Concert Scene

Live Concert

Live musical concerts feature performances of singers, musicians, choirs, bands, or orchestras in front of an audience.  The usual venue for concerts expecting a large crowd are the arenas, amphitheaters and concert halls while smaller performances are held in nightclubs and private homes.  Whatever venue is used, performers take to a stage to do their thing.  Concerts are one of the more popular forms of entertainment patronized by the public.

The Performers

The big screen is often used in large concert venues.

The main performers in live concerts are usually big-named singers who have garnered much popularity in terms of record sales.  They are usually preceded by a front act of up- and-coming performers.  Whether as solo performers or as a group, it is quite rare to see any one or any group venture into large concert venues without first establishing a certain degree of loyal following.  Mounting a concert entails much preparation and costs that it is almost unthinkable to do it without a reasonable level of assurance that the effort will earn profit.

There are concerts that feature lesser known performers but who are backed up by sponsoring corporations and organizations to promote a specific cause.  To date, the highest earning concert tour by a solo artist is Madonna’s “Sticky and Sweet Tour” which grossed approximately $ 408 million in its run from 2008 to 2009 while the highest earning concert tour by a group belongs to U2’s “360 Tour” which grossed more than $ 736 million.    The total money earned by a concert or concert tour is typically divided among the performers, producers,  organizers, brokers, and the venue.  A designated charitable institution shares in the profits earned from benefit concerts.

The Production Team

The production value of any concert typically affects the perception of its success.

Every concert event, no matter how small, requires the support and management of a production team.  It takes exceptional management and coordination skills to ensure that concerts proceed without any major debacle.  The work of the production team starts long before the actual date of the concert.

The members of a production team are expected to be in the thick of all aspects related to the concert from the creation, organization, promotion, advertising, capitalization,  and in direct dealings with concert venues and artists’ managers.   A production team will know that they have done well through the response of the public in sales and the response of the audience in attendance.

The Audience

The Concert Crowd

The concert crowd usually consists of loyal followers or fans as they are often called.  Very few will go through the inconvenience of being in a crowd if they are not genuinely interested in watching the performers.  The life of a concert depends to a large degree to audience participation especially in terms of showing appreciation for the performance.

A practice known as crowd surfing has been seen more commonly in rock concerts.  It entailed passing a person overhead from person to person until the crowd surfer reaches the rear.  Since this is considered a dangerous activity, most concerts do not allow this and quickly eject the participants from the venue.  Several concerts have had problems regarding crowd control which resulted to injuries and even deaths.

Music Festivals and Concert Tours

Concerts may be organized in connection with another event.

Concerts that last for a number of days involving several artists and performers are called music festivals.  There are several of these activities held annually in different parts of the world.  A music festival is held in a single venue.

Concert tours on the other hand, are series of concerts of one main performer held in different locations.  Each phase of the tour is referred to as a “leg” usually to differentiate performance dates, locations, or even the front act used.  A concert tour can last for a number of months to several years.

My Say

Katy Perry’s concert in relation to the recently concluded 2012 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix is a good example of a concert event that has all the factors of a successful concert.  After a successful world tour,  she came back to Singapore in time for the world-renowned sports event.  A popular performer, a captured audience, and excellent production value make for the formula of success. The concert scene is interesting to observe because of all the excitement, talent, and glamour that comes with it.