We Love Our Moms!
In honour of Mother’s Day, I’d like to remind all of your amazing singers to remember and acknowledge the efforts of all the unsung heroes that have supported you. Whether this means family members, friends, fellow artists or techs, these people make the magic happen! My mother raised me to always be grateful and that lesson has served me well throughout my entire career.
Quote Of The Day:
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” – Dale Carnegie
Ego vs Manners
Way back when I wrote a blog on “check your ego at the door”, I pointed out how an over inflated ego can ruin a good thing regarding healthy relationships within a band. This awareness of a healthy way to interact with the people you share the stage with can also be applied to the way you treat and acknowledge your “stage crew” or the team that physically helps you put on the show.
It is important to remember that if you have crew working with you to give them the credit they deserve. They are often the ones who help load your gear in and out, do the sound and lights as well as manage many of the other duties needed to put on a great show. They are all too often the unsung heroes of this business. They are the first people there, the last to leave, and have the success of the way you sound and the way you look at their fingertips.
Acknowledgments are Classy
Incorporating an acknowledgement of what they do and thanking the crew somewhere in your show is extremely classy. You will be amazed at how such a simple acknowledgement will also make people want to bend over backwards for you the next time you work together. It is always a nice gesture to make sure they are part of the perks on the gig whenever possible: food and beverage riders, same level of accommodations as the band, share the groupies (ha ha… just seeing if you are paying attention) etc. You would be amazed at how many bands, fly in and fly out without so much as a “thank you”, like it’s their right to have this entourage working their butts off for them. Believe me, they’ll talk about you to other bands after you’ve pulled away, and it won’t be in a kind light.
Mama Said
As my mother always says, “you’ll catch more flies with honey”, meaning being kind instead of being an a**hole will make them feel part of the success too, which they should be, and be ready to jump through hoops for you the next time you end up working together. I don’t say this to be manipulative or insincere in any way. After years of touring all sorts of venues, I am absolutely aware of how important the crew is to my being able to perform to the best of my ability and to make sure the show is a success for everyone involved.
Whether they are the local venue crew or you are lucky enough to travel with your own crew, make sure they know how much you appreciate their efforts and how much they contribute the the success of each show. We are all a team out there. It’s only common courtesy and a great way to keep the machine rolling smoothly.
Until next time… Breathe and Happy Singing!
