I really can’t say I’m on board with the concept of “Say ‘Yes!’ to everything!” I certainly agree that pigeonholing one’s self might not be a great idea, especially if you’re just getting started. An opportunity might get held out to you, and if you have too narrow a vision of what your career could be, you might miss something brilliant.

What I worry about, though, is the idea that all gigs are good gigs to do. They aren’t. I’ve had some really lousy experiences, and while they ARE good for learning, I would prefer to have missed them altogether. Blindly agreeing to take every show offered (whether on the production side or the performance side) just isn’t smart. There are things you can’t do, and things you probably shouldn’t do, and sometimes you get both at once.

I Respectfully Decline

I was once offered a “one-off” show at a well-known club. The regular audio-human couldn’t make the night, and I was on the list of “people who can probably get this done.” The main act was a lower-level national, the kind where you would recognize the name of the bandleader based on their previous work with another band.

I can’t deny that the gig offered a special sort of opportunity. I would have the chance to get my hands dirty in (what I consider to be) a top-shelf club, working alongside folks who had really been places, and being “the dude who made it happen” on the behalf of another craftsperson whom I respect.

But I ended up turning the show down. You might think that’s a crazy decision, especially because of the opportunities presented above. However, my belief is that my decision to decline was the smart one.

Why?

Don’t Jump In Lakes With Unseen Obstacles

Jumping headfirst into unknown water is dangerous. You can hit an obstruction and end up badly injured. The analogy also applies to shows: Just “going for it” without really knowing what you’re getting into is risky. You can certainly get lucky – even very lucky – but you can also get very unlucky. If you end up in a situation where you’re not actually capable of doing the job adequately, some pretty serious fallout is possible. You can damage your reputation very badly…and damage the venue’s reputation badly, AND damage the reputation of the people who vouched for you.

In the case of the gig I turned down, I was dealing with a LOT of unknown terrain. I considered the venue to be one of the premier spots locally, but that consideration was by reputation and not empirical knowledge. I hadn’t been in the place physically. I’d never touched any of the installed gear before. I didn’t have any idea of how the FOH PA, monitor world, and the room acoustics “talked” to each other.

And it was a high-stakes show. When a national act at any level comes in, the rewards for success are high, and the penalties for failure are similarly large. I’m not saying that local bands aren’t important, or that their shows can’t have a lot riding on them. What I am saying is that a recognized act, on a one-night stand, where people are paying extra money to get in, is definitely a show where screwing up is NOT an option.

When screwing up is not an option, it’s a really bad idea to be in a possible pressure situation, in a room you don’t know, running a rig where you don’t have an established workflow. If something goes really wrong, you might just be toast – and your lack of familiarity with your work environment increases the chances of something getting away from you. At my regular gig, I know what’s likely to turn around to bite me in the face. At this other place? Not so much. At my regular gig, I have a carefully built set of tools for doing battle with things that are trying to bite me in the face. At this other place? Not so much.

In the end, I did not feel that I could reasonably guarantee a satisfactory outcome for an especially important show.

Consider The People Involved

Like I said before, the proposed show would have been done on behalf of another audio human. I respect this audio human and would want to work alongside them. (In fact, I really like the idea of working a show with this tech, in the aforementioned club, with the tech being in charge. The pressure would be low, and I could get a feel for how things work.)

However, for this gig I would not have been working alongside that craftsperson. I would be flying solo, so my closest working relationships on the night would have been with the bands. The thing is, the headlining act in question was stated to have a bit of an ego issue.

Working with egos is something you have to deal with. It will only be on occasion if you’re lucky, but you’ll still have to handle it. However, egos, plus a high-stakes show, plus unfamiliarity with the room and the PA is an unstable combination. Players with egos are used to having their needs met, and met quickly. If you’re going to work with folks like that, you need to be sure that you can deliver. If you can’t deliver, you might have a really ugly night. In an unfamiliar situation, you can’t be sure that you’ll be able to deliver. I don’t recommend doing a show like that by choice.

Like I said, I wasn’t sure that I could do the job adequately. I could not, in good conscience, claim that the only thing that would stop me from doing national-worthy work would be catastrophic equipment failure. So, I passed on the show.

Confidence Does Not Substitute For Ability

But, shouldn’t I have been confident?

No. I was right to not be confident.

When other people’s reputations are on the line, unfounded confidence and bravado are inappropriate. (Heck, they’re inappropriate when you’re the only one on the line.) There’s this notion that the best weapon against unfamiliar situations and difficult circumstances is an attitude of “I can do anything!” Unfortunately, believing that you can do anything and actually being able to do something (especially under pressure) are not equivalent.

I do things under pressure all the time, but that doesn’t mean that I can do any specific thing at any time, under pressure, and without preparation. Preparation was something that I would have had in very short supply.

Bands, venues, patrons, and fellow production craftspeople deserve a level of work that’s commensurate with the show. You can’t ethically claim to be able to deliver that level of work if anything internal to you would prevent you from executing. Lacking familiarity with a rig and a room are factors internal to me, and they can stop me from doing work that sits in the same class as the gig. In such a case, I have to turn down the job.