The Absurd Logistics of Concert Tours

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Writing by Sam Denby and Tristan Purdy
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation led by Josh Sherrington
Sound by Graham Haerther
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster
References
[1] www.tourmgmt.org

[@samwill7259]

I'm starting to think I am just not aware of the majority of jobs out there. This entire world is built upon labor I wasn't even aware needed doing.

[@TheClownfight]

and now $80 for a concert ticket doesn't seem so unreasonable, does it?

[@samwill7259]

@@TheClownfight I want people to be paid more, to work less, in better conditions. So no, no it does not

[@kaixiang5390]

Schools do such a horrible job of preparing people for all the cool jobs out there

[@samwill7259]

@@kaixiang5390 Makes you wonder how people end up doing this sorta thing.

[@kaixiang5390]

@@samwill7259 I used to work for a small video company. I was hired by some guy in our church who knew my parents. Usually that’s how it starts: small companies farm talent for larger, more prestigious companies

[@bkm8556]

As someone who works as a head charter scheduler for a bus company one cool/interesting thing you forgot to mention is that on many trips, we often send a second driver ahead in a regular vehicle days prior to a trip. They can then spend the night at a roadside hotel and complete a mid-drive swap with the previous bus driver to bypass the 10 hour limit for longer trips.

[@James_Moton]

Does the "mid-drive swap" occur multiple times in a single trip? If so, what's the most such swaps on a single trip of a given bus route? For New York to Los Angeles, I estimate approximately 7-8 swaps with at least 3-4 different drivers, given the time taken (2 d 20 h according to Google Maps).

[@bkm8556]

This is especially common for SLC -> Denver, as flights to DIA are cheap nationwide, and driving a rental up to Laramie, WY for the swap is especially convenient

[@bkm8556]

@@James_Moton with passenger busses we rarely swap drivers more than twice as even for passengers that long on a moving bus is exhausting. For cargo trips along specific freeway routes (such as i80) there can be times where 5,6 or even 7 become necessary. But generally at that point its cheaper to use a shipping company where trailers can be swapped to entire new trucks instead of just switching drivers.

[@natevogel]

@@James_Moton Usually your routing on a bus tour will have you playing in cities ideally within 10 hours drive of each other - you wouldn’t do NY one day and LA the next, you strategically make your way between the shows across the country. Sometimes shows will be further between and you’ll have a second driver come swap in so you can keep driving or you’ll have an off day in a city on the way between one show and the next. This is specifically about bus tours however, not just fly in dates which are very different in how they operate (at least from my perspective as someone who travels direct w the artist/artists)

[@EyeMWing]

Likewise, team driving on the trucks.

[@prettypic444]

My personal favorite example of logistics is the infamous Van Halen "no brown M&Ms". Van Halen's shows were very special effect heavy, with lots of expensive equitment, so a lot could go wrong if the venue didn't set things up properly. so the band put a clause in the middle of their technical specifications that there wouldn't be any brown M&Ms. if they saw brown M&Ms, they knew the venue didn't fully read the contract and they should double check everything to make sure that things were safe

[@mustang8206]

genuis

[@marw9541]

Also gave them a lot of money for not following the contract

[@marw9541]

@@drzazgi666 Well David Lee Roth personally said it in an interview, could be lying but it's less an urban legend as much as a statement from the band that might be true or false. Also, just because you're old doesn't mean there aren't 13 year olds watching this stuff that aren't familiar with the story. Maybe relax and let people speak freely, there is nothing wrong with seeing the same information multiple times. Harping on someone for sharing trivia is pretty bad though, no reason to add negativity to our world man

[@jxy3]

@@drzazgi666 it could be their favorite anyway :p

[@younghex9577]

I remember hearing about the M&M thing as a kid but I had thought is was more about the artist being huge diva's or assholes. Cool to learn that there was actually a good reason for it

[@charpaca5401]

As someone working on stage automation (moving elements in shows such as Ed Sheeran or Coldplay’s current tours), an interesting thing you didn’t mention in this video is that big shows will often have large parts of the stage built twice (A set and B set). Set A will be built in venue 1, while Set B is already being built in venue 2. When the show is done in venue 1, Set A will move on to venue 3 while the tour moves to venue 2 and so on.

[@sherrao]

How would someone get started in this specific industry? always done AV tech as a side hobby and side hustle, but never professionally

[@charpaca5401]

@@sherrao Really depends on where you live and what you want to do. For me it was quite easy as the company I work for is just 5 km from home. They were searching for junior project managers so I could start immediately. I can't really speak for AV Techs as we only do automation, but at our company, people who go on tour are usually freelancers who just submit themselves to our crew manager, we give them training depending on what it is they want to do on tour (carpenter, automation programmer,...). You may be able to search your local area for AV tech companies and submit there to work as well :)

[@djprotege]

This also usually tends to happen with the more complex shows such as stadium shows. They are not 10 hour setup!

[@pat3464]

@@sherrao Where do you live? If in the US or Canada look to see if there is an I.A.T.S.E. (International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees) local union in your area.

[@aridragonbeard745]

@@pat3464 "Alliance"

[@xmartinx357]

I've been a tour manager for 15 years and the importance of good pre-preduction can not be overstated. I did one tour with 28 shows in Europe where the whole pre-preduction was horrible and crew was averaging 4 or 5 hours sleep per night. Our last show was in Madrid. After rigging and showcheck was over the whole crew went to this posh white table cloth restaurant to celebrate the end of the tour. It's worth mentioning that our crew came exclusively from the punk/metal scene and where totally misplaced in the restaurant. During dinner our drum tech said "I just feel.. so tired" and started crying. And one by one we just kinda joined him. So there we sat, 11 guys crying out of fatigue together.

[@Tajmaj]

🤣 hate to laugh at your misery, but you painted a great picture lol i can only imagine...once and a lifetime

[@isumkitchens5329]

@@Tajmaj I will say that's a metal ass situation tho lol, the band and crew crying at a table in a fancy restaurant both from pain and solidarity.

[@jondavey5407]

That was actually a pretty cool story. I’m sure you all were happy and sad when it was all done.

[@SerpkoBakotiinii]

Nice story, thank you for sharing it!

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@Klipik12]

I have never seen a comments section so full of experts and industry people, but as a normal person this is really cool

[@TimmyTickle]

To be fair, most people who work in the industry have never had a video on KZbin spotlight their work as much as this

[@brianpinion5844]

I'm an expert at knowing nothing , most call me dumbass but I prefer expert but I'm good with either one . lol

[@mking3232]

Thank you for bringing that up. I did the bulk of this kind of work in the 90's/early 2000's. There was no video on it nor much talk, outside the random music video showing snippets of tour life. This video is the first I've seen showing any kind of in-depth look into touring. It's far from showing everything, and the harsh realities, but gives an incredibly good look into the inner workings of what its like.

[@newq]

Someone needs to make a documentary showing the lives of the people involved in this. Not the band or the talent. Just the people behind the scenes. I would love to see that.

[@johnschroeder3072]

Tait Towers did a series that might be on youtube of them creating staging systems for big shows and then them being setup and used on those shows.

[@17primemover]

As a mere fan of live music, let me just say to everyone who makes live shows happen, THANKS for all you do! We appreciate it!

[@sndcetrl]

We never get credit. Alot of our jobs will just be to get through the night without any trouble. Not much room for breaks, not much room for sitting down, just mix this and light that. When we do get credit, it feels awesome. This videk skipped alot of it, but I’m glad people are starting to shine a light to this.

