As an artist, the questions to ask yourself, your band, your manager, or your records company are: Are we prepared if we have to cancel a show or a whole tour? Can we issue refunds if we cannot rook that show or tour? If the tour cannot be cancelled, do we have the money to find and compensate a replacement act? What about the venue expenses or even medical expenses? Do not forget about the funds lost from advertising?
If you have not asked yourself these questions, then you need to get on it. Accidents happen. You cannot plan for them, but you can be prepared for when they occur. This is where liability insurance comes into action. Making sure that you are covered for the unexpected.
As a musician, you are typically running around stage getting the audience pumped. But if you are like Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, then you never planned on something happening. He fell off the stage at a concert. While he had the energy and adrenaline to continue on with the show after being bandaged up backstage, his broken leg caused the band to cancel 5 shows on the European tour. This is something that was not predictable, but had the band not been prepared, things could have been much worse.
Unfortunately, it is not just the band that can get hurst at shows. At an Adele show, a piece of rigging fell and hit a fan in the face. In another incident, it was the fans that caused the injuries. Fans attending a music festival in Tempe rushed the stage when the band Rebelution began playing. One concert goer felt like he was being trampled every five minutes due to the amount of people that attended the concert.
Sadly, accidents can happen at any time. Following a performance at a Luke Bryan concert, the stage collapsed after a forklift crashed into it during takedown. Four people, including a stage hand were injured. In another incident following a Luke Bryan concert, three lighting crew members were injured in a car accident. This can happen to anyone, at any time.
What is the cause of so many injuries? Why are there more accidents happening lately? Could this be due to a malfunction of equipment, lack of preparation, sleep deprivation, or lack of safety measures? It could be one or multiple factors that are attributing to these incidents. Whatever it is, we need to make a change. Be strict about safety measures. Make
sure that you hire a competent, professional crew. Give people breaks on the job. Have food and beverages provided, as well as "rest breaks." Having people that work for you that are well rested and hydrated can be an important factor when it comes to safety. Most importantly, make sure that all equipment is checked for safety. If a piece of equipment fails, then it can be detrimental. Make sure that you are taking every measure possible to ensure the safety of the crew, the musicians, and the audience. We cannot control people's actions, but we can do our best to control the environment. As Stephen King said in Different Seasons, "There's no harm in hoping for the best as long as you're prepared for the worst."Dave Grohl, in his open letter, said "We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you guys. And I mean that. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And I will do everything I can to comeback and give your a night to remember for the rest of your lives AS SOON AS POSSIBLE." Musicians would not be where their are if it were not for their fans. They need to respect that appreciation and admiration. Give back to those that love them. Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.
