STORIES AROUND THE WORLD OF BACKSTAGE



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  • GREEN HIPPO DAZZLES ON 410 SQUARE METRE SCREEN AT CEBIT

    LONDON, UK – NOVEMBER 28, 2008 – Green Hippo Hippotizer HD V3 has once again been proven to be the most reliable and robust media server on the market, as witnessed during CEBIT Eurasia 2008 held in Istanbul.

    With sources claiming it to be the world’s largest trade show booth, Turkish Telecom displayed an astounding 4550 square metre booth (41,000 square feet) for CEBIT, complete with concert lighting, a main stage, 3 cafes, and a tremendous video wall surrounding the entire space.

    Istanbul-based The Partners, well known for coordinating and promoting large concerts, special events and festivals across Europe, was hired to design and build the booth, including lighting and video for Turkish Telecom and its partner companies Avea and TTNET. The Partners CEO Firat Kasapoglu explained, “We were approached last fall by Turkish Telecom to pull off one of their most ambitious trade show booth concepts to date. The idea was to create a world where visitors would enter and feel a part of it. They also wanted a live stage where performers could entertain the audience in a concert-like setting. The booth needed to entertain as well as educate, and show a unity of the three companies but allowing each to maintain their own brand identity. We submitted a design and they liked it.”

    Procon Event Engineering of Germany was brought in to supply all lighting and video equipment, which held some impressive statistics. In addition to hundreds of lights, a whopping 12,800 Barco O-lite 510 tiles were used to build a 137x3 metre screen - 410 square metres, (450 x 10 feet - 4500 square feet) curved into a giant U-shape hanging 5 metres (16 feet) above the ground and surrounding the booth. 2 Green Hippo Hippotizer HD Version 3 media servers were used to display a wide variety of content on the massive screen.

    Video content was designed by Peppe Tannemyr and Lennart Wahlin of Beacon Digigobos. Tannemyr described the configuration of the screens. “We only needed two servers for the entire screen. One for sections A, C, and E, which were 4x3 higher resolution screens, and another for sections B and D, which were 1920x1080 and were the long side sections of the U. The Hippotizer was the only server that could manage the content on a screen that big without showing any kind of delay or jerky movement. We needed the HD format even though the screens were low res. Once we stitched up the pieces you couldn’t tell where one section ended and another began. It was perfectly fluid.”

    Lighting Designer Per Sundin described the overall concept: “The booth was to be ‘another world you walk into’ – to show people the way into this world. That was the reason for the giant video wall and the sheer size of the space. It’s meant to look impressive, expensive. The video was a key piece in unifying this giant place and echoing the different moods. It was constantly changing and provided this exciting pulse that enveloped the space. It was truly stunning.”

    The range of video content was designed to compliment the stage performances, which included musical groups, soccer teams, celebrities, and entertainers from around the world. Between acts, the massive wall provided a perfect branding opportunity while visitors looked at products.

    Production Manager Ola Melzig commented, “Not even at lighting and video trade shows have we seen a display of this magnitude. The graphics were gorgeous – they stopped everyone in their tracks. It’s such good fun to put products like Hippotizer to the ultimate test and see the end result even better than you expected.”

    The show was a huge success, seeing over 160,000 people pass through. Mr. Omer Lufi Diri from Turkish Telecom commented, “We were absolutely thrilled with the booth. It fulfilled every wish we had and we’re already looking forward to topping this next year.”

    James Heron of Green Hippo agrees, “Every year our Scandinavian users pull off a first with our products and this is no exception. Thanks to extensive training courses by Peppe and his team, we only hear from them when the job is done and it’s always breathtaking! When we started Green Hippo we wanted a product that enabled people to push the limits and we’re proud to be part of what made this such a special event. What’s next guys!?”

    For more information about Hippotizer HD V3, visit www.green-hippo.com.

    :
    It was my first gig on the road as a Sports Utility person. I drove up to Road America Racetrack in Elkhart Lake, WI from Milwaukee. We had been told to do the commute of approximately 100 miles each day and charge for mileage. It was 90 degrees and humid at first. Got out the bug spray. Dark clouds loomed on the horizon that swept upon us before the first race even started. Got out the rain gear. It rained hard for the rest of the day. So, the races started to be delayed. And we waited. And got wet. And got eaten by mosquitoes now immune to bug spray. After the track was dry (about 6 hours later) we got to film the first race. Then it was called a "day." BR> The second day, it rained again and I was silently dubbed Drowned Rat Girl. Soon, the 2nd storm hit. 3 cameramen were struck by lightning. And so was the truck. And most things melted. So we repaired. And dried off. And got sick. And donated more blood to the satiated mosquitoes. Then I drove back to Milwaukeee, only to return in the rain the next day. I discovered the scissor-lift my cameraman was on had started to sink in the mud. So, he and I built a makeshift platform for it out of railroad ties we found in the woods. Traipse through the mud, load the golf cart with ties, etc. BR> Then it stormed again and my cameraman and I were stuck on the far side of the largest non oval in North America track with nothing but a metal golf cart to travel by. Metal+Lightning. My odds had taken a severe nose dive already, thus, driving around in the tiny tin cart was not an option. Rumor has it one of the other cameramen had to hole up in a port-a-potty for the 2 hour vicious storm. He hasn't been the same since. The rain and tornadoes finally let up enough so they could run the rest of the races. And then it was humid. More mosquitoes. More unnamed lakes to negotiate. More sunburn. More mud. Finally, it ended and we started to strike. We struck the cables while slogging through the mud and trees and bugs. And we struck more cable over fences and across the fields. And more cable through trees. And more. And we filled 2 big U haul trucks with cable. And got sun stroke. Since it was the last day of the gig, I had to drive home to Milwaukee again. As we met with our crew chiefs after strike, we were informed that there HAD been hotel rooms reserved for us for the past 3 days. BR> Burnt and burnt out, I drove home, thinking, yeah, that was rather hellish, but, incredibly enough, I had a great time. I was giddy. I learned a lot, and I figure if I can learn from any such experience, it's beneficial. I could do that, I thought, I'm ready for almost anything. It was only my first gig away from home, after all. The rest of the summer was a cakewalk.


    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ..Still you was giddy
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  • I work contract graphics for various AV companies, and this particular show turned out to be the show from hell. The venue had been given a site survey and nothing was untoward in anything. It's a historical building in San Diego's Balboa Park, and the section we were working was originally a movie theater. The downside was that the equipment was going to be on a 2nd floor outdoor walkway with the Barco being projected through the original projector holes. Everything was set just fine, the client liked the graphics that I'd built for the show, there were three video rolls qued up for showtime, etc. Come the night of the show however was when the disasters started to happen. The client had arranged for an attendance of 500 (it was a dinner show) and tickets were sold for this event at an outragious price, but the client had counted on 200 no-shows, so they sold over 700 tickets. For the price of the tickets, it was no surprise to find out they had NO no-shows. So folks that paid a fortune for a dinner/awards show were eating catered hors douvres (they didn't have dinners prepared for them) standing against the walls or hanging out the doors. During the dinner, it turned out there were a few wedding receptions in the surrounding rooms also, which as the liquor flowed got louder and louder (and every one of them had a DJ that HAD to play the Macarena). Time for us to go. Lights, speaker is on the stage giving his talk, the powerpoint slides are working great, and time to run a video roll. Middle of the video, power spiked and blew the power panel on all of the gear. The DSC became a nice paperweight, and the Barco shut down. So here we were in a mad scramble to bypass the power panel and get an image up. We finally did by taking the computer straight into the projector, but now without the equipment in between, the flesh tones projected were bright purple. BUT, they were happy they had an image at that point so the show must go on. Remember the wedding receptions? In one of them, next door to us, the father of the bride picked that time to have a massive coronary. We found out when paramedics almost pushed over the equipment tables getting past us with their crash gear. My computer monitor didn't survive as it tumbled off the table at that point. The guy lived through it but I wound up advancing the slides by looking through the projectionist's view hole reaching over with a yard stick to hit the enter key. Remember though, there was more than one wedding reception. I found that out when I was down to less than 15 images to project. Behind me a loud drunken voice proclaimed "Look, I caught the bouquet!!" and then the drunk fell backward, landed against the rolling roadcase that the projecter was set up on, and slammed the lens into wall. No more images to be had that night. Oh, to make the night absolutely perfect, after striking and packing all of the equipment, I hopped into my car and by the time I made it to the driveway exit, my fan belt snapped (it was now 1:30am). I wound up doing another show in the same venue several months later. Funny how now they bring independent power sources.


    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ..Wedding are so great,we all love weddings!!!
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  • This was the first Concert I ever worked. It was the 1999 1-800-collect Country meets Rock Tour, with Sawyer Brown and BTO. It was the 4th of July in Yuma, Az. I was assigned to the local crew to do backline stuff. Well the show went great, backline was complete and now for the Laser and fireworks show! The lazer Crew had errected a large inflatable screen that the lazer shot images on to the music. BTO was done, the lights went out and the lazers started, no sound! I was out at the lazer booth with a radio to the FOH. "Where's the audio"!? FOH,"It should be coming through, I'm showing signal". LZR,"I'll start it again". "Still no audio"! The Event Director comes on and says, "We are losing the crowd, what is going on"?! "Send a Tech out there". The tech didn't find anything wrong. On the way back to FOH, the tech found the XLR cable un-latched(from a live broadcast from the local TV crew). He snapped it in and called back to LZR to start it again, for the 4th time. Lazers up, Sound up, YES, YES, YES!!!! Well we lost a 1/4 of the pissed of crowd. The lazer show was going, but the only cue we had with the fireworks crew a 1/2 mile away was a synced time, which was now lost. The director was looking at me because I was the only local guy around. "Get a radio out to them"! I called Casino security to fly a radio out to the field. We had 8 minutes to sync LZR to Pyro. I was calling them and they were not answering. We now have 5 min to final. I had security stay with them for communication. "This is Jim at Fireworks, we will go on your cue". I said "we have 3 min to launch". I said set you watch for a 2 min count down and I will notify you when the Lazer show's clock has 2 min to go,..."Fireworks copies, 2 min"....and Go, 1:59, 1:58, 1:57. I called Jim with a time check. We are only 3 seconds off! That's not bad for Pyro Sync. The lazers were doing a huge finale, with a lazers shooting over the 3000 house. Confetti cannons were shot, and to the beat of the next song, from behind us right on cue, 3 LOUD colorful bursts of Pyrotechnics fill the fourth of July desert sky! The crowd roars and the voice comes over the radio, "YES, YES, YES, PERFECT"!!! I got a nice cash bonus that night, plus I have worked every concert since.
    Erin T. Clancy


    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ..YES,YES...cash bonus!!!
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  • Hello, this is really messed up
    I am alicensed laser provider, I was doing a weekend celabration for the city of Eugene Oregon,So of course i do prelimanary laser alignments with a low power laser 5mw`s like the power of a laser pen,when I am aproached by a public safety officer [COP]He told me I was under arrest for shineing a laser pen at him I said no way,and exsplained to him my job and my duties,well he got on his Motorola and called in back up well 7 yes 7 police arrived with battons in hand,they said i was an ancharist sighting them up! I tried to offer my Goverment paperwork in their words"we dont give a fuck about that"so after an hour of interagation the stage manager showed up saw the large crowd of police and bystanders circling me,he said what is the problem here he said this man is under arrest for shineing laser pens at us,so he called over the Mayor to help out, We than showed how it was impossible for the beam to have gone below 9feet,this all happened during the mid afternoon,
    Man I really need your shirt!!
    Oh ya when I retrived My drivers license
    from my heavly marked laser transport vehicle they continued to harass me,, they were ready to take me down!!
    Mark C. Kriska
    K.E.S.LASER productions



    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ..Do not point fingers at a cop and not a laser
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  • When most people think of lighting designers, they think of the rudimentary things, a space, some ideas, power sources, plotting a design, the circuitry, conversations with the client. You'd think that after more than thirty years, at some level the routine of my job might get a little dull, but I feel an exception to this considering the opportunities that I have been fortunate enough to be part of. My diverse career has included intriguing and unique designs for the music and entertainment industry, trade shows, architectural structures, stores, restaurants, clubs and, yes, even a few private New Year's Eve bashes and a bar mitzvah here and there!
    My career has included designing and directing shows, tour managing and accounting and I've worked with a formidable span of individuals - Enrique Iglesias, Rush, Van Halen, Rod Stewart, the Mirvishes, MuchMusic, The Tragically Hip, Bacardi, General Motors, National Hockey League, Alliance/Atlantis, Buffalo Sabres - the list goes on.
    I'm known as an animated storyteller and my anecdotes, filled with the peculiarity of my day-to-day routine often make for popular dinner party stories, eliciting laughs and poignant memories.
    I remember when working with Rod Stewart (Unplugged Tour, 1996) that unless one was allowed, one could not speak directly to "the singer" (as Rod Stewart insisted on being addressed). When discussing the lighting design for the show, Rod Stewart's manager indicated that Rod Stewart should always be addressed in conversation as "the singer or Mr. Stewart" and that if I wanted to speak to "the singer", I would have to speak to him through the manager. It didn't matter that "the singer" was standing right beside us both. The conversation went along these lines:

    HU: Are there any colours Mr. Stewart would not like to see?
    Manager: The lighting designer would like to know if there are any colours you would not like to see.
    Rod: If he feels that it looks fine and everyone is lit up properly, he can do as he wishes.
    Manager: Mr. Stewart says that if you feel it looks fine and everyone is lit up properly, you can do as you wish.
    HU: Does Mr. Stewart have a problem with any light patterns on the stage? Are there any colours or patterns Mr. Stewart would like around the stage?
    Manager: The lighting designer would like to know if you have a problem with any light patterns on the stage or if there are any colours or patterns you would like around the stage.
    Rod: I would like him to speak to the wardrobe people to ensure that the colours do not clash.
    Manager: Mr. Stewart would like you to speak to the wardrobe people to ensure that the colours do not clash.

    It wasn't until finally three months later when he (Mr. Stewart) actually came up to me, tapped me on the shoulder, looked me in the eye and very friendly-like said, "Thank you very much for the wonderful show that you've created. I just wanted to tell you that", and then walked away. I was shocked considering the lack of interaction prior to this. Then, a week later he came up to me and said, "Every night I look down around me on the stage and see these patterns and dots. They're always in the same place. Why is this?". I tell him, "It's a series of shapes and patterns that surround you and when the smoke in the air travels through it, it appears that you're inside of a geometrical fortress. Rod says, "Cut the artsy shit. Light me up. Put them on me!".

    On another amusing occasion, I recall falling asleep while watching a video in the front lounge of the Rush tour bus. I had no idea that the band members had tied pink ribbons in my then much-longer hair. Six hours later when we arrived at the hotel in Florida, I was awakened out of a sound sleep and they told me to check them into the hotel. I was waking up and drowsy and proceeded to check in at the front desk. The gentleman at the front desk had a strange smirk on his face and spoke to me in a very bizarre tone, which upset me because I couldn't understand why he was being this way. The condescending tone and odd look caused me to lose my temper. I screamed at him and asked him what his problem was, told him to give me the keys and why the hundred questions. The next think I knew was that our bus driver was taking a picture of me while I was freaking out at the front desk. Meanwhile, by this time there were two families checking out who were also looking at me and it was then that I finally realized that there was something in my hair. I felt very embarrassed, pulled them out and continued on with the day. I've had many funny moments like that.
    A typical day might find me in an array of peculiar places. I might be standing on the roof of the CN tower or Skydome in my typical black t-shirt, jeans and sneakers one day. The next day, I'll be in a suit in the boardroom of General Motors going over lighting plans with their administrators for their annual car show. Later that same day, I'll be off on a plane to Los Angeles to do a lighting design for a record release for Van Halen. I vividly remember my somewhat unusual first meeting with Alex Van Halen, where part of the interview for their upcoming tour went something like this:
    AVH: So are you married?
    HU: Why are you asking me this?
    AVH: Because by the end of this tour, you won't be. If you are married, does your wife allow you to go out on the road?
    HU: Of course.
    AVH: Is she tolerant of that?
    HU: Yes, as long as I fly her out once in a while.
    AVH: So, your wife's okay with a threesome?
    HU: Absolutely not and what does this have to do with lighting anyway?
    AVH: I just wanted to see what kind of person you were.
    HU: Great! Am I hired?
    AVH: Yeah.

    My schedule is unpredictable and all over the map. Sometimes things come up at the last minute. I take pride in my work and feel fortunate to be included in the upper echelon of concert lighting designers throughout the world. I like working closely with people. It's important to a successful production. I might have a meeting in downtown Toronto about a Mirvish production (Needfire, 1998 - 1999) and then have to hop on a plane and fly to Australia to do the second leg of a tour with a band. Each client is as important as the next. They all have immediate needs and you can't ignore any of them. I remember one crazy day flying from Buenos Aires to Miami, then to Los Angeles to go to Tokyo to get to Osaka in one day! I remember flying from Toronto to Alaska to Hawaii in three days.
    I sometimes get peculiar but intriguing requests. For example, one customer wanted an image projected in the sky much like the old Batman signal. Another unnamed company wanted a huge laser image projected on a desert surface to span ten miles by ten miles so that it could be seen from all aircraft flying overhead. My partners, Brian Beggs and Doug Adams and I (Production Design International) are still working on this one. My favourite request came from a corporate executive who wanted me to project their corporate logo onto the full moon. Who knows what the future will hold.
    I like my work and I enjoy seeing my clients' eyes light up with pleasure when my work is in progress or completed. This is a real people job filled with unique and creative problems to solve. I get a chance to see my creative ideas come alive, travel to all points of the world and meet many wonderful, amusing and interesting people. Although there are aspects of this business that can sometimes be grueling and gritty, I would like to encourage today's youth to jump in headfirst and try to take the swim. The added pluses have made this career and my life interesting and worthwhile.



    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ..To get all silly requests, makes you still love your work!!!!
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  • I'll try to keep it short as I can. Arena Stage setup with large very expensive carpet pattern in the center. Director wants outside of carpet area covered in gravel two to three inches deep. We do the math and our estimates add up to about 20 tons give or take total. We order gravel and nightmare gets better. Gravel arrives in the middle of February and is frozen into large hunks. We break up hunks as best we can and load into performance space. In the warm theatre the icy hunks begin to melt and the water threatens our large carpet. ASM and myself, PM, spend the rehearsal running around with mops, sponges and buckets swabbing the water from the carpet area while the actors rehearse and laugh at us. Also Gravel Company shipped 25 tons, not 20 as per request. We were not billed for the extra five tons, but it was painful for strike.
    The dust kicked up from all the gravel murdered an innocent F-100, High End has no comment.
    Director also wants large bonfires outside of loading doors (converted into a performance space.) We use 50 gallon drums with kerosene in the bottom and douse out with sand after the bit. ASM is nearly arrested twice by the Chicago F.D.
    After closing, we need to dispose of gravel. Cars in the parking lot awaken the next morning to find their tires buried four inches deep in Williamsburg #2 gravel. I learned how to drive a Bobcat loader that night, so it wasn't a total loss!
    Ruth H. Hudson
    Rentals
    Intelligent Lighting Creations



    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ..To drive a Bobcat loader in the night can be very cool!!!
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  • here it goes.
    This happened in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I was working on a musical for kids, based on a popular tv series. I was a lighing technician and a followspot operator. The show was good, so my little syster wanted to see it. So I took my 12 year old sister to see the show. I operated a followspot on the 2nd balcony, so I left my sister sitting there as I went down to the stage to get my intercom before the show. As I get onstage I notice the smell of sometihng burning, and as I turn to the stage I see a bright 3 foot flame shooting out of one elevator hole in the stage. I get a fire extinguisher and as I approach the elevator hole, I remember I left my sister at the followspot! Damn! Of course, I left the stage and ran to get my sister. Other people were putting out the fire. The fire was beneath the stage, were the elevator motors were. I ran through the corridors, if you know theatres, you know that you need to go through a maze to get from the stage to F.O.H., and ran up the stairs to get my syster. When I got to the followspot, she was sitting there, everything was covered in smoke, and she had this face I will never forget. I grabed her, her bag, and left her with an usher at the entrance hall. I headed to the stage again. Inside the house, everything was dark, and the only thing you could see was a bright orange at the back of the stage, and the maglight beams moving everywere. I got more fire extinguishers and took them onstage. By this time the power was shut down, so the guys took the hose, and went downstairs to put the fire out, no masks ,nothing, the low tech way. After a couple of minutes, it was out. Of course, the firemen showed up 10 minutes after this, and took all the credit in front of the tv. The stage was ruined, and we lost a lot of lights that were rigged underneath the stage to light it from below. The elevators were burnt really bad, and the set that was supposed to go up with those elevators, turned out to be the fuel for the fire. Luckily nobody got hurt, and the fire remained underneath the stage. My syster? Well, imagine taking you kid to the barney show and watching the set get on fire. At least she got a story to tell at school. Another day at work... Break a leg and work safely. And no, we weren't the ones who caused the fire. It was courtesy of another department.
    Jeronimo Carbi



    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ..Kids can have fun, even with their parents!!
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  • "So you think the people in those stories have suffered? Let me tell you about the greatest disaster play I ever encountered. First off the equipment the school here got to hire due to budget was about 20 years old, most dimmers were analogue and the riggers were incredibly messy, they didnt even use tape, they just rolled the wires around the bars! The first problems occured during programming, where I discovered in a bad way the two beaten-up Intellabeams didn't have a fuse, they melted the plug, whose's breaker didn't break. The shows were hell, I had problems with things getting erased from the console and a light cut during the second act in a show. It was three weekends of this. The day before the last show, the console decided not to work, I had a JANDS ESP II and it didn't load the software, it just had a blank screen, desperatly I tried to fix it, everything seemed fine, so after hours of trying to locate the guy from the company, I got them to send me another console, they sent me a 24 ch. one, I had 45, so I put it in wide mode and improvised the 144 cues during 3 hours, I had the biggest stress attack ever, I was a ruin. So next day I came and re-programmed the whole thing. Of course, something had to go wrong, during the show, some old guy put his chair on the DMX line and snapped it, the three analogue dimmers went off, with the digital only on, the show looked horrible and completely wrong, I wanted to kill the guy. Things got even worse because when the guy moved the chair, the dimmers went on, then of againg, so we had flashing lights during the show which we didn't need, and because we thought the problem was in the plug, every time the lights went on, were were moving the plug, so we were twenty minutes moving the plug around looking for the spot in which everything would work. I sent somebody to throw a new line (after the 20 minutes of trying to figure out what had happened, after we realized the plug wasnt't the problem) and I could finish the play. This was certainly the most stressful, problematic play I ever did, I just hope I don't have to go through it again, the worse thing was I didn't have a day in that show without a problem and I didn't even get paid because I'm a student there so happened to have volunteered. Ignacio Rosenberg Manager/LD Unlimited Lighting


    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ..Always look at the bright side of life,
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  • "As a F.O.H technician for a R&R band for some years ago, I did have a great time and something I remember well is when the leadguitarist (who was a grat guy but a pain in the ass with his "macho" thing) was really hot at a outdoor festival. In a solo (when he was climbing up on one of the sidefills) he after 50 seconds was rotating so much that he was twisting his guitarcable around his legs, so when finishing his great solo (and was getting off the speaker) he actually couldn`t move anywhere. So with a big balancing act he just smash right down to the stage with a scream! The guitar was into pieces,so was he! He was not hurt seriously (only the macho thing ) , but the crowd had a great time when he was crawling up and try to leave the stage.....because when he was making this successful thing, his pants was actually not made for that hard fall. His "bum" was glowing like a sun from the big hole in his jeans! He didn`t realise that at the moment, but we did told him how pleased the crowd was after the show.
    It did take about 5 days befor he was the same gay again.


