30% of the Birmingham crew at a Samford University concertFrom 1984-1994 I ran a concert production company named Dragonslayer Productions. We produced, promoted, and staffed over seventy Contemporary Christian music concerts in various Alabama cities during that time. Most of those concerts were pop and rock concerts and we became known as one of the best concert production companies of that era. We were an all volunteer team, including management, and focused on providing first rate support for the tours we promoted.
The primary purpose of Dragonslayer was to tell people about Jesus. The message was simple. Our sin separates us from God but Jesus died for our sins. Turning to Jesus restores that relationship. The Christian life is about living that restored relationship. Without it you remain separated from God and will never be free from your sin. Christians don't care who you are, where you came from, what your past is, how much money you have, what race you are, or anything else other than whether or not you have that relationship with Jesus.
DeGarmo & KeyWe used concerts to present that message and provided folks to tell interested people who Jesus is and what His sacrifice on the cross means for them. This was the number one consideration at every concert and it worked exactly as planned. In Dragonslayer's ten year run more than 3,000 people walked the aisles during end of concert invitations and we were there to talk with them. Large numbers turned to Jesus, many rededicated their lives, and we helped others with things like abusive marriages, job losses, and a myriad of other problems. We accomplished what we set out to do.
Covering the state!Dragonslayer's secondary purpose was to provide excellent concert production. Band after band told us that promoters rarely provided adequate levels of support. There were not enough stage crew, no one to handle the ticket finances, dinner was always pizza someone ordered at the last minute, and the crew was basically a mob of people who's primary purpose in being at the concert was to meet the band, get good seats, and get autographs.
Dragonslayer was different because we were well organized and went beyond contract requirements at every concert. If you worked with Dragonslayer your concert would run smoothly, you weren't chased back stage by autograph hounds, and you'd never face a problem we couldn't fix for you. We even served home cooked meals, and our counselors were there in large numbers when invitations were given.
Over 800 volunteers worked Dragonslayer concerts at various times and some were with us throughout the ten year existence of the company. Dragonslayer operated in Birmingham, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Cullman, and Huntsville and had groups of volunteers in each city. Those volunteers were identified at the concerts by the Dragonslayer shirts they wore and many of them remain close friends today. It was a wonderful organization.
On the day of a concert the first crew members arrive around 9am to begin load-in. Others arrive at designated times throughout the day and everyone works until the band is packed up and drives away. Typically this ends after midnight, sometimes way after midnight, and the entire team is wide awake after all of the work is complete. We are also usually quite hungry. This situation quickly led to the entire team going out for breakfast after a concert.