[@crogger321]

​@whoisarxky as a live music fan. I greatly appreciated the logistics and hard work. Your teams make concerts possible. 🎉

[@Waffle_6]

i would watch this man explain the logistics of anything at this point

[@silverXnoise]

“The Soul Crushing Logistics of Human Trafficking”

[@chrisr6058]

@@silverXnoise dont know if he can use stock footage for that tho

[@NeonNijahn]

How about bricklaying?

[@NeonNijahn]

Or just bricks in general?

[@JasperKlijndijk]

i would watch him explain his grocery list

[@sound_photos]

I work as a head of sound for an international arena tour playing 5000-14,000 cap venues. I just spent 12 full days at home. It was my first time home in 7 months and I won’t get home again for another 8 months. Touring is a wild time!

[@NeonNijahn]

I'm in local 52 and have shaped gor local 1 for years. I'll work for you! Hire me please. Always wanted to tour.

[@gilbertosantos2806]

@@NeonNijahn well would you look at that, gotta put yourself out there somehow

[@Croz89]

It does seem like one of those jobs you do while you're young for a few years, then settle down for something more sedate after you can't take it anymore.

[@CalAndAly]

As a recovering FOH, I can’t say I miss such long runs! Glad you got some R&R!

[@madguitarist007]

All the respect to ya brother, that’s the reason I went into corporate instead of road work, as much as I love concert work

[@thehodgi1]

I’m a production manager in Australia, and I’m a amazed by how accurate this is, coming from a non “industry” person, even down to the specific weird terminology. This must’ve taken some solid research

[@claytonjones8358]

Who is the old man that did or use to do the Red Hot Chili Peppers? That guy was funny. We met him in Australia in Geelong and hung out for a few shows

[@thehodgi1]

@@claytonjones8358 Dave Rat!

[@claytonjones8358]

No shit. Ok. Cool. We have a friend that does their sound and we're invited out there to hang out and check out a couple of shows. I also got to surf at Bells, which has always been a dream of mine after seeing it in the surf magazines from birth. We ran into him before we even got to the venue because we got lost...and so did his van! It was him, Anthony Kedius, Flea, and and few other crew members. We stopped them and asked if they knew where the show was. Im sure he thought we were super fans, being we had our Texas accents. He said follow us...they sped off super fast through some bumpy country roads to a wine vineyard type place. We got our passes and went backstage. We ran right into him and he was totally cool with us. It was hilarious! Cheers, man! I loved every minute out there and every girl I met!! Can't wait to go back!!

[@thehodgi1]

@@claytonjones8358 sounds pretty believable mate

[@SayKyleNotCow]

I remember working as a runner having to go get Fiji water for Michael Bolton when I had just turned 16 and got my license. This was before Fiji water was in every store. Took me almost 2 hours and roughly 8-10 stores before I finally found cases of it. Brought it to his room waiting to get the diva treatment since it wasn’t there immediately and he was super cool about the delay. As I walked in the very first thing he said was “Thank you so much!” As I set the case down and started throwing them into the fridge he said something to the effect of “They’re worth the wait.” and tossed me a bottle told me to sit down and cool off, this was Florida in July. He was super humble and a very cool guy. He couldn’t believe how long I ran and how many stores I had to go to for the waters and said they were normally easy to find in most cities but it was a nightmare on the ridder in some regions. He was asking me about my “job” and then was amazed when I told him I was actually just the son of one of the supporting act’s musicians and was just trying to help out the production crew. He was joking around about how he was going to steal me from their band. Super cool guy.

[@catalystproductions2303]

I scoured our city with the bus driver trying to find Miley Cyrus (during the Hannah Montana days) a specific bag a fn potato chips. My greatest memory was getting to eat lunch with WWE superstars and legends....and seeing the divas walking around backstage in just towels....

[@imalwaysright]

Amazing

[@limitbassfishing2733]

Nepo

[@sarahdoanpeace3623]

That’s a cool story, thanks!

[@Snarf_Le_Wombat]

What a weird story. You worshipped Michael Bolton of all and weren't even paid?

[@KathyClysm]

I work as local crew at a (somewhat smaller) venue and honestly, I cannot stress enough how incredible riggers are. We often put on variety acts like trapeze artists as well, and these guys and girls math like it's noone's business then climb to the fucking ceiling of a stadium and just get shit done. All while knowing full well that if they mess up, people could actually die. Riggers are - in my personal opinion - the unsung heros of the live entertainment industry!

[@starkwinter9476]

Riggers are incredible and really do carry so much of the work! I couldn't do my work in lighting without them, and there's no way I could do what they do!

[@Davey-Boyd]

Totally agree Kathy!

[@stephenwilliams163]

Thanks but we really don't need our egos stroked any more

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@dannydaw59]

It looks like a dangerous job. The motor could fail while hoisting objects up or an old chain could break. Pulled muscles etc.

[@zackhpittman]

As a tour manager and production manager, living this very life, you’ve hit on a lot of really good details, probably the best breakdown I’ve seen, but even this video still can’t prepare you for the reality that is our world.

[@CalAndAly]

Agreed! They totally did! Would love to see one where they focus on what you have to do specifically as a day in the life of a TM for the artist 😅

[@roryoconnor4989]

I have a moleskin that contains a 1-10 rating of every venue shower I’ve used in the last 5 years, graded on a matrix of water pressure, hot water temp (both in endurance and stability), shower head spray pattern, room to maneuver, and the overall ability to contain water within the boundaries of the shower. It’s the little activities that keep me sane…

[@ericlee6913]

@@CalAndAly even better: a day in the life of a TM/A1 or TM/LD on a 3-5k cap club tour where there is no logistic support and the boneyard is the back of the trailer.

[@michelleradogna6721]

@@roryoconnor4989 that's amazing omg

[@gabrielshepard]

No it can't... you don't know until your there, and usually by finding yourself ankle deep in rigging steel or feeder!!! Lol A wild life we lead! I ❤️ my job!!!!

[@sarptetikel9341]

There are more careers out there than just being a doctor, engineer, or lawyer. It blows my mind that our education was so narrow scoped that we never even knew.

[@ryans3074]

So true

[@treetires]

Damn. you're right...

[@supastar25]

So true, there's a lot of paths out there that the average kid never gets to even know about until a few years after leaving school

[@MikeMozzaro]

Probably because no-one actually *wants* these jobs; even the people that do them. Doctor, Engineer, Lawyer, etc. keep getting brought up cause those are the things everyone knows people actually want to do. What kid or sane adult is going to say "I want to be the guy that picks up AV equipment after a concert"?

[@treetires]

@@MikeMozzaro 😂 obviously someone wants to though

[@TheOn3ManLegend]

I worked stage security, and we indeed got a detailed brief. We were told expected guest amount, bands type of music and how their fans typically act. We were told 5000 people would show, we got 10,000, we got told there won't be crowd surfing, we had 9 crowd surfers over the evening (first went up in the first song lol)

[@TimmyTickle]

Which artist?

[@captainpoppleton]

@@TimmyTickle Richard Clayderman

[@HeathenDan]

@@TimmyTickle Pee Wee Herman

[@guilhermesartorato93]

@@captainpoppleton LOL

[@TimmyTickle]

@@HeathenDan Did he play his organ like he did in Sarasota?

