At first glance, it seems that the roles of monitor engineer and yoga teacher have nothing at all in common, yet the more I do of both, the more I realise just how alike they are. Clearly the technical knowledge is vastly different – being good at recognising audio frequencies isn’t much use in class, any …
Same fit, different way – why my two jobs are one and the same Read More »
I’ve spent all my working life in the music business and on the road. It’s what I know and love, but I’d never really appreciated just how right we get it most of the time until recently. I had a glimpse of what life is like in the non-touring world, and I have to tell …
At the Total Production Awards this week, I was struck by how many of our road-family we have lost in the past year. Men cut down in what should be their prime years, many still far from pensionable age. Is it the rigours of a less-than-healthy life of touring? Even if someone has never touched …
And lo, as the season of festive lunacy descended, ‘twas written that the roadies and performers would return from whence they came, and seek answers to the big questions of existence. Where does the food come from? Where does the laundry go? And why do I keep waking up in the same place I went …
I’m crouched over an open suitcase in my pyjamas, next to a tour bus at the side of the road, rootling around in a pile of clothes trying to find some clean socks. It doesn’t help that it’s raining and I seem to be providing the entertainment for passers-by. Still, hopefully the showers in the …
Pants on the Pavement: the unglamorous side of touring Read More »
My name is Becky Pell and I am an anomaly. I’m a sound engineer, and I’m a woman. It’s an unusual combination, but I’m rarely conscious of it until someone points it out. Usually the conversation goes something like: ‘wow, a female engineer, you don’t see that very often’. Me: ‘No, there aren’t many of …
Lady Roadie: Touring life on the tech crew (when you don’t look like the other boys!) Read More »
Being a professional gypsy can be a lot of fun, but let’s face it, it’s not always conducive to optimum health. I lived a really unhealthy life when I first started touring – in fact I had every bad habit going – but over the years I’ve figured out ways to love life on the …
Live Fast, Stay Young! (A former reprobate’s guide to getting healthier on the road) Read More »
Have you seen the film “Quartet”? Set in an English stately home and featuring some of Britain’s finest actors (Billy Connolly, Dame Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Pauline Collins), it’s a wonderful story about a group of retired classical musicians who create a retirement home for themselves. Much like conventional retirement villages, they each have their …
Sometimes most crew get a bit of jaded roadie syndrome, and we get grumpy and we get homesick and dammit if we hear that song once more….. Here are some of the great things I remind myself of from time to time. You get to travel the world and get paid for it. And you …
Attitude of Gratitude: Cool things about touring (that we sometimes forget…) Read More »
Yamas Ahimsa or Non-violence Get enough people to lift heavy cases: there are no prizes for slipped discs. Do not destroy yourself in the hotel bar (well, not on a regular basis). Maintain your gear and label the hell out of everything; it makes fault-finding a damn sight easier and you will love yourself for …
