can hardly be counted, let alone reproduced. Here, too, the audience is comparatively resistant to visual missteps, but it is important to the audience to still be in the heavy zone. There should be at least a few clichés typical of the genre, otherwise the rock fan will get it wrong.

Entertainment Recommendation: Big poses and over-the-top stage shows only distract from the quintessence of the craft. If you prefer this style of music, you don't have to worry about investing in a stage presence and can concentrate entirely on the music. However, this form of “hard listening” will always remain a niche product, the crowning achievement of which is the “Musicians Musician” award.


2.) Through show

As expected, the exact opposite of 1.) and with KISS as the protagonist it has already been exhausted down to the last detail. Even if the current line-up does a good job technically, the legendary first line-up rumbled and gurned their way through the set like a student band. Has anyone noticed? Yes! Did it bother anyone? Yes! Did it slow down KISS' career in any way? Not in the slightest! The Punch and Judy troupe is still among the top 10 most successful bands in the world and this will not change until their final demise.

An opulent stage show is still a guarantee for maximum audience effectiveness. The best guitar sound in the world and the most sophisticated vocal singing since Queen is only a description of the action after 10 minutes at the latest, but a bang, combined with an elaborate LED screen or something similar, stays with you for a lifetime. Unfortunately, our brain can only store visual effects, not acoustic ones. Unfortunately, optical effects always involve a huge financial outlay, so everyone has to calculate for themselves at what point the show, along with development and transport, mutates into a dime-sized grave.


3.) Through entertainment

Nothing is more embarrassing than a pedestrian Fips Assmussen on stage, who annoys and offends his audience more than entertains them with tired jokes. On the other hand, it's good for those who have an entertainer in their ranks who knows how to entertain people with pithy sayings and spontaneity in the mostly boring breaks between songs.

Can you learn to walk the ramp? No but …! Anyone who consistently works on themselves, perfects their function within the band/project and receives enough support from their colleagues will noticeably gain self-confidence, which in turn is reflected in their performance. Bands like the German melodic metallers AXXIS could easily overcome the failure of all instruments for over an hour, frontman Bernhard Weiß would confidently entertain the audience with jokes, stories, games and other things without even a hint of boredom.


4.) Through songs

Attention: danger of black ice! Even at the risk of being hit hard again by many readers, I openly represent the classic of all song reviews. No matter how loud synthetic music sometimes is, no matter how flashy an open-air concert with 100,000 people is, a real song of the highest quality can actually only be played with vocals on a guitar. OK, I'll allow piano as well.

Why? If you manage to block out all the impressive effects like volume, sound, arrangement, stage show and people still listen to you simply because you describe a theme that resonates with them or play a cadence that touches them, you've won! You are self-sufficient! Independent! The only thing that can slow you down is a hoarse voice or a broken string.

Can you learn songwriting? Yes and no! You can learn how to improve your songs and make them more interesting in terms of melody and arrangements. But what cannot be learned is one's own experience. Only if you are who you are, if you are authentic, can you create songs that reach other people. Kurt Cobain was just a real sausage as a craftsman, but his minimalist approaches, for example in a song like "Come As You Are", can only be seen as very good from a songwriter's point of view.


5.) Through personality

Very difficult because it's hard to believe. There are these guys who just walk on stage and have already won without even saying a word or playing a note. These can be top singers of the old school like Tom Jones, charismatic ex-drug wrecks like Iggy Pop or showman Steven Tyler, they all have the charisma that every artist wants.

Your question about learning this skill becomes superfluous very quickly. You can copy these people, but the only solution would be to mold your own personality into an original. As a consolation, Tyler was always seen as a “cheap copy” of Mick Jagger at the beginning of his career.


Oh yes, there are also...

Stage Fright:

A terrible mixture of fear of failure and excitement, combined with an excess of adrenaline in its purest form. There are relaxation exercises that can reduce the level of despair, but as far as I know there is no complete cure. All colleagues who shared the ordeal also told me that with the first note all worries vanished, so as late as possible to the show and as quickly as possible on stage...

Rehearse:

It may be subjective, but I almost only know bands that seem to ONLY rehearse and never play live, or bands that NEVER rehearse and only play live. If you're young and want to spend a lot of time with your friends with a case of beer, rehearsals together make a lot of sense and sharpen the feeling of togetherness.

What, on the other hand, always bothered me terribly was catching up on personal practice in the rehearsal room, i.e. everyone is prepared, knows their parts, only one person shines through his ignorance in addition to mistakes and holds up the entire band. Of course everyone can act as they want here, but if this happens repeatedly, in my opinion the colleague's priorities are elsewhere and he should be replaced.

Personally, I now see rehearsals as a nice human event, but otherwise just a necessary evil that serves to compare the individual musicians and should be kept as short as possible. In my opinion, perfect preparation is an absolute must, otherwise see above...

Interaction:

The word actually says it all. You play TOGETHER, which means you primarily listen to what the OTHER is playing. You should be able to do your own stuff perfectly and then drape it around the other person's game. If you prefer to hear yourself playing, you should think about a performance with backing tracks from your MacBook.

A band only makes sense if you enjoy listening to what the other person is playing and not just using them as an agent for your own performance, especially since the fan can immediately tell whether you like each other on stage or not.

Stage volume:

Anyone who has the misfortune of playing with colleagues from the “old” school who are used to providing the clubs with sound primarily from the stage will be familiar with the mush of sound that guitar and bass in particular love to emit from the stage. In collaboration with powerful P.A.s, the result is inevitable. You try to compensate for your colleague's noise with increasing monitor volume and at some point you sink into the feedback swamp. Just terrible.

In this case, I can only strongly recommend forcing your colleague to undergo in-ear monitoring so that he can blow his instrument up to his neck without burdening his colleagues. If you refuse in this case, see the “Samples” section. However, a stage volume that is too low is also counterproductive. All-tube amps in particular require a minimum load on the power amplifier, otherwise they sound terrible. But this is usually lower than you think :-)

Conclusion

Nothing has to, everything can. A convincing band performance only takes place when all musicians pull together. Nothing against solo artists a la Yngwie Malmsteen, who only sees the band as a vicarious agent, but in this case I would personally prefer a MacBook administrator and a few show dancers as stage fillers.