[@lorenzoloche903]

Touring Video Tech here, this has to be the most accurate video describing the logistics of our industry without sensationalizing anything. However as you’d expect from a 15 minute video this only begins to scratch the surface of the absurdity and insanity that goes on to produce these shows at a high level. Thank you for this video and shedding light on what we do!

[@Th3M4larky]

Absolutely. Look at Rammstein's stage setup, its effing huge.

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@DiabloOutdoors]

"the most accurate" then... "this only begins to scratch the surface of the absurdity and insanity". We call this an oxymoron. This video is FAR from reality. Maybe closer for a small/medium band, but certain ly not for a major act. Just saying

[@amy.the.lame.y]

@@DiabloOutdoors as someone who’s toured with several major acts I can assure you it’s still pretty accurate. Yeah it didn’t go into every little detail about what happens on a show day but it still hit all the major points for normies to understand.

[@DiabloOutdoors]

​@@amy.the.lame.y Absolutely not. Certainly not for major acts, unless you and I have a different definition of "major acts". I could mention at least 50 missing topics and there would still be 50 more. One of the important missing ones is the sound engineer walking all over the venue to see/hear and ask for modifications. There was no mention of the sound engineer in the back of the stage (Yep, there's another console backstage it's for the monitors or "earplugs"). No mention of the backstage system, like the stickers of different colors with the date written with a sharpie, etc. And what about the tours with 2 or 3 sets of stages like someone else mentioned here? Most REAL major acts have that. LOTS of missing points here. There wasn't even anything about those monkeys! For those who don't know, the "monkey" is a friendly term for the guys climbing the rig to operate some lights during the shows.

[@mindlessmrawesome]

OH MY GOSH YES THANK YOU I work for a local lighting company and we build lightshows for bands. The teardown and setup process is such an underappreciated art. Thank you for enlightening the masses of the absolute insanity that is my job lmao

[@QuinnConnell]

That's really interesting- I would have assumed the tour has a traveling team of lighting designers that know the songs like the back of their hand. Is it common for tours to recruit local lighting companies at the last minute? Do you have to prepare presets as soon as you get there?

[@amunak_]

Does it pay well? It sounds like a complete PITA.

[@starkwinter9476]

@@QuinnConnell I know I'm not the original commenter, but you're right for some bands! Big tours have 1 or more operators (and sometimes the designer) who travel with, but sometimes they're supplemented with local hands (for spotlights, for example). Smaller tours usually have fewer people, but unless a tour doesn't have its own lighting rig that they travel with, there's always going to be a couple lighting folks on the tour too. (Source: I've worked in lighting shops, as a local hand on tours, and as a designer for one-offs).

[@dougaltolan3017]

@@QuinnConnell Tours come in all shapes and sizes, from band and instruments only up to complete village on the road. As the band gets bigger (more famous) the tour will grow: sound engineer, instrument techs,,,,, touring lampys are quite late to the party, but when they do there will either be a touring rig or (very rarely) a full stage plan for local hires / venue rig to work to.

[@QuinnConnell]

@@starkwinter9476 Thanks for the reply Stark! If a tour has a lighting designer that travels with the operator, are they both on deck during the show or does the operator take over using the presets created by the designer?

[@phil4977]

I went to an Elton John concert some years ago. I sat for 10 to 15 minutes after the concert rather than be in the crowd getting out of the venue. As soon as Elton and the band left the stage, a team of the production and stage crew started pulling everything down. It was incredible to watch.

[@beatboxlanguage]

As a former stagehand and tour manager, thanks for covering this. We work super hard. I am on the label side now... and to be honest I (mostly) don't miss it! hahah

[@CreatingShane]

I just got into the industry as a stagehand/sound tech last year It’s really cool seeing the sound set ups. It’s super overwhelming along with underwhelming all at once.

[@mking3232]

Lol. Same. It was a grind. Lots of good times, but a lot of work and arguments the world won't see or hear about.

[@justodet]

I've been a tour manager for 3 years and a stage manager and production manager for 10. It became such a routine that I forget that I'm part of such an insane world. Thank you for making this! It's very thorough and accurate.

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@anim8dideas849]

im assuming this is only a thing in the rock and roll or heavy metal music scene. never heard anything like this for a rapper.

[@justodet]

@@anim8dideas849 it doesn't matter which genre, it all (for the most part) works the same on tour. I've worked with/for rappers, pop stars, metal bands and even orchestras. But, most people in the industry do come from the rock/punk/metal scene.

[@DiabloOutdoors]

Very thorough? Ah... you've never worked for a major act my friend. Just saying...

[@Evildandalo]

@@anim8dideas849 I've worked on lot's of raps shows at my venue and we've built crazy stuff on our pretty small stage. I've built a fake jail for G Herbo, Jack Harlow had a life size French Cafe, Toosii had an entire traphouse on stage lol. If you look at people like Kanye West or Kendrick's current tour they really push the boundaries as far as live rap shows go. Some of my coworkers have been on Bad Bunny's most recent tour and his setup is massive.

[@jasonscott526]

As a documentary filmmaker, I thank you for starting the narrative exactly where it should, which is at the end of a previous show to show everything that happens overnight at the new locations. It really gives a sense of how non stop these are

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@sdizzzzzy3509]

Excellent pov !

[@raygunsforronnie847]

"It's all about the load out".

[@monkmonk438]

Tour bus driver here and this video is amazing. The pace can be absolutely break neck depending on the band you're carrying, and even very small bands playing club shows use buses (with band, merch, and crew all sharing the same bus), and that's when everything goes right. I've had tire blowouts on the bus and trailer, belts shred, an alternator literally break apart, border delays, detoured around or cut right thru snowstorms and wildfires, and changed more roof air motors than I can count. Depending on the type of company you drive for, you might be able to get it serviced or you might have to do the repair yourself. Either way, all of that eats into the downtime to sleep and be well rested to drive the next night (sleeping all day and driving all night is entirely counter to our bodies natural rhythm), and a lot of times issues stack up and you're barely getting by for days or weeks. I've even seen a band member sustain serious head trauma on a travel day at the very start of the tour so we sat with the bus parked outside the hospital all night until he was released and then hauled ass to the show. The fact that things go as smooth as they do given all the moving parts, even with the best planning, is nothing short of a miracle.

[@lzh4950]

Also read of a report of a band that travelled to Ukraine to perform but had their drums trashed by border guards who weren't happy that they weren't given bribes

[@forrestfifer9093]

I was a truck driver for CDB and you hit the nail on the head. Tired and sleepy from driving all night, but you have to get some kind of maintenance done to the truck so you can do it all again that night after the show.

[@TimmyTickle]

Did the trauma affect his playing on-stage?

[@monkmonk438]

@@TimmyTickle yeah no way he could hit those notes with that kind of injury and those stitches. They had to fly in their backup singer

[@TimmyTickle]

@@monkmonk438 Wait, he was the frontman? No wonder you had to keep the bus outside the hospital all night. (P.S. I'm not going to ask which band/singer it was)

[@melsyoutube]

beyoncé and her tour team (tait towers, livenation, etc) did an INCREDIBLE job during the formation tour. truly a feat of engineering. taylor swift’s reputation tour is another that springs to mind. designing, building, then deconstructing and transporting these megastructures is an incredible achievement.

[@lvcanvs4433]

An incredible wasted effort

[@melsyoutube]

@Lvcanvs - hundreds of people being employed - providing for their families, to construct and transport structures that allow joy to be brought to thousands of people is hardly a waste.