    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ..A great "bum" is great, if it is on a girl!!
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  • Greetings from the small Mediterranean island of Cyprus,I work as technical crew chief for a the second largest lighting hire companies on the island and here is the shocking news to all.
    One of the lighting support systems we have for hire is a 12x12 meter Penn fabrication ground support which we use for many outdoor festivals we have during the summer months.one of the occasions where we had set the system up in an outdoor field for a three day festival something quite horrific funny and disastrous thing happened.we had set the system up on a 15x15 mete stage and fully loaded the system up and started the three day festival.after setting up also 3 similar systems in the same day in the same area our crew of 12 was tired as hell.after the end of the first night being too tired to give much care about anything we powered down the generators and packed up and went to bed at 2 am thinking everything was fine.at about 9 am in the morning I get a phone call by the organisers that heavy winds had caused devastating damage to all the festival site,fearing the worst I drove the 20 mile distance to see that 3 stages in shambles it was 2 pm and in front of me I was watching a ground support collapse with 120 parcans on it the second support was winched down in time by some clever quick thinking lads and the funniest was the third.the wind had pushed the whole support back words an the system had practically fallen behind the stage backwards having the back support legs standing on one outrigger leg only we watched as it swayed in the wind we were able to save this by dismantling the stage platforms from the front and we layer the row around the back and we were able to save the support.we finished 2 minutes before the 9pm opening act.one thing I can say its been nine months and whenever we have the supports on tour I never get a good nights sleep and I have learnt to lower it down every night.it was a terrifying experience for me for it happened to me at the age of 19 but I still cant understand why I was so unlucky that day it taught me that even if you have the time sleep is not a priority on tour.


    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ..A ground support collapse is never fun,unless someone you don`t like is on the stage!!
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  • Well, it was my first show. My very first show as a board op. with no one to back me up. All of my apprenticeship rested on this one night, and I feared nothing. I set up everything exactly the way I had been taught and saw no problems with my rig as it went up. It was an easy show, a party for some fraternity, one of those "Our kegger is bigger than your kegger." It really looked as though it would be perfect with no real problems. The only thing that had me worried was the electrician who waited an extremely long time to tie in power for my rig. But I didn't see any problem in waiting, I already had a few chases and looks that I knew would work. So finally I got power and nothing worked. Not a Damn thing! My intellabeams weren't responding, my dimmer packs, which I had used and troubleshot so many times in the past wouldn't except any control from my board and the whole show started in an hour. That's when I lost it. I went up and down the rig as fast as possible and never saw a thing that could cause the problems I was having. All my DMX runs were looking perfectly healthy with no kinks or twists. No fuses were blown, wires were crossed, and yet still, nothing worked. It was horrible. I knew I was getting power but yet nothing was responding. And I know I didn't help matters because it was my first show and I was frantic. It wasn't the board, for I had just cleaned out it's memory and it should have been ready for anything. So finally, I hot patched a few lights so that the whole show wasn't lost and went and had a beer. I left early and let the crew clean it up. It was a disaster. I still don't know what happened.


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  • Are there any other lucky winners of the David Gilmour About Face Guitar Giveaways in 1984 out there in Echoes-land? As I understood it at the time, there were seventeen given away. I received an absolutely beautiful pink into burgundy colored sunburst Fender Telecaster. The autograph was on a plate attached right behind the bridge. I just wondered who all had them, and if they were all the same color, etc., and do you use them to play any Floydian tunes? Did you get to meet DG? Well, those are my questions, now here's the rest of my story....... In the spring of '84, I was doing the sound and lighting for a touring country group who had just recorded their own album and pressed it on their own label to ship to record companies and sell at our live performances. We had just gotten them in, so I ingested a little magic piece of paper, threw a box of albums in my old car, and made a tape of the "new" DG album, About Face, to listen to on the way to Nashville, where a friend of mine managed a record store. I had the tape cranked to max volume all the way and after about an hour, got to Nashville and the mall where my friend Bill's store was located. Some strange trembling and electric feeling started to hit me as I got out of my car, so I thought I'd make this a quick trip! I went into the mall, but my friend Bill was not in the store, so I wandered around the mall awhile. Imagine the charge running through my shorts as I rounded a corner and saw a 45-feet high sized giant space-bird, meaning a space suited figure with a giant bird beak sticking out of the space helmet. GaaaK! Even when I ascertained after much eye-rubbing that I was not hallucinating, I just sat and stared at it awhile. It turned out that it was an inflatable that was being sent around to "hawk" ha-ha the new L. Ron Hubbard novel, Battleship Earth or something like that! I went back to the store, but Bill still wasn't there, so as I stood around waiting for him to show up, I filled out one tiny entry blank, stuffed it in a box, then saw my friend coming down the hall with what looked to me like....Nicky Hopkins! I rubbed eyes again, but Nicky Hopkins was in front of me now, and Bill was introducing me to him! He was always my favorite boogie-woogie-rocknroll piano player, so I was speechless that I got to meet him. It turned out that he had done the soundtrack to the Battleship Earth movie or cartoon or whatever, and he was there doing a promo. I was highly amused that as he, Bill, and I chatted about the Who, Rolling Stones, and everybody else that he played on albums for, that all the teenyboppers that were in the store"to meet a rock star" were standing right beside him and didn't even know who he was! After awhile, I got our albums put into the bins, bought the tape of the first DG solo album, said my see-yas to Bill and Nicky, and hit the road back to B.G..., blasting my new D Gilmour tape! Two or three months later................ The band I was with was playing in Rehobeth Beach, De, on the 4th of July. I called home to wish my mom a happy holiday, and she said something about some girl called and said that I had won a guitar, or something, and if I didn't get it soon, they'd give it to someone else! Holy Toledo, Batman! so I found out the number to call back, but noone would answer. I had no idea at that point what in the hell she was really talking about, so I had to wait until Monday after we had changed gigs and moved down to a horrendous truckers paradise in Jessup, MD., right between Wash. and Baltimore, to talk to the people. Talk about hitting the ceiling when they told me that I had won a David Gilmour autographed guitar!!!!!! They said that they would hold it there for me until I returned in a few weeks. Whew!!!! As I was setting up, I bought a USA today, opened up the paper, and there was Dave, talking about his new solo tour...with dates...and one of the dates was the next Saturday just 8 miles down the road in Columbia, MD. I decided right then and there that I was going to thank him in person, for the biggest stroke of lightning that could have ever hit a poor old Kentucky boy like me. I told the band, who were excited about my winning the guitar, but weren't so excited about my abscence from the boards in the fabulous Truckers Inn! All week, I made preparations for my replacement (a band girlfriend), and since it was where it was, I knew that quality of sound would already basically be set during the week before, so I was gonna go see Dave, dammit!! Well, come Saturday, the bandleader,`Bones' (who was the only one deadset against my plan) disappeared in the band truck, so I had no wheels to get there. I asked for a pay advance, but nobody had any money. Sounds like a plot...So I just called up one of the bands loyal supporters and she came down to give me a lift to the show around 1:30pm. I would not be stopped!! I would have been stopped all right, once I got to the "shed" where the bands equipment was just going onto the stage, but security was nowhere to be seen, as I walked like I really had some business down to the soundboard. The soundman, Rick Hart, looked at me like I was a moron, when I started to speil out my story about winning a guitar in Nashville and having to thank Dave. Lightning strikes again, he actually believed me, and told me to stick around the soundboard, and he would see what he could do. Just then, security people came out of their meeting, and were everywhere! If I had arrived 5 minutes later, you wouldn't have to read the rest of this story, cause I didn't even have money for a ticket! After awhile, Rick had me run equipment back and forth to the stage to the soundboard, then a young lady from the local promotion company showed up and told Rick that her "winner" was supposed to come to the soundboard, to meet DG. He said, `This guy says he's a winner, can you verify that for us?' She looked at me like the disgusting, long-haired sweaty frantic looking freak that I was then, and said she'd check into it. Well, I was having a fine, old, time talking to Rick, he was showing me all his new digital reverbs and some effects that I had never even heard of, when the promo lady returned. She said that even though my story checked out, her winner should be arriving soon, and that I would have to leave. I don't know what kind of bug she was carrying, but I just about died rright there. Rick Hart, DG's soundman, blew me away by telling her that I was working for him, and to not worry about me being there. She stormed off in a huff, then later tried bringing a security guy around to have me removed, which Rick then put the Ki-bosh on then, too. What a guy!!! Later, during a lull in the soundcheck, Rick told me that if I really wanted to deliver my thankyous to DG, I would have to ask permission from his manager, Steve O'Rourke, who was sitting with about 4 other guys a few rows in front of the soundboard. I approached them slowly, and I could tell by the looks on their faces that they didn't have time for whatever a cretin like me had to say to them, but I managed to blurt out my situation much more succinctly than written here, and Mr. O'Rourke stood up and stared at me and said that `since soundcheck was running long, he didn't think Mr. Gilmour would have time to entertain me'. OK, Ok,OK, I backpedalled out of the row of seats, as fast as I could, hoping they would instantly forget me, at least I had gotten in to see the show!! I went back up to the soundboard, and laid low. (Many years later, I figured out that one of those guys was Nick Mason, I didn't recognize him without the Zapata moustache!) After the gates had been opened, and the crowd started filling the seats, it was getting nearly dusk, and one of the stagecrew guys I had seen earlier came up to me and said that I was to go with him. I grabbed my camera and said thank you to Rick, not knowing what was going to happen. We walked down the aisle to the stage, with my hopes rising, only to be dashed as we went thru the security checkpoint at the corner of the stage and I could see that there was a thru-way to the outside backstage area, then I thought that I was going to be shown the door the fastest and most direct route! He told me to wait here a moment in a dark crowded (with DGs band going to and fro) hallway. I was sure that he was going to round up some more muscle, in case I resisted, so my heart was sinking as another guy came up to me that looked in the dark lik some manager-type person and said," Come on let's step outside." As I followed this guy out thru a short hallway, I was contemplating making a bolt back inside, then he turned around towards me, removed his sunglasses, and I turned very un-comfortably numb as I realized that it was DAVID GILMOUR, himself !!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    What can you say, really, to THE MAN, face-to-face? Well, luckily, he seemed to realize that I had been struck dumb, and asked me how I happened to be here, so I told him my story real quick, and told him that I just wanted to thank him so very much for what would become a treasured heirloom in my family. Thinking that this would be short and sweet, I asked if he would mind if I took a picture, just to prove to my bandmates that courtesy pays, to which he assented. (you can see this on John -- ping- - Hietts' web page) He then said, lets go grab a bite, and we went on outside to a buffet table in the backstage area. I remember munching on a piece of cauliflower with ranch dip, as HE kept asking questions of ME!?!? He was very interested, he said, in country music, and what sort of country music did we do? I told him that we played "kick-ass" country, and that it was more akin to southern rock than what most people thought of as country. He went on to tell me that he really enjoyed country music very much, and that he had listened to a lot of "show-tunes" when he was young. I relayed that my college years were a study in Pink Floyd and underground pharmacology!! I had removed myself from academia after a whole semester of listening to Wish You Were Here on headphones while tripping! After we talked for maybe 10 minutes there, he said that he had to go get cleaned up for the show, and would I be staying for the show? He also asked where the venue was where we were playing, and expressed interest in coming to see us after his show!! I quickly informed him that he did NOT want to walk into the Truckers Inn, but thanks for the thought! We went back inside and he wished me luck, he said that I reminded him of the early days, travelling around, basically unknown. I thanked him yet again, and I went back out to the soundboard. Rick was laughing at me,(I'm quite sure that my face went totally white), and let me stand at the soundboard for the rest of the show. I took some pictures, but they didn't turn out very well...Too much hand shaking, I guess. The show was great, of course, and after it was over I wanted to stick around to help Rick tear down, but I thought that I had better get out on the parkway quick to hitch a ride the 8 miles to Jessup, while the bulk of the crowd was leaving. Rick had gotten me a tour program and T-shirt, and I was overwhelmed at the trust, goodwill, and cool he had displayed toward me, so I thanked him again, and hit the highway.
    It took quite awhile to get back, and I walked most of the way backwards, because no one seemed to want to pick up a big, long-haired, freaky lookin' dude holding black objects in his hand (imagine that!), but when I got within a couple of miles to TI, I finally found an ice-cream stand and begged a call to get a bandfan to come pick me up. I got back in time to take over the controls for the last set, (my replacement had done pretty well, but everything was way loud), and as I sat there in dumb amazement at what had happened to me that afternoon and evening, I kept looking anxiously at the door, my imagination half-assed expecting Dave to walk in with the whole crew on their way out of town! No such luck...but only because I had already sucked the well of luck dry! I know that this has been a long story, but I wanted to tell it the way it was, and the way I felt about it. All in all, Mr. David Gilmour exhibited the ultimate in grace, and humor, and outrageous cool that I have ever seen from a person in his position. He did not have to believe me, he did not have to meet with me, yet his magnanamity to this ya-hoo from Kentucky was warm and real, and I'll never forget it. I have met, albeit briefly, many other rock stars, in my years working with bands, and they ran the gamut from OK to Kings-of-the-Assholes, but David Gilmour is in a league of cool of his own. When I heard of the acrimonious split between him and Roger, I felt like I would rip Rogers head off, and piss down his neck, to put it bluntly. Again, for the umpteenth time, I thank you David Gilmour, Steve O'Rourke, and the guy who really made the meeting materialize, Rick Hart, it has meant more to me than you can realize, and a constant inspiration to my efforts in the field of stagecraft! SHINE ON! Jerry T. Wilson
    check out the pics of the guitar and a few surprises at here
    , then click on `Wazzat?' see the pix from that show