As I said, to each his own and always remember: “GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT”

In this sense …

FEATURE: The Band And The Helping Hands

 We all know the outstandingly staged shows of international superstars who seemingly effortlessly enter the biggest stages in the world and every tonal and show-technical aspect works like a charm. Even artistic high-wire actions, coupled with pyrotechnics up to the point of being waved off on several stages, don't seem to be a problem at all in this league, while you yourself sometimes reel with bliss when the guitar transmitter reaches further than 10 meters and you can hear yourself well throughout the show. Only rarely do superstars have to bow to technical problems, such as: B. Maria Carey's disastrous demolition on New Year's Eve 2016 in Times Square, where, according to her, the inear system did not function properly. One wonders how artists like Tina Turner were able to hit a single note in their early days when they played without any monitors, but that's another story. Rather, today it's about the helping hands of a band, without whom, depending on the constellation, things wouldn't be able to go anywhere as well as you would like, especially in the early days.

Helping hands, payment or friendship service?

In my opinion, one should first differentiate between two types of helping hands, the professional ones, i.e. the people who you hire to do work for a fee, and those people who, for whatever reason, do the work for you, without or only in homeopathic doses to be rewarded.

With the professionals it is a comparatively easy matter. Assuming you find a suitable crew member, you agree on an appropriate salary and enter into a simple contractual relationship. The employer, the band/management/artist/sponsor, has the right to have the work done properly, and in return the employee has the right to receive proper remuneration. If the constellation is economically successful, this area can be processed quickly with appropriate budget planning, provided that one does not experience the after-effects of the catastrophic Corona crisis, in which the majority of professional crew members have said goodbye to the profession and most of them have not returned to this day . So far, so clear.

Much more interesting, however, are the constellations that arise from the extensive gray area of helping hands, in which friends, family members, buddies, students or personal life companions take on a role that is not remunerated with a corresponding contribution. be it because in this case you would be paying into your personal family budget, the semi-skilled crew member doesn't want any money but just wants to be there, or because it is a "no-budget" activity and you simply have no option to reward the helping hand for their work.

There is also a very special sub-species of “Helping Hands”, although they don’t really fit into this article. A very valued colleague of mine is a sub for one of the currently most successful German bands in the heavy segment and plays this show without any payment, simply because he thinks it's great to play in front of several thousand cheering spectators. Travel costs etc. are of course covered, but he is financially secure as the owner of a company, so he only plays these shows for “fun”. A dream for every employer! Imagine once again my bricklayer, who has often tried hard, who is economically independent as a successful investment banker, but has found his love in the craft and builds walls for free for the most successful architects.

Claim and reality

There is a saying in the business: “If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys!”. Regarding this article, you should always keep one thing in mind in advance. In principle, you can't have enough helping hands, as long as they do a job that you can or have already done outside of the music business. The best example of this would be a driver who takes the band from A to B. Anyone who is able to move a van at a time when the majority of the population is already asleep and, most importantly, manages to stay sober until after the show is a real help. On the other hand, if you feel like you are part of the band with the corresponding after-show party, you are putting yourself and the band in mortal danger! I know people who offer this service as a gateway to show business in order to secure a place in the tour entourage with a real party feeling. All I can say is, stay away! The transport of equipment and artists only belongs in very responsible hands, which can come from a responsible buddy.

What work can Helping Hands do?

For the sake of simplicity, let's start with the work that can under no circumstances be taken on by friends etc. I think it goes without saying that everything that involves appropriate technology belongs exclusively in professional hands. P.A., lighting and backline must be managed by appropriate professionals, or you will no longer be happy on the stage of your life. I know colleagues who also teach and would like to take their students with them as backliners. What can work with just a few competent people leads to complete failure in the majority of cases. Not that the youngsters can't wire a backline, but communication with the local P.A. Distributors usually follow a certain order with the corresponding technical terminology and as an instrumentalist you always have to check the work again in the end. At a small club gig you can still learn the Padova in peace, but at a festival where the renovation breaks are timed to the minute, something like that is absolutely not possible.

But what about “carrying aids” or stagehands? You can't go wrong here, can you? That's exactly how it is, you can't do much wrong, but here too you can do something wrong. If you store your equipment incorrectly, you can get in the way of a lot of things, especially at festivals, which the following bands/crew people find anything but pleasant. Normally, the stage manager assigns you the appropriate corner of the stage for preparation. If you don't stick to it strictly and don't know how to handle your stuff properly, you'll get pressure. Speaking of carrying aids, nowhere has so much been stolen as in the area of stagehands. Once you have managed to get a corresponding ribbon on your hand, no one will stop you, unless it is the owner or the backliner of the instrument. So be careful who you trust with your instrument.

Of course, something that is always popular, especially in the hands of female friends, is the area of merchandise. Apart from the fact that appropriate financial management and storage at the stand make life easier, there is nothing to be said against this practice. However, you should definitely have a credit card terminal with an appropriate connection, as fewer and fewer people are paying with cash. What, on the other hand, is slowly but steadily increasing is payment with Bitcoin via the Lightning network. Anyone who offers this payment option is at the forefront when it comes to trends. Speaking of cash, the days when the tax office didn't have sales income from small bands on their radar are long gone. In order to avoid stress in any form, I strongly recommend reporting the numbers once a certain turnover has been reached. Nobody wants to have the stress of tax evasion and back payments.

If you have a sociable and hard-working partner, you can definitely think about working as a personal manager. You don't have to limit your work to the front man / woman, but can also be seen as a multi-tool for the entire band. Anyone who thinks that the musicians themselves can take care of things like drinks on stage, towels on stage and cloakroom, where and when catering, access management, parking, arrival and departure and much more is of course not wrong, but they think so Always remember that anything that distracts the artist from his actual (!) function during a show is to the detriment of the show.

