Importance of redundancy

It's possible the backup failed as well. It happens.

Or maybe the backstage guitarist/tech had to go to the bathroom.

Anything can happen live.....anything. That's what Spinal Tap was all about. It happens to everyone.

We have no idea what actually happened to lose the looper. Given the scale of the show, I seriously doubt redundancy wasn’t there.

For whatever reason - it wasn’t available.

S**t happens. No matter how much time effort and money is involved.

Quote from Finally

I guess so and understand that things can go wrong, but I also think with the resources at their disposal this should have been recoverable if they had been fully prepared.

No one is ever prepared for everything. Life doesn’t work like that.

The truth is, we don't know...what we can say is:

1) Its daft if he has no redundancy - he may have had it and that failed as well

2) If he doesn't add additional redundancy as a result, that's also daft. No one wants to be in a position to finish a gig without key equipment working..

Not gonna criticize him directly as he's a good musician and brings guitar to a more mainstream audience and stuff happens outside of our control.

Hope he gets it sorted..

Quote: “stuff happens outside of our control.”

I had a situation akin to Ed’s that was somewhat embarrassing at the time.

I was approached by an organisation to put together an ensemble for an event at The Royal Albert Hall at which I was to conduct.

We had a meeting at which I presented a costed study and explained precisely how I would approach the project. Everything went well and I produced my musical arrangements and saw to the necessary preparations.

Quite late in the day the organisation mentioned they had been approached by a record company that wanted to produce a live album of the music, who in return would contribute to the underwriting of the events costs, which they saw as a win-win scenario.

I wasn’t particularly keen on the idea, especially as they intended to use the record companies house producer; whereas, if possible, I always prefer to work with someone I know well, with whom I have an existing relationship. Preferably, someone I like, get on with well, whose competence I am completely confident in.

As I wasn’t required to be involved in the production side at all, although it was late to introduce this additional aspect of the event, I was carried along with it, despite any inward reservations I might have had.

Unlike my own approach, there were no preproduction meetings and on the day of the event the producer turned up and a mobile studio.

At compere announced that the event was being recorded and the audience would later be able to purchase an album of the music if they wished.

After the concert, I was told “the tape failed”. Talking to him later about this George Massenburg's question to me was “why didn’t they have a backup?” We had two other major venues involved with this project, so the recording was done again (at the mobile studios cost) in Birmingham.

But it was a bit embarrassing to say the least, after the audience at the Royal Albert Hall had been told they could buy an album recorded at that event. The record company and the mobile studio had egg on their face but I was ok, as I had not been involved with the production side at all, as that element of the event was introduced so near the day.

The following year ,the same record company wanted to make another live album as the earlier one had charted very highly for a prolonged period. I didn't speak, but just looked at those proposing this with a little shake of the head. They got the message and didn't press it any further.

But it taught me a salutatory lesson, to always have backup where a live event is concerned and particularly to have one running where a live recording is involved.

It also taught me to always be intimately involved in, and to sometimes to dictate production values. Not to make assumptions and rely on others completely.

As consumers can equate an artist, with the mistakes that recording companies make.

Poor Ed. I guess we all feel for him!

Unpopular opinion here but I'm not into redundancy. I haven't seen Ed Sheeran live but I guarantee his gig being successful doesn't hinge on a looper. Playing a sold out arena versus playing a bar are different things. Usually in the former, there are already several levels of redundancy you might not be aware of (going as far as playing a playback) and there are resources you can call on the spot if you need to replace something faulty, and a huge team to help you sort these things out. It might not be 5 minutes away, but it can usually be had in an hour or so. They usually have plenty of spare stuff on hand - maybe not a guitar with your favorite neck profile, but some odd thing you can survive the gig, an axe from the second guitarist etc, as well as a pit of amps you are not using because you brought your kemper. Then for smaller gigs, if something happen to break down in exactly the 3 hr window the gig is in, then the odds are really against you that day and it will suck but just like for Ed, you will adapt and it won't sink your entire career. There are things that are far more important to focus on to make your gig successful than bringing a pile of useless backup gear all the time to make you feel safe imo. Sometimes it feels like just having all the band in the same room, healthy and on time is a feat. Obviously it's another story if you're into gigging with old and unreliable gear, or leave for a long time on a tour in a place with difficult access but otherwise this total obsession for backup gear is ultimately rooted in insecurity and lack of experience.

Quote from Finally

Sure, but his looper is as important as his guitar for what he does. On the day, in the arena, they said his looper had an issue.

So his lack of insecurity and years of experience didn't help. The crowd didn't get a discount and he got his full pay. Is that what you mean about not being into redundancy? Like, "who cares - they've already paid."

Ed can carry a show with or without a looper. You think if the looper fails, he'd make the crowd wait 10 minutes to go get and set up his backup unit? He would just carry on with no looper, as any pro would do, get back to that looper in a different segment of the show once the techs have handled it, or probably not. I'm waiting to see the headlines about the hordes of raging fans asking for a refund and his career crashing down because his looper failed once.

Quote from Finally

If the headstock on his guitar broke, would you be happy as a paying customer if he just shrugged and did the rest of the show a capella?

His crew carry a bunch of spares and if they all broke down, a Martin rep would deliver one within half an hour. Maybe you're not familiar with the logistics of shows like this, or just try to be cynical to prove your point? I don't know his particular act but even if he sang acapella (or most likely with a kickass band backing him up), he would totally get away with it and barely no one would notice.

Meanwhile, the gear industry is pushing the narrative (to weekend warriors who gig once a month and least likely to need it) that their commitment and professionalism is questionable if they don't keep buying more stuff (now labelled as "back up"). Anyway, you do you but I have more chance of slamming a taxi door on my hand, my plane getting delayed, not getting the performance license on time, my drummer not showing up, etc - than having the Kemper or a guitar headstock explode mid gig and be left stranded on stage with no option.

I saw Godsmack some years ago in Cologne and the PA failed completely during the first song. Crowd just heard that little noise from the (rather silent) stage setup. It took the band ages to figure out why the crowd was going crazy in a different way because the band had their perfect in-ear sound and kept rocking. When they finally stopped both, band and crowd, reacted wonderfully. Sully entertained the crowd from the stage and once the thing was fixed after 10mins he said "you deserve a fresh start of the concert" - so they left the stage and came back like starting new. Great evening!

Quote from JedMckenna

...logistics of shows...

For sure there is a lot what is possible and done in the background to make sure "the show goes on". On a funny note watch this here... kinda nice...

I saw Ray Charles and his 15 piece band in a 500 seat club in San Diego back in the late '80's. About 20 minutes or so into the set they lost the PA. The techs were running around like crazy working on a fix.

Ray, cool as a cucumber, just turned up his monitor amp on his Rhodes, and played and sang without a mic. Just him -- the band would have overpowered him if they had played. He did 3 songs, brilliantly, and the PA came back online. It was a gift for the crowd ... seeing and hearing him like it was an early gig in the '50's. Master showman, and I felt like I got waaayyy more than my money's worth.