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  • I was out on tour as sys tech/ LD for a Ga. production co. The co. had just purchased new racks and stacks and sent 'em up via truck to meet us in Michigan. Of course when they arrive the Humhead in charge says leave the old p.a. on the truck, we'll use the new stuff. Fine, so far. So we do the show, new rig kicks ass, the band loves it.Come time for load out and we have a small problem...2 p.a. systems, light rig and band gear...truck enough for 1 p.a., lights and band gear. So humhead says no problem, this guy's got a barn we cam camp the old system in, you and the guitar tech strike the show while me and him go dump the old rig.Still no problem, other than me and the tech gettin' stuck with all the work. We strike the show, line everything up at the door...and wait...and wait....and wait. 2 hrs. goes by. The phone rings...club mgr. says it's for you.....humhead's on the line "I'm stuck in the middle of some farmer's pasture and I gotta wait for a wrecker to pull me out. If the mgr. has to leave, put all the gear in the parking lot and we'll load it when I get there." It's 3:30am, January, 28 degrees, freezing rain is falling and the manager is ready to split.We push the gear into the parking lot. We stand around a little while and it got cold quick.So we pushed all the sub cabinets in to form side walls, the dimmer rack made one end of our shelter, the effects rack the other. We used the drum riser platform for the roof and the riser rug was our carpeted floor. Now this kid guitar tech thought this was the greatest adventure he'd ever been on, stories for the grandkids and all that shit. I was ready to kill him and Humhead. 5am comes and goes..no truck. 6am comes..the curb store across the street opens...coffee, lotsa coffee..free refills, thank God....7am...no truck..the cleaning crew for the club arrives...we tell 'em who we are and they let us into the heated club. I pulled up a vacant pool table and laid my weary, pissed off head down. and that's where humhead found me at 9:30am when he drug his sorry ass back to the club. I got my pay, called a cab, went to the airport and caught the big bird to sunny Florida. Where I stay to this day. I didn't leave anything in Lansing, and if I did, they can have it.



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  • From James E. In the late 70`s I was lighting crew for a band. In one month we made nearly 30 shows and we was a little bit tired of touring at the moment.This happened when we get to a local theatre and we put up the gear early in the morning.Everyone who is familiar with Genie Gas towers knows that you have to check this guys all the time,but this was almost the last show for a period so this had not been done for some days.Well,after soundcheck & focusing the lights we could get a long lunch and dinner.And we had a Long,long lunch & dinner! So after 5-6 hours we get back to the place and stopped in the entrace of the hall and just get standing there! The Truss was about in the height of a japanese child and the drumset had a funny look (because of the over rigged ACL bars that has the same position as the snaredrums & Hihat), even the organ had a strange position, laying flat with 2 sixbars ,playing a chord thas was new for us! The panic I get,I can`t describe ,but we did get it all working. The band was not impressed of this and the drummer had a strange way to hit one of his cymbals (a little bit deformed) at the same time he looked at the monitorguy. James



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  • I was the local show electrician for a 2 truck Donna Summers show a couple of summers ago in an outdoor ampitheater. It had been raining all day. Since the Show sound tech., powered up the house PA, there was a buzz in the system. He just turned down the house for sound check, so the artist wouldn't hear the buzz. After sound check, doors opened and the rain was still coming down. This genius walked from the FOH position alongside his snake submerged in water and asked me if he had an earth ground on his main power supply. As every other show for the past 5 years has had, he had a mechanical ground to the building that was EARTH grounded. He insisted that I open a live 400A 3phase box to lift the ground and clamp it to a water pipe. However, he would not let me kill power in order to fulfill this ludricrous request, because his walk up music was playing! Needless to say the show went on with a buzzing PA. However, there was an improvement, after he finally put a ground lift on something in line and it stopped raining.



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  • We were on tour with an " BIG NAME" but legal Reasons force me to keep the name un-disclosed. We were warned from the venue production manager that THAT SPECIFIC BUILDING had static electricity in FOH . We had to touch metal before touching the light console. They warned us that consoles had burned up due to this ... we were carefull, I had told my assistants to touch the light snake to ground their hands, but i forgot to tell my spot operators ... so you guessed it . One of my guys comes touches the console and shorts out the mem reader. as we get the call from the director house to Black, open curtains, stand by light ... i scream we have no lights we have nothing no schenes no conventionals nothing.... Thank god its was the opening act .... we lit the opening act with four spot lights , we brought the house to 50% and tried to figure out what had gone wrong??? Sure enough it was a fried capacitor in the power supply ... we raced to find a radio shack in down town chicago ...we told the payed duty officer that we had 10 minutes to get to the store and back ... he put my asst LD in the back put the sirens and beacons on .. my asstnt bought the capacitors 3 just in case he lost one and came back ... its was like a relay race he handed the capacitor to me and with a little solder I repaired the board ... powered it up, loaded the disk in and re loaded all the cues ... Sure enough we were not late. Moral of the story : HAVE A BACK UP DESK NO MATTER WHAT !
    John Jossifakis



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  • I was only a guest backstage but had a really special time. I was in Pittsburgh, PA and Stevie Ray Vaughn and his band were touring with his brother Jimmy and his band. Jimmy's crew wasn't being very friendly because of all the people hangin around. I went to pick up a guitar and they told me not to touch it. Stevie immediately said "Here, take this one" and handed me one of his Strats. He sat down and jammed with me for over half an hour by the side of the stage while they were setting up. The best part was that some of my high school buddies were just in front of the stage waiting for the show and saw me trading licks with Stevie Ray Vaughn. Stevie signed my backstage pass just so I could tease them with it. The next year when they came back to town he had Reese Wynan, his keyboard player, call and invite me backstage again! I only met Stevie those two times but he was one of the most genuine, laid back people I've ever met. I really miss him.
    Chris Cook



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  • A few years ago I was working with a Catalonain Dance company form spain (Preforming in Isreal) I was on the local crew and my job was to help fit up the set and clean up when the show was done. This was a very messy show, it took place in a huge wharehouse and the audiance where all standing during the show, about 120db volium of horible industrial music, It was great. the show concisted of a lot of element like Blood dripping Sheep heads on poles (real ones) and the preformers would throw at each other animal internal orgens like the liver, lunges ete. (real and raw) thay also used eny Yuky thing thay could get thair hand on to Throw at each other and at the audience If thay got in the way. so ther were watermelons beeng smashed, coolor pigmant spraysd, and every show the dancers bomed everyboudy with 60 flower bombes made befor the show. I used to make this bombes. the bombes where basicly a pice of very thin paper into wich flower was put. the paper then was closed using a ribben. during the show the preformers would swing the bomb over thair head holding the ribben and with a jilt of the arm the paper would disconect and all the flower inside would fly in the air making a loverly trail of white pouder. (of corse it dident always open, then it would just fly throu the air and burst will hiting somthig or sombuddy) so the last show comes up and I'm bussy making the bombes as usual, and then I thught that beenig this the lask show maby I shall suprise the company if I fill one bomb with somthing else, no sonner thught then done and I filled one of the bombes with Red color pigment in pouder form. The show starts and we get to the part where the bombes start flying. I was watching carfully to see where my special bomb would land, whan suddenly I feal a strong thump on the chest, I open my eyes and realyse the I am Totaly RED RED RED from top to bottom, in some imposible way I got hit Directly By my own Bomb!!!!
    Eldad Van Creveld



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  • "cup 'O' poop"
    The drummer in the band I mixed foh for was playing a small club in Georgia and it was so boring (Valdosta) he went in the back and shit in a plastic drink cup, placed a straw in it and proceded to walk around the club talking to people holding his"cup 'O' poop" up just like a drink as not one person noticed....I guess people there are used to that smell in Valdosta......I just feel sorry for the bartender that found his "cup" on the bar later.... same band....different town.....the LD I was working with commented on an attractive girl....when I asked him which one he replied "right next to the guy with the short hair"
    ......the show was at the NCO club on Seymore Johnson Air Force Base same LD different show.....could not figure out the Celco Gold soft patch....nothing was coming up right.....Saturday afternoon......Motley Crue going on at dark....leaving messages for a friend out on tour trying to see if he knew.....trying to call Celco long distance on my cell phone$$$ no luck....send asst LD to retrieve another desk....leaving a theater company at another location to use test on dimmers.....decided to try it backstage first and noticed that 1 and 13, 2 and 14, etc were coming up at the same time.....took him half a day to figure out digital channel assignment on 24 channel dimmers.....click, click, click on three thumbnaile solved the problem.....OOPS!!!!.....we almost need a heart Doctor for the crew boss....but a little JD calmed him down later that night... same LD....different band.....just trying to surprise the other crew guys by tossing a water baloon at the truck as it passed by on the interstate .....he discovered that the baloon would very easily pass through the windshield forcing the truck to be driven the rest of the way home with no windshield....in prime love bug season in Florida...you should have seen both of them after that drive....wearing sunglasses at night with bugs in their teeth... same LD different location....while we were painting cable trunks with black paint I held up a loaded brush and told him to stick out his tongue(he thinks he is Gene Simmons brother) and he did so I covered it very well for him....he was lucky it was water based paint....he washed up and was ready to pay me back when I told him if he was dumb enough to do it when I asked he got what he deserved...he agreed ....we drank Cuervo....no problem Same band....Guitar tech....i watched while I was driving the truck as he trimmed off half of the Drum Techs moustache as he was sleeping in the front of the other vehicle....he didn't even notice until he went into the restroon at the next truck stop..... same band ....same Guitar tech added a pair of dancers panties ( after she had an epileptic seizure) into the dirty laundry bag of the foh engineer for his wife to find....it took him a lot of explaining.... Steven D. Wenner



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  • I have been working at this road house for the last 3 years. Many of the guys that I work with have been there for the last 8 years or so. We see a new touring company in almost every week. Well as many of you many know most of these companies are fun to work with. There is always exceptions to the rules. The story goes like this. It must have been about 5 years ago. A company came in that was totally unprepared (which is fine) but the attitude of these guy were terrible. They were some of the worst guys to work with, they made our job almost impossible to do correctly. Well they most have did something that is unsure to me. but "the camel,s back was broken". They kept all their hardware in a 5 gallon bucket. So well loading the truck that night, a member of our crew "accidentally" dropped about half a gallon of wood glue in it. It was then sealed, shaken, then placed on the truck. We don,t know what happen to them after leaving our Theatre but we do know that it was a good couple days before their next load in.


