But first a quick review of the concert; 12 Back up dancers, a multi level stage that lights up with LEDs, costumes that light up with pulsing LEDs, a huge video wall, lasers, pyro, compressed CO2 jets and a 6 foot mirror ball can't really hide the fact that Chris Brown is not a very talented guy who beats women.
His concert was a tribute to excesses in stage production for a singer. There was so much going on in the relatively small stage that it looked ridiculous. As we were setting up, a fellow rigger stated something I had known, but never thought about.
The acts who are the least talented have the biggest stages, a crazy amount of special effects, moving lights, lasers, smoke machines, CO2 jets, and pyrotechnics. This seems to me to be an admission by the singer or band that they really are there on the stage with a small amount of talent and style. So all the crazy effects and displays of technology are to entertain the audience because the singer alone isn't enough.
Another example of this was a Jonas Brothers concert I worked 3-4 years back. They had a huge set with multiple levels and they ran all over the place. They had more pyro than an AC/DC concert. Which is really hard to do.
I also noticed, especially now, the headliner brings out special guests to come out and sing or rap with them. This I find odd. If you are the headliner you should be talented and comfortable enough to carry a concert by yourself. Would Elvis had brought out Johnny Cash or Jerry Lee Lewis to help him out on a few songs? No. They may have been on the same hayride circuit in the South, but they were individual acts which needed no help to mesmerize an audience.
Many singers today can't really sing. There is auto-tune to correct or distort the voice. They can't sing live without help. So they dance and run around and have a stage full of distractions. The show in show business has gotten frenetic in the hunt for consumer's dollars. The talent which used to be impressive is diminished. It's prepackaged and over produced for the internet and television. A good look can be tweaked to make it appear like the singer has talent. Ke$ha is a great example of this.
The concert last night made me think of an MC Hammer concert I worked. There was a lot of dancers and dancing and Hammer ran around the stage constantly, but he rarely sang. Even then the stage show was to mask the lack of talent.
But what, you might say, about U2? Or The Rolling stones? Or The Who? Or Pink Floyd.
Those acts do have large stage shows. But they add to the music. The intent is not to distract you from the music. And if you really look, the singers, the band, are performers at a different level than Chris Brown. They are great writers and solid performers. The technology adds to the performances and the music. It isn't instead of them.
So when I see a small act roll up with 6 trucks or more I will know that I'm in for a show, and not much talent.
PS. My favorite part was when Chris Brown was lowered into the stage on an elevator while flames burned behind him and all over the stage. It looked like he was descending in Hell. Appropriate for a guy who beats women.
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