If you want to expand the whole thing to include finances and billing, you can of course also take care of tour management, but then you need a self-confident and energetic demeanor, as you have to represent the band's interests in many ways, which is not always possible with the local promoter conforms to its employees. In most cases, however, you can talk to the promoter easily and find a way, but if you knowingly ignore the contractual points and want to take the artist for a fool, you may also need to be made aware of your obligations. If you have a full hut on your list of arguments, you have a very good chance that the promoter will remember his obligations again.

Finally, I would like to say that in principle, especially in the early days, you cannot have enough motivated helpers who first work and then ask for whatever kind of remuneration. But one thing you should always remember is that no matter who travels with the band, they are directly or indirectly representing the band. A drunk helper who can no longer control himself will definitely ensure that the band won't be booked again with his appearance!

———-

The Dynamic World of Roadies and Stage Crew on Tour: Behind the Scenes of Concert Productions

Introduction

The live music industry is a vibrant and thrilling realm where artists captivate audiences with their performances. However, behind the glamour of the spotlight lies a meticulous and hardworking team of professionals known as roadies and stage crew, who play a crucial role in ensuring the success of a concert tour. This report explores the multifaceted world of roadies and stage crew, delving into their responsibilities, challenges, and the camaraderie that defines their unique
profession.

Roles and Responsibilities

2.1. Roadies
Roadies, short for road crew, are the unsung heroes of the music industry, responsible for the logistics and technical aspects of a concert tour. Their roles encompass a wide range of responsibilities, including:

2.1.1. Equipment Management: Roadies are tasked with the transportation, setup, and maintenance of musical instruments, amplifiers, lighting systems, and other technical gear required for the show.

2.1.2. Stage Setup and Breakdown: Roadies ensure that the stage is set up to the artist's specifications, including the arrangement of instruments, microphones, and other equipment. Post-performance, they swiftly dismantle and pack everything for the next venue.

2.1.3. Sound Engineering: Roadies work closely with audio engineers to achieve the best possible sound quality during live performances. This involves managing microphones, soundboards, and monitoring systems.

2.1.4. Instrument Technicians: Some roadies specialize in instrument maintenance and repair, ensuring that guitars, drums, and other instruments are in optimal condition throughout the tour.

2.2. Stage Crew
The stage crew comprises various specialists who collaborate to create a visually stunning and seamless concert experience. Key roles within the stage crew include:

2.2.1. Lighting Technicians: Responsible for designing and operating the lighting setup, these professionals work closely with the artist to create the desired visual atmosphere for each performance.

2.2.2. Set Designers: Stage crew members responsible for conceptualizing and constructing the physical set, backdrop, and any special effects required to enhance the visual impact of the concert.

2.2.3. Rigging Crew: Experts in rigging and safety measures, this team ensures the secure installation of stage elements, lighting fixtures, and other equipment.

2.2.4. Pyrotechnicians: In charge of special effects, pyrotechnicians coordinate the use of fireworks, flames, and other pyrotechnic elements to add excitement and spectacle to the show.
Challenges Faced by Roadies and Stage Crew

3.1. Rigorous Schedule: The life of a roadie is characterized by long hours, extensive travel, and tight schedules. Setting up and breaking down equipment for consecutive shows in different cities can be physically demanding and mentally exhausting.

3.2. Technical Challenges: Dealing with complex audio and lighting equipment, troubleshooting technical issues, and adapting to diverse venues pose constant challenges for roadies and stage crew members.

3.3. Team Coordination: Effective communication and coordination are paramount in this fast-paced environment. Roadies and stage crew must work seamlessly as a team to ensure a flawless performance.

3.4. Safety Concerns: The nature of live events introduces potential safety risks, particularly when dealing with heavy equipment, pyrotechnics, and elaborate stage setups. Crew members must prioritize safety protocols to mitigate risks.
Camaraderie and Team Spirit
Despite the challenges, roadies and stage crew members often form tight-knit communities bound by a shared passion for music and live performance. The camaraderie built on the road fosters a sense of belonging and mutual support, creating a family-like atmosphere among the
crew.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the world of roadies and stage crew is a fascinating and intricate ecosystem that operates behind the scenes of every successful concert tour. Their dedication, technical expertise, and ability to adapt to challenges contribute significantly to the magic that unfolds on stage. While the spotlight may shine on the artists, it is the unseen efforts of roadies and stage crew that make live music experiences truly unforgettable.

FEATURE: The sound engineer as a team player

 Have you ever experienced the legendary feeling of love-hate relationships? There are countless band constellations, especially among musicians, where the relationship between frontman and guitarist in particular has produced both highly creative outpourings and self-destructive trench warfare. Well, apart from different ideas about personal and group dynamic processes, it is usually the more or less pronounced egos that have already destroyed or at least burdened well-known to famous bands. However, if you manage to incorporate some self-reflection into your actions at the crucial moment, it is usually possible to change your actions within the group for the common good, in line with the motto "Together we are strong".

But what happens when an outsider takes on a role that decides the fate of a band? In addition to the overused image of the greedy manager, it is above all the live situation that makes a band 100 percent dependent on a third party and sometimes condemns them to watch the fans cover their ears or leave the hall in horror. This fate is shared by all bands that have left the 2x-2-way-boxes-on-tall-stands league, be it an ambitious cover band or AC/DC stadium rock. In case of doubt, the artist is the fool, because no one in the audience will tell their buddy after the show that the FOH has overdriven the guitars at 3 kHz, but a curt "the-band-was-....." stifles any questions in the core.

Anyone who now thinks that this article is intended as a broadside against the guild of hall and monitor mixers couldn't be further from the mark. On the contrary, there are plenty of ways to generate a good cooperation in order to achieve a maximum sound experience. The guitarists in particular, along with the frontman, like to make pubescent scent marks, which makes cooperation with the technicians more difficult or even brings it to a standstill, so let's get on with it.

