Lady A Floundering?

As the TEE Center works its way towards completion in Richmond County, Columbia County’s latest big project, the Lady A Amphitheater, is finally completed. Now comes the hard part. Booking the thing. Word is the management and decision-making apparatus have been in flux since the beginning. Before the park was completed, Columbia County Chairman Ron Cross was initially the point man for bookings. Since then, the responsibilities have bounced around the Community and Leisure Services Division, headed by Barry Smith. With no one in charge, everyone seems to be. And then there’s the committee that has been formed to set things like rental fees. Insiders are perplexed at the process. The only committee member not employed by the county appears to be Joe Mullins, and that’s not inspiring a lot of confidence. The way it’s currently structured, local promoters seem to be priced out of the equation — over $30,000 for a concert, according to the most current price structure. A number of people locally have expressed interest in booking the venue for concerts, but are concerned both at the prices as well as the fact that there’s not at least one experienced promoter on the committee, Mullins included. As these things go, experience is the key. Not just experience, but many, many years of the right kind of ruthless experience. After all, it’s a cutthroat world. Bands charge what they can get. Agents go for top dollar. Unless you have negotiated with local, regional and national acts, you’re a sitting duck. The skills needed to conceive, propose, spearhead and build something of such magnitude are impressive, even to the naysayers. But the skills required to operate such a machine are very specific and require someone with a lot of industry savvy. Let’s get some skilled hands on that board.You Might Also Like: