Roadies

Created by Oscar® winner Cameron Crowe, ROADIES is an insider’s look at the reckless, romantic, funny and often poignant lives of a committed group of “roadies,” who live for music and the de facto family they’ve formed along the way. The music-infused...

[roadies]

Jerry Sell

Jack-of-all-trades :: The Contortionists

It’s, rough. There’s little sleep. Sometimes you’re not taken care of, but it is one of the most rewarding jobs to have. Keep working hard and find your niche. Learn and be humble.

SHOWTIME: What’s your role with the The Contortionists?

JERRY: I’m kind of a jack-of-all trades. Right now, I’m the tour manager and the light guy. I’ve done monitor sound for them in the past, too. 

SHOWTIME: Wow. Can you describe your role as the tour manager for those who don’t know. I’ve heard it described as “the dad.” Is that accurate?

JERRY: That’s the perfect explanation, actually. It’s the business side of things, but more than anything else, it’s taking care of everybody – finding the bathroom when somebody needs to poop.

SHOWTIME: [LAUGHS] 

JERRY: Finding food when they’re hungry. When somebody’s having a crisis and they’re about to quit the band, I’m the shoulder to cry on. It’s a jack-of-all-trades. The tour manager has to be able to approach any situation and make tour as smooth as possible.

SHOWTIME: So, what do you say if someone’s on the verge of quitting the band? What would be your pep talk if someone is pissed off?

JERRY: Well, I mean it’s different for every person. There’s a lot of pressure on the road and there can be a lot of tension with other band members, so, you really want to hone in and be that person’s best friend for that moment. Make them feel like you’re on their side, get to the bottom of what’s happening and try to bring reality back to them. Because sometimes you’re out there for a week and some little thing like somebody ate your Pop Tart is enough to make you tip off the edge and you’re ready to quit the band. So, I tell them, “you’ve got to look at things from the right perspective and remember who you are, what you’re doing here, and that you don’t want to sunder all that you’ve worked for.”

SHOWTIME: What’s the worst part of being on tour?

JERRY: My least favorite thing about being on tour is bathrooms, honestly. Clean showers and clean toilets are such a luxury! You’re showering in the same shower that ten other dudes were just in, and it’s messy and wet. You go to venues sometimes and the toilets don’t have seats on them. It can be pretty brutal. You think, “I’m gonna travel the world! I’m gonna eat great food!” and these things are great, but you’re in gross and dirty environments a lot, too.

You’re tackling a new venue, a new crowd, a new problem, – it’s always new. It’s always exciting. It’s always refreshing.

SHOWTIME: What’s the best part? 

JERRY: Seeing the world. Meeting new people. You’re, somewhere different every day. You’re not going to the same office cubicle or you’re not going to the same restaurant and making the same sandwich over and over again. You’re tackling a new venue, a new crowd, a new problem, – it’s always new. It’s always exciting. It’s always refreshing.

SHOWTIME: Talk to me about the hierarchy of roles in a band and in the crew. Are there are stereotypes? Is there a difference between a merch guy and a front of house guy?

JERRY: The front of house is one of the most crucial members, as far as crew. Because they have more of a direct effect on the band’s show. If the band sounds like crap, you know that’s a serious problem. If a merch guy’s a jerk at the merch table, it’s not as big a deal. You piss off the band a lot faster when you’re involved with what they’re actually doing onstage. So, as far as crew guys, I’d say the sound guy, the tour manager, and the light guy are the people that are affecting the stage show, and they are more senior than people like the driver and the merch guy. But you have to feel it out with every band.

SHOWTIME: Do you have any tour hacks?

JERRY: Clean toothbrush, clean toothpaste, keep disposable wet wipes. As gross as that sounds, it’s true. Lots of caffeine and also try to stay positive. A positive mental attitude goes such a long way with making yourself happy and making everybody else happy.

SHOWTIME: What would you say is the best job on tour and the worst job on tour? 

JERRY: Being in the band is easily the best job! 

But as far as being a roadie, I really enjoy doing lights. I think the light guy plays along with the band. They have to have a sense of music. You’re almost jamming and hitting buttons and faders to the beat. 

Being a tour manager is pretty rough. Everybody goes out and gets drunk – you know, being rock stars, doing crazy stuff – and the tour manager has to be the ground. The reality. The guy that the manager or label can call and be like, “Let’s be serious for a minute.”

SHOWTIME: Have you come across any diva moments that you would want to share? 

