The Show Must Go On: Part Two

December 8, 1998

As you may recall, in part one of "The Show Must Go On", we discussed the needs and techniques for setting up a stage show. We talked about music set design, technical practices, and experimental gigs. In this installment of "The Show Must Go On", we will be discussing the creation of a band theme, lighting techniques and theories, and stage design/layout.

To benefit those of you who are going to read this article out of order and not read the first part first (and you know who you are), I will describe the intent of this article quickly. This series of articles is aimed at show bands. Quite different than bar bands or wedding bands, show bands put together an entire performance, planned from start to finish, of usually original material for a captive audience. By captive audience, I mean that this type of gig is designed to be seen in its entirety by people who have come to see the band. The articles are written for people who want advice on successfully setting up and running this type of show. If you want more, read part one first (please, I worked hard on it!)

I know that some of you may have been overwhelmed at the amount of planning required for doing show gigs. In part one, I brought up a lot of areas that some of you may not have thought about. However, we have only scratched the surface. I have seen some good shows put on by marginal musicians who have a strong background in theater. In performing plays, the actors have to practice hard in order to move the audience to emotion. In the Andrew Lloyd Weber's musical, "Phantom of the Opera", there is some great music. However, what keeps this show running year after year is the energy and soul that is expressed by the actors/singers. From Glenn Miller to The Four Top to Alice Cooper to Rammstein, the groups that know how to put on a complete show are the ones who get on top and stay there.

Now, with no further a do, let the show begin . . .

Building a Theme

Mark Jacoby as the Phantom.

There is one very important thing that almost all famous bands have in common: an overall theme. From Michael Jackson's glitter and flash to Metallica's dark anger, a theme can carry a band a long way. Let's take a look at a classic text book case of a theme in action. The band KISS took the theme idea to the nth degree. Now it doesn't matter if you hate them or love them, the fact is they know how to put on a show. The KISS theme is fantasy. If you go to a KISS show, they don't want anything you see, hear, or feel to be anything remotely similar to your real life. From there painted faces and wild costumes, to their blazing light show and catchy lyrics the band is designed to make you explode with emotion. The emotion they are going after is fun and excitement. You may not necessarily think that they are the greatest of musicians, but if you leave a KISS show not feeling excited, you must be dead. This makes KISS great performers. In sharp contrast to KISS, is another great performer, Steve Vai, who's main goal is to make you leave the show feeling a sense of awe. Once again, Vai's show has a theme that will have you leaving the show feeling like you got your money's worth. These two groups want different audiences and are trying to achieve different emotions, but they still get the job done. By tailoring every aspect of your band to fit the theme, you envelop the audience in a blanket of emotion. The more you sweat about every little detail, the more the music will stand out and shine.

As in part one of this series, we will be following the trials and tribulations of my band, "Armed to the Teeth" (web address members.aol.com/suttleent/teeth.htm), as we prepare for our first public (non-experimental) performance. My band is very aware of how to form an image. Our lead guitar player, L. D. Walter, has a strong theater background and is well versed in special effects. I myself was in several show bands before the Teeth, including one where we all wore leather jackets and dark sunglasses on stage. The jackets and sunglasses band didn't do well though because we kept running into each other on stage and slipping on our own sweat. Looking back . . . not a good idea. Oh, it feels good to laugh at yourself. But enough of this, back to building a theme.

Armed to the Teeth in concert.

In setting up our band, we wanted to have a tough, hard edge, R'n'R sound. Our music tends to be explosive and thought provoking. Therefore, we made sure that almost all our music fits the build. We worked hard so our songs would have that wall of sound effect that makes your skin tingle. We also make sure that we play it LOUD to increase the effect.

Next, we needed a name. Something that would quickly tell the world what we were about. This is a struggle for most bands. I believe that many bands are putting the cart before the horse. Selecting a name before you have a theme makes the process quite difficult. Classic names like "Strawberry Alarm Clock", "Psychedelic Furs", and "Black Sabbath" were all great names because they fit the band's overall theme. Having a name like "Splattered Death" and then playing music like "Emerson, Lake, & Palmer" is a quick way to the unemployment line. A bad moniker will cause the wrong people to come and see your show. The name we chose was "Armed to the Teeth". The name was mean, tough, and hard edged, which is exactly what we were looking for.

Armed to the Teeth logo.

Continuing with the theme, we created a logo for ourselves (shown to the left). Once again we wanted something with a hard edge. Something with teeth if you will. I'm the graphic designer in the group. In designing this logo I used bold colors and violent imagery. Even the choice of fonts conveys the theme. The "Armed to the" is in a twisted and bent font, while the "Teeth" is in a strong, powerful font bending down into a pair of fangs. The tiger exploding from the vortex and the lighting flairs on the word "Teeth" complete the scene to let everyone know what they are about to experience.

We extend the effect on stage. The clothing we wear is mainly black, giving the band a tough look. Our lights go quickly from extremely dark to glaringly bright. Our stage moves are designed to be decisive and tough. The band motto is "Get Bit". Everything we do is designed to enhance the image. Once again, I can't stress this enough, a great show is in the details. If you have ever been to Disney World and have ridden the "Star Tours" ride, you will agree it's a great attraction. However, what makes it great is all the attention to detail. There is a gigantic cannon walker outside the building. The building itself is ominous. As you wait in line you are greeted by talking androids, noisy factory equipment, and high tech sights and sound. By the time you finally get to the ride, you're about ready to jump out of your skin. Details, details, details! Disney was the master. Your band is like this too. If all you concentrate on is the music, you had better be really good. Even classical musicians are setting a theme and carrying it forward. They wear formal dress, fix their hair neatly, and have the orchestra seating in perfect rows. They are projecting a sense of nobility, formality, and class. The signs for a classical concert are sharp clean and formal. The classical orchestra would never splatter their signs with mud, but a punk band might. Torn pants, bad hair, cords all over the stage, dented and bashed up equipment are all things that a punk band may do real well with. Image is in the details. Leave nothing unturned and set your own tone.

Clark Suttle conducts Monterey Philharmonic.

I would like to add at this point that a really good image rarely makes up for bad music. You still need to practice and practice hard. Of course we all know some exceptions to the rule where image did make up for bad music. Groups such as ___________ and _____________ really stunk. Quiz time - fill in the blanks with you favorite bad bands. In general I would say that getting the music right is priority one, but a great image never hurts. Remember that a car with a great engine still won't sell if it has a bad paint job.