Mass music events are becoming the norm around the world.
We have covered festivals as a business trend and have covered many individual events as production profiles, but this year we are pulling out all the stops and gathering coverage of more than a half-dozen festivals into a single feature. It’s a big job, but somebody’s gotta do it… Enjoy.
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Sound crew worked hard to ensure the Boston Pops’ Fourth of July performance was as vibrant as the fireworks.
There’s nothing like hearing majestic symphonic music and then seeing a sky erupting with colorful fireworks on the Fourth of July, and the concert at the Esplanade on the Charles River is the most prestigious annual celebration of its kind. Featuring lively performances from conductor Keith Lockhart and the acclaimed Boston Pops Orchestra, guest appearances throughout the years by everyone from David Lee Roth to Rascal Flatts, engaging hosts like talk show personality Craig Ferguson, and (of course) a vibrant fireworks display, the event is a local sensation, and after 10 p.m., a national television event on CBS.
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Ahhhhh. Smell that? It’s the exciting but somehow slightly putrid smell of trade show season bearing down upon us. And the dance begins. Everyone wants A) their stuff covered as widely as possible and B) to have it still be a surprise when officially unveiled at PLASA in September or AES in October. You know, everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die. Can’t have it both ways.
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A few months ago, I was hired to do a gig for a company I had not worked for before, but heard a few horror stories about, mostly pay related. We were carrying most of the gear, but subbed out local crew, most of the lighting, racks and stacks and some backline. First, there was a problem with the promoter paying the balance when due, and the local crew (who had a five-hour call) sat around for three hours (after unloading the local gear for the first hour). Finally, the payments were made and we started unloading our truck.
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We catch up with Brad Madix, Brent Carpenter and Rush.
To say that Rush is a damn good rock band would be the understatement of the last four decades. Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson are three of the best at what they do in the world. When they perform live, it’s a mind-boggling experience. Since the release of the band's self-titled debut album in March 1974, Rush has become known for the instrumental skills of its members, complex compositions and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy and libertarian philosophy, as well as addressing humanitarian, social, emotional and environmental concerns.
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Randall Turner Owner/Designer Turner Specialty Contractors, LLC Bradford, PA www.audionlightsnstagecurtains.com 877-45-AUDIO [email protected] Services Provided: Audio, lighting, stage curtains, design/build. Clients: ABC News — “Nightline with… Read More »Randall Turner and Terry Holdershaw
Read More »At this time of year — when the members of our celebrated audio industry descend upon one town or another and fill massive convention centers with miles and aisles of new, state-of-the-art audio technology — my thoughts turn to control. After all, every item on display at AES is purporting to present the user with more control of their mix along with the promise — spoken and unspoken — that each new piece of technological wizardry will offer a newer, faster and more efficient way to manipulate and manage the mechanics of their audio world.
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Brothers who built pro audio empire to be honored with Parnelli Audio Visionary Award
Roy and Gene Clair are quick to say they are “outstanding in their field.” Not that they are braggarts — far from it. They mean it literally, as in they are “out standing in their field” of humble Lititz, Pa. Far from the glare of New York or Los Angeles, the brothers built one of the largest and most innovative pro audio empires the live event industry has ever seen.
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You may notice a small change on the cover of this issue of FOH. Where it used to say “The News Magazine for Live Sound” it now says “People. Production. Gear. Gigs.” I know it seems like a small thing, but it speaks volumes about the role of news in print media and the future of FOH magazine.
Read More »The basic tenet of Bleeding Edge is to look forward at cutting-edge technology and what it can offer us now, or perhaps might promise us in the future. Sometimes it can be fun (and quite educational) to look in the rearview mirror, so to speak, where technology is concerned. Since this month is AES month and we’ll be seeing a lot of new product from our favorite gear manufacturers, we thought it might be fun to set the time machine back to 1998 and have a look at the audio rage of the time and what has perhaps fallen by the wayside.
Read More »When the iconic Bleecker Street music venue, the Village Gate, was at its peak in the 1960s and ‘70s, the sound system was decidedly monaural, though plenty suitable for the eclectic array of musicians, from folky Dave Van Ronk to fusion prophets Dreams, who trod its stage. But when the Village Gate came out of retirement this year, under the rubric Le Poisson Rouge, its programs may have been just a eclectic as ever, from jazz to classical to rock, but its sound system had to face the reality of modern expectations. It had to go surround.
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — An Electro-Voice XLC sound system from Mason Sound of Jacksonville, Ill. was used at this year’s Illinois State Fair, which featured live performances by big names including ZZ Top, Fergie, Brooks & Dunn, Joan Jett, Huey Lewis and Trace Adkins.