[@lvcanvs4433]

@@melsyoutube That’s a ridiculous thing to say, the money spent on these endeavours could be put toward helping people including your family. Frankly this is just a symptom of the rottenness of capitalism all of that time and money spent and for what the pleasure and enrichment of the wealthy. If we seized all that concert revenue from Beyoncé and every other “star” and redistributed it to the poor your life would be much better, you get joy from the music because you’re programmed by capitalism to fetishize ostentation and loud displays of wealth and privilege you can learn to enjoy proletarian music but in a communist society where all social ills have been solved there will no longer be a need for the escapism that a concert provides and it will become a curiosity of history books

[@pansexualdickhaver6878]

@@lvcanvs4433 dude it is NOT that deep

[@ausis6214]

@@lvcanvs4433 I think capitalism today is definitely flawed and should be more human centered but you clearly have a fetish for communism since you believe the social ills that are ingrained in humans will be solved.

[@graphwriter1]

Thank you for highlighting how crazy my industry is. I left the stage crews cause the travel and now only do studios or location rigging. It's a crazy life style and very hard to have solid interpersonal connections. From Service to Stage is literally the same life style lol

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@hugovallarta]

I was a room service manager at 5 star hotels. Riders were the bane of my existence. But it was always fun and exciting. One band thought I was the chef and we all just went with it 😝

[@arxenicc]

what band was that

[@HazmatPyro]

Out of curiosity, what were some of the most ridiculous requirements you've found within the riders agreements?

[@Croz89]

@@HazmatPyro Some are ridiculous as a form of sanity check, to make sure the hotel/venue has actually bothered to read the rider in full and hasn't just ignored it or skimmed it.

[@hugovallarta]

@@arxenicc I just 'rolled' with it

[@hugovallarta]

@@HazmatPyro always silly things. One legitimate diva always wanted a specific brand of candle in a grapefruit scent placed through out her suite

[@lukevlaar3286]

Im an A1/A2 at a road house that brings in some pretty major artists and I would have to say that you did a pretty damn good job of explaining the challenges that are faced by live performance industry. If I had one thing to add it would be that production is a thankless job. If everything goes perfectly no one notices all the people supporting the show and making it happen. If one little thing goes wrong, all eyes look to the people supporting the artist and fault them for it. Next time you go to a concert find one crew member and say thank you. it really makes a difference.

[@DarkHarlequin]

I tend to say that there are two rough kinds of jobs in essentially any field: Maintainance Jobs & Innovation Jobs! Your job in an Innovation Job is to be visible, create new things/ideas/solutions and if you do your job well everybody knows who you are and what you did. And if you stop hearing from them smth went wrong. Maintainance Jobs are the people that keep everything that the Innovation Job people think of and create running and functioning and if you do a great job noone but the insiders knows what you did or that you exists. If you're in a Maintainance Job people tend to only hear from you when something really want t**** up! 😅 Both job types are indispensible btw. 😉

[@bettyparker3317]

I am constantly amazed at all the stage work and production needed for virtually every show now, even in 2-3k seat halls. Everything is so much bigger in all ways, sound is better, just “more” of everything than even 15 years ago, much less pre-2000s. I’d love to thank one of those people, if I ever saw one (the first thing), and if they looked like they had time to hear it. Not surprising ticket prices have gone up a lot, although I know bigger production doesn’t account for *all* the increases. THANK YOU all for many memorable nights.

[@annetteslife]

Next time I buy concert tickets I definitely will do so with thinking how much work goes into making sure the show goes smoothly

[@Aquatarkus96]

I work as an audio engineer for much much smaller shows than the ones like in the video, but I've worked as a stagehand for bigger acts like the country artist Kevin Fowler and the prog rock group Trans Siberian Orchestra. The TSO show was 8 hours of incredibly grueling unloading, rigging lighting up, then putting it all back. I worked so hard I could barely stand after load out as my legs were pool noodle. To top it off, I had to drive 2 hours to get home. I was then paid 80$ for the entire thing, and swore off working as a stage hand forever. However I wouldn't go back and not participate, it was enlightening to learn how the big acts put their shows on, as my experience is mostly with smaller/medium sized bands playing in bars or small theaters.

[@raylopez99]

Did you get laid? By the groupies...

[@Syyntax861]

i'm a local electrician, having worked many shows like the one in the video and it's always a long day. i do mostly theatre, but i always sleep pretty much the entire next day after an arena call. no idea how the road crew do that every day.

[@joelb360]

TSO has the most insane production I've ever seen. It must be very rough. I've always wondered how many DMX universes they use for their shows.

[@RDKirbyN]

$80 is pennies

[@adamellsworth3732]

I own a regional production company, that supplies sound and lights, etc. The $80 a day surprises me, especially for an arena show. I'm in a pretty rural area with low cost of living, and stage hands still start around 15 to 18 per hour. They can easily make double if they are forklift certified or union. This probably varies a lot by region, but I'm surprised to see less. Assuming you did load in and load out, that's less than minimum wage which obviously is illegal. Unless this was a long time ago? But the video itself is fantastic, very accurate. I want to share it on Facebook to show people what we do!

[@Monk_705]

Local stage rigger here, thanks for this! We work a very thankless job and this video really puts it into perspective. Most weekend long festivals you attend encompass between 10-19 days of hard work for us stage crew.

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@JayBuff19]

As I am about to rock, I salute you!

[@joelgenung2571]

I echo what others have said: The rigger's role simply cannot be overstated. Funny that when walking beneath tons of hanging hardware, I've never given it a thought that it wasn't safely hung. Kudos to your skills, work ethic and professionalism. Yours is a Zero Fail position.

[@margoalex.]

as someone who is both a fan and creator of music I just gotta thank you and all your fellow rigger peers for everything… god speed you all deserve more for the work you put in

[@lvcanvs4433]

@@malick999 gross

[@olofmorck7436]

As a non stop touring musician, I applaud each and everyone doing the actual labour behind the tours.

[@TooMuch637]

As someone who has toured for 10+ years…. I’m impressed with how accurate this is. Well done. Missing a few things but with the amount you got right that would be so difficult for people to actually know. But not enough for it to matter. Fantastic.

[@Vivivofi]

I’m curious about those few things even if theyre not the most important if you have the time to share?

[@CombatMedic1O]

@@Vivivofi You missed the part where every "B" band nowadays have to have 1000 lights, 4 LED walls, and 20 smoke machines. Production is over kill. I will never work as a local hand again. Most these artist's music suck for what they are they are doin. And no appreciation goes towards the local stage hands that do the heavy grunt work and get underpaid while trash "musicains" sleep in their trailer and get spoon fed caviar.

[@TooMuch637]

@@VivivofiI’d have to watch the video again. But if I remember correctly, they were probably pretty small things.

[@Mortalrigger]

I've been a rigger for 25 years, and I'm surprised how thorough and correct this presentation is. Nicely done, and thank you.

[@abbydowse6729]

It’s really a satisfying feeling to attend a concert live, it’s too bad I can’t afford the expenses most times

[@abbydowse6729]

I don’t understand what you mean, who is he and how did he help you, because I’m interested also 😅

[@aldocosta-fv2vw]

He is a financial expert, he helps lots of people earn money from the financial market, it’s really easy to do business with him

[@aldocosta-fv2vw]

You can message him directly @

[@aldocosta-fv2vw]

Tom Lawson Trade

[@aldocosta-fv2vw]

I n s t a g r a m ⬆️

[@chuckbell9092]

I would love to see a video on the pre-production of a tour. The show's design, hiring the crew, planning the schedule. That kind of thing.

