It’s been a very long time since I did any Blogging and after some encouragement from Janek Gwizdala, I’m BACK.
I’ve just returned from the last leg of the Victor Wooten Band US Tour. A year-long stint as a member of the band…NOT the Tour Manager.
Rather than talking about that side of things, I thought I’d start with the Production Side. The unsung heroes of The Road.
Here’s an Old post from my Archives, back when I was Vic’s Tour Manager:
Advancing
Posted on March 27, 2007
Have you ever thought about the work that goes into putting a tour together? Long before you see your favorite artist in concert, someone is sitting at their kitchen table with cell phones, land-lines and a computer….for HOURS. Even on just a 15-date run, that might be hundreds of calls (and voice-mail) and e-mails.
Will we have the crew needed to unload the trailer? Speaking of the trailer… can we park the bus and trailer? (That’s a 45′ bus with a 20′ trailer. With jockey-space, that’s over 75′.) Can the bus run during the day? Can we load-in at the time we want to? Sound-check at 4? What arrangements are there for dinner? What time are doors? Show? Curfew? Is there a hotel close-by? Do you have a special relationship for a special rate? Are we staying overnight?
That’s for every gig.
Oh yeah… is the artist doing a clinic during the day? Where? Who’s picking him up and bringing him back to the venue? Can you have him back by 4:00? Oh, the clinic is at the venue? Well, that changes our schedule a bit….. we’re going to have to load-in at 11…. and on..and on…
Then, there’s the band. Are people flying to the start-point? When do they arrive? When do we get the bus? When can we load it? How are people getting home from the last gig?
So, the next time you’re at a concert…. think about the guy (or girl) sitting in the kitchen…. on the phone!