Let's first take a look at the two protagonists and their particular idiosyncrasies in order to better understand their very own behavior.

The hall mixer, better known as the front-of-house (FOH):

Even if many musicians keep forgetting it, most FOHs are (have been) musicians themselves and also know the other side of the coin. So, if they want to, they are also able to understand the guitarist's fears and concerns, but they don't always want to, or they prefer their own personal ideas. Depending on the instrument played personally, the live sound is usually also created, i.e. a trained drummer will always focus on kick and snare, which are then usually far ahead in terms of sound and quality at the show.

However, this also has the disadvantage that this instrument is under particular scrutiny and may clash with the musician's personal vision. I've heard FOHs and musicians arguing for 30 minutes about the tuning of the snare, only to have the result drown in an infernal volume later on. That was just ego-wanking, nothing more! This kind of behavior is stupid in many respects, costs time and achieves nothing, but fortunately it is usually the exception.

Applied to guitarists, this would be a discussion about the level of distortion, the stage volume, the amp used, the speaker, the microphone, the sweet spot of the speaker, etc. All of these points can be discussed in advance, but not during the sound check, but more on that later. In general, you should keep in mind that the FOH also has the goal of generating a sound that the audience perceives as clear, good, pleasant, powerful, fat, or whatever, but unfortunately there are sometimes situations that massively prevent this. More on this later.

The monitor mixer:

Let's make this short, if you feel a strong tendency towards masochism and are a regular at the local dominatrix studio, you couldn't ask for a better job. The monitor man is ALWAYS a very poor sod! Why? Well, if he does his job perfectly, nobody notices and everyone assumes that this is the standard. But if even one ping or pong is too loud, quiet, sharp, muffled or whatever, the monitor man gets the whole broadside, often enough without even knowing what for. Matching the personal monitor sound taste of the respective artist is a pure game of chance, so as a monitor man/woman you can only lose. Speaking of women, if you have the chance to get a woman as a monitor mixer, by all means take it. The raving artist is much less likely to shout at a woman than a male colleague.

The guitarist:

Next to the singer, the most annoying element in a band's sound cosmos (I can say that ;-) Logically, he is the one who gets to play a solo in almost every song. Well, in his opinion, the singer has a solo throughout the entire song and in the solo he also distracts from the solo with his grimaces, but in contrast to the poor bass figure, for example, you still look very good. OK, sometimes there's the "rhythm guitarist" who's actually just on stage because he does the booking or has the naming rights to the band, but as soon as the "lead guitarist" starts practicing regularly, it's over. Now it is important to present the laboriously developed passages to the audience in the correct acoustic lighting, i.e. AT LEAST at the volume that the singer would otherwise use for the rest of the song.

Oh yes, it should be clear that all guitarists would prefer to make instrumental music, but unfortunately even fewer visitors would come to the shows if you don't have the status of Jeff Beck or Steve Vai. So you inevitably take the “attention absorption element” on board, or you try to take on this position straight away, which I can only advise against. Note, Ritchie Kotzen is the only guitarist who both plays guitar excellently and sings equally well.

So, now that we've given each of the protagonists a lot of fun, let's focus on squaring the circle, i.e. how do we bring these people together so that not only a good sound is generated, but above all, they're fun thing is not neglected?

1.) Understand each other's situation

Anyone who has ever noticed how much stress a FOH can face, especially in a festival situation, will know the sonic result of the P.A. evaluate it completely differently. Incorrect signal transmission, crashing digital consoles or the classic, incorrectly inserted microphones give the FOH no chance to create a sound, it's a pure fight for survival. If the talkback to the stage fails, nothing works anymore. Here it is absolutely counterproductive to generate additional stress through wild gestures or verbal attacks, especially since the FOH's brain is first busy solving the problem.

The same applies to a monitor man. Even though incompetence ("he wasn't good enough for FOH") can almost bring the show to a standstill, wild screaming or raging won't change the situation other than making the result worse. On the other hand, you have to keep in mind that if the sound is missing or too loud, no musician will be able to perform. Just worrying about sound causes 99 percent of all guitarists to become so tense that their personal performance plummets. The more confidence a technician exudes, the more he ensures relaxation.

2.) Talk to each other in advance

If you don't communicate with each other, you can't know what the other person wants. I know FOHs who used to work with the Bundesliga der Künstler and complement their basic latent arrogance with complete resistance to advice. Here you should briefly remind yourself who the employer and who the employee is, if you continue the ego trip, separate yourself from the same. But I also know FOHs who sit with you before the show and work out as many parallels as possible in terms of sound and listen to the band's special features.

Only if you exchange ideas in advance can you minimize misunderstandings. It helps enormously if you have a basic knowledge of sound engineering Latin and, as a guitarist, you don't just express yourself in emotional helplessness jargon in the style of "must press". Of course, it is not the guitarist's job to tell the FOH the quality value of the fully parametric mid-range filter, but it helps a lot if you are familiar with frequencies so that you can tell the technician your preferred peaks. Exchange creates trust on both sides and helps the subsequent show immensely.


3.) Volume

The most important point of all! AT ALL!!! Ma can't mention it often enough, but guitarists in particular have an unrivaled hearing threshold that is almost implanted in the brain with the instrument. “Our amps shoot sharply and forward.” Loud, louder, loudest and then with the wrong speaker setup. Well, now everyone has calmed down again and we're getting to the bottom of the problem, both for the men and women on the 6-8 strings, as well as for the men at the mixer. Yes, they also often have a tough time when it comes to volume.

First of all, nothing, really nothing, can be compared to the adrenaline rush when you stand in front of a torn full stack in heavy crunch mode and emit AC/DC-like riff material in a state of potency. A fantastic experience, which was a necessary evil from the Sixties up to the late seventies. Due to the lack of powerful P.A. systems, a lot of sound had to be provided from the stage, with the result that you had a great guitar sound on stage and were deaf after 10 years at the latest. But it wasn't so bad, because very few rock stars at that time didn't even live to see their 50th birthday, so at least they had a great sound up to that point.