[@Eddaytona]

As a production manager for big arena bands in the 80s and 90s (Alice Cooper, Blondie, INXS etc. Home for 17 days in a two year run.) I really enjoyed this video. Perfectly presented. No BS. All true. Thanks for the (very tired) memories. Well done.

[@Eddaytona]

@@roadieman209 For sure. I toured with Mollie Hatchet (Beating the Odds) and they pulled that on us just as we were about to break for Christmas holidays.

[@rileynicholson2322]

I'd be really interested to see how the logistics of festivals differs from the logistics of tours. I was just at a festival the other day and while many acts used the provided stage and lighting setups, some of the headliners rigged up new things. There were only two stages, so turnaround had to be completed in about an hour.

[@leinonibishop9480]

The headliner’s gear is usually set up on the stage first and then the smaller acts gear is set up in front of it on easily removed platforms.

[@douglasfreer]

This is pretty accurate. My father is a truck driver and has done everything from Broadway tours to car shows to concerts both big and small. Sometimes when the show was nearby my mother and I would take him for dinner and bring him back afterwards. I have been backstage before but it was usually for bands/singers I didn’t care for like Alabama and George Strait but when it was one’s I would’ve loved to go to, like Katy Perry, he didn’t have backstage access since it was very strict on how many were given out. One method not mentioned is sometimes a singer might request two sets of equipment. These would be Tour Group A and Tour Group B. A would get the first arena set up while B goes ahead to get the next venue set up. When the first show is done A will be sent onto the third stop to get everything rigged up there while the singer and band and others are sent onto the second stop. It’s very efficient since it gives more time for setup and takes into account any possible delays and also adds more dates and venues to the concert. A very famous example was for Taylor Swift who prefers this method.

[@GarrettWorcester]

I've often thought about this (an artist/group having multiple setups leapfrogging venues) after U2 performed at a football stadium in Norman, OK in 2009-ish (a forum designed primarily for college football, but not for rock/country concerts). From what I heard, it went well.

[@catalystproductions2303]

I used to work as a runner for a local arena when concerts/events would come through. It was a very long day for garbage pay, but it was so much fun seeing how the crews set up this massive production and tear down so quickly. For those wondering, I was basically an errand boy...taking artists to the gym, buying extra guitar picks at the local music shop, getting wrestling props, basically anything production wants or doesn't have.

[@HeyZeusito]

I was an administrator and chef at a stadium that operated as these circuses came to town. I did backstage catering which included the food order for stagehands, support staff, and bands. Mastering logistics is our common thread connection. Respect. Excellent video.

[@sensorlock]

I used to work as local crew at an arena of the size in this video. One additional bit of complexity is that there was often a basketball or hockey game in that arena the night before. That basketball court needs to be packed up and stored, or the hockey rink covered in insulation, boards, and carpets, by an overnight crew so that it's ready for the road crew when they get there. At our arena we'd typically build the stage ourselves (to the specifications of the band) with the same overnight crew.

[@epicviewerJJ]

Hey, that’s what I do! It’s honestly pretty fun (we have a good crew) but the hours can be quite late, especially *after* concerts when we have to wait for productions to load out, but I love it. I really like this industry as a whole, it amazes me still even after being here for more than a year

[@haynepapi]

I’m a venue ops guy, usually the first person to meet the production, tour and stage managers as they arrive on site. I’m often turning the venue around multiple times in a week for completely different shows and I’m so grateful for a video that makes sense of the lifestyle.

[@Theasaurus]

I was lucky enough to be a very busy local crew hand for a year, and you can really start to tell the insane depth of planning that goes into some tours. When Chainsmokers came through town, I was absolutely blown away when I realized that while I was still packing up the drumkit, lighting was already starting to land their trusses a few feet on either side of the catwalk. They’d mapped out everything so perfectly that we had that immense setup completely packed up & out the door in two hours.

[@macstrong1284]

How’s you fuck it up lol

[@tridentgum63]

I was a VIP member and instead of meeting the artist I wanted to meet the tour manager and the production manager because it's just amazing of what they do. In my line of work, I always thought that doctors run the hospital, but there is an entire administrative side to it that no one ever thinks about. And I think the similarity between the relationship of physicians versus administrator is exactly like the artist's versus the production team. It's amazing and I give it to everybody who is a part of that process

[@brussellsprout8656]

Band/talent riders are crazy! I worked as a local rigger/stage tech for 2 roadhouses in college. I got to read the riders to prepare for the tours' rigging/audio needs, and some of them had wild demands for the talent! Some of my favorites were: •a modestly stocked bar offstage to be manned by one of the tour crew during the show •a driver on standby (ended up being me) to take the lighting supervisor to get cigars if he ran out (he did) •the crew were not allowed to be seen eating on or near the stage as it disgusted the talent

[@MadSprayerDK]

In Denmark we have Grøn Koncert (Green concerts. Now just known as "Grøn" ). Where the entire concert area is moved over night. This means gear, stages, stalls and eveything else, is moved to a new location, and set up between 9:30pm one day, and 01:00pm the next. This is done by ~700 volenteers, All spending some summer vacation to attend. Concerts are held in 2 blocks of 4 days, with 3 days rest between. After attending as a volenteer for 8 years, I am still blown away by the fact, that it is possible.

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@TimeBucks]

This was a lot of fun to watch!

[@ajayravishjaat111]

Nice

[@buiphong7779]

i like it

[@supriyanto8401]

Thumbs up

[@morellatovar4151]

Bien

[@jokerkingty5123]

Hi

[@adamdittrichone]

I’ve been a artist and tour manager for 2 decades. Pre-planning, good communication and having an „happy“ team is most essential. This all accurate, well researched. ✌🏻

[@MichaelGrundler]

I did a double take at 1:47 because the bands I'm interested in usually don't separate between “artists” and “band”, and there generally also aren't any additional dancers or performers, there's just “the band”.

[@jijitters]

Same, I had to think about it a few extra seconds before I realized the video was including singular performers/singers in the explanation, and they often have live bands and backup singers that are not themselves the 'artist' people are there to see.

[@jonnycap7974]

A deep dive into tour scheduling would be amazing. I've always wanted to know how some many bands go on tour and determine their path and what venues they play given that similar bands are also trying to do the same.

[@Bangpath247]

live nation controls all lol

[@TheClownfight]

agreed, I think there is so much more to mapping a tour than just proximity to the next town. What are the major markets on our way? Did we play too recently, that won't be dying for us again? Are we selling in that market? Can we squeeze a night in... IE we have to find a show we can fit on the 16th or 17th... or we are too far off track. Are profitable in a venue that size? What else is happening in that town that night that would compete for our audience? Is it a union labor town? Is the drummer even allowed back in this state yet? Make it fast, fun, and profitable for everyone. its just about impossible.

[@milepost42films94]

Please do a video on this. Always wondered…

[@ausis6214]

I also want to see the logistics of a band that does a show outside of their tour, and that show is in another part of the country.

[@TimmyTickle]

@@TheClownfight " Is the drummer even allowed back in this state yet?" LOL

[@randyt2500]

As a retired lighting designer who toured some, just want to commend you for a great overview for the masses. Good pre-production and logistics cannot be overstated. Second to that is the riggers. A good head rigger is a godsend.

