Radiohead Roof Failure: More Info

As with the Indiana disaster last August, there is absolutely nothing official being said by anyone, at the ernest advice of lawyers, who would always sanction silence. It is our policy to run an intelligent and unbiased debate on ANYTHING that affects our industry, so here goes…. First up, here is a BEFORE photo of…

Read More

Guidelines for Event Safety

In the absence of any agreed standards, let’s start right NOW and assemble best practice into one simple set of guidelines. Start with the rule in place at some of the better concert production firms: 1. Crosscheck before flying. Notice how flight crew ‘arm doors and crosscheck’? That’s so they don’t blow the safety slide…

Read More

National Summit on Work Health and Safety in the Live Performance and Events Industry – 2pm, 19 July 2012 at Melbourne Park

The next course of action is already cast. Before the Radiohead collapse the industry in Australia arranged a summit, which will be held on July 19 in Melbourne. This follows a national series of Seminars hosted by CX in February. The theme that emerged from those seminars was that promoters and production professionals are often…

Read More

Fairfax slash and burn. Media: WTF?

With 1,900 jobs to go, and broadsheet (huge) to become tabloid (like Herald-Sun) the board at Fairfax have been spooked by the raid on their stock by mining magnate Gina. She now holds one-fifth of the stock. Great analysis here. Imagine CX had a buy-in board. Presently this is a family firm, kinda had been…

Read More

Radiohead Disaster – site report

CX pic, above. Witnesses say a cracking noise like pyro preceded the collapse, which they estimated took 5 seconds. The stage failed just prior to sound-check, at 4pm. Thousands of fans were outside the gates. The band were in the prep room. UPDATED: CX visited Downsview Park in Toronto on Saturday June 16th and saw…

Read More

Infocomm Delivers

(FRIDAY, LV) Today is the final day of Infocomm at Las Vegas Convention Centre, and CX can report it is a highly successful and sustainable trade show. Over 900 exhibitors and 34,000 (est) visitors give this show international pull, with approximately 100 Australians attending. (Jman and Maiz on the dancefloor) Infocomm slowly consumed AES and…

Read More

Ripoff report

Peter Robins writes: I enjoyed reading your piece on Hard Core Collection very much, but would like to pose another scenario to you.Our Church was in need of a new data projector lamp. Expensive beasties, so I went looking on the web.Found a Victorian company, Buffalo Technology Systems, trading as 66 North Pty Ltd Unit…

Read More

American Service Standards Slip

As CX enters day 3 of the Infocomm reconnoiter, we suspect some big problems have emerged with customer service standards. At entry to Terminal 5 on Tuesday 12 June, passengers had a longer-than-remembered queue. Four agents were assigned to 300 people. That math means a log wait, which we had. More than 70 minutes –…

Read More

Sorry girls! Not wanted in tech production

It’s like something out of 1980 – todays contemporary production has females with clipboards, staffing security checkpoints, and sometimes managing something. Blokes are men and chicks are chicks – or chooks. At the FOH desk, monitor console, rigging lights and vision, and serving up the stage or the backline, it is an ole’ boys club.…

Read More

More on the existential pressure on Qantas – China Southern just started flying Australia – London via Guangzhou. While the current inflight experience is slightly north of hideous, they have plans to ‘own’ the route.

Read More

Remember Global Rewards? Qantas points may soon be worthless

Far from CX to alarm you, your mum, or startle the chooks. But a week ago it was unthinkable that Qantas would be in loss, despite the continual doom and gloom from its besieged management. Today’s Weekend Business (SMH) openly canvasses The End of the Airline as we know it. When Ansett closed down without…

Read More