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  • I was working lights for a production of Alvin Ailey Dance Company (wonderful show!)at my university theatre. Their stage manager and I spent about two hours programming cues into the light board, and finished less than half an hour before the house opened. There was no opportunity to check the cues.... The show was going great, until about ten minutes before the end of the show. The stage manager (on headset) says "light cue 268- go" -- and the stage blacks out! In the feverish attempt to get all the cues loaded, one managed to not get programmed in. It took me about two seconds to stage cue the previous cue, while the stage manager was screaming "Shit! What happened? Give me light, Gimme any light!" Then I checked the rest of the cues in blind. The rest of the show was fine. After the show, the technical director told me that the stage manager was headed for the work lights, which would have been very ugly if I had not recovered from such a fluke so quickly. It didn't look great, but it could have been much worse.


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  • My friend and I went to see Blues Traveler but we had awful seats. I came up with the idea to go in a wheelchair(Ididn't need the wheelchair) so we could be up front, and it worked. We sat three rows back from the front we saw everything and I even got to touch Lenny Kravitz, but this is not the best part. A lady that sat next to us had backstage passes so we asked he about it she said a friend gave it to her. Well as we were leaving she gave us her passes and said that we would evjoy it more than she would. So we got to go backstage,however the band wasn't going to sign autographs so we asked his body guard if he could help us out and so he did. He took us to where John Popper would have to walk by us. John came around the corner stopped and talked to us gave us an autograph and a hug. I vowed never to do another dishonest thing again.


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  • In the last two months of 1997 I worked on a thirty date tour in the UK with a 50`s cover band, the tour was of small and medium theatre`s. There were only the two of us, myself on foh (monitors mixed off foh console) and this other guy looking after backline ,calling followspots-lighting,and sorting out the mechandise vendors. The driving was shared. This guy(lets call him john(not his real name)) was only just 21 but apparently had toured the world etc.(incidently I had mixed a band at his university`s may ball earlier that year).John managed to upset the local crew at nearly every venue we gigged at, usually with his I am better than you attitude. John managed to lose merchandise all over the country ( to my knowledge lost merchandise is still being returned to the production company even now), lost £100 worth of standup bass strings. The follow-spots were never in right place all cues were miss-called, but there was no telling him, he new it all. One night we were all staying in the same hotel with the band, for most of the tour this was normal (the band normally picked up all bar tabs etc), this one night the hotel wouldn`t run a tab,anyway John decided to go to the bar for another drink, so we all said good on you get them in, however john sudenly decides that going to bed would be a better option than buying a round of drinks, of course this went down like a lead ballon with the band,after all the extra expense of his drinks etc so far on the tour. Fortunatly for the rest of the world this guy was sacked after the tour and is now bothering people by selling insurence over the phone.
    Ian Hasell



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  • Hey...I haven't been to many concerts. As a ticket buyer, anyway. I spent years lugging around amps and cymbals cases for my dad's band, though, so I guess that makes me a roadie. I think the best memories from being a kid were the nights I fell asleep on the fold-out bed in the back of the family van, listening to the muffled sounds of the cheering crowds. There's something pretty peaceful about drifting off to sleep hearing your dad singing on stage and knowing that tomorrow you'll be riding down the interstate to the next gig. Sometimes when I go home I can still walk in and catch Dad picking a flat-top and singing some of his old songs. Music isn't just something he made money at. He keeps singing and writing even now, and I guess I inherited something from him besides brown hair and a tall frame--I love to coast along the highway with old songs blaring from the stereo and crumpled road maps littering the back seat. Music must be in my genes.
    Amy Croslin



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  • My daughter and I were in Tokyo three years ago for some illogical reason, and spent an evening at the Hard Rock Cafe there. While we were looking around, our waiter told us, "Jimmy Page just came in and is sitting at the bar. We don't like anybody to bother the celebrities, but you can go over and look if you like."
    We stood by the end of the bar. There was Jimmy, surrounded by bodyguards, with people gawking at him from a respectable distance, as we were. Jimmy looked in our direction and saw my daughter, who was 16 at the time, with long blond hair, wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt with a peace sign. He crooked his finger at her. "C'meer," he said.
    She went over to talk to him. 'What's your name?" he asked.
    "Britain," she said.
    "That's where I'm from," he said.
    "I know."
    "Oh, do you know who I am?"
    "Sure. You're Jimmy Page, guitarist from Led Zep."
    "You look like my first girlfriend," he said. "You're coming to our concert Saturday, aren't you?" (He was at the time touring for the Coverdale-Page album).
    "No, she said. "My Mom and I have a return flight to the states tomorrow."
    "C'meer, Mom," he said to me. When I went over he said, "Change your flight, okay? I really want you two to come to my concert. Your daughter looks like the first girl I was ever in love with. I've got to get to know you two better."
    Dumb me. I said, "No, we can't." I'll never know why, except maybe I was a bit nervous about this worldly rocker having an interest in my little girl. The great Jimmy Page coaxed us a bit more, the waiter came to show him to his table, he gave Brit a hug, shook my hand, and said good night.
    Brit was cool about the whole thing. I think she would have had more of a problem with my refusing to stay for, say, Alice in Chains or Pearl Jam, but she was philosophical. "At least I got a mouthful of his hair when he hugged me," she said. "I'll keep it for a souvenir."

    I thought about this scene last year, when she called from college to tell me she was dating Marilyn Manson. It occurred to me that maybe we should have stayed. Jimmy didn't look like such a threat any more. Gayle D. Anderson



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  • "Rosie"
    What I didn't know in October of 1977 as we were doing shows in Florida, was that Jackson Browne had released the definitive "Road" album. "Running on Empty" was a monster hit with road oriented songs such as "Stay", "The Load-Out", "The Road" and what would become and still is my favorite "road" song "Rosie*". Now here's my true story. I will insert the lyrics to "Rosie" during the story, so that you can identify any similarities. Remember that although the song was recorded in September, I didn't actually hear this song until after my very first tour was finished in mid December, 1977.

    At a show in Gainesville Florida, we got to the load-in and there was a beautiful dark haired girl hanging out near the stage door. Julie was a student from the school that was sponsoring the show that night, and she was extremely friendly. After some interesting small talk, and her patiently waiting for me to unload the truck, I asked her if she was going to the show. She didn't have a ticket but she'd like to go. I offered her a backstage pass and a seat (sitting on a road case next to me) on stage for the show. She gratefully accepted.

    She was standing at the load-in when the trucks rolled up.
    She was sniffing all around like a half-grown female pup.
    She wasn't hard to talk to, looked like she had nowhere to go.
    So I gave her a pass so she could get in to see the show.

    She hung on my every word that afternoon, watching my every move. She wanted to know everything about my job, how the monitors worked, what the mixing board did, everything. We were really hitting it off, she was attractive, intelligent, and she really seemed to like me! The show started, and she sat very close to me for the
    whole show. I got her one of our contractually mandated 144 Heinekens, which she gratefully accepted. I expertly mixed the monitors that night; half showing off for Julie, half hoping the band would notice this babe sitting at the board with me.

    Well I sat her down right next to me while I got her a beer.
    While I mixed that sound on the stage so the band could hear.

    At the end of the show she was asking questions like, "What are you doing after the show?" and "Where are you guys staying tonight?" I figured I was "in". About then the show ended and the band was filing past us, headed to the dressing room. She nudged me and asked for an introduction to Steve Smith, the drummer. nbsp; "Sure, hey Stevie, I'd like you to meet my friend Julie." "Hi Julie", Steve replied, "want to party with the band?" nbsp; "Sure, Let's go", her words struck deep into my heart like a serrated dagger. I never saw her again.

    The more I watched her watch them play, the less I could think of to say.
    And when they walked off stage, the drummer swept that girl away.
    {Chorus}
    Well I guess I might have known from the start, she'd come for a star.
    Might have told my imagination not to run too far.
    Of all the times that I've been burned, by now you'd think I'd have learned.
    That it's who you look like, not who you are.

    But Rosie you're alright - you wear my ring,
    when you hold me tight - Rosie that's my thing
    When you turn off the light - I've got to hand it to me
    Looks like its me and you again tonight, Rosie.

    So we went back to the hotel, just me and my constant right hand companion, Rosie.

    As humiliating as the whole incident was, the final insult came the next day at sound check. Steve (who was having a contest with Jamie to see which one of them could attain the highest "body count" during the tour), came up to me and said, "Hey Karl, I want to thank you for Julie last night." "With all the girls I've been with, she was THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD." "She was wild, hell, she was into things I can't even describe in the English language." "Thanks again buddy."

    I didn't eat any dinner that night, for some reason I had no appetite.

    By the way the Jackson Browne "Running On Empty" album was a great tribute to "The Road" and to his road crew. We heard after the tour he decided to take a long hiatus, and laid off the entire crew. So always remember, Karl's Road Rule #2 "Never work directly for a band."

    Rosie - copy; nbsp; Jackson Browne amp; Donald Miller - Recorded live at Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saratoga NY (All rights reserved) Jackson Browne is available on Electra Records

    This is a representative sample of the book "Roadie A True Story (at least the parts I remember)" and is the exclusive property of Karl Kuenning copy; 1998.



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  • June 1991 and a show for 3,000 people at a now defunct club in London. I was the drum tech for this now very famous band. The hall was filled far beyond capacity and the gig being shown live on TV across Europe. All is going well until during the sixth song I realise that the beater is coming out of the kick drum pedal. No problem, I crawl up behind the drum riser and the drummer realising what's happened stops using the pedal. I put a new mahogany beater in the pedal and start tightening it up. The drummer looks happy that a crisis has been averted. Unfortunately he was just a bit too happy. I had my left hand around the beater and just about to finish tightening when he unleashed the most violent stamp on the pedal. My fingers were crushed between the wooden pedal and metal click plate on the drumskin, breaking one finger and fracturing another. The pain was so intense that I reeled backwards and fell down a 4 foot high by 2 foot gap between the back of the stage and wall of the venue, breaking my collar bone and getting trapped. The drummer is in hysterics, not knowing that I'm injured and the band play on. It is not until one and a half songs later that the drummer realises that I may have a problem, as I haven't moved. The show is stopped but the live broadcast isn't. It took four people and alot of swearing to get me out of the hole and all along the cameras rolled. I was taken straight to hospital and strapped up and fully recovered from my injuries. The band got an award for the best Live music broadcast for that show and received a replica from the band all done up in bandages.
    Story 2
    In 1996 I was the stage manager for one of the UK's largest music festivals. I had nothing to do with booking the production and started to get worried when I realised I hadn't heard of the P.A. Company. I was assured that they were all professionals and that all would be fine. Our stage started at 9pm and all seemed to be going well. The patchman wasn't the fastest but seemed to be doing ok at 11pm we were 5 mins behind due to slow sound crew turn arounds and the next band being a dance out fit only needed a left and right out. I ask the patch man if he's ready for this turn around and he assures me he is. The turn around starts and all is in place within 5 minutes, thanks to rolling risers. I'm Smiling here we can make up the lost time. Don't ask me how but it took 90 minutes for the patchman to configure a left and right and have it coming out of both FOH and monitors. I am not pleased, I go to have a gentle word and as the patch man sees me approaching bursts into tears and runs away. He returns just before the next turn around with his boss in tow and it takes the boss man a further hour to sort out the mess the patchman has left behind. Only when the show had finished at 5am did the boss man explain to me what had happened. It transpires that the patchman had run all the way back to the hotel (over a mile away) and had woken his boss up in fits of tears. The boss had given him a little something to calm him down and had come and sorted out the mess. All the acts got to play and the audience didn't notice so I put it down experience. The next morning I was woken by the main organiser on my mobile phone asking me if if I would mind looking after the main stage during the day in light of the nights events. I made my way to the main stage, not looking my best at 9am, and worked along side the stage manager, a very well known industry professional, to get the stage ready for a midday opening. All was fine the weather was good and we had a good size audience for our opening band. 11.40 am and the stage manager asks the patchman (the same one as the night before) to check all the mikes. The patchman goes to monitor world to fetch the mikes and turns a funny shade of green. Slowly he comes back to the stage manager and explains that for safe keeping he had stored the mikes in his car over night and that his girlfriend had gone shopping with the key in her handbag. All hell breaks loose with the hapless patchman running around like a headless chicken. Runners were dispatched to scour the town looking for the girlfriend and the site radios bussed looking for any spare mikes on the site. Luckily we found enough spares to get the first band on with a very stripped down mike set up and managed to start an hour late. So the first bands on and all the crew gather to work out the plan for the rest of the bands until the girlfriend is found. As way of apology the patchman decides to offer round his cigarettes. As he pulls them out of his pocket he adopts his now rather familiar green colour as with his cigarette packet also came his car keys. His boss started screaming a litany that wouldn't even be publishable in even the hardest porn mag and the hapless patchman again cleaned hi face with tears. As an epilogue I would like to add that the patchman appeared in the backstage bar at Glastonbury this year and asked me if I could give him any work as things had been a bit slow for him in the past few years. The loudest thing at Glastonbury this year was the laughing in the backstage bar about 5 seconds later.
    Enjoy