[@Confusion7182]

I know a couple people who do lighting for small shows and am super interested in how the design works. What is the process of researching/designing/communicating with other crew/adjusting to specific venues etc?

[@RJMachinegun]

I got to roadie for Green Day for a day, I worked as the drum techs assistant, put the cymbals on their stands, and even got to soundcheck their drums. It was definitely very interesting to learn all the things that went into putting on a show of this scale

[@satyris410]

I bet that absolutely nothing compares to the thrill and exhilaration of being in charge of all that logistics. I'm sure its tiring as hell and incredibly stressful, but the satisfaction of tens of thousands of screaming fans, and the knowledge that your work put them there is well worth the effort.

[@justodet]

I'm a stage manager. I don't have the words to explain how emotional that first roar of the crowd after covid lockdowns was. Basically a lot of crying throughout the whole show.

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@mikesutherland3324]

Totally nailed it. Been a touring Production Manager for 6 years and the roar of the crowd makes it all worth. It. Nothing like it.

[@dude4173]

@@justodet you said you were a tour manager in a diff post. What’s the diff and are you both?

[@justodet]

@@dude4173 I used to be on tour manager pre-covid and decided I wanted to stay in one place, so I became a stage manager for a venue as soon as restrictions were lifted. In my case; The TM is the main 'boss' of the touring party. They're the main person of contact for the venu, the touring party and other management not on tour (fe; labels, managers, promoters). They make sure everyone is doing their job and helping to make sure everyone can do their job. Basically running the show on tour. A stage manager is the 'boss' of everything on stage. You can be a SM for a band or for a venue. Smaller touring parties will just travel with a TM and no SM. They are both the main contact for everything that has to do with the stage/show. So I work for a venue, which means I am the main point of contact for everything stage related. Which means I coördinate my whole stage crew on what the band wants and needs for the show and I communicate with the SM/TM of the band with what's possible in our venue. There's so many things they both do that are also explained in the video, but if you have more questions, you're welcome to ask them.

[@VapesForBabies]

I’ve been local crew for a bunch of tours that have come through town and I’m in awe of the organization and management skills of the touring team. They pre-pack the truck the day before the tour and some guys have tape layouts on the walls for where the straps and load bars go and the divisions between the PA, the instruments, rigging etc, and some of them just cold memorize the exact Tetris order of the truck day one and they use a radio to communicate which cases they need loaded next. It’s like clockwork.

[@jer103]

It's amazing to think about when a singer can't, or chooses not to preform. He isn't just effecting themselves, but will effect the fans, venue, and their own load out staff.

[@dlrsnate5100]

That’s a diva thing. Metal bands never bail

[@suspicioususer]

@@dlrsnate5100 axl rose, 5fdp

[@TheClownfight]

@@dlrsnate5100 no. It's not a diva thing. It's an Axl thing. Or ... even worse... a Morrisey thing. Can you imagine being his production crew? You just know every tour will be canceled about a week in. Sure, he may be covered by insurance, but the crew isn't. watching this, I get the term 'it takes a village'.

[@dlrsnate5100]

@@TheClownfight bro those ain’t metal bands. Those are wack rockers

[@dlrsnate5100]

@@TheClownfight however I agree morrissey is worse than divas

[@bentleyboy72]

Great video, but one thing that BIG bands have to their advantage is that the majority of the hired support is exclusive to themselves and not only stays with them the entire tour, but from tour to tour every year. Bus drivers (and the buses themselves), riggers, catering, etc etc. Its only a few less things to worry about needing to contract with/schedule, but makes a world of difference when there are, as your description very well shows, millions of moving parts!

[@marsthepanda]

This video is one I've been trying to find for ages! I'm so glad someone's gone into the specific details of how touring actually works!

[@witness1013]

Now if there was one that was accurate...

[@meowtherainbowx4163]

@@witness1013 What’s inaccurate about this one?

[@Prockski]

@@witness1013 Most people who claim to work on the industry who are commenting seem to think it’s a good summary. What do you see as incorrect?

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@bazedjunkiii_tv]

@@Prockski logistics may vary, venues may vary. depending on the style of music and setup, requirements may vary. a rock show is different to a hiphop show or even what a touring dj might need to be set up in a club - smaller scale but even those need soundcheck, proper travel schedules, hotels and what not. so coming from an angle of travelling as a dj, being a former promoter and having worked in several concert venues for years i'd say this video provides a proper general breakdown of what the logistic aspects for a tour can be. with smaller bands & venues things are more on the fly, adjustable, sometimes chaotic and not that meticulously timed out, with bigger or more experienced artists and productions things tend to roll more smoothly. but in the end - each tour is a little different.

[@waywardmind]

Good god. This is an anxiety-inducing nightmare. It's such an amazing achievement. I never gave it much thought before, I have to admit.

[@CB-fn3me]

We who make everything happen unfortunately don't get much credit but I personally don't mind. It's hard work and we make little money but most importantly it's fun, most people on crews are nice people with humor and most of all we make people happy. Imagine what life would be without live music. Taste varies but pretty much everybody loves a concert once in a while...

[@rojsteph1728]

When you live this life or you work in the industry it isn't a job, it is a way of life. You work fast and accurately and its a rush. Arenas in many ways make things easier because they are blank canvasses, some spaces offer real challenge in ways this video doesn't explain.

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@bazedjunkiii_tv]

@@CB-fn3me and you click with ppl easily. there's a specific way of communication and common sense shared among the majority of folks who've worked in this industry and it shows, no matter where you at or where you from.

[@bazedjunkiii_tv]

@@rojsteph1728 probably because the challenges vary too much and are too specific for the general public to understand anyway. bass traps and general acoustics, weight restrictions for rigging, low ceiling height... you name it. all might be just technical gibberish for those who don't know and won't necessarily help in terms of providing a rough overview on what is happening behind the scenes for a general audience.

[@miketaylor2083]

I’ve worked as local crew for several shows and I have to say it’s so impressive how choreographed the set up/tear down happens. With so much chaos in every direction I’ve only seen one incident happen after about 50 events. A light was damaged at the Carrie Underwood show. That light was worth $20k so it’s extremely important that meticulous detail happens

[@playstation3ful6121]

I work as operations at Jiffy Lube Live, a 25,000 cap music venue in Bristow VA. I help get the venue ready for the show. While I don't work for the tour, getting the venue ready is basically this video. A lot of work needs to be done in terms of set up, front gate security, stocking up for bathrooms, etc. Watching this really makes me learn how one show at my job takes so much time and effort just to make things happen. I appreciate watching this video.

[@codered11343]

Wow! I have to say, I'm impressed with this breakdown of touring shows. I'm a local union stagehand (IATSE) and I can say this is one of, if not the best breakdown of how life in the entertainment industry works for the men and women who tour, or who are just there for the day to make sure the show can go off without a hitch, and make sure thousands of fans have a great experience. The one thing I will say is that while rigging is one of the most important departments (you did spend quite a bit of time talking about them), every department is equally important. From management who's directing the organization chaos, the local stagehands who do the grunt work, to catering, to the guy who has to clean up the confetti off the floor at the end of the night after all the crew have left. Oh, and nice detail with the burlap being used to protect the beams. When I heard you say that, I knew you did your homework😉 Oh x2, the explanation of what rigging symbol mean what is probably the clearest and easiest to understand I have ever heard. Will definitely be using that as a training aid!

