What Happens Before the First Song?

You see the artist walk onto the stage, what you don't see is everything that happened before that moment. Equipment has been unloaded, instruments checked, lights tested, microphones adjusted, the stage prepared. Then comes soundcheck, and soundcheck isn't just “does the microphone work?”

The musicians need to hear themselves. The sound team needs to balance everything. Lighting needs to work with the performance. The venue needs to be ready for hundreds or thousands of people.

There can be technicians, security, venue staff, photographers, promoters and many others working behind the scenes.

By the time the audience hears the first note, a lot has already happened.

The better the show looks, the less you notice the work behind it.