JERRY: I’ve toured with bands that have had pretty diva-ish moments where we get to a venue and the headliner insists that they get all three green rooms and we [roadies] have to sit in our van all day, because they need a room for the drummer to set up his drums or they need a room for the singer to get vocal lessons. Or they might take all of the buy-out or all the food that day, at the venue. They get all the beer, all the peanut butter and jelly, or whatever it is, and we’re sitting in a van, drinking water and trying to figure out how we’re gonna eat tonight. Sometimes, bands can be pretty selfish.

SHOWTIME: Is there anything else you would say about being a tour manager, being on the road, or the music industry in general? 

JERRY: I think if you like music, this is the place to be. It’s, rough. There’s little sleep. Sometimes you’re not taken care of, but it is one of the most rewarding jobs to have. Keep working hard and find your niche. Learn and be humble.

[roadies]

We're "A Little Crazy" for @NicoleAtkins. See a clip of her performance on the @Roadies season finale.

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[roadies]

We missed you, @JimJames. See his full cover of @BobDylan's "He Was A Friend Of Mine" on the @Roadies season finale, this Sunday at 10p ET/PT.

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Mike Bennett

Front of House Audio :: Various Bands

Love the music, respect the crew.

SHOWTIME: What does a front of house engineer do?

MIKE: We're the ones who run the sound that the audience actually listens to. We can make a band sound good or make a band sound bad, depending on the band's attitude. We control the whole volume of the show.

SHOWTIME: Do you have any wild or hilarious road stories?

MIKE: The wildest thing I've been through was being raided by the FBI. It was a trip to step off a bus and see that. You're like, "okay, who has what, and who's been doing what.' We were late for the load-in that afternoon.

SHOWTIME: Understandably.

MIKE: The weirdest thing is seeing groupies try to get on the bus.

SHOWTIME: So say a groupie comes up, and they give you their talk, and maybe they're cute or cool. What do you do?

MIKE: I mostly try to keep out of the whole groupie scene, because it leads to trouble. If you've got someone at home and she's calling you all the time, you don't want to be saying, 'Yeah, there's another female in my bunk or my hotel room.'

SHOWTIME: What are some of the highs and lows of being on the road?

MIKE: A lot of the highs are working with other musicians, particularly the big names. Last year I got to work with one of my idols, BB King. He did a great show, and I got to talk to him and do front of house engineer for him. That was really cool.

The lows are the long hours. You sometimes work eighteen-twenty hours a day.

SHOWTIME: Any stereotypes you've experienced with the different positions on a road crew?

MIKE: I have a t-shirt that says, 'Love the music, respect the crew.' We don't get the recognition that we often deserve. People come to see a show and it's all about the artist. But the ones behind the band are just as important in making it a great show.

SHOWTIME: What's the weirdest thing an artist has ever said to you?

MIKE: Artists always want me to turn it up. A lot of times they're wearing earplugs and they can't hear what I hear.

SHOWTIME: So what do you do when somebody asks you to do something and you know that technically it's dead wrong?

MIKE: Whatever the artist tells me is what I give them, even if it's against my better judgment. I won't blow the equipment, but if they want it turned up, I turn it up. I want to get paid.

[roadies]

[roadies]

You don’t get me high anymore. 🎶

[roadies]

Think you know everything about Machine Gun Kelly? We'd bet you a Wespresso you don't. ☕️

[roadies]

Roadies Episode 9 – Song List – The Uncool - The Official Site for Everything Cameron Crowe

Episode 9 – The Corporate Gig:

“Reach Us” – Derek Poulsen

“Vacation” – Florist

“Absolute Loser” – Fruit Bats

“Little Cloud” – Desert Stars

“Half a Native” – Buxton

“Hurt Me” – Låpsley

“Talking to You (Is Like Talking To Myself)” – Daryl Hall

“Lost in the Zoo” – Goddamn Electric Bill

“You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” – Phantogram (Song of the Day)

“Stella” – Here We Go Magic

“Make Ya Feel Good” – Craig Paul Hardy & Theo Chinara

“On Fleek” (Full Mix) – Warner/Chappell Productions

“Lost Verses” – Sun Kil Moon

“Ready for Yr Closeup” – Là-Bas

“Soup For One” – Chic

“Always Be” – TVÅ

“Let’s Go Forward” – Sananda Maitreya

“Look at Miss Ohio” (Gillian Welch Cover) – Peter Cambor & Jen Tullock

“Advanced Falconry” – Mutual Benefit

“Cergy-Pontoise” – The Magnetic North

“Willin'” – Jackson Browne and Lucius

[roadies]

Patrick Moore

Tour Manager/Sound Engineer :: Ra Ra Riot

I like to stay below the radar, just do my job quietly and let the band have their attention

SHOWTIME: How do you manage maintaining the sound and being a tour manager while on the road?

