There are very few bands out today that really give you enough bang for your buck. These days, concert tickets are at an all time high with bands charging in some cases as much as $300.00 a pop for good seats and $90.00 to sit five rows from the ceiling of an arena with terrible acoustics and that’s not even the worst of it. The worst part is that people are paying these prices to see bands just stand around on stage with a bunch of amps. What happened to the old days of going to a show and getting a fucking show? What happened to getting a spectacle and getting a real production? It’s hard for me to guess where the huge stage productions of rock bands started but I’d probably say that it started in the 70’s with acts like KISS and Alice Cooper putting on stage shows that shocked yet excited their audiences with a visual spectacle that was as intense and out there as the music itself.
The grand stage productions were predominantly seen in heavy metal/hard rock bands. Some bands did it larger and better than others but for the most part they were all something to see. Bands like Ratt, Poison and Whitesnake were all about ramps and stairs. They usually were 2 and 3 levels high and were accompanied by elaborate light shows. Ratt tended to have the more elaborate of the ramps and stairs and their live shows were always incredibly fun to watch. On their “Dancing Undercover” Tour, it was a huge stage with white ramps and lights and I was in awe. Motley Crue was and is still known for their elaborate stage productions that featured tons of pyrotechnics. Bands like Motley Crue, Ratt and Poison were always said to have these huge productions to cover up the fact that they really weren’t that great of musicians. Well, in the case of Crue and Poison I’d have to say that’s true. I’ve always though Ratt was a better band than they got credit for but that’s beside the point.
Not all bands with huge productions were shitty bands and/or musicians. In 1988 my dad took me to Biloxi, MS to see David Lee Roth and I can remember my dad even being in awe at the size of the production of that show. Dave had huge ramps, lights, he descended upon the crowd in a huge boxing ring while singing “Panama” and then flew over the audience on a huge surfboard only to make it back to the stage to sing “California Girls.” Both myself and my dad were super impressed with just how amazingly tight his band was and that Diamond Dave could really sing his ass off. It was a great and unforgettable show.
Some bands took their stage sets to new levels by basing the production on a theme. Iron Maiden was another band that always knew how to make the most out of next to nothing and give you an unforgettable show. Each tour’s stage was usually themed around the concept of the album. For example, The “World Slavery” tour was themed around the Egyptian theme of the Powerslave album and the “Somewhere In Time” tour looked like a scene out of Blade Runner. The shows all featured many graphic backdrop changes, lots of lights and of course the band’s mascot Eddie always made an appearance during the final song before the encore “Iron Maiden.” Dio was another great example of a band that put a lot of effort into their stage show back in the days featuring lasers, pyrotechnics and even a fire breathing dragon. In 1991, Queensryche launched their “Building Empires” tour which was the first time I can remember seeing a real multimedia show with huge screens that flashed images behind the band as they performed their “Operation: Mindcrime” album in it’s entirety. It was such an amazing experience and so theatrical. Looking back on it, they were the metal generations Pink Floyd without a doubt.
Lately it seems that bands are putting on big productions. It’s as if they are beckoning back to the days of old when bands really cared about giving their audience a show. California’s Five Finger Death Punch always puts on an amazing show and they really make the visual aspect of their show something that is unforgettable. It’s exciting to see bands like this showing a younger generation that never got to see shows like this something that wows them! Hell, as much as I hate them, even Nickelback puts on one hell of a show with pyro, multimedia screens and ramps and stairs. Hell, they might suck but at least the ones that go see them are getting a show.
The big arena rock shows were shows that I always looked forward to as a kid. I always would wonder what the stage would be like. What would they do live. Nothing would disappoint me more than seeing a band that had nothing but a wall of Marshall’s and a drum riser. These days, I can handle a show like when seeing certain bands but ya know, I like to be wowed. I like to see a band put some effort into a visual presentation and giving me something to remember for a long time to come. When I caught the LA based metal band In This Moment at a small club here in Atlanta last December, they had the tiny stage decorated with white Christmas trees, tensile, etc making it look like a twisted heavy metal Christmas scene. Even that little bit made for an interesting visual contrast with their dark and heavy song. Yeah, great music may be more important to give your audience but ya know, a lil extra effort can go a long way.
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