What you do not see at a concert

[tater1977]

What you do not see at a concert

August 2nd, 2014
bruce mctague

http://brucemctague.com/what-you-do-not ... -a-concert

This is about music … and my job in college as a ‘fake’ security guy <for a company called Contemporary Security> walking around in a cool yellow tshirt that said “SECURITY” on it … telling people what to do at concerts and sporting events and trying to only get into altercations I knew I could win.

To be clear.
I loved this job and loved the guys I worked for and with.
Good organization and, in general, good culture and fellow employees.

In addition.

On a professional “acquiring skills for later” level … I learned a lot at this job … some basics that if I had not paid attention to would have represented missed opportunities for learning. I learned shit i have applied in business to this day.

Anyway.

I hadn’t thought about this job in quite some time.

And then I saw that Steve Perry <ex-lead singer Journey> performed in NYC for the first time in a long time. it reminded me of one of the best moments that you don’t see at a concert.

In the good ole days there were things called stadium concerts. These were day long concerts where a full lineup of great bands would queue up and play one after another … and the best of the best would end the day.

Ok.
They still have these. But now they are events <like Bonnarroo or Glastonbury> when before pretty much every big stadium in America schooled these things.

The one I remember was in the Los Angeles Coliseum and Journey headlined <I think there was also The Babys – with John Waite and Johnathon Cain … who had not joined Journey yet, Aerosmith, The Motels and a couple other bands I cannot remember at the moment>.

Because I didn’t have anything else to do that day I volunteered to work the sound check the day before the concert as they set up the stadium <yes … they set up things the day before so that as the gates opened up on show day at some ungodly early hour the bands only needed to have their ‘set up’ put in place as they entered stage>.

On that day each of the bands just strolled in and did what they do to warm up and make sure the sound system was set up the way they liked it. And each band does it their own way.

That day I was standing at the sound system which was set up maybe a third of the way back in the stadium directly in the center of the field in front of the stage. A mass of confusing boards and little blinking lights and knobs and such all managed by maybe two guys chugging black coffee like they had been in a desert for three days and who looked like they should be in a homeless shelter.

Random people walked around the stadium and my job was to make sure any of the random people who did not actually belong near the million dollar valued sound system didn’t accidentally come by and twist a knob or something.

It was Journey’s turn to tune up and do sound check.

Please remember.
I am old.

This was before they had wireless mikes so everyone was wired up and was limited by how far a cord could go and their ability to not get tangled up in their cord.

Neil Schon and the drummer just kind of got things started.

And if you haven’t seen musicians playing nothing, and everything at the same time, you haven’t seen and heard music at its best.

It just this rambling incohesive brilliant musicianship.

Oh.

And then Steve Perry wanders on stage in jeans and a tshirt holding a mike just watching the other guys play.

And without saying anything all of a sudden the band eases into a song almost one by one … but all together … and Steve eases in with vocals in his distinctive clear voice.

It’s the kind of thing that is so stunningly easily beautiful that you just have to stop whatever it is you are doing and stare.

Time kinds of stops.

You are in the middle of a stadium and while people are still moving and there are the regular noises of people doing what hey need to do … and yet … there is nothing else but the music.

To be clear.

Even people who are used to this recognize special moments.

People around me stopped.

Even the sound guys, who you knew had heard his dozens of time, stood still for a moment as it all synced up on stage.

The moment passed but the band seemed to shift seamlessly from one song to another and on occasion stopping to tune something or just talk amongst each other.

They had been doing this for a while and me being me … had stopped paying attention and was kind of mindlessly listening.

And all of a sudden something felt different about the music and I started paying attention. The music sounded different.

I turned around and Steve Perry was standing maybe 10 feet away from me facing the stage … singing.

Now remember … this was before wireless microphones. He had been wired up to walk all the way from the stage, maybe a 1/3rd of the way into the stadium, with his microphone to the sound system and hear what it sounded like.

I don’t remember the song. I wish I did.

I do remember a nonchalant Steve Perry, his voice crystal clear, pitch perfect, watching as the rest of the band clustered on stage watching each other work their way thru the song … I remember Steve Perry stopping and watching as Neil Schon effortlessly worked his way thru a solo … and seamless picking back up with vocals as Neil slid out of the solo and back into the song.

I remember Steve Perry looking over at me <ok … maybe he was looking at the guys in front of all the knobs and boards> and smiling, as he sung, and give a thumbs up because he lied what he was hearing.

