• INTERNATIONAIssue 37 • March 2011

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The State of Our UnionDave Swallow comments on hard times in the live sound industry ...

The last couple of years have been hard for many of us andI think this year could be a little harder. With the economicdownturn in full swing for the third year, the disposableincome, on which we so heavily rely, of the general public israpidly drying up.

Everyone I have spoken to over the last few weeks has saidthe same thing; it's a slow year, but there's lot's going on laterin the year. One theory we have put together is that thefestival season is now much longer than it use to be, and alsoincorporates more and more festivals.

Eastern European countries have now opened their doors,and festivals are starting at the beginning of May, and goingright through to the end of September. Coupled with that, thefees that artists can get have gone up significantly. Thedisposable income that the general public have is better spentgoing to festivals, seeing all the bands they want to see in oneweekend, rather than spending it on individual shows. A bandused to incorporate a few festivals in their tours, but now onlyincorporate a few of their own shows in between festivals andthat is only to offset some of the costs of travel and wages.

Management is taking cautious steps towards their artists'futures, whereas major labels are making major changes totheir structures just to survive.

Many of us think that the industry would be better offwithout the 'evil corporate' major labels. They've made theirown mistakes and are now baring the brunt of this downturnin our industry. But where does this leave all of the hardworking touring personnel?

This year will be hard for a lot of us. Those with wellestablished names will have the work they've always had andthose youngsters who are willing to do sound, lights, merch,TM, drive, advance and baby-sit all in one convenient lowcost package will do well. But, it's this rolling everything intoone for a price that can't be beaten that will cause the mostharm - without even realising.

The intention is to get the band's music out there - and inthe bigger picture, the band will do well and eventually earnenough money to pay you well, but this isn't always the case.This willingness to work for next to nothing delivers thebiggest blow to the quality of the work we do because eachpart is spread so thin - although by no means always.

Music will survive and it will always be on the road becauseeach generation needs its voice. The question really is howwill the quality survive? Have we had our Concorde moment?Is our industry now only about making the figures add up? Oris there still room for technological advances in soundtechnology, such as Ambisonics and proper 3D imaging togive audiences an experience they've never had before?

How cool would that be?I think there is room for all of this within our budgets, but it

falls on people like you and me to preserve the fastidiousnature of the industry and not follow the cheaper option.

This year started to turn out like any other typical Januarydoes in the live industry. The usual flurry of emails,phone calls, MyFace and MicroBlogs are shooting in

and out of voice and electronic mail boxes all over the placelooking for the first signs of work. I for one have joined thishurried number in search of the elusive new gig.

After finishing my two-year stint with La Roux back inDecember, I thought I'd put my feet up for a while andconcentrate on the more homely matters that have been alittle neglected during that time.

Normally, this is the point of the year when there isn't a lotof work around anyway, and those who are working havenormally picked up the gig months ago. I have been verylucky in the past and this year I was sensible and startedmaking phone calls back in October and November.

I managed to pick up a tour with a wonderful singer thatstarted in December and they were going to be confirmingdates in the New Year. But, as with a lot of things that havehappened over the past couple of years, budget constraintsforced the band to tour in January on their own, setting myplans for the year on an entirely different track.

It's only our own arrogance and pride that make us thinkwe have the next gig, but in a world without contracts, verbalagreements are only really worth the paper they are writtenon. I'm not bitter or upset that I'm not there - I'm just a littlefrustrated that I don't have any work.

Youngsters whoare willing to do

sound, lights,merch, TM, drive,

advance andbaby-sit all in one

convenient lowcost package will

dowell.

Dave Swallow is a 1S-year veteran FOH engineer who has worked with the likes of Amy Winehouse and La Roux

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