[@chrispark187]

As a local rigger, thank you so much for this video. I’ve been dying for the day you’d upload this because I’ve always been so interested in the logistics. As a watcher for 5 years this is a perfect video 🙏

[@kedo]

I read that wrong 😂😂

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@dannydaw59]

Have you seen objects fall on riggers while hoisting objects up?

[@macstrong1284]

Never once. Saw a few slip a leg through the 6 inch gap between a steel tension grid 96 feet in the air at the Chase Center in San Fran last week tho. One moment they’re there next to you, next moment they’re at your feet, clinging to the grid for dear life. Scary stuff. People typically wear hard hats below while we’re rigging anyhow

[@SpAm-AcCoUnT]

Different locale here, but in my time uprigging, I’ve only seen a few things dropped at all. Most of what we use is tethered to our bodies, and if it isn’t, we have specific techniques each of develop to handle it safely and for as little time as needed to keep the risk down.

[@michaelatussey]

As a former arena social media manager AND the child and sibling of theatre tech director/roadies, this was such a cool video! One of my fave memories from the arena job is being allowed to tour the backstage setup for a Cirque du Soleil show - the arena was basically transformed into a Vegas-style theatre for a few days! When I worked at the arena, I was also fascinated by how sporting events were set up too. There’s soooo much work that goes into game day that people don’t realize (e.g. setting up ice for hockey is a lengthy and meticulous process)

[@flaco171ac]

I worked as a chef at the hockey arena in Tampa, FL and was blown away by the speed of turnover from a concert to hockey to professional wrestling to arena football to circus. The coordination is unbelievable to watch. I kept the backstage riders for both Iron Maiden and Public Enemy.

[@leticiabromley6013]

What were their requests, if you don't me asking?

[@_Will919]

This was a lot of fun to watch! I was a tour manager for many years and I think you did a great job summarizing the organized chaos of national touring.

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@DiabloOutdoors]

great job? That video is barely 10% of the reality....

[@naturesessions.studio]

Will Swan is that you 😅

[@EVRNDR]

Watching this makes me appreciate the days I toured in a van with a trailer. It's rough, but less room for error -- and tons of good stories to go with it.

[@DannyBlancoHall]

This is so relevant considering what just took place with that Asian boy band, where a giant video screen literally fell on top of one of the singers, basically crushing his bones(he seems to have survived). The rigging is what everyone takes for granted. Great video & great comments from the pros

[@weston3303]

I spent the first couple of years of my career touring during the summers when I wasn't in school, and I'm so glad I switched to technical directing. my half brother in law is the monitor engineer for The Interrupters and he's gone about 11 months of the year. it's absolutely nuts

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@ameslap]

One thing to keep in mind for some artists especially driving that stretch from Salt Lake to Denver is they might stop and perform at a local college/university if there is a day or two in between major performances. This will let the artists stay sharp and provide lodging and food for their people. Happens all the time at UW, but for smaller/upcoming artists.

[@toamastar]

Very true! I worked in a nightclub while I was at uni and we had all sorts of bands and artists in there, really helped shape my music taste and was such a cool experience. Working in a nightclub gets too much after a while though haha

[@Nilguiri]

For the uninitiated, what is UW?

[@scottanos9981]

Utah Valley University just hosted Joji since he no doubt was going between salt lake and denver

[@ameslap]

@@Nilguiri university of Wyoming hahahha

[@Nilguiri]

@@ameslap Thanks! And why hahaha? I live in Spain. Why would I know that? Cheers

[@evanpierri]

Thanks for not leaving the Production Coordinator (my gig) out! I can't believe how many little details you nailed in this!

[@laraschauble]

Holy shit those logistics are INSANE...I never realized how much goes on behind the scenes for major concert tours..THANK YOU TO everyone who work tirelessly from the first phone call (hey..we're going to go on tour)...to the last phone call (hey we just finished our tour) 🥰

[@matthewbeardsley7004]

As a former production manager, you described what I do so well!! I never even thought of rigging as a way of standardizing the rest of the show. Would also like to mention leapfrogging, where you have 2 identical sets of equipment (some crew too), which leapfrog each other , i.e when one is loading out, the other is loading in at a different venue...Cirque du soleil du this a lot I think.

[@cairngormstudio]

Cirque technician here! We don’t leapfrog. As of 2 weeks ago, we do it with our ice rinks for our ice show, but that’s all. Leapfrogging is a lot more common on large stadium shows where the support systems to hang the show can take sometimes weeks to build!

[@matthewbeardsley7004]

@@cairngormstudio thanks, never worked on a cirque gig, but yeh, heard you do that with the tents in APAC?

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@RandRdriver]

I just did a stadium tour. We had 2 steel teams “leap frogging”. The production trucks went to all the shows.

[@SpAm-AcCoUnT]

Yea, rigging is the main way a tour is tailored to a venue. The math is done on site, in about an hour before the steel arrives and starts getting assembled. Beforehand, an engineer has to approve the amount of weight being hung from the beams.

[@BrianRussTVC]

I start my next tour next week. Since roadies never have consistent schedules and rare weekends off, when we have gaps in the schedule, we call that Roadie Friday Night. Suffice to say things can get WILD! We in the stagehand community embody the “work hard/play hard” mentality.

[@elishastigora894]

As someone who is in a small local band, it is crazy to see what goes into making big shows and tours happen. I thought it was hard doing a tech day and setting up with some friends. I can only imagine how crazy it is with a team that big.

[@shueibdahir]

Touring is one of the most exhausting things I've done. I was a videographer for an artist and my god the 5 hour sleep gets to you after sometime

[@gbedford]

As a child of the 80's, my life has been shaped by great music. I watched the Journey 'Frontiers and Beyond' concert VHS so many times. There's a huge amount of stage setup and roadies and logistics in their. It was great seeing a modern version of it. One thing, timing belts are inside of engines and not something a driver can see/inspect. Fan belts, A/C belts, alternator belts on the other hand are the ones we can usually see and inspect when we lift our hoods. Most of all though, thank you for this great video!

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety Of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@lzh4950]

Here in my country (Singapore) we have concerts by both English language singers (who're usually Westerners) & Chinese language ones (who're usually Asians) & my family had the impression that the former emphasized more on work-life balance, as they were observed to less readily entertain encore requests & also seemed to be more likely to have their concert dates on weekday nights instead of weekends. However upon closer look, the issue about the concert dates seem to be more likely caused by chance, as each performer typically visits multiple cities per week, so a minority of them will have weekend concert dates while the majority will have weekday ones. Also remembered that my country got lucky in 2014 when Taylor Swift's Red concert added another concert date here so as to replace her Bangkok concert date that was cancelled last-minute due to Thailand's coup then

[@joelgenung2571]

Up until my retirement, I was an IA "local" for 40 years; from spot op, to deck hand to IA local steward on artists like the Eagles, Paul McCartney and Elton John. This video should be a mandatory first stop for ANYONE wanting to know how the tour business works. As we say so often, "Show business ain't want it looks like from the outside." My favorite newbie assumption was a green stagehand, thinking he/she was gonna "see" the show by running a front light. Kudos for an excellent expose. You've told it like it really is. I will also add to ANY local prospect who wants to work in this business: Never...repeat never... either no-show a call or be late to a call. Anyone who practices this stupidity is considered the scourge of the industry.

