Nothing compares to the raw energy you experience at a concert, especially if one of your favorite acts decides to make a pit stop in Athens, but booking the band, fighting through contracts, dealing with last minute changes and making sure the show runs smoothly requires skill and communication between many people behind the curtain.
Last week, Ohio University and the managers of the Virgin College Mega Tour made an unexpected venue change, moving the event from The Convo to Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium because of low ticket sales. Although only 15 people did not hear the news about the change and showed up at The Convo anyway, the event staff had to deal with converting seats, spreading the word about the move and changing staffs while still making sure the event offered the lowest amount of stress for the performers and the audience.
In the end
everybody is affected -the ticket buyers the venue the technical staff and the artist -but I think you try to make that decision so that the effect is as positive as possible
said Assistant Director of Public Occasions Andrew Holzaepfel. For an artist
it is difficult to play to a venue that is scaled for 6
000 seats and only have 2
000 individuals in there. Whereas they can come into the auditorium and play to an almost-full auditorium and have a completely different experience.
But what if something worse happens? What if a band doesn't even show up for the show?
Curtis Manley, booking manager for The Blue Gator, 63 N. Court St., deals with the trials and tribulations of scheduling quality acts. He said the venue has only had 10 bands cancel out of the 115 to 120 shows the bar holds a year on its upstairs and downstairs stages, but the cancellations still affect the bar.
If (an act) cancels the day of a show
there's all the expenses we put on advertisements; we have to pay our sound engineer
even though he didn't do a whole lot
and then there is that unaccountable potential business. We're in Athens; during December
June