Hey.

With my CSC security job I saw a lot of shit that most people do not see at a concert … but this was a special moment.

I am sure warming up and sound checks created great moments that most people never see all the time.
But this was my little glimpse into what makes great bands and great musicians great.

and, please, Journey was a great band with one of the greatest rock … ok … any genre … lead singers of all time>

So.

Professional learning? Beyond the obvious practice & rehearsal <for the musicians and the ‘support for the presenters’… perspective.

Yup.

Perspective.

How often in business do we fall into our own little groove and fall into sync with the people around us and … well … we think all is good. We think it is good because it feels good.

Perry stepped out of the onstage groove and got perspective. He wanted to see what the people saw … he wanted to hear what the sound guys heard.

Oh
And he took himself out of what I would perceive is a good comfort zone. All by himself … away from the others he is most likely in subconscious sync with on stage … he sings … they play. He … well … disconnected from the comfort zone in a way.

That, my friends, is stepping out of the comfort zone for perspective.

I stored that learning away in my ‘futre professional thoughts to to remember’ in my pea like brain.

I still use it today.

Even when things are going right … and they feel right … and maybe even because they are feeling right … I like to figure out a way to gain some perspective.

And, frankly, we all need perspective.
Anyway.

To end this.

I wanted to share a clip of what this behind the scenes looks and sounds like from the good ole Journey days but I couldn’t find one.

<nuts>

But.

I thought I would share this fabulous clip of Stevie Ray Vaughn during a sound check. I was fortunate enough to see Stevie play maybe three times before he passed away.

Regardless.

This is a reminder of how good these musicians really are.

“Stevie just waking up then warming up. Insane how good can you really be that tired? This was filmed Jan 1986 by Greg Savage of Savage Guitar Design.

How can that guy just walk up, plug in and play like he’s been playing all day long? The man was a natural.”
=
Hope you enjoyed.

[Gina3008]

I find it heartwarming that Journey's chemistry together could even be seen in sound checks. The way they worked together was astounding. If only we could see that again.

And I find it sad that Stevie Ray Vaughan's life and musicianship ended so early. RIP, Stevie.

[Marabelle]

Welcome Gina! Hope you come back to post!

[Gina3008]

Welcome Gina! Hope you come back to post!

Thank you, Marabelle. I hope to do just that. I have read the forums as a guest for a long while and finally took the nerve to post, myself. But there are some pretty tough posters on here. Can be a little intimidating, I have seen.........

[Marabelle]

Hi GIna, don't be concerned about those who intimidate and are tough posters. They can be friendly or not. I have been here for some time now, if I think about it I was here when there was a PaPaJo (I believe I may be wrong with his name but he loved Joe Paterno) and a few others but especially Deano who was just amazingly funny; a sweet man as far as I was concerned. People come and they go. I'm not a fan who knows about the band's history that much so I don't get involved in the bickering. I remember coming here years ago when it was really volatile and wishing people a "good day" to just get things started and hope to put people in a better space. LOL! That was a hoot. Things are actually alot better than they use to be. But things and people change and I think I've witnessed it all over the years. The one constant thing for me is my love of the music and the band, respect of the art of the music, and the love of Mr Perry's voice, so when I read things like this that the poster wrote...ahhh, it reminds me of why I"m at the forum. Great music. Great vocals. Great band. The other stuff matters but not that awfully much.

[FamilyMan]

I can completely relate to this. I was once a union stagehand at the Meadowlands in NJ. I did hundreds of shows as a young lad - beyond thrilled seeing some of my favorite artists up close and personal. I'll never forget being backstage for Journey in 1987 (Raised on Radio Tour) and seeing Perry pacing back and forth singing scales as he was about to go on. The man seemed truly tortured. It would have looked to many like stage fright, but I realize now it was an insatiable need to sound perfect. Speaking of sound checks, however, one sticks out for me as well ... 1989 The Who (reunited for the first time since '81). Giants Stadium. Just four band members on stage: John Entwistle (bass), Simon Phillips (drums), Townsend (acoustic guitar was all he played that tour) and some hired hand they got to play electric guitar for Pete. They played "Join Together" without Daltrey. I couldn't believe how good they sounded. And without the vocals, it allowed us to appreciate John's bass playing all the more. It's hard to believe they ever carried on without him.