Bright lights, big production

You know the scene : big arena, 10,000+fans, stage set for a live concert, pre-concert music playing...

Then the lights go dim and the artist hits the stage. Bam! They're on!

Usually at a large concert there is an oversupply of lighting, mini fireworks, massive visual extravaganza and all other sorts of visual effects. It's part of how it's done these days. 

But last night at the Bryan Adams concert, things went a little more 'old school'. 

Celebrating 20+ years in the business, he had a string of recognisable hits to pump out. And it was a brilliant concert. 

What impacted me so much was the 'pared back' staging and production. It was the band, on the stage with some Marshall amps. The so-called visual extravaganza was a large screen behind the stage, showing footage from three roving camera crews. And the footage was tinted with a sweet sepia, black and white tone. 

This style gave the audience a look at the gig from all angles. It was so simple. And it so worked. It was very smooth and it let Bryan's lyrics and the band's music be the star. 

I was reminded of Leonardo Da Vinci's quote : Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. 

So true. It was simple, clean and clear. It was sophisticated. The clarity of what this gig was about was crystal clear. 

Pare back your own production extravaganza this week.

Delete the elements that aren't really needed.

Get rid of the fluff, the fireworks and the pizzazz that you think you need to dress up your message.

Pare it back to get to the clarity of the message, the content and the bigger picture. Simplicity is the best gig of all. Rock on!