    --Jimmy Proteus




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  • I was in the musical "Glory" and played the part of Dirty Jimmy, the bum who gets converted to Christianity during a Salvation Army service. It was opening night, and I wanted to make a good impression. Well the crew was supposed to release a stink bomb when I went on stage so the audience would "smell" my entrance. I thought it wasn't smelly enough, so I brought my own supply of stink perfume I had bought at a novelty shop. The bomb went off, and at the same time, I poured lots of stink perfume on the stage through a hole in my shabby overcoat pocket. We got the desired effect from the bomb, but then people started smelling the "perfume" too! It was a disaster! One woman in the play who was on stage at the time got so sick from the powerful smell, she threw up right then and there! Talk about realism! After the show, I was yelled at by the director for adding my own excitement to the scene. Plus the crew had to clean up the vomit supposedly without being seen. (It didn't work.) I had learned my lesson. The next performance I did everything as I was told, with no extras! (Funny that the crew didn't talk to me after opening night!)
    --Rosie Ladeau
    What are you thankful for???




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  • I was doing a show with a community theater group at my old high school before my summer stock job began. The show was "Damn Yankees." During the second act, there was a scene with some fog. On opening night, so much fog was used, it set the fire alarms off. Along with the screeching sirens, strobe lights went off through out the auditorium. I immediately ran out into the hallway, and saw the head custodian running toward me. I yelled at him to shut off the alarms as he told me police cars were arriving in the front of the building. I ran outside and explained to the officers what was going on. After calming them down, I heard on my headset that I was in a standby for some fly cues. While sprinting back to the theater, I noticed the fire trucks heading for the back of the building. After finishing my cues, I ran to the back of the building to greet the firemen. They wouldn't listen to my story, and insisted on checking out the stage. It was getting close to the end of the show, and I didn't want it to be interrupted. I was met at the backstage door by some more technicians, and we stalled the firemen long enough to finish the show. While the firemen were being stalled, a pyro actually started a small fire on stage! It was immediately extinguished, discretly, by an actor on stage. As the main rag came in to end the show, the firemen burst through the door to find nothing. Later, I was in the lobby talking with some friends who had seen the show. They said the patrons loved the strobe lights and sirens, and actually thought it was part of the show! A little fog, strobe lights, and sirens go a long way!



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  • I was working on a psychology convention in Miami Beach at the convention center. My co-worker and I were responsible for about 12 meeting rooms with various A/V equipment in each, slides, video, microphones, overhead projectors,etc. During our walk-through as the meetings began, I noticed 2 women struggling with an overhead projector, walking it around the stage to "focus" it. As I came to their rescue, I demonstrated how the fixed focal length worked by turning the acetate roll back to what I thought was the previous speaker's notes. To my (and everyone elses) surprise, it was a very juvenile drawing of a woman with ENORMOUS tits. Last thing I saw was my buddy high-tailing it out hte back door.



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  • We'd had a bad night on a production of with mikes being run over by heavy set (they had to be replaced during a scene change), a lighting board which kept crashing to blackout and actors who couldn't remember their lines. As the Stage manager I was having a hard time keeping my cool exterior especially after realising the preset for act two was wrong after just receiving clearance to start, and had almost given the okay for the house curtain to go out. All fixed, and act two on it's way I was not to be left in peace. We had hired a large police like siren, which would flash blue and red when turned on, it was plugged into a floor trap and could be operated through the lighting board. It was only used in one scene, and that scene was already far gone, yet in the middle of act two, in a completely stupid place it began to whine and flash. I nearly killed myself on the spot as I saw over the video feed that it was making the stage look like a disco in the middle of a garden setting. But one of my fabulous crew (who has since become my god) quickly and neatly pulled the plug on the thing without so much as a thought. That night was cursed, but the rest of the season went through without trouble!



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  • L. Richter
    I was working a show back in college, running the set crew for a series of one acts. It wasn,t a complicated show, but true to form we had one actor with a particularly swelled head. This show was his first experience on stage and he believed himself to be "God,s Gift To Theater!" It seemed like with every performance he became harder and harder to deal with. When his "suggestions" and "comments" began to pass over into the technical realm (of which he KNEW NOTHING) a plan was formulated to knock him off his high horse. As part of the show, he entered the stage through the frame of a mirror and began a song, his big number. So one night we covered the back of the mirror frame with selected picture from Hustler magazine. It completely threw him. The orchestra had to run his prelude 3 times before he was able to compose himself enough to sing. The humiliation was adequate. Needless to say, the pictures were removed before the director ever saw them and the message was passed along that he should forever after "Not fuck with the crew"



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  • David Stephensen
    Dear Backstage
    I am still laughing myself off the chair. I was just surfing for free tee-shirts under: What Would You Do For A Free Tee Shirt and found your site. Having performed for 3 decades and having more and more stage crew as various groups have hired me as a side man I have seen a lot of wierdness and truly appreciated the stories. I did a USO tour, performing the remote radar sites atop the Greek mountains so could identify with the one from Virgin Steele's roadie. Stranger than fiction, all of them. fan I am sending news of your site to all I know in the industry. I wear size "L" in the event you can spare one, if my story doesn't make the grade: I have performed with "local bands" all my life as a keyboardist--you know, the guy who always has the goofy footswitches that control the home-made lighting system--(everyone barf now). In fact, I maneuvered to join one group because they had the best lighting and special effects I had seen in Provo, Utah (wow!) and I mean, they even had a "fog" machine which consisted of a 50 gallon drum of heated water that had a contraption on top, a bin that we filled with crushed dry ice (which we lovingly crushed backstage before the gig). We were covering "Fire" by I think it was the Ohio Players, and as was our custom, we were to "fog" the stage during the bridge of this song, even had a "cherry" and a strobe light for added effect and, again, as the keyboard player, I was available, or elected, to handle the "oh so special" effects. At the appointed time I slid past the drum kit to stage left and slowly pulled out the trap door which held the crushed dry ice. Well, nothing was happening, and this was my big moment! I started slapping the side of the chute, still nothing, so I just pulled out the entire trap-door and karate kicked it from the side in a momentary lapse of reason. The ENTIRE chunk of dry ice exploded as it hit the super-heated water below--the lid blew off the top of the barrel with about half of the water drenching most of the band and half of the dance floor--oh yeah, and we had FOG too! The drummer, bless his heart, kept the beat going as long as he could until the smoke cleared and he saw me sitting on my ass, still dazed trying to figure out what hit me and he laughed himself to the floor.. The audience cheered and we all exploded in laughter. I learned what it means when they say: "Please don't try this at home" Ever since that day, I have left the special effects up to "trained professionals". I applaud you great people in the staging industry. I know understand why the guitarist was fined big bucks for reaching over and dimming the lights during that Las Vegas show because he was not a Lighting Tech.



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  • Arto Malian
    Hi,
    I run a light sound hire company in Cyprus, and a few years back, after returning from training in the USSR, I landed my first hire job with a major production house in the UK, to provide technical backup and to operate a simple lighting desk for a lingerie fashion show for corporate clients. The venue was the ball room of a large hotel, with half the area to be used for the catwalk, and the other area, which was completely partitioned off as the dressing rooms, and technicals area. Due to the nature of the show, the producers had decided that they didn't want any engineers in the hall, and that all control was to be done from the dressing rooms, with a couple of cameras hooked to monitors so that we could see the visual cues. During the set-up, as the rooms were not interconnecting, the cans were plugged into the FOH PA system, for testing etc. Everything was running smoothly, and a short while before the show, as the delegates had been seated, a dozzen "sex goddess" models walked into the changing room area to get strip and wear this really sexy underwear. (I can assure you it showed more than it covered) As we watched most of this "private showing" and commented through the cans about the various girls -who by now had started to tease us as well- by putting on a real show, one of the producers ran in, in a complete rage calling out "SHUT THE F***@ g THINGS OFF" ETC. As we were trying to understand what he meant, we noticed that in the monitors, a large number of the delegates were jeering, cheering and clapping - obviously asking for some action. The sound man had forgotted to switch the intercom out of the PA system!!



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  • Johnny C
    Hi,
    We had been on tour several weeks and we just arriwed to a small place for a "drive-thru" gigg on a small venue. The boss for the club was very excited to have the band there so he had get a bunch of humpers so he could sit down with the band & crew and have his own "big evening". We was told that the humpers was really good so after the gigg he said:- "let this guys tear down all your stuff & load the truck, let us all have some drinks"! , Ok,we was not in the mood to say no,so we had a really great time until one of the humpers was knocking on the door and ask us for "just a little help" about some lighting stuff. Me and one more crew went down to se what the problem was and find out that the guys was having problems with the sixbars, they had been loosing every bolt that hold the pars so we was looking at about 16 sixbars that the guys been trying to load the cases with! I cant really write down what we said to this guys, but they spend about 2 hours to replace the bolts again! (when we was checking the other cases we also find out that the been unplugging all the patchcabels in the dimmer to)!!



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  • Tom Dunphy
    Hello ,
    A few years ago I was working as a House Lighting Tech in a Canadian dance bar that featured live music ,special events and DJs . One such special event was a male dance show that performed two nights at the venue . The dancers used an on stage storage room as a dressing room and never left it once the audience entered the bar , except to perform on stage . The first night went fine . The second night I arrived at the gig early to pre-fog the room to provide a haze for my lighting . After filling the fogger with juice and setting the output level to low I went downstairs to the lower bar to talk to some staff . After some time had passed I went back upstairs to find the bar filled with smoke and a stench that was unbelievable , made worse by a hot August night besides . It turned out that the dancers had seen a half-filled fog juice container and thought it contained urine . So rather than walk through the audience , they used it as a portable urinal while never telling anyone different . In effect I filled the fogger with the dancers piss , which combined with the fans in the building , the heating element in the fogger and the heat of the night caused the most stomach turning smell you would ever want to experience . The gig was delayed for an hour to allow time to air out the bar . I guess you could say its not always the s**t that hits the fan but sometimes the piss also .


