Touring with the Major Musical Acts
From around 1972 to 1995, I was involved with concert production in the ‘A’ market. The ‘A’ market is coliseums, stadiums, and outdoor sheds that can service 20,000 or more per show.
I functioned as a lighting director, a sound engineer, a production manager, and a truck and bus driver. (People with multiple skill-sets work more than those with one skill.)
I have 3 videos on You tube about the concert business with more details and pictures, my YT channel is RAZORS EDGE.
Big bands may travel with as many as over a hundred techs, wardrobe assistants, drivers, sound guys, lighting guys, rigging guys, stage roadies, office staff, management, catering, and Artist Relations staff.
Big tours play six days a week to make money. The tours may travel as much as 500 + miles overnight. Setting up 12 tractor trailer loads of equipment is an amazing feat, breaking it down quickly enough to make the next date is an art-form.
Although bands carry their own crews, those crews must work with the local stage hands to put the show up and take it down. A large tour may have separate crews for management, rigging, lights, sound, wardrobe, stage roadies, management, drivers, and catering.
The relationship between artists and crew varies. I could not say Kenny Logging or Crissie Hynde are pleasant or fun to work with, I can say Steve Winwood and the Chicago bands members are great guys! I also enjoyed my relationship with Tommy Lee of Motley Crue, and Lars of Metallica.
The day starts with LOAD-IN. Starting with rigging, then lights, then sound and then either sets and props or band gear follows. Breakfast catering starts at 0800, the equipment comes in as quickly as there is room fot it.
Sound checks usually start around 5 PM, not all bands do sound checks and few opening acts get a sound check. At show time, the opening acts play, their time allowed is limited. After the stage is reset for the headliner, the main artist plays. Opening acts who want a sound check are competing with the sound crew’s need for food and a break, they’ve been working since 8 AM.
As soon as the last song is played, the crew is in full load-out mode, their first real break in 16 hours happens after load-out when they sleep on tour buses.
At 0800 the next morning, it’s time to do it again. band crew are construction wizards, they’re an unseen but essential part of concert production.
By the way, don’t call production crew and techs “Roadies,” it’s insulting. The guys who manage band gear are roadies.