The Pepsi Bag Lesson: Clean Up Your Stage

The dreaded Pepsi bag. 

I used to play with a band that had a horn section, and some of the horn players took full advantage of their portable instrument situation by getting to the gig at the last possible moment. One sax player carried his odds and ends in an old blue and red Pepsi gym bag that he would place in front of his mic stand. He had it down to a science, and could be ready and blowing within a few minutes of arriving on stage. It was actually impressive. 

But one day, after a show in a beautiful venue, I received some photos in my inbox and they were gorgeous, but unusable. In every shot of the band, the thing that stuck out like a sore thumb was the blue and red gym bag, with Pepsi clearly legible. The gig had gone well, with the audience dancing until the ‘ugly lights’ came on, but it felt like a waste. In my view, we could not share the photos without looking like rank amateurs, and I kicked myself for not noticing it earlier. A single misplaced item disrupted the look and feel of the show. 

I have seen different versions of this in bars, clubs, theatres, and even corporate events. 

This extends to how an AV company approaches their cable runs as well. I was fortunate to learn about this from the owner of the production company I worked for. He was so particular that everyone who worked for him eventually developed a twitch if something was unsightly or out of place. He was so good at it that no matter how hard the crew worked to make the stage pristine, and cable runs discreet, he could identify something that needed improving within seconds of arriving at the venue. 

The thing is, it really matters.

No matter what is being communicated to an audience: a keynote speech, a set of cover songs, or a panel, everything on stage is magnified. At one corporate event I attended, a panelist brought a water bottle on stage and put it down next to their chair. It stayed there for the next three panels, and distracted me to the point where as far as I was concerned, it was the star of the show. 

The best part is that the solution is free. I’ve called it different things over the years, but it’s helpful to designate someone as ‘The Clean Stage Police’, or the ‘Cable Cop’, or perhaps more gently, ’The Stage Zen Master', if you aren’t taking it on yourself. 

When we are presenting anything, we want it to resonate with our audience, and every act we initiate to help our message or music translate is an act of love for our audience. I have felt the resistance from crew members when I ask that something be moved, or cleaned up, but my request is coming from a loving place. I want every individual in the audience to be able to immerse themselves completely in the experience that we are trying to create, free from distraction. 

I have found it helpful to take a few minutes and look at the stage from different parts of the venue, and ask myself what I see. You may not be able to make it perfect, but even one item or cable more thoughtfully placed can make a big difference and help get your message across.

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