The importance of logistics in a live concert
When we have finally reached an agreement for a live concert that we are going to organice, we have several points to consider: rehearsing our show as much as possible, working on the promotion, etc.; and also taking care about the element we will be talking about today: the logistics of the event.
When we talk about logistics, we mean everything that needs to be organised weeks and days before the event, along with everything that happens on the day itself. Everything, so that the presentation goes as good as possible, regardless of its size. In addition, there is another very important reason why logistics of the event have to be perfect: to reduce the stress level of the artist and his/her staff.
In order for all this to work perfectly, it needs to be a fundamental element: Good Leadership. There has to be someone in charge of all the logistics, either the artist himself or a technical producer who works with him. This person in charge has to manage everything from the beginning, and along with this, to protect his staff and collaborate with third parties, because if this is not the case, there is a great risk that the event will be a failure.
Let's see which details need to be considered by whoever is in charge, so that the logistics of the event expects to be the best:
To be in constant communication with the venue, with its people, so as the date approaches, everything expects to be organized.
To exchange technical riders of the artist and the venue, so the day of the event everything that was agreed between both parties is available. For this, you can often ask for the help of the band's FOH (front of house) engineer.
To elaborate together with the venue, a schedule plan for the day of the event. This consists in a detailed document with the schedules of all the activities that are going to happen in the day, which include the arrival of the artist to the venue, sound check times, duration of the show, etc.
It is essential that this schedule plan has to be sent at least four days in advance by e-mail to everyone involved in the event: artists, technical staff, local people, guest musicians, etc. And it must contain as much information as possible, such as telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of all of them.
Prepare a printed list with all the band’s equipment, to check it at the arrival and departure from the venue, otherwise we could have the risk of losing cables, equipment, tools, etc. It is also suggested to mark everything that is property of the artist.
If it has been agreed, consider catering (food) for artists and staff.
Coordinate transportation of artist and staff to and from the venue.
Finally, to be able to solve in a good way, with respect and collaboration, all the unexpected situations that may arise on the day of the event, which sometimes happen. An concert is an instance where there are a lot of people involved, and where more people are expected to be received as an audience. So, good treatment to people, the ability to make quick and accurate decisions, and keeping calm all the time, are the fundamental elements of a good leader that will be needed that day.
Clearly the purpose of a live concert, independent if it is for ten people or thousands of them, is that it goes perfectly, the people ended happily, and the artist felt he gave his best. That's why good logistics before the event contributes enormously to achieve it. And in the case of emerging artists, many times they will be the ones who will direct that logistics, so the more prepared and well leaded it is, the better will be the results.