Nobody, not even the writer of these lines, can claim freedom from this body feeling, although nowadays nobody is willing to accept the inevitable loss of hearing. In addition, in times of in-ear systems, stage volumes beyond the “I can still create feedback with this” threshold have become obsolete. If you now place the cabinets straight forward, the backline will already generate so much sound pressure from the stage that the FOH can overpower the P.A. has to tear up too much to get over it. He has to do this in order to be able to level the instruments independently, or he leaves the sound on one side of the hall to the backline and just turns the guitar a little towards the other side, which always leads to an unbalanced sound.

The solution lies in the stage construction. If you need a minimum volume for your sound that, according to FOH, is above the acceptable limit and have reliable musicians, you should set up your backline at a 90 degree angle to the front of the stage. This has the advantage that all the energy radiates onto the stage and you hardly need the guitar in the monitor anymore. The disadvantage is that you now have to adjust your volume to the wishes of your colleagues. If you can't find a suitable solution here, you resort to the most unusual solution: you use your cabinets as wedges. With a 412 you need a photo pit plus a flight case, but with a 212 you can also achieve good things on a normal stage.

And now to the FOH in terms of volume! In short, these guys aren't any better than guitarists. Here too, most sound drivers define themselves by an extremely pressing kick and a banging snare, which means that the final volume in the hall is too high in 90% of all cases.

Thanks to Class D technology, countless kilowatts are available today, which requires almost all concertgoers to come to the concert with hearing protection. Conclusion: some FOHs also mix for hearing protection, which means an additional increase in volume. The result is unbearable. Any subtleties in guitar playing, nothing remains of sound aspects such as pickups or amplifiers, you can be grateful if you can even hear what the musicians are playing. When was the last time you heard what the bassist was playing in a band context at a rock/metal concert?

The solution is so incredibly simple that you can barely say it, just turn it down. Even at a rock concert, even at a metal concert. Just because one drunk fan shouts for more noise and the one drunk writer during the concert later writes in the review that the volume was too low, it is not the job of the hall mixer to throw the remaining music fans their expensively purchased audiofil card into the trash can.

4.) Sound Live / Rehearsal Room / Studio

As a guitarist, you go through a development process regarding your sound that lasts your entire life. First of all, it takes years to find your sound and match it with your technical skills. From this point on, the rehearsal room sound is the measure of all things, not to be surpassed in terms of naturalness (unless you are already contaminated with Kemper). Then comes the first shock during demo recordings, where you realize that the guitar sounds completely different on studio monitors in the control room than in the rehearsal room. There is a lack of pressure, interaction with the loudspeaker and everything seems much less pressured. Only through a lot of persuasion does the sound engineer finally manage to get the guitarist to realize that a microphone that is stuck to the speaker works differently than the ear, etc.

The second shock hits the musician on stage when he hears his sound through a monitor box. Sharp, pointed (if only you could disconnect the tweeter...) and then the FOH tells you that the guitar sound isn't good. The FOH can influence some frequencies through microphone selection and positioning, but what it cannot change is the level of distortion. Remember, the less gain, the better your sound can be mixed in the end. Your playing becomes more dynamic, clearer, more direct, more transparent, even seemingly louder. For the solo sound you can add another channel or the ominous overdrive, but for the rhythm sound you should only use the level of distortion that you absolutely have to have, no more. Less feedback and a “widened sound” will thank you.

Conclusion

Communication, volume, relaxation, fun! Off and done!

FEATURE: Does it still needs record labels these days?

 Do we still need labels these days, especially in the guitar music sector? Even if you have a subjective personal answer immediately to hand, at second glance it is a question that is not quite so easy to answer. You can find out why in this feature.

History lesson

Just a quick history lesson, why do we talk about a label at all? Well, the major collecting societies, i.e. record companies, signed several artists of different styles and orientations at the time. In order to be able to catalog them better as well as manage them better economically, a record company was divided into several labels, which was then reflected in the different imprints on the vinyl records. Over the decades, the introduction of indie record companies, most of which specialized in just one genre of music, blurred the different terms, so that today the term label is more or less synonymous with the term record company.

What is the job of a label?

In principle, the record company does the work that the artist did not want to do or was unable to do due to a lack of training. At the beginning of the exploitation of music up until the early 1980s, the artist was given an artist contract, which guaranteed him a share of sales of up to approx. 10% of the HAP (retail price) of every sound carrier sold. All costs incurred, such as recording studio rental, pressing of the recordings, studio musicians, meals and accommodation for the musicians during the recording sessions, promotion, marketing etc. were covered by the record company, which in return secured at least 90% of the revenue. The major record companies usually had their own recording studios, which were in constant use for the artists' recordings with permanently employed technicians.

This all changed with the introduction of the recording contract. For the first time, the artist, or rather the management, was involved in the administration, as there was a fixed advance payment from the record company for which the artist had to deliver one or more albums. You were free to choose the studio and, depending on the rate you negotiated with the studio owner, you could use part of the advance for private purposes as long as the end result was to the liking of the record company executives. The advance can be offset, i.e. you do not receive any royalties until the advance has been recouped through sales. As this is at the artist's expense, the artist receives a higher share of the profits AFTER the advance has been repaid, on average up to approx. 20% of the HAP.

However, the two business models mentioned above have now largely become obsolete with the introduction of home recording and streaming services. Although streaming services are known to pay out pitifully low margins to labels, almost 50% of sales are still generated by streaming services, which suggests that well over 90% of the world's population consumes music almost exclusively via streaming services. Only a few vinyl and CD lovers are keeping up with their purchases, which has meant that only international superstars can generate correspondingly large revenues. The situation is comparable to the price of concert tickets. If Metallica ask €200 for a ticket, the stadium is sold out after a few hours, if the local hero band wants €20, everyone complains about the high ticket prices.