[@Studio-Rat]

Backline Tech here. Greatest feeling is seeing the artist smile back at you on how the set up is. Had Isaac of Kublai Khan, Justin Brown when he played with Thundercat, Matthew Nathanson, and more give me compliments on how the kit sounded, looked and felt. Lots of hours and blood goes into these show at ALL levels. Smaller tours are almost double the hectic ness and half the pay.

[@lewismassie]

I once did stage managing at a small festival (6-7k people) and overheard a lot of the stuff about the stage rigging, and that was on a fully constructed stage. The stage and the equipment on it were from different companies, so they still had to do some work. The main concern was that if it got too windy they'd have to partially deconstruct it else the wind would take it away.

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@listay1]

I had the same happen for a smaller local theatre group I was involved in! I was Front of House (basically did everything for the audience side of the show.) It was stressful being part of the team deciding if it was too rough to do the show that night. I was checking weather, reading wind and rain radar maps every few hours before the show cut off timing!

[@f1-mag]

I have just been to the Coldplay concert in Copenhagen and it surprised me so much how fast they were to pack down the giant stage the last fireworks had just gone off and the credits were done and then over 200 people flooded the scene and began to pack it down. My dad is a drummer so I know these things quite well and how these massive venues work but it still surprised me so much to see the stage going from festive with lights music and fireworks to being torn apart in a matter of minutes.

[@elliott7268]

I work in the music and events industry as a production manager, LD (lighting designer/operator) and audio engineer. Great video! Just thought I'd mention that lighting isn't usually as simple as just turning on a preprogrammed "configuration".

[@nathanielramirez8508]

You finally touched an industry I work around & you did a great job explaining more or less of how this works. Great work. Been a fan of your channel for years.

[@ctempleton3]

I have a degree in theatre production. I worked thru college as a local stage hand in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I have done many of these shows. It is a massive effort to get everything off the truck in the right order and back on the truck. Two stories that blow my mind was the alcohol road box I unloaded one time. It was the size of a costuming road box. Another time I did a show in the late 90’s where they had a dual Macintosh setup on KVM. They were running both machines simultaneously. The computers had the music for a famous performers band. He gave me headphones and switched back and forth between the two computers and the music was exactly in sync. I asked him what anybody would ask. Was the vocal track on the computer for the performer? He told me “no comment.”

[@Carol-zp6jh]

SO interesting! We usually think only of band members getting from one show to the next - but it's everyone doing everything else who are really under stress every day! There is so much to consider and so many people needed! It's a far cry from being in a garage band, getting their own gigs and having friends helping to set up and tear down and load up a single van! 😳

[@artmpowers]

Yeah it’s actually much easier for the actual band. They don’t have to do shit but go up on stage and play while everyone else did all the hard work. Also, the band makes all the money. Which in no way is fair to the crew.

[@InfectiousGroovePodcast]

I've had many friends in the industry, both as musicians in major touring bands as well as local and touring crew. It's astounding to me what everyone goes through just to get a show up and running every single night.

[@SestraVixen]

Been working in logistics for over 15 years now. Thanks for showing all the insane details that goes into moving stuff and getting it right so it looks good when under a time crunch.

[@toamastar]

I work as a crew member for events like these in the UK, its so cool to see the whole thing summed up in a video like this! :D Great job and I am so proud to work in such a cool industry! :)

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@milly9564]

i’m from the uk too and most of the gigs i’ve been to (if not all actually) have been at venues specifically for music. is it much different to the US then since they have to set it up from scratch?

[@thehark6247]

Great Video, as a 23 year "rigger", in showbiz, i particularly enjoyed your description of the rigging portion. Should have had a little video of a rigger pulling and setting a point. A single hang point is called a dead hang. A two point hang ,ie two legs, is called a bridle. Pathagorists unite!!!!!

[@ToriKo_]

Pythagorist!

[@evedoesyoutube]

As a pro live sound engineer, I appreciate the detail of the stage plot/input list you put together. Very realistic!

[@haydenweir6416]

I’ve been in the entertainment industry for almost a decade, in various capacities, currently working for a regional theatre getting many touring groups coming through. As usual, this video does a spectacular job outlining the complexity behind live performance that the vast majority of people never see. And by not ever seeing what happens backstage, you know that we’ve all done our jobs right. It’s a gruelling industry, but I wouldn’t give it up for anything.

[@jollyrogerq]

I don't know where you got all your information but clearly it came from a rigger and what an excellent job you did covering the technical side of touring. Thank you

[@nathanielfamisan1968]

Can't wait for this channel's episode on logistics of televising the FIFA World Cup live. Another great video right here!

[@shrimphead2381]

This video is being shared all around the live events technicians FB groups as it's pretty on point and explains the process simply! Good vid on educating the public!

[@BleedGibson]

As a freelance Monitor Engineer, I can verify that this is pretty accurate to how things are supposed to go. There are a lot of tours that will only carry backline, backdrop, and lighting floor package though, which makes for some fun logistics coordinating pre-production and day of setup with local AV companies. Might be a cool Part 2!

[@seabiscuits]

Like many others in the comments, you’ve done a great job of explaining just what happens and how much goes into making them happen. It’s my living, and it’s gruelling but I get a lot of satisfaction from it. Thanks.

[@EyeMWing]

I used to work with a guy who had previously been a concert truck driver. A lot of tours he was on actually ran two separate units. Everything that traveled by ground was duplicated - gear, staff, backup dancers, etc. The two units would alternate days and leapfrog each other around the country, allowing consecutive days to be at more widely-spaced venues than driver hours of service would typically allow. It was also common to basically everything that crossed the US-Canada border just in case a truck got hung up because border patrol was doing border patrol stuff, they'd still be able to limp the tour along by adding a second driver to the corresponding truck on the other unit and making every stop with that one.

[@telimarkskierman]

This is often done with only part of the rig duplicated; typically the rigging package (steel, truss, motors, ie. the first stuff in and last stuff out) This allows bigger shows that would typically need two days to load in, to do a show in a new city every night.

[@delphic464]

Such a great overview of the whole process. Obviously, there could be hours spent on the logistics of mobile events. As an audio tech we would always play the "why not" game. It was incredibly rare that an system would work perfectly the first time everything is powered on. You confirm that everything is turned on, slide the main up to 10%, hear nothing, then look at the board for a couple seconds wondering..."why not." Then it's the full Ockham's Razor approach with the entire crew. Typically, there is something unique about the venue that requires the single audio adapter that you do not have. I would typically schedule at least 1 hour for 3-4 crew to play the "why not" game.

[@ehrenloudermilk1053]

I used to work with a crew that setup and tore down shows at the Target Center in Minneapolis. It was very much like working at a factory. Everybody has their tasks and the whole operation is very strictly scheduled into small pieces. Carpet is absolutely the worst. My feet would be swollen from kicking miles of carpet into position.

[@andrewporter3939]

Sam (and team), you should do ‘event ticketing’ next! It’s such a crazy one here in the US!

[@benjaminlynch9958]

“And here’s how Ticketmaster robs you blind!” 😂

[@malick999]

Yo fam I’m a small content creator, and I make a variety Of entertaining music reactions, vlogs, and a range Of other content and I’m still working on quality but I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy!❤❤❤

[@imho2278]

Yes, especially for 2022 Burning Man...

[@tomstiel7576]

@@benjaminlynch9958 exactly my thought