Mary McCaslin's Roundup

July 19, 2001

 

A GREAT DREAM OF MUSIC

            It all starts with a dream. What could be more exciting and ultimately satisfying than presenting a festival featuring a masterfully selected line-up of first-rate musicians in a spacious and lovely outdoor setting?

            Visions of capacity crowds and magic moments on stage dance in the head of the new promoter. Surely the artistic and financial rewards will offset any problems that might crop up. And, if things go right, this new festival will become a renowned annual event.

            But dreams have a way of turning into reality. Seldom is it possible to book an enticing, cohesive and affordable line-up of performers without making some efforts and compromises that have little to do with ideal artistic expression and a lot to do with the business of music.

            Occasionally a well-known artist's agency will require the festival promoter to also include an unknown artist who is represented by that agency. This is usually only for a "tweener" slot between scheduled performers. A tweener is a sort of hurried showcase in which there is time for two or three songs at the most. Often either the allotted time is too short or way too long.  

            It is also expected that every artist will have a "rider" attached to their contract which specifies requests for certain foods, liquid refreshments (alcohol and non-alcohol) and other amenities. Most of these items are easily provided and most of the artists who play the Americana / folk circuit are grateful for the hospitality they receive.  Every artist has the right to expect courteous treatment, correct information, liquid refreshments, edible food and a quiet, somewhat secure place to relax before and after their performance. Years on the road can make even the most easy going musician  learn to be very  insistent that these basics be provided.

            Unfortunately some performers have come to expect every promoter to enforce unreasonable security precautions. Others demand that their intricate and strict dietary needs be met. These hard line requirements place a substantial burden on the festival staff, which has already put in an incredible amount of work.

            Artists' contract riders also include lists of needed "backline" items that they do not carry with them on the road. These are things such as bass and guitar amps, drum sets, keyboards and miscellaneous accessories required for each gig. For the bigger name acts the promoter is expected to pay for the backline. The lesser-known acts often must pay their own rental costs.

            Bands usually carry their own guitars, basses, cords, horns, effects pedals and sometimes amps. Drummers usually carry their own snare drums, cymbals, kick drum pedals and sticks.

            Sometimes it pays off for the promoter to be prepared with a spare set of cymbals and a snare drum even if they have not been requested in any of the contract riders. For example, at the recent KPIG Swine Soiree neither Mark Selby nor Sonny Landreth asked for cymbals. However,  the airline managed to lose all of the Sonny Landreth Band's luggage, which included the drum equipment they carry (even drumsticks). Fortunately, the festival production staff had rented two drum kits and one set of cymbals and a pair of drumsticks was borrowed from local drummer Jim Norris.

            Dave Ransom, Sonny's bass player, did not even have a strap for his bass because it would not fit into the bag he was allowed to carry on board.  If he put the bass in an even slightly larger bag, the airline would insist that he check it through as luggage, so the strap was packed in the missing baggage. A banjo strap was found and used for the bass.

            Some members of the Landreth band were even without such basics as shampoo and toothbrushes, which had been packed in the missing baggage. This I found remarkable. Whenever  I  travel by air to play music I carry a bag with my "personal" items on board with me, including paperwork for the gigs on the tour. It would be hard enough to have to wear the same clothes for an extra day and worry about the musical instruments I was forced to check, without having  to search out a place to buy hygiene products just to get by until being re-united with my belongings.

           

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS

            In an earlier column I wrote about the people who load band gear and sound equipment on and off the stage at music venues. As important and often overlooked as this contribution is, especially to a large outdoor concert or festival, there is so much more to be done.

            A lot of the efforts that go into making an event a success may seem trivial, but often turn out to be very important. For instance, after overseeing the stage set-ups on the day before the Swine Soiree the production co-coordinator made one last round late that night. That was when he noticed that the rug on the main stage, donated by a local business, was imbedded with staples and paper clips.  He remembered that both Todd Snider and Toni Price have been known to perform barefoot. So he used a vacuum cleaner and then pulled out as many staples and paper clips by hand as possible. The next day he made a point of alerting Todd and Toni about the staples and paper clips that remained stuck in the carpet.

             Some of the musicians who arrive at the festival site have been on the road for weeks or months and a little TLC pays off. It can be as simple as just showing them to the hospitality area, offering something to eat and drink, or providing needed information and help with any last minute needs.

            "Sleepy" John Sandidge, who works with KPIG to book and promote the now annual Swine Soiree, makes the artists' dressing rooms homey and comfortable. He also oversees the placement of lovely potted plants and flowers around the stages and attempts to provide an ambience performers rarely encounter at festivals.

            In spite of all the advance preparations and best laid contingency plans there will often be an unexpected need or emergency. The above-mentioned loss of band equipment and luggage by the airlines is not an infrequent occurrence. The same goes for traffic and flight delays. Sudden illness is also something no promoter can forsee and any one of these things can bring about a quick revision of a schedule that has been in place for months.

            Sometimes a musician is insistent that only one type and brand of amp or keyboard is acceptable for their backline. A few years ago the Hellecasters played the Fat Fry and band member John Jorgenson insisted that the festival provide a very rare, hard to find amp for his use. Finally one Matchless amp was located in a music store somewhere in San Francisco and driven down to Aptos for their performance.

            John Jorgenson does own a Matchless amp, but his was in the shop and he could not locate another one in time for the Fat Fry. Did I mention that they are hard to find?

            The weather is also a consideration. Here in California extreme heat is more likely to be the problem rather than rain or cold. With the exception of a freak rainstorm that drenched Aptos Village Park during a Fat Fry a few years ago, the local festivals have taken place under sunny skies.

            The people who make it possible to see and hear our musical favorites on stage put their money on the line. The amount of work it takes to put together and present a festival is staggering. These people are unsung heroes and they deserve thanks.    

           

 

UP AND COMING / ON GOING

 

            The Fat Fry takes place on the weekend of July 28 and 29 at Aptos Village Park and features one of the best line-ups ever. Lucinda Williams headlines the Saturday show with a supporting cast that includes Dave Alvin, Charlie Musselwhite, Jim Lauderdale and Tish Hinojosa. Sunday's performers are the Sam Bush Band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Elvin Bishop, Rodney Crowell and Mumbo Gumbo. Better get your tickets soon. (Call 420-2800.)

 

            Rocky's Cafe in Felton is continuing to host open mics every Friday, and Bocci's Cellar in Santa Cruz offers a showcase every Wednesday night.

             Mick Overman books the musicians for the Bocci's showcase, performing a short set to begin the evening. This is a little different than an open mic, because only one or two performers are scheduled in advance and they each play for a longer time.

            In recent months, singer-songwriter Arthur Godfrey has been hosting a once a month open mic at the Wooden Nickel Bar and Grill in Freedom. These open mics are quickly becoming the place to see and hear some mighty fine music on the first Thursday of each month.

            Check them out. You'll be glad you did. And please, stay in touch.

 

Happy Trails.

 

            Mary McCaslin can be reached by mail at P.O. Box 3394, Santa Cruz, CA 95063, or at roundup@marymccaslin.com. Her radio show, The Fat Farm, can be heard Thursdays from 12 to 3 pm on KZSC 88.1 FM.