PATRICK: I guess audio’s kind of second nature to me so it’s the tour managing that I have to focus on. It’s the tour management stuff that I stress about.

SHOWTIME: How long have you been with Ra Ra Riot?

PATRICK: This is my first tour with Ra Ra. I just got introduced to them, and I’m familiar with their music, but I never have worked with them before.  It’s going well so far.

SHOWTIME: What other bands have you worked with?

PATRICK: I’ve worked with Sanford Mean and I do a bunch of New Orleans stuff with the Neville Brothers - mostly Aaron Neville solo projects. Also, Courtney Barnett, Craig Finn, another band called Caroma. So, really I’m down with whoever calls me to work with.

SHOWTIME: How do you find out about gigs?

PATRICK: It’s mostly word of mouth between artists and managers. You know, some people just ask for recommendations and, my resume gets passed along to them.

SHOWTIME: What would you say is the best part of being on tour and the worst part?

PATRICK: The best part is traveling. Waking up in a new city every day is something that a lot of people wish they could do but don’t get the opportunity to. The worst part is not having a lot of personal space and not really having a schedule of your own –  being beholden to the day’s schedule, the venue’s schedule, the cab driver’s schedule, etc. You don’t have a lot of say in how your day goes and sometimes you have to play along with what you’re dealt.

SHOWTIME: Can you tell me about a time when something didn’t go as planned and how you dealt with it as tour manager?

PATRICK: Oh, lord. We’ve been held up at international borders sometimes and that can either be a very quick or take hours while they’re searching your vans or looking through your criminal histories. You just have to budget time for that. It’s definitely caused some funny delays and some last minute speeding to the venue.

SHOWTIME: Do you find that there are stereotypes by roles – what instrument you play or maybe what instrument you tech?

PATRICK: Uh, I don't know. I suppose there’s always the, the drummer stereotypes - being the cool, attractive person and the bass player – for being kind of a frumpy.

SHOWTIME: A tall guy…

PATRICK: Yeah, exactly. As far as techs go, I try not to stereotype the people that I’m working very close with. That’s my PC answer.

SHOWTIME: As a sound engineer, do you feel like you’re a member of the band – like you’re as essential as any instrument?

PATRICK: Well, you’re certainly not a part of the musical bands, but you do feel that you’re a part of what they’re creating. Like, you’re not hitting drums and you’re not strumming guitars to make sound with them, but you’re giving them what they wanna hear. 

SHOWTIME: When you’re on tour, do you have any tour hacks or tips to make sure you have the best tour experience?

PATRICK: I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about tour hacks. I’ve recently discovered canvas go-bags – little tote bags – and I have like five of them. One with a bathing suit, a change of T-shirt and some sunscreen if I wanna go to the beach or the pool. Another one with a bunch of toiletries so I’m constantly just grabbing go-bags and it’s completely changed my life. I used to carry around my suitcase everywhere I went, but I think I've finally figured out what works for me.

SHOWTIME: What’s the best food you’ve eaten in the last year and what’s the worst food you’ve eaten in the last year?

PATRICK: Last night we had Jacoby’s here in Austin. It was like a new Southern kind of cuisine and that knocked my socks off. That was some of the best food I’ve ever had. The worst food came from a nameless Midwest concert venue. They tried to pass off a deplorable meal to us and got half the band sick. 

SHOWTIME: Does it ever bother you that you’re such an essential member of the band that you don’t kind of get the glory or the fame that your bandmate brothers and sisters get?

PATRICK: No, no that doesn’t bother me at all. I love it.

I don’t like attention very much especially since I consider this a job and not a hobby. I don’t want to treat it like a popularity contest so I try to stay low-profile. I like to stay below the radar, just do my job quietly and let the band have their attention, you know?

[roadies]

Little inhibition. Lots of Love.  Get to know SHB stalker - we mean, superfan - Natalie. 

[roadies]

Cameron Crowe and Winnie Holzman on the set of Roadies! 

