The Concert Production Industry
The concert production industry (CPI) operates alongside the live music business (LMB). The CPI supplies the technical and logistical aspects of staging concert tours and music festivals. The companies that make up the CPI are the ‘suppliers’, or ‘vendors’, and include the suppliers of:
- Audio rental
- Lighting rental
- Video rental
- Event trucking
- Temporary power
- Outdoor structures
- Visual effects (VFX) design
- Artist transportation
…and many concert-related services. There are also many ‘business-type’ suppliers who offer services in work permit and visa processing, for instance. Finally, the CPI includes suppliers who straddle the line between the CPI and the live music business (LMB) – companies that supply ticketing solutions to concert promoters would fall in this bracket, for instance.
I like to describe the CPI as the ‘steel and wood’; the LMB, on the other hand, is about the people and the deals.
Concert Production Technicians (aka ‘roadies’)
The CPI vendors use concert production technicians to prepare, set-up, operate, and tear down supplied equipment. These technicians are usually freelance, working for the supplier for the duration of the concert tour or festival. CPI techs are often referred to as ‘roadies’, which is not quite right. The crew who work directly for the music artist are roadies in the true sense; the techs working for the suppliers are the ‘system techs’. (You can read about the different touring road crew in ‘5 Steps To A Roadie Job: How to Get Working On-The-Road With Touring Bands’).
CPI companies also supply their equipment and expertise to other areas, such as ‘corporate’ events. (‘Corporate’ is the word given to events organised by other companies and organisations, such as conventions, roadshows, new product launches, sponsored sports events etc.). Working as a roadie places people in a favourable position to pursue further, non-music-related work if desired. For example, they might secure freelance work with an audio rental company as a sound engineer on a concert tour. Once that tour concludes, the rental company could offer additional freelance opportunities, perhaps as a sound engineer for a corporate event.
The Concert Production Manager
One of the technican roles worth mentioning is that of the concert production manger (CPM). They key figures in this industry, responsible for overseeing the ‘steel and wood’ on a concert tour, ensuring that everything runs smoothly and safely. CPMs require a comprehensive understanding of the technical requirements and regulations related to staging modern music events. This includes health and safety regulations; there have been terrible accidents involving concert production in the last twenty years and many countries have guidelines and regulations about stages, temporary power, and crowd control.
A Guide to the Concert Production Industry
A good place to appreciate the concert production industry is this video created by Ad Lib, an audio, lighting, and staging rental company from England. The video explains the entire process of putting on a concert. This involves the LMB and the video highlights all the players in the CPI.
Another excellent resource are the CPI trade magazine and websites. Looking round, these will show you the products and services provided by CPI suppliers to create concert tours and music festivals. Total Production International (TPi) is a good example.
End
So that’s my take on the CPI. The industry is not as complex as the live music business and does have more companies, organisations, and people involved. Please let me know in the comments if you found the guide useful.