VOCAL COACH’S CORNER
[ STAGE DISASTERS: WHAT DO YOU DO? | Roger Beale ]
Have you ever been on stage and all of a sudden
finished the concert and was never heard from
INCIDENT #3
something goes awry and your immediate
again. No joke.
Another student scheduled his debut concert
thought is, “Oh no, no, no, no, please no!” Yup,
it happened: a performance disaster.
for a new album and was looking forward to
INCIDENT #2
performing the next Sunday evening. The first
I once had a student who was actively booking
problem happened on the prior Tuesday. He
What do you do now? Any singer with some
church concerts. She was really starting to
was informed that his CD’s would not be ready
amount of performance experience will have
make a name for herself locally. Everybody
in time for his concert. This was a harbinger
many stories of disasters to tell. Let’s take a
loved her and loved her singing. She started
of things to come! The church was already
brief look at some I am familiar with, and then
to book out of state and was performing in a
booked, flyers printed, and radio spots read.
plan a strategy to handle them in a sensible
church when it all went bad. Suddenly, in the
He had to go ahead with the concert. He
manner.
middle of the concert the microphone she
arrived at the church venue, did the sound
was using, which belonged to the church, fell
check, and took a few minutes to relax. He
INCIDENT #1
apart. The mesh ball at the top fell off and that
needed to because about a third of the way
Many years ago I knew a singer who planned
pulled the element out, which now faced the
through the concert the churches amplifier in
an overly produced album debut concert. By
floor instead of her mouth. The innards of the
the balcony caught fire. I am not making this
overly produced I mean radio sponsorship, two
microphone, wires and all, hung over the side
up. The concert was halted, the fire put out,
opening acts, professional sound engineers,
of her hand facing the floor not her mouth.
and the singer apologized to the audience and
and a big church venue. He went all out! Well,
Once again you are probably asking, ”Well
announced that he had his personal amplifier
the day came, the cast of thousands showed
what did she do?” She stopped and told the
out in his van. He then installed it while lying on
up, and they opened the doors. This was his
very first concert and a small crowd showed
up at the door. That is a disaster in itself. But
the real disaster was about to happen. Sound
check completed. Opening acts did their thing.
Now it was his turn. The band started playing
the intro music, the radio DJ, in his best FM
voice, introduced him as the music created
tremendous excitement. The lights hit the stage
with a flash. The singer makes his entrance. Uh
oh! He tripped on the top step as he entered
and was now face down on the platform when
he should have been singing. He full-on face
his back in his performance outfit. After fifteen
[ Perfection never
happens. It is a
myth... By admitting
that something is
wrong a performer
lets the audience
warm up to them as a
person. ]
planted as the lights hit him. The band vamped
minutes or so he restarted his concert. They
loved him and he presold a bunch of his new
album. Nobody left the concert. I am sure they
wanted to see what was going to happen. The
album is still for sale on his website. He will be
glad to ship you one.
Perfection never happens. It is a myth. I have
told you three different stories; one of them was
not handled well and two were. Two of them
verbally addressed the problem while on stage
and one didn’t. By admitting that something
is wrong a performer lets the audience warm
while he attempted to recover. You are now
congregation that, “This has never happened
up to them as a person. The audience relates
asking the question, “Well what did he do?”
to me before, but we will somehow deal with
to a performer on a personal level because
He got up and finished the concert without
this.” She continued on with her concert with
they’re just glad it didn’t happen to them. It
comment or acknowledgment of the incident.
that microphone. That was the only one the
also allows for God’s grace and mercy to enter
Maybe the question should be, “What should
church had. She held her hand up near her
the concert and to be shared by everyone in
he have done?” In my opinion he should have
eye with the microphone “stuff” hanging down
attendance. Not a bad thing to have at your
acknowledged his embarrassing predicament,
towards her mouth and finished the concert.
next performance.
laughed at himself, and then started the
The church loved her! She completely resolved
concert all over again. The audience would
this problem the following Saturday by going to
have rallied to his side and possibly bought his
her local music emporium and bought a shiny
new album. But he didn’t do any of this. He
new microphone. Bang Biscuit!
16
Nov Dec 2016
Now go sing well!
ChristianMusician.com