When have you been to a live concert? Local band or big stars? Whatever you paid - it wasn't just for the musicians! The big stars have plenty of staff and can concentrate on their performance, but if only the stars would be on stage, there would be few concerts....
The band of my heart will be at a huge festival for Halloween. I don't want to know what it takes to organise a festival with 40 bands! But I can tell you what it takes for one of the bands to play twice for 75 minutes together.
The workload of the band starts the evening before, when the rented transporter has to be collected and packed with hundreds of important small and big things: not just instruments, but technical equipment, plugs, decoration, costumes......it takes about an hour to pack.
The next morning the musicians meet, some coming several hundred km/miles. Together they set off with the transporter and one other car, at least. The technican usually takes the train - so do I, except next time when I could walk if it wasn't for all the stuff I'm taking along.
After 300 km more they hopefully arrive after 3 hours or more on the motor way. Again it takes an hour to unpack and prepare the instruments, so it won't take more than an hour to get everything on stage and working.
I'm spending this time preparing the merchandise for sale. Unpacking takes under an hour - when tables and electricity are waiting for me. Often I have to look for the people in charge to find tables and cables first.
After these 5 - 7 hours the band finally will be on stage - for 30 minutes! Then they have to hurry to get everything down again as the next band is waiting to get onto stage. Everything back into the van, three hours of waiting and the whole equipment onto a boat!
There won't be any space for merchandise on the ship, so I'll get a stall in a tent on shore. This time the band will play 45 minutes. And pack again.
Hopefully there'll be some energy left for a little party at the hotel. Next morning the musicians have to travel home again, 3 - 4 hours and some more to their homes. The transporter has to be unpacked and returned. By the time everything and everyone is where it belongs, it'll be Saturday evening.
This is the story of just one band - not counting all the hands, staff, catering etc.
Do you think, it's worth to pay 65 € for enjoying 40 bands on two days? How much should the musicians get?