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  • Hi there. Here's a story for you.....
    A while ago I was working as lighting designer, master electrician, and carpenter on Chelsea High School's production of 'Pippin'. The show went pretty well, I used lots of instruments, lots of cool effects, and some pyro. The funny part lies in the only pyro I wasn't responsible for.
    In the opening number, one of the chorous members is to shoot a ball of flame across the stage. It's just a little mechanism with a battery, a glow plug, some flash cotton, and a wad of flash paper for a projectile. I don't know where they got it, but it was a neat gadget. This player would keep it on his waistband until it was time for the effect, then do a little sleight of hand to shoot the fire ball.

    Well, before the final dress rehearsal I was in the men's room, and just on my way to wash my hands as the chorous member in question entered. "Hi Isaac, how's everything going?" "Oh, pretty good, how about you."
    We chatted for a minute as I washed my hands and he did his business. I said goodbye, and as I was walking out the door and he was bending over to wash his hands I heard this "FOOOMP". I turned around and poor Isaac was hopping about with the strangest expression on his face. The poor fellow had triggered the ball of flash paper down his sweat pants. It gave him a good scare, and after I discovered that it didn't burn him, it took me quite a while to stop laughing.
    -Aaron Sporer




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  • I remember when my highschool was preforming a one act at districts. It was to be judged to see if it was worthy to go to state competitions.
    Dan, my technical director, Kevin, my lighting guy, and I, the sound girl, were up in the booth running the show. Everything was going fine.

    The one act was the The Ballad Soprano and it was boring the daylights out of the three of us. So kevin leans out the window of the booth to see if the audience has fallen asleep yet.
    Just as he leans out he looses his footing, slips, his arm gets tangled in the cord that plugs in the lighting board and snap! The cord comes unplugged, the stage goes black. I have never heard my tech director Dan curse before but in that 30 seconds I heard every phrase he could invent.
    It took ten minutes to get the up and runng again. The best part of this story is the next day when we got the results of the judging the judges stated " I like the effect of the blackout it made the scene more intense and interesting. " We took that show to state.

    From Mr David C Darby


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  • Hi,
    I'm the live sound engineer for Virgin Steele, one of the arguably more influential Metal bands from New York. In the fall of 1997 we were touring the European continent promoting the re-release of one one of Virgin Steele's previous albums with the addition of some new bonus tracks (oooo....ahhhh). On this tour we traveled to many countries that Virgin Steele had never visited before, and Greece was one of them. Our ten hour boat ride from Italy to Greece on the Adriatic Sea was a picturesque and much needed rest for most of us, and we enjoyed ourselves in the customary rock-n-roll way; we emptied the bar.
    When we arrived in Greece the bus driver pulled our now well lived in (whew) Nightliner out of the ferry and we were on our way to Thesslonecki (Excuse the misspelling; it's all Greek to me! hehe) on the east side of Northern Greece. Unfortunately, we were on the west coast. If you know any thing about northern Greece, it is a very mountainous region. Traveling here, I had many lapses of near terror as the driver navigated our nightliner thru narrow roads over looking thousand meter high cliffs, avoiding herds of sheep and crossing high bridges that barely allowed the passage of a bus this large not excluding the trailer attached to its rear. This geography was the most dynamic I have ever experienced and the roads were..well... barely sufficient. This onslaught of panic went on for a torturous 10 hours. Dangerous turns, smoking clutches on the bus, and the driver yelling "SHIT!!!" in German on a down hill run, for more than enough times as I felt nesassary or, for that matter, was comfortable with. And we had a show to do, that night. When we arrived at our final destination, I was mentally drained and exausted, not to mention hungover. Then ... for the first time in history, we met our Greek fans...
    When we arrived at the venue, about 2 hours before showtime no less (that's another story) , we found that the venue was surrounded by hundreds of fans, in the streets around the venue, waiting for our arrival. In their zeal and excitement they proceeded to "attack" the bus with adoration. Magic Markers broke out and they began to leave their marks all over the bus. They began pounding on the windows screaming the names of the band members as if they were calling to their "gods". Security was non-existent. I was elected to do the "recon mission" of the venue. I still don't know why I agreed to take this obviously dangerous mission. I'm just a soundman!
    Now keep in mind, I am not a large imposing fiqure. On the contrary, I am only five foot, ten inches high, short red hair and I look some what studious and completely non-threatening (from the comparison to the Metal norm). The door of the bus opened, and being quickly yanked from the bus, I was greeted by an exsuberant crowd of kids and adults with Virgin Steele albums and pens, accompanied by yells of adulation and excitement. The noise was deafening to me. They tore at me, pulled me around for what seemed like many minutes. I was in the middle of total, joyous chaos. (In retrospect I can understand this crowds excitement. These guys in the bus were their hereos, and they had never come to Greece before in their 15 year history. And to make things worse, the fans thought we weren't comming, being so tardy.) I was comepletly exausted from our fearful journey through the horrible but majestic mountain ranges and not in my usually calm and happy attitude. In my fear and frustration, I in reflex produced a mighty sound ... GRUNT!! I was amazed at how loud this noise came forth from my mouth! I was equally shocked by the sudden, almost total silence that followed. This mob fell completely quiet! As a group, they were looking at me with a look of confusion and apparent fear. Hmmm.....curious! There was absolute silence from this crowd of hundreds of fans. The crowd then parted, without a word spoken, leaving a corridor of bodies leading to the side door of the venue, as if I was Moses standing beside the shores of the Red Sea. It seemed almost biblical!

    I rearranged my disheveled clothing, regained my cool, threw my head back in a defiant gesture and marched promptly through this strangely silent crowd into the side door of the venue. Before entering the venue door, I happened to look back at the bus. I noticed its occupants, band members and tour manager alike, their features of their faces fattened pressed against the glass windows, looking at me in that same strange expression the fans also sported. I laughed out loud, turned and entered the venue. The scene was utterly surreal!!

    To this day, I have no idea as to how this mob scene became so suddenly silent and civil. What collective conciousness existed among this horde of adoring, nearly rabid fans? My shear presence invoked silence and quiet murmurs for the rest of the night, wherever I went. My question is this...Were the ancient Greek gods known to grunt loudly from atop Mount Olympus? Hmmm ... I wonder.....

    John LeVasseur
    JRL Audio Consultants
    New York




    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ... Greek gods known exactly how to grunt loudly from atop Mount Olympus
    Send your adress and your T-shirt is on the mail!

  • From Horace Reyneali This story begins in Richmond, VA, USA. A band by the name of "PCP ROADBLOCK" is about to play. The hardly filled converted movie theatre has a strange odor and a strange ambient feel. The sharpvision projection TV is displaying "akira", by katsuhiro Otomo.. The crowd seems disinterested in anything but the walls and the open back door, as they watch the cops who have come as from calls for too much noice and an abundance of bottles being broken in the back areas. The band begins to play, bassist, guitarist, and drummer. The guitar hits.. clangourous and piercing.. chirping mechanical dissonant creaks and yelps. the bassist exhumes the dead with explosion after explosion and the drummer keeps a cool collected demeanor as he doublechecks all of the placements. Through the roar of the noise comes a rumble.. A deep throbbing, repetetive shotgun blast.. The back door opens with a flood of headlight as the rumble localized to the singer rising into the small theatre on his kawasaki motorcycle. He circles the front area, gunning the motor and rides threough the hallways to the front of the building and disappears, leaving only echoes and shadows.. The light re-appears as people get out of his way.. He parks the bike in front of the stage and steps up.. He takes off the helmet and the show begins. The noise converges together as the singer's eyes dialate and focus on the crowd.. as the beat takes over. The singer seems to still be riding a pounding machine, as he gyrates and animates to the extreme music.. His voice is ready to enter into the battlefield, as to mark the beginning of the battle. His eyes become white and his body a blur and he impodes and falls to the breaking beat.. his vocal cords buckle under the pressure and the microphone is abused for its being in proximity to the performance. The crowd watches... some bearing grins, some simply watching. Some rocking, some dancing. Two people dance intensely and jump and fall with the players.. One does handstands, flat falls, and non-stop running. He dances around people, getting close, but not touching...and jerks, like a flesh machine. never missing a thump, allowing his body to live and die with each measure. The band moves forward, never losing pace.. The guitarist faces the cabinet and grinds the head of the guitar into the cone and makes the whole theatre wail as the guitarist climbs the cabinets nearest to the drummer and pulls all of his clothes off, while bursting a move break-dancing style. He grinds his hips into the air and his face contorts.. The music ends and the noise begins again. The engine roars until it breaks down and seizes.. The band is done and the theatre is filled with exhaust from the motorcycle, smoke, and resonant energy. The band is congratulated as they dismantle the equipment. As the band leaves, people stay to witness yet another group of 4 crucify themselves.. the cycle goes on as long as the soul is contained in the human form..
    Horace Reyneali



    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ... This should make the little extra for Barry (Manilow)
    Send your adress and your T-shirt is on the mail!

  • Dave Costa
    A touring story....
    I have a touring story for you...How I ended up working as a roadie
    quite by accident. I was visiting a friend in Farmville, Virgina here
    in the US. He had bought tickets to a Bangles concert taking place at
    Longwood College nearby. We went to the show, and a fellow walked up
    and asked me for a cigarette. I gave him the rest of my open package
    and commented on his T-shirt, which had the name of a drum company on
    it. He asked me if I played drums, and since I do, I nodded. He then
    asked if I'd like to help him set up. It turned out he was the drum
    tech for the group! I said sure, and asked if I could bring my friend
    along. Soon we were both hauling cable, setting things in place and
    having a great time. After the show, we again helped with the load-out.
    The road manager asked us who we were, and Joe, the drum tech explained
    how we got there. Well, Steve, the manager, thanked us and said if we
    were anywhere near a show on the tour, that we could have backstage
    passes for it. I said that I lived in the northern part of Virginia,
    and he said that was where the next show was, and for me to show up.
    I took him at his word, and sure enough, there was a backstage pass
    waiting for me. I went back and got to work right away, and after the
    show, I had a pleasant surprise waiting for me - It seems that I knew
    enough about the equipment and how to do a lot of the setup breakdown,
    and the rest of the crew liked me a lot, so I was offered a job! I
    accepted, and for the next three years I was touring with The Bangles,
    who also turned out to be four of the nicest people I could ever imagine
    meeting...

    I am now a simple musician with a day job, but I miss the road and the
    backstage life...finding your site was kind of like going home for me!

    Dave Costa




    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ... Mr.simple musician!,Such a nice story,will get you a nice T-shirt.
    Your T-shirt is on way!