The logistical effects of the technical revolution

Of course, the technical possibilities that a DAW has offered for years are simply fantastic and enable recordings to be made that produce good results for very little money. I don't want to open the barrel of sound quality analog vs. digital, original vs. simulation, because one thing you should always keep in mind is that the economic results don't give a damn how a sound was produced. In contrast to the past, high-end productions today no longer ensure any economic advantages, as the mastering process, at the latest, means that even the most technical garbage pulled down to 0 dB only reveals to real experts whether, for example, a Chris Lord Alge sat at the controls or whether Greti and Kleti switched plug-in presets on and off.

Which puts us in the middle of the label discussion, because today a label only has 3 functions: to provide a secure distribution, to offer a professional marketing department and to guarantee a reputation to the outside world. Even if the major companies still achieve gigantic sales with their back catalog alone, most labels only pay a small advance, and in the majority of cases no advance at all, especially for newcomers.

Conversely, this means that the artist either sticks everything together himself in his home studio, or he takes money in his hand and pays a rental studio to record his music. Either way, the artist must first make a financial advance payment before he can get one or more songs out to the public. At this point at the latest, the first readers will ask themselves why a label is needed at all, which incidentally would also like to have a percentage of the live fees in the so-called 360 degree deals. What does the label get in return?

The services of a label

To put it in a nutshell, if you want to pursue your music as a hobby, have a good time and make your music available to your friends, family and a manageable number of fans, you definitely don't need a label. Many service providers offer the listing of personal recordings in all major streaming services worldwide for a monthly/annual or sometimes one-off fee. A certain level of quality must be maintained, but anyone who fails here should consider whether their music is really worth publishing. Otherwise, CDs and vinyl can be produced in very small quantities and then sold via your personal online store or marketplace, etc., and that's it. Income 100% minus the commissions of the respective intermediaries. Everything, really everything, that is needed to promote your personal output is up to you, which usually means that the radius of your personal brand awareness does not expand.

This is where an established label can really score points, provided it is really interested in you and your achievements. An established label usually has an established marketing structure consisting of permanent employees and freelancers, who in turn maintain contact with the trade press, etc. Once in the label's roster, you have access to a well-stocked database with the relevant contacts, so that your personal work at least gets to more or less interested writers, sometimes even journalists.

However, this does not mean that corresponding articles or interviews will be printed with you, as this largely depends on the placement of corresponding advertisements. All magazines always emphasize that they are not for sale, but every expert knows that the pure sale of magazines only covers a negligible part of the production and personnel costs, so that advertising is the decisive point in product planning. Only Tesla can afford not to advertise its products.

As a result, we have reached a point of complete perversion in the exploitation of music. I know some artists who not only pay for the entire production of their album themselves, do not receive any advance payment from the label and also pay for the entire marketing such as advertising etc. themselves, they also pay the label for the use of their infrastructure. In "normal" life, all musicians have a regular job with which they earn enough money to be able to afford to "play rock star" as a hobby. Imagine this situation in a normal trade, a bricklayer who buys all the tools himself and pays the builder to build a wall for him for free. I would be very curious to see the reaction of the trade unions and other bricklayers.

How should the artist behave?

As I said, it is not easy to give final guidance. Personally, I would simply make a calculation. Working without a label or setting up your own label means total artistic freedom, but it also means taking on all the financial costs and a lot of cold calling, which sometimes pushes you to your human limits. Because you should always be aware of one thing: nobody, absolutely NOBODY has been waiting for you and your music, no matter how good, unusual and entertaining you are.

However, if you are convinced of the quality of your music and are able and willing to provide a mid five-figure sum per planned album for record production, GEMA, marketing, promotion, tour support, recording studio rental, travel expenses, photographer, video artist, social media manager and much more, you can also work without a label. What's more, you can't do this work in the evening after a regular 9 to 5 job on the side. Ultimately, this can only be guaranteed if you are either a private individual or have financial leeway over a longer period of time thanks to an inheritance that keeps your back free.

The nice thing is, however, that if you have held out for several years and have been able to establish your music to such an extent that you have been noticed by the respective scene, the labels will approach you all by themselves and offer their support, usually at much better conditions than was the case at the beginning of your career. Again, always remember that this behavior is completely normal and legitimate, record companies are commercial enterprises, not cultural promotion programs! It's like any other job, it's nothing personal, it's just about money. If you always keep this wisdom in mind, everything doesn't hurt so much.

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The Evolution of Record Labels: A Comprehensive Journey through their Origin and Development

Introduction:

The music industry has undergone a remarkable transformation over the years, with record labels playing a pivotal role in shaping the landscape. The evolution of record labels can be traced back to the late 19th century, and their journey has been marked by technological advancements, cultural shifts, and business innovations. In this article, we will explore the rich history of record labels, from their humble beginnings to their current status as key players in the global music ecosystem.

The Birth of the Phonograph and the Emergence of Record Labels:

The story begins in the late 19th century when Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. This groundbreaking invention allowed for the mechanical reproduction of sound, paving the way for the mass production and distribution of music. However, it wasn't until the early 20th century that record labels, as we know them today, started to take shape.

In the early 1900s, independent entrepreneurs recognized the commercial potential of recorded music and began to establish small companies to manufacture and distribute records. These early record labels were often localized and focused on specific genres or regional artists. They played a crucial role in popularizing the concept of recorded music, as they produced and distributed
physical records made of shellac.

The Jazz Age and the Rise of Major Labels:

The 1920s witnessed the Jazz Age, a period that saw the rapid growth of the music industry and the establishment of major record labels. Companies like RCA Victor, Columbia Records, and Decca Records emerged as dominant players, creating a framework for the modern record label. These major labels exerted significant control over recording, manufacturing, and distribution processes, allowing them to shape the musical landscape by promoting certain genres and artists.

