As you might expect, one of the main topics of backstage and product table conversations is the effect of high fuel prices on our industry. Of particular note is the size of concert crowds and whether or not we should be prepared to see empty seats in the near future.
Perhaps it's my mentality of "half full (not half empty) glass," but I believe there is some good news to be found here: I tend to think that multi-day events might actually see an increase in attendance for a while. The logic behind this is fairly simple as people are going to be more mindful about getting the most for the dollar, and thus, when they make their concert plans, they will pick those events where they can see more of the leading artists. This "quantity" concept is one of the reasons why the NQC appears to be headed for a better year than recent ones. And, should this hold true across the board, look for events like the Gatlinburg Gathering, the Seminole Gospel Sing, the Greenes' Gospel Jubilee, the Primitive Quartet's Hominy Valley event, the Inspirations' Singing In The Smokies and many more to be successful.
Married to this thought is the "quality" concept that audiences are going be more picky about what they want to see and hear on the stage, so promoters, music ministers and pastors are going to have to be more attentive to their audiences' desires or they'll feel the hit on their wallet's bull's eye. In other words, event organizers are now more or less forced to make sure that every artist that appears on the platform draws their fair share of the crowd and lives up to their flat. (In reality, that's not a bad thing as we may find that most programs will now consist of quality artists from the first note to the last.)
Right behind that conversation is an issue that still dogs Southern Gospel music. If I had $5 for every time I have heard "you can copy mine" at the product tables, I'd be rich. We've all encountered this scenario - in fact, I hear it almost every weekend.
Try this: Two people are browsing the groups' CD's. Each picks up every CD on the rack before making a selection. Then come the famous words..."If you'll buy that one, I'll buy this one and we'll make copies of each one for each other." Or "Don't bother to buy that. I've got it at home and I'll just make you a copy of it."
As well documented on various Southern Gospel web sites and in various magazine articles (we did a feature on this very thing in Singing News about a year ago), the illegal copying of CD's is wide spread. And despite the increased awareness, many well-meaning people still remain unaware that this is in violation of Federal law. Be that as it may, it still goes on and I'm sure the effect that it's had - and is still having - on the retail sales of artists and record companies is more than just a few pennies here and there.
Do you remember hearing, say, in the late 1970s or early 1980s "XYZ group sold more than 100,000 copies of their new album?" As the years rolled by, you didn't hear that as much. A fraction of those declining numbers has to be attributed to the widespread success of the blank cassette and recordable disc. Tell me, how many times did you copy a record album to another record album?
You didn't, did you?
The introduction of the Internet and all the means of sharing music has magnified this issue further. There is no way to accurately count the number of times a CD or a few songs have been shared among friends.
Long story short, technology has made it possible for all of us to be unsuspecting thieves or, worse, to have a blatant disregard of the rules. So please be mindful of what is the right thing to do.
