Doppler, A Roadies View

It’s that time of year and the summer concert season has begun.   Concert tours large and small.  This includes festival shows of all types of music styles.

It’s the time of year when radio stations like to have their summer  “bashes” by some catchy name.  Most of these are outdoor events.

The country stations are no exception. Last night was one of these shows.  This is known as “Taste Of Country” and this one was in Buffalo NY.  The production company that I work for when I am not touring provides sound, lights and staging for this event and has for several years.

We actually set up the stage and everything the day before (Thursday).  We had excellent weather though a bit cool.  The forecast for the show (Friday) was rain most of the day.  The promoter (radio station) scheduled this festival “rain or shine”.

The morning of the show the bands loaded in their equipment this included some additional lighting, stage monitors, backline, etc.  Just a typical day which began at 8am.  The weather has turned gray, cold and rainy. 

We try to keep things as dry as possible.  Covering up some of the gear with tarps etc. The day progressed normally considering the conditions.  The gates opened and the crowd streamed in.

There were five acts on the bill and the first four performed.  All of them in the rain even though the intensity of the weather varied through out.  The conditions were monitored all day and fortunately no thunderstorms or dangerous winds up to this point.

This changed during the fourth artist Joe Nichols.  The wind started to pick up and rain became quite heavy during the late part of his set.  I personally became concerned.  I am the lighting crew chief on this event.  However I am also responsible for operating the motors that support the “roof” system, which the lighting is attached to.  The owner of our company was working on site with us and he also voiced concerns with the changing conditions.

We decided to lower the roof down in hopes to reduce the pressure on the structure.  This is normal procedure and it’s recommend by the company that makes it.  Upon doing so we received weather reports that the conditions were going to get worse.  The covering on the roof was taking quite a beating.  With that said the staging was holding up very well.  We take great care and time to make sure of this.  We even add two additional towers upstage to help carry the load of everything hanging on it.  This is an eight tower roof.

No matter how safe you are and how good the equipment Mother Nature can still come up and smack you in the face.  The roof is only rated to handle a certain point of wind speeds and we were approaching them.  So it was decided with all those involved that the remainder of the show was to be cancelled.

No one likes to see this.  We don’t go through the dozens of hours, effort and man power to not give the paying public what they want.  It’s about putting on the best show possible.  When it’s all said and done the public safety, the bands and crews safety are what matters.

The public was told that we could not continue at which point the booing began.  This was understandable.  What began next was pathetic.  Several people decided to begin throwing full beer cans, chairs and other items at the stage.  We are looking out for these people’s safety and they turn around and potentially could hurt those helping them by throwing things.

Yes it was small amount of idiots that did this but it makes the people of Buffalo come across as ignorant and childish.

I hope those that threw things and shouted obscenities have “sobered up” today and realize that stopping the show was the right thing to do.  They can say what they want.  I know that all the powers that be would handle this the same way if and when it’s happens again.

I know I woke up earlier today knowing we did the right thing.