[diver5ion]

[roadies]

Ryan Hall

Front of House :: Little Hurricane

There is always something else that you can tweak, something else that you can hear. There is always something you can do to make things a little bit better. Have fun with it. Make it like painting – it’s like art.

SHOWTIME: So for the laymen people who may not know what Front of House is, can you describe your role?

RYAN: Sure. I do the mix for the audience which is considered “Front of House.” “Monitors” would be the other mix. So I do the mix for the crowd, which is cool.

SHOWTIME: It sounds like Front of House engineers are the highest in the hierarchy of the road crew. You are the most skilled, and have the most influence on the music.

RYAN: Yeah, we have usually been doing it usually the longest, and so that means we get to be the most lazy.  [LAUGHS]  

SHOWTIME: I doubt it.

RYAN: Yeah, not at all, no. It’s a lot of fun. I have been doing Pro Audio for 12 years. Currently I work for a really cool two‑piece band, which makes my life way easier but I have mixed tons of bands. I love mixing audio. It started by being a musician and going to shows noticing how bands sound, like “I don’t like how that sounds. That doesn’t sound good. Why can’t they just fix that?” So I started getting into engineering. And now, unfortunately, there are not a lot of shows I can go to [LAUGHS] unless I am mixing. Because you hear something and you are like, “Oh, I want to change that.” And you are like, “Oh, I can’t. No, I am just listening now. Oh no.”

I have to focus to turn it off, you know? When I first walk into a concert, the first thing I’ll start hearing is stuff with the mix. I have to tell my brain, “We are just chilling tonight. Just hanging out. So just chill out.”

I have walked out of shows many times, where three songs in I am just like, “I can’t listen to this, it’s too bad,” and I’ll leave. Which seems kind of snooty, but it’s like anything else.  Once you have the acquired ear, it’s hard to turn that critical listening off.  You know what I mean?  Especially when your whole job is listening.  

SHOWTIME: It seems like lot of people don’t realize that it really is a science. 

RYAN: Yeah, totally. Mixing Front of House especially, I see it as “vibrational management.” You are managing vibrational frequencies. You want to get the smoothest transmission from the stage to the audience without taking people out of the experience. That’s what it’s really about. So they can be more immersed in the band. And then when you get people coming up afterwards and they are like, “Man, that was incredible. That was so incredible.” You feel like “Wow, my skill transmitted that vibrational experience to that person and literally just shook up their whole soul.” So it’s a cool thing.

SHOWTIME: Tell me about the camaraderie with your band in your current role?

RYAN: Just being around the bands – if you are touring together for six or seven weeks – you gotta like each other. So that helps a lot. But then it comes to a point where they trust you with their sound. Especially with Little Hurricane. Their guitar player does all the sound on the records so he is very particular about the live sound. Getting to a spot where he is comfortable letting me do my thing was really cool for me. It’s great when you build up that trust level, where they know, “We don’t have to focus on worrying about the sound. We know the sound is gonna be good. We can just focus totally on playing.”

SHOWTIME: Is it ever hard being the invisible “man behind the band”?  Do you ever want to be on stage?

RYAN: No. I have been doing it long enough that I am comfortable in my own self. You know, I have had enough people tell me the sound is amazing.  It’s a two‑piece band. So the wall of sound is really, really important. And when you hit that magic spot with them and people are jibing and grooving …it’s a really magical experience. That’s good enough. 

SHOWTIME: So what’s it like mixing a band that you despise?

RYAN: [SIGHS] Oh. [SIGHS] Um… I have had a few times where that’s happened. At that point, you turn into a utility. I think that happens more when you are a house guy, which I, I have been. If you are working a venue, yeah, you just have to shut off your taste brain and just go “OK, just listen purely to the vibration of the sound, what are you hearing? What needs to change? What can make this as good as it can be? ’Cause even if I don’t like that band, those people like that band, and that’s still a experience for them, and I am delivering that to them. Or a lot of times, just find something that you do like about ’em. You know what I mean? Find a kick drum that you like. Something that you can get into and dig.  

SHOWTIME: Is there anything else you would like to say about, being on the road, or being an engineer, or the music industry in general?

RYAN: Let’s see. If someone is interested in getting started, expect to work your ass off and not get a lot of respect for the first five or six years. But just keep pushing forward. If it’s something that you are passionate about and it’s something you want to do, then you have to just keep moving forward with it. There is always something else that you can tweak, something else that you can hear. There is always something you can do to make things a little bit better. Have fun with it. Make it like painting – it’s like art. See it as a craft.

[roadies]