Within the music industry there are many aspects and roles that contribute to it behind the scenes to the public eye. One of the aspects of the industry is the live production of music, there are many people involved in the organisation and also the delivery of live music happening each and everyday roles like the following.
- Sound Engineers
- Security
- Box Office
- Hospitality
- Stage Manager / Stage crew
- Camera crew
- Support act / slot
- Lighting Engineers
- Musicians – backing singers and session musicians
- Hair and Makeup
Primus were filmed live at The Capitol Theatre on Sunday the 29th of October 2017 at 8:20PM, this is what I’m going to be basing my example off of as it’s perfectly demonstrates some of the key roles needed for this performance to go as smooth as it did.
- Produced + Directed by: Jonathan Healey
- Producer: Brad Sands at Red Light Management
- Executive Producer: Peter Shapiro
- Camera Operator: Dave Brown
As seen within the video of the performance the band have worked closely the production team to achieve the image they want to put out within the music industry.
To start off with the lighting engineers and technicians, throughout the set they are constantly change colour and the direction they are shone within this helps to set the mood of the song that’s being played and how the song is also progressing.
Lighting engineers have high-level skills to prepare, rig, operate and maintain stage lighting systems and electrical effects during live performances. Lighting engineers work closely with lighting designers, sound engineers, the director and the stage manager to combine their skills and help create the best live experience that pleases both the band and the audience.
During Primus’ set the atmosphere changes massively song to song, at the start of their first set they started off with ‘Mr Krinkle’ and the onstage presence is very dark and ominous which best suits the sound, the lyrics and Les Claypool’s stage appearance for this particular song.
But a couple of songs later, the mood changes when Primus play ‘Jerry Was A Race Car Driver’, the stage lights up progressively throughout and gets a lot heavier during the breakdowns and they also stop when the song pauses before Les Claypool says ‘Dog will hunt.’
This just shows how much preparation and time took to maintain and sustain the electrical effects during the live performance along with the sound engineers, the director and the stage manager.
As a sound technician, it’s their responsibility to assemble, operate and maintain the technical equipment used to record, amplify, enhance, mix or reproduce sound during a live performance. They’ll also need to identify the sound requirements for a given task or situation and perform the appropriate actions to produce the sound that the band want to produce for the audience and themselves.
However, they may also be responsible for setting up audio and mixing board equipment for event and or production. The duties of a sound technician vary according to the industry in which they are employed. Sound engineers often assist record producers also to help give their work the sound they are hoping to achieve.
They’re all types of audio engineers that help out at live audio events as it takes a lot of people to produce a very good out come just like Primus did, here are just a few examples.
- Live Sound Engineer – A live sound engineer works at live events to make sure the sound is of appropriate value and high quality.
- Monitor Engineer – A monitor engineer works with live sound engineers to help the performers at a live event hear themselves.
- Systems Engineer – A systems engineer manages the entire experience of sound at live performances. Systems engineers manage both live sound engineers and monitor engineers, and also work to set up the entire live sound system at many live events.
- Audio Post Engineer – An audio post engineer works to mix and edit audio for television and movies.
With all these factors and people combined the lighting technicians and the sound technicians help to dynamically convey the delivery of music to Primus’ audience, however there are still a lot of people that helped organise how this gig was going to play out.
Stage managers have several key responsibilities and tasks to perform in each phase of a production, including: scheduling and running rehearsals. They also coordinate the work of the stage crew and or stage hands, this is done by calling cues and possibly the band members entrances at the beginning of the performance.
Stagehands, also known as stage technicians or crew, work backstage with scenery, props and special effects in theatrical productions and live concerts. They play a vital role in any performance, by knowing exactly where and when to move objects, instruments and scenery in which that the band needed whilst performing song to song.
Yet again, during the first set whilst Primus were performing, Les Claypool was playing with his usual array of basses, but for ‘Mr Krinkle’ and ‘The Valley’ he uses a Ned Steinberger 5-String Electric Upright Bass.
Swapping between his vast collection basses would be the stagehands job to do it before the Que is given to the lighting engineers to light the stage back up again after the change is made, as seen in the video it’s been done fairly efficiently and done with no trip ups.