The Golden Era of Vinyl and the Influence of Technology:

The mid-20th century marked the golden era of vinyl records, with 33⅓ RPM LPs and 45 RPM singles becoming the standard formats. This period saw the consolidation of major labels' power and the emergence of iconic figures like Berry Gordy Jr., who founded Motown Records in 1959. Technological advancements, such as stereo recording and the advent of magnetic tape, further transformed the recording process, enhancing the quality of music production.

The Counterculture Movement and Independent Labels:

The 1960s and 1970s witnessed a cultural revolution, with the counterculture movement challenging the mainstream. Independent labels gained prominence during this period as they provided a platform for alternative and experimental music. Labels like Stax Records and Sun Records played crucial roles in promoting genres like soul and rock 'n' roll, while also fostering the careers of legendary artists like Elvis Presley and Otis Redding.

The Digital Revolution and the Challenges for Record Labels:

The late 20th century brought about the digital revolution, profoundly impacting the music industry. The introduction of CDs in the 1980s and digital formats in the 1990s transformed how music was consumed. This shift posed challenges for traditional record labels as online piracy and file-sharing became prevalent. To adapt, labels had to explore new business models and embrace digital distribution platforms.

The 21st Century: Streaming Dominance and Label Diversification:

The 21st century has been marked by the dominance of streaming services. Companies like Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer have revolutionized how people access and consume music. Record labels have had to adapt once again, negotiating complex licensing agreements with streaming platforms to ensure fair compensation for artists. Moreover, some artists have chosen to bypass traditional labels, utilizing independent distribution channels made possible by the internet.

Conclusion:

The evolution of record labels is a fascinating journey that mirrors the dynamic changes in technology, culture, and business practices. From the early days of shellac records to the streaming-dominated landscape of today, record labels have navigated through various challenges and transformations. Despite the shifting landscape, these entities continue to play a vital role in shaping the music industry, discovering talent, and bringing music to audiences worldwide. As we move forward, the role of record labels will undoubtedly continue to evolve, adapting to new technologies and cultural shifts while remaining at the forefront of the ever-changing music ecosystem.

Feature: The Future Of The Album Format

 Does the album format really still make sense today? In order to really answer this question, as is almost always the case, we have to dig a little deeper, especially when it comes to the historical context. Now then, why "long-playing records" at all and what is the meaning behind them?

As always, when it comes to the dissemination of music, the commercial aspect is at the forefront. Very few artists like to hear this statement, but it is and remains a fact. By the way, no one is surprised that a craftsman primarily pays attention to his hourly wage, but as soon as a musical "craftsman" takes the same approach, he can expect an official shitstorm in the style of "art instead of commerce" and "filthy lucre".

If we turn the clock back about 80 years, we end up in the area where the commercial use of the sound carrier took off. Up to that point, there were simply only live concerts if you wanted to listen to music outside of your personal home. Although this was socially beneficial, it was associated with corresponding travel expenses and time dependency. How nice it would be if you could enjoy the music of your favorite artist at home, regardless of the imposed concert schedule. The record was born. First as a single, then later in the coveted LP version, on which there was room for several tracks at once and you didn't have to get up after every song to change the record. The absolute mood killer, especially in the area of cuddly music.

The format, born out of the desire for more sales, developed magnificently and not only enabled the artists to achieve gigantic sales in some cases, but the large cover surface also offered the artist the opportunity, both visually and in terms of a concept album, to coordinate the order of the tracks in relation to the narrative thread and to take the listener on a journey into creativity for a maximum of 45 - 50 minutes. People would meet up to listen to music together, the album would of course be listened to at least once in one go and then they would spend hours discussing what the artist wanted to say with their output. There were no research methods a la the Internet, so there were no limits to personal interpretation.

The possibilities of recording an album professionally were very limited. It required acoustically perfected premises in the real estate sector, a gigantic investment in professional equipment such as microphones, outgear, consoles and, above all, technical and artistic staff who could both operate and maintain the huge fleet of vehicles. Depending on the artist, the release of a new album was an event of the highest category and sometimes caused long queues in front of the record stores on the release day, which you had laboriously found out through friends or the trade press. You had artists who were superstars, record companies who were bathing in money and fans who were happy to be part of the big machine and were over the moon about every special edition of a record.

And now let's take a quick shake, open our eyes and come back to the present, where artistic hell awaits us!

The present

To start with, I'm by no means one of those guys who carries the credo "everything used to be better" on a coat of arms. On the contrary, some of my artistic and commercial successes would not have been possible without the current exploitation structures, so I am very ambivalent about today's opportunities.

But the current situation looks much more like this. Modern DAW's have not opened up the possibility for the artist to do most of the audio work themselves, they have introduced the OBLIGATION to do so! Where record companies used to have budgets that allowed professional sound engineers, producers, songwriters, lyricists and arrangers to be hired and paid on the basis of the high income from record sales, today's Advance model is limited to "zero advance" for newcomers or "20% of what was paid 20 years ago" for established artists.

The development runs according to the guidelines. There isn't a musician today who doesn't have a "home studio" in some room of his apartment and tries to get close to his desired sound with Kemper and Superior Drummer. Well done to anyone who makes electronic music and has probably never had to think about the complex social structures of a band. The result for the "band musician" is inevitably almost always the same. Happy to have put enough hours into practicing his personal instrument, he is now also expected to be a songwriter, lyricist, sound engineer, arranger, producer and, of course, to be able to mix and master the product perfectly without ever having undergone any further training. The sonic results in the form of pumping compressors, EQ lines without sense and reason and channel strips stuffed with plugins can be heard millions of times on YouTube and the corresponding streaming services.

Now let's get back to the actual question: is it still worth recording an album these days? The answer: No! "But all bands still do it". Exactly, but it doesn't change the fact that it has become pointless. Let's take a look at the individual arguments:

1) Concept album with corresponding sequence of tracks

With "Violence", superstar Adele recently pushed through Spotify that the random play button on an album can only be activated with special settings. This action is intended to save the artist's dramatic intention in the order of the tracks. Why is such an action important? Because the vast majority of music listeners don't care what is played in which order! To avoid misunderstandings, yes, there are still music listeners who are interested in an album and an artist, but the number of these music lovers is probably in the per mille range.