  • Christopher Buttner- Technomad Inc
    The Beijing PALA 96 Report
    Just got back from the PALA (Pro - kinda´ a contradiction - Audio Light Asia) Expo held in Beijing.. as in China. Here´s my slant on it.... Interesting show, interesting country. It was the loudest trade show in recorded history... without a doubt. Standing "ambient" dB sound level, 120 dB ( 3 dB)... no kidding. Keep in mind, small animals start to die at 120 dB. Humans only begin to experience pain at this sound level. Even with my 35 dB-cut Good Year rubber ear plugs in (they were in so deep I believe they actually touched behind my eyes), it sounded like a 200 car pile-up on the autobahn... with a Judas Priest heavy metal soundtrack in THX surround sound, to boot.
    The show was held in an interesting "exhibition hall" that was built sometime during the 1950's. The building itself was a gift to China by the Soviet government. How kind. Very stark and depressing Cold War era-esque architecture. It is a very interesting contrast to see all of these wild Rockstar posters, instruments, lights, speakers and related "Rock n Roll" people and gizmos buzzing about under huge, outdated Soviet Hammer and Sickle and Soviet Star emblems! How times change. Mao,s rolling in his grave, for sure. Lenin, Stalin and Marx (Chico, Harpo, Groucho and Karl), probably never foresaw such a use for this facility. Tractor expos, sure... but, Rock n Roll? Nyet!
    On day three, a no-name, oriental "clone" lighting company (Martin, High End, Clay-Paky rip-off cheapo stuff, etc., etc.,) had their entire display go up in flames! No kidding. A light cannon laser photon taser - or whatever those high intensity, intelligent, computer controlled, spotlight things are called, I´m in the audio industry... ya´ can tell, right? - was too close to the huge drapes of the display and "POOF!"... flames.
    Q - How many soundmen does it take to screw in a light bulb?
    A - Hey! F---You, man. I just do sound!
    The next thing ya´ know, window drapes hanging nearby go up in flames, as well. Keep in mind, this is a cheapo Communist building making use of the finest 100% REAL lead paint on the walls and ceiling and many other of the finest toxic building materials the downtrodden people of China and the then USSR purchased with their sweat, blood and souls. Mix all of these highly flammable materials with actual... flames and..... you got the rest, I,m sure. What do the authorities do as the building fills with smoke? They act quickly before anyone can steal anything and completely seal the building AND THEN decide about an hour later to postpone the show and let everyone trapped in the building out!
    Ya´ know...? I don´t see anybody leaving the USA in boats for China! Now, how is dat?
    Luckily, I was already wandering around across the street from the "convention center" looking for great clothing deals, Pandas and other photo-ops when I noticed the smoke at about 12:30 in the afternoon. Oh, well, I thought, my laptop is still in there, but I´m insured and I need a new one anyway.... About an hour or so later... the show was called off for the rest of day by the quick thinking authorities and I was able to recover my trusty, coal-burning Mac Duo 230 to document this event on the 18 hour plane trip home to the USA... where those good ole´ USA, pain-in-the-butt trade show Electrical Unions really do have a valid point when they charge me a reasonable $150.00 to plug in a simple reading light at the Southern California NAMM Expo each year.
    Needless to say, it seemed like it took a considerable amount of time to get the fire under control. When the firemen arrived - about 8 to 10 fire trucks in all, according to my recollections - they could not get the hydrants on the fire-side of the building to dispense ANY water. Hmmmm.... THAT problem would hamper the extinguishing of ANY fire. Even I know that... and ´I is a College Studunt´.
    A pumper truck was dispatched to the front of the building to pump water from the fountain through one exhibition hall into the hall that contained the fire. Another "fire teamo/oo and truck was dispatched down the block to where the hydrant water main was located. These half a dozen firemen a block away were pulling up manhole covers, trying to locate the hydrant water main and open it so.... water could get to the fire hydrants near the building! I am sure you,ve heard of the tired, old cliché expression where total chaos is often described as looking like a "Chinese Fire Drill?"
    Ya´ know what? I actually have COLOR photos of a real life Chinese Fire Drill!
    Anyway... back to the Shangri-La Hotel to drink with all of those wacky British and Danish nationals from Numark, Martin Lighting and World Discotheque Review Magazine. Yea, I know... "Drinking" and "wacky British and Danish nationals from Numark, Martin Lighting and WDR Magazine"... IT IS redundant....
    The Martin Lighting guys seemed oddly happy at cocktail hour that afternoon, evening, late evening, early a.m. at the Beijing Hard Rock Cafe, at breakfast and throughout the remainder of the exposition... they´re probably still pretty friggin´ happy if you asked them how they felt about the whole situation... ´It happened to a MARTIN rip-off company? Tsk, tsk, tsk....", was heard chortled through many a Tsing Tao beer that day and night.
    Ummm... yea... besides that I remember selling a few Technomad loudspeakers... Then I had to go home. The End.
    Christopher.




    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ... It will be interesting what you think of Italy (Riminishow)??.
    Your T-shirt is on way!

  • Arto Malian-V.H.Malian Associates Ltd.
    I run a light & sound hire company in Cyprus, and a few years back,
    afterreturning from training in the USSR, I landed my first hire job with a
    major production house in the UK, to provide technical backup and to
    operate a simple lighting desk for a lingerie fashion show for corporate clients.

    The venue was the ball room of a large hotel, with half the area to be
    used for the catwalk, and the other area, which was completely
    partitioned off as the dressing rooms, and technicals area.

    Due to the nature of the show, the producers had decided that they
    didn't want any engineers in the hall, and that all control was to be
    done from the dressing rooms, with a couple of cameras hooked to
    monitors so that we could see the visual cues.

    During the set-up, as the rooms were not interconnecting, the cans were
    plugged into the FOH PA system, for testing etc.
    Everything was running smoothly, and a short while before the show, as
    the delegates had been seated, a dozzen "sex goddess" models walked into
    the changing room area to get strip and wear this
    really sexy underwear.
    (I can assure you it showed more than it covered)

    As we watched most of this "private showing" and commented through the
    cans about the various girls -who by now had started to tease us as
    well-
    by putting on a real show, one of the producers ran in, in a complete
    rage calling out "SHUT THE F***@ g THINGS OFF" ETC.
    As we were trying to understand what he meant, we noticed that in the
    monitors, a large number of the delegates were jeering, cheering and
    clapping - obviously asking for some action.

    The sound man had forgotted to switch the intercom out of the PA
    system!!


    Arto Malian.




    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ...Peeping thru headset is a hidden joy! Why don`t try to start a career as referee for sexy underwears on FM radio...??.
    Your T-shirt is on way!

  • Send by Michael M..
    We were doing an industrial in Hawaii for a large insurance company. After week of boring meetings we were all looking forward to the final night banquet. The entertainment consisted of a hypnotist followed by Harry Blackstones magic show. Then we ran a 'happy face' slide module which ended in a complicated set of cues which brought on the (top name) dance band. This segue included a curtain drop, lasers, other lighting and sound cues, and video switching for 3 camera I-mag. We named it the "Go Everything" cue.


    Well the show went perfect, ( I won't get into the waiter knocking over a drape wall ten minutes before doors, thats another story). The hypnotist and the magician were good and the slide show was perfect (attendees love those things) and then the Go Everything cue. The room seemed to explode with sound and light. The attendees rushed the dance floor, our handheld camera was right in the middle of it giving us killer MTV angles. The cue had delivered the intended effect. As the TD and myself were doing a high five we noticed that the people had stopped dancing for some reason, then the band stopped. Over the clear-com everyone was asking 'whats happening, what has happened!!!' Then the hand-held gave us the answer sending us live video of the president of the company having a heart attack (he lived) in the middle of the dance floor. It seems the Go Everything cue had worked too well.

    Needless to say that this event was a show stopper, as the TD shook his head in disbelief he uttered the now famous second to last cue of any show "Stand-by Home"...
    Aloha from Hawaii
    Michael M.




    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ...Good cues can make it out,and of course "the show must go on"....
    Your T-shirt is on the as soon you send your postal adress!

  • Send by Dobey.
    Rappel without gloves!
    I was hanging some lights under the acoustical "clouds" in Pekin High School's F.M. Peterson theater, when the director of the program walked in and wanted to speak with the theater manager.
    Well he had left for a few minutes so the only people there were me and two members of his crew. I asked he what she needed and she said that she wanted to know about my plans for her show.
    Well I was hanging about 10 feet under a 60 foot high cloud. I was too far down to pull myself back up to the cloud so I decided I could just rappel down to her. Yeah right, seeing that I wasn't wearing gloves, I took the towels that I was going to use to keep the clouds from being scratched and started down the rope.
    After I got about 10 feet down, I let go of the towels because I couldn't control myself well enough. Just about half of the way down, the rope really began to dig into my hand so I let go and fell about 15 to 20 feet into the seating.
    The director seemed more concerned about the seats than me. Well that was fine because I was laughing so hard I didn't notice how bad my hands were burnt. After talking to her for several painful minutes, I went to the nurses office, got a few Band-Aids, then went back up an finished hanging my lights.
    My hands quickly became useless, and it took me about twice as long as it would have had I not been stupid!!
    Of course having a crew of high school kids didn't exactly help either.
    The moral of the story is never rappel without gloves.



    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ...Really good crew always has to have "hot hands" or... ???

  • Send by Dan K.
    My first short tour!
    In the beginning of my career as a dimmer man and rigger ,I was suppose to have to be a little "macho" to fit with the guys (I did not know anyone)
    around me to be accepted as a real roadie. So when I get out on the first tour we was sitting in the nightrider and everyone was having a beer and talking about
    "the big tours" the been around with. I was sitting (looking cool),and drinking one,two and three beers.Still sitting and listening on them ,someone
    took up the real "Rock&Roll whiskey" JD and offering everyone an drink. After more than 5 beers and a couple of whiskey ,one of the guys take notice
    about me and ask me what I been doing around touring...(ooopps!), -Me?..well,hmm. I said and standing up for the first time on 4 hours, - well I
    been doing some..litth,litthhle.....(at this time the alcohol was about to enter my brain like a hammer) , I dont remember by myself but one of the guys
    told me that when I was falling down at the table,and broke my nose on the head on the crew chief, and they had to stop the bus and drag me out to get
    some fresh air , and try to get some sort of response that I was alive, and try to clean up the blood from my nose on everyones clothes,
    the driver had to go to nearest hospital, so they left me there and the nurses had to taking care of me (drunk as dead). The tour takes off without me (they get an another dimmerman) ,
    and after 1 week I get a short message: "Soon in town, come for a drink"
    I can tell that my drinking now is more normal!
    Dan


    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ...Drinking has always been a funny thing,and with more it has to be more funny ???Your T-shirt is on the
    way!

  • Send by Wayne
    About 4 months ago I was asked to run sound for a local theatre company's production of Guys and Dolls which was held at some
    community college theatre. Because there were no Clear Com sys- tem installed, and no cheapy Radio Shack headsets, we couldn't
    communicate with the back stage crew to give cues, etc so the technical director of the show asked me to wire up some sort of
    two-way communications device using the sound system the theatre had--so, no problem, I used 6 sound channels (SR,SL dressing
    rooms, and back stage manager's console... 2 channels for each end, one for sending and one for receive)... Everything was cool--
    we could hear everything the actor's said and they didn't even know about it.

    On closing night, we thought we would humor the cast and back stage manager by making stange noises during important scene
    changes to see if they would mess anything up--well they didn't so we were trying to figure out a way to get them to screw some-
    thing up.. So about twenty minutes later we had this guy fart into our mic--it was the most disgusting thing ever, I didn't
    think it was possible to release gas from your body that long. Naturally, we started busting up, not paying attention to what
    was going on--once we stopped, we looked up.. everyone was quiet and the entire house was looking back at the booth...
    Apparently, the SM had set his script on the sound board because he spilled a big gulp on his desk and activated the House
    Left/Right sound channel. Talk about embarassing, and of course guess who got blamed for it?... yours truly, the sound technician.

    I have to admit though it was pretty damn funny--we laughed about it for the next week following the show! I bet the
    audience had never heard a fart in a 6 channel surround sound system before!!
    Wayne


    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ...Farting has always to be a funny thing,and with more volume it has to be more funny!!Your T-shirt is on the
    way!
    ( PS. Why farting into a WalkiTalkie???,we use mostly just talking in it)

  • Send by Ron Angel
    my brother who was on the commitie of a local political group told me that just before their meetings somebody dissconected the pa systems
    so all exit doors were watched & an hour or so before the meet I went around & reconnected all the wires ect. the meeting was to take place in
    a small theatre. the sound control room was backstage I was testing the sound thinking the place was empty saying unprinable things like mary
    had a little lamb she also had a bear (bare) I often see marys lamb but never see her bear (that was a nice one) & can you hear me you ... at
    the back ect. When I came out on stage to plug in mikes for meeting the place was full up with people average age 60-70 years old with
    older looking wives the men wearing dark bussiness suits. I think they were all retired bank managers & accoutatints lawyers ect not
    known in england for their humeor! They all sat poe faced & competely silent glareing at the stage. at the rear my brother & friends were
    rolling on the floor with laughter. I left by the nearest fire exit!
    regards Ron


    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ...Always remember to choose good old tunes when singing!!! Your T-shirt is on the way!
    ( Try out something
    with Sex pistols next time!!!!)

  • Steven L. Williams
    I have worked in several educational institutions and on many touring gigs, but on