One of the last but most important role within the industry is security, within recent times it’s became apparent that security is an even more important role than ever within recent years due to such events as the Manchester bombing and because of this over the past year it has put the music industry on high alert. A number of promoters say that security expenses increased as much as 20 percent following Grande’s concert and that costs are rising another 10 to 15 percent in 2018.
Door Supervisors have specialist training to perform specialist functions. At live music venues these currently include all types of security, such as; front of stage pit teams, undercover anti-theft teams, undercover drug detection teams, drug detection dog units and personal searching specialist.
They staff some of the most critically important positions at concerts and sporting events and are there for the safety of everyone attending. Because crowd management and security is a top priority for events and venues, a large number of event staff members are needed to oversee this important task. These crowd management employees have received training in the field but are not formal law enforcement officers. Simply put, they keep things in order and respond when an incident gets out of hand or needs mediation.
But, without all of these roles we wouldn’t be able to produce quality live music for the public and it just goes to show how vital each and every aspect truly is!
If I had to do any of the following roles, I think I would choose to be a Sound technician and or a stage hand/manager, there any many different types of sound engineers also which all play a vital role with the delivery of live music.
But out of all of them I’d like to be a live sound technician because I’ll be able to ensure the quality of the sound and make sure it’s to a good quality that the audience have paid for.
On average a live sound engineer gets paid around about £25,000 to £40,000 a year which is a reasonable amount of money to do something I’m passionate within, the hours you’d work would be varied constantly which may become a pain at times if you want a social life within the evenings, but it would heavily rewarding most of the times because I’d be helping to produce a bands image and or vision, especially when it comes to Primus.
I’ll definitely need a good knowledge of music and sound technology, and I may find it useful to also have an understanding of physics and electronics.
I’ll definitely need a good knowledge of music and sound technology, and I may find it useful to also have an understanding of physics and electronics.
Having a degree with any of the following will help me to achieve this job,
- a course in technical theatre, music technology or sound engineering
- a degree or diploma in technical theatre accredited by Drama UK.
It would be useful also if I have paid or unpaid work experience, like:
- Helping backstage in a theatre
- Being a roadie for a band
- Rigging sound in amateur or student theatre, or for local bands
- Recording or mixing music, for example as a DJ
- Working for a sound equipment manufacturer or hire company
I’ll definitely need these attributes:
- Good hearing, for judging sound quality
- A good sense of pitch, timing and rhythm
- Patience, stamina and good concentration
- The ability to cope with long hours and tight deadlines
I’ll also have to mix the inputs from microphones and amplifiers, using a control desk to balance the sound levels. You might also provide background music and sound effects.
My duties might also include:
- Discussing the production’s sound needs with the director or sound designer
- Identifying places in the script where any sound effects, music and changes in sound level are needed
- Pre-recording any sound effects and music
- Positioning and rigging up microphones
- Completing sound checks before a performance
- Operating the sound desk during shows Following a sound plan (known as a ‘plot’) and cues from the deputy stage manager
- Looking after and repairing equipment
- Unloading, setting up, dismantling and loading equipment at each venue when on tour
I may also have to set up and operate lighting equipment as part of a sound and lighting crew.
Whilst doing some research I found out that the salaries for live sound engineers are the following within our country.
Starter: £25,000
Experienced: £30,000
Highly Experienced: £40,000 (sound designer)
Freelance rates would vary from this research. You could always negotiate fees based on the type of production and your own track record. The Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematography and Theatre Union (BECTU) list suggested rates.
Working hours, patterns and environment.
- Hours can be long and irregular.
- Evening and weekend work is common.
- You may also work during the day for rehearsals, sound checks and maintenance.
- You’ll work in theatres, concert halls, arenas, and outdoors at concerts and festivals.
- You’ll spend a lot of time sitting at a control desk.
- You’ll travel throughout the UK and possibly overseas.
With the following experience, I could always progress to chief sound engineer in a theatre, become a sound designer, or set up my own sound services company which would be quality but it is up to me what my future can hold!
Ellie Thornton Music 