“Rental companies are feeling more confident: there’s a sense of
stabilisation in 2012”
THE SUN IS shining! Well, in my photo, at least. Joking aside, this summer is not turning out to be what we expected, we all know that. As we go to press with our annual look at the European live sound business –PSNLiveis now in its seventh year – I’m reading an uncomfortable newspaper report. It lists the festivals that have suffered (been cancelled, dropped or abandoned) through bad weather, poor management, lack of ticket sales and, ultimately, dearth of big-name acts, argues the report. It’s not a short list. However, ouryearly report paints a rosier picture. Once again, we’ve spoken to over 100 representatives of the European live business – engineers, PA houses, manufacturers, venues – to take the temperature of the touring/live industry. Our research unfolds over the next 18 pages, and, while I’m not going to spoil the whole plot for you, I’ll highlight a few key findings.
After a gloomy 2011, rental companies are feeling more confident. There’s a sense of “stabilisation”: enough work to keep PA houses busy, while the punters have more cash to spend on gigs. A hunger for a greater portfolio of digital products, and the potential of networked systems, is keeping manufacturer R&D departments on their toes. Morale is good; China is still the target territory for growth; and (bit of a surprise, this) issues with counterfeit kit seem to have declined dramatically. The venues we questioned would like ticket prices to fall – though wouldn’t we all? Budgets are still in place for buying PA gear and consoles; however – and this was David Davies’ most alarming discovery while he was analysing Zing Insights’ data –many venues consider that realistic networked audio systems are “years away”. Is it time for the manufacturers, engineers and installers to really beat that drum for the advantages of investing in Dante, AVB et al? Our sound engineers are not daft: if the conventional live music work dries up, they turn to theatre and conference work. Again, the financial rewards are there for those who seek them out. PSNLive2012 finds the European live sound business robust and positive. It’s not all about one lousy summer in the UK, after all.
Cover image: Wireless Festival c/o Live Nation/Derek Bremner/Jessica Gilbert Dave Robinson Twitter: @psneurope