On the Road

What is the common factor that links an artist, the audience & a crew together?

They all want “that moment” to feel special, validated. They want to be seen & heard, all within the forum of a big rock show. In the chaos of thousands of people, hundreds of lights, stacks of boisterous speakers…. into the madness backstage and moving the circus from city to city in 10 trucks & 7 tour buses - everybody wants “that moment” with the artist.

The artist is guaranteed validation; they have thousands of devoted fans. At this level, as long as each show sells out - they can be secure in the fact that more attention is on its way. Which raises them continually to higher ground. To the place where one becomes untouchably, out of reach. Attaining this stature, all with the help of an arena full of strangers, night after night. The artist lifts the audience thru their music so in turn; the audience elevates the artist with their adoring enthusiasm. They both feed & perpetuate each other.

SO, where does the crew fit in? Well, without the crew, you have no show & without an artist, the crew is out of work. The crew strives to make ease of a creatively challenging show, to keep the artist happy even if their efforts go unnoticed. Although, nothing goes unnoticed but we all want it acknowledged. And, at some point, every crew member gets “that moment” with the artist that makes them feel special and validates years of effort within a simple moment.

From the girl in the front row who whole-heartedly believes the singer sings only to her and is quite certain he winked at her. To the tour manager who manages to find an English speaking doctor in Hiroshima, without the aid of a translator, for her convulsing guitarist who refuses to have an ambulance called to take him to the hospital. To the performers themselves for when the show doesn’t go exactly as planned, their manager & spouses cheer them thru & remind them how amazing the show was…… we all want that moment for someone to tell us we did well, regardless of where we are in the pecking order of life.

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