2) The value of an album

Cubase and Logic have opened Pandora's box. On the one hand, undreamt-of possibilities of perfection and self-sufficiency for the professional artist, on the other hand, an unprecedented flooding of the market with all possible and impossible outputs. The result is the same as on the financial market, what is available in abundance no longer has any value. Anyone who has ever tried to make an impression at a party by saying "my new album will be released next week" knows what I'm talking about. You can only impress people by saying "I'm playing at a sold-out Wacken Open Air in front of 80,000 people next week", but you won't get anyone behind the stove with a "sound carrier" these days.


3) The regular "Let yourself be heard"

The attention span of a younger music listener who grows up with formats such as TikTok is around 60 - 90 seconds, after which almost everything and everyone becomes "boring". It's best to regularly point out your personal output at short intervals and that's that. An album with approx. 10 - 12 tracks will get all the tracks out at once and will hold your attention for maybe a week at most, after which most fans will want new content. I have fans in Brazil who ask me 4 weeks after the release of an album when the next album is coming. So why not release a single track every week or every month? This procedure keeps your back free for 3 months or a whole year and the fan gets new content at regular intervals.


4) The physical sound carrier

As already mentioned several times, the CD format is dying and is only quietly rattling along. Attempts are made to keep collectors interested with elaborate special editions, which succeed up to a certain point, but do not really make economic sense due to the high production costs. Even the constantly praised vinyl department, which has established itself with a market share of just under 7%, can hardly be satisfied with a "normal" black LP. It has to be at least 4 different colors, preferably even more with corresponding production costs. Is that why fans buy the same album several times in different colors? Hardly ...

And now? what to do?

Ultimately, of course, every artist has to decide for themselves whether they want to go down the traditional route of marketing or whether they want to explore new avenues. Of course, it is easier for the music magazine trade press to interview the artist about a new album than about a single new song. However, the extent to which this traditional form of music magazine will survive in the next few years is another matter entirely.

Far be it from me to denigrate an artist's output in the form of an album. I remember only too well how proud I was to hold my first album in my hands, on which I could be heard and on whose cover I was depicted. Apart from the fact that the album sounded really shitty and by today's standards I can only beat my hands over my head, this action was almost 4 decades ago and a lot has changed in this respect in recent times.

So don't hang your head, but maybe think about a few format alternatives, it could be worth it ...

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The Comprehensive History of Vinyl Records

Introduction

Vinyl records have a rich history that spans over a century1. They’ve been around for over a century now, and their roots trace back to American inventors like Thomas Edison and others from around the world1. Since the days of the phonograph and gramophone, advancements in audio technology have made vinyl one of the most compelling and immersive ways to listen to music1.

The Beginning: The Phonograph

The grandfather of the modern turntable was the phonograph, an invention created by Thomas Edison way back in 18771. This device was a far cry from the record players of today, but the ingenious technology at its core was remarkably similar1. Phonographs served two purposes – recording sound and playing it back1. The devices were equipped with foil-coated cylinders, which could have grooves etched in them by one of their two needles1. The recording needle would write recorded sound into the cylinder, which could then be played back by running a second needle through the grooves1. The phonograph was powered by a crank mechanism, which the user had to turn manually throughout the recording and playback process1. While that might sound like a hassle, the technology was completely revolutionary for its time, and it laid the groundwork for the turntable that came after it.

The Phonograph Evolves Into the Gramophone

After Edison’s phonograph changed the world, the next innovation in audio technology came from a German immigrant named Emile Berliner1. Berliner’s gramophone, the father of the modern record player, was invented ten years after the phonograph, and it bears much more resemblance to the turntables you’re familiar with1. The gramophone made several major departures from the design and function of the phonograph that came before it1. For one, the gramophone used flat discs instead of cylinders to play back recorded audio, and these discs were created without the use of the gramophone itself1. The use of a device strictly to play back recorded music instead of recording the music itself made the gramophone much more consumer-friendly than its predecessor

Early Vinyl Records

After the gramophone grew in popularity, new versions were created that made the technology more accessible, affordable, and suitable for the early 20th-century consumer1. The discs used on the earliest record players were made from shellac, not vinyl, and they could only be played at 78 revolutions per minute (RPM)1. We now know that records with higher RPM have the potential for better sound quality, but at the time, the speed at which these shellac discs spun was based on necessity. The 78s, as they became known, could only hold a few minutes of recorded music on each side

Shellac vs Vinyl Records

Vinyl records are called “vinyl” records because of their material composition2. Records today are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), hence the nickname vinyl2. Polyvinyl chloride can be many different colors, which is why you might see some colored vinyl in your record collecting adventures2! The earliest records invented were made from shellac2, so these would technically just be records, and not vinyl records2. However, those shellac records are not made anymore2. Records started being pressed more frequently on vinyl partly due to less available shellac for record production during World War II2. Shellac records eventually stopped being made around 19602. The older shellac records (also called 78s) were much more brittle and heavier than the newer vinyl records2. Vinyl records are more prone to warping and scratches than shellac records (because they’re more lightweight), but are still thought of as a better record material because they have less audio feedback.

Different Types of Records

Records come in various sizes. The most common sizes of records are 12″, 10″ and 7″ records2. Most albums are recorded on 12 inch records, and most singles are recorded on 7 inch records2. Records are also made with different rpms or revolutions per minute2. The rpm is the speed at which a vinyl spins.

The Rise of Vinyl Records

The vinyl record took off during the 1940s and 1950s, particularly after World War II. With the rise of the music industry, the demand for recorded music grew, and vinyl records became the primary medium for recorded music.

Conclusion

The significant period for vinyl records was from the inception of the vinyl LP in 1948, to 1988, when CDs outsold records for the first time1. However, the format definitely isn’t going anywhere anytime soon1. Today, vinyl records are still a vital part of music history2 and continue to be a popular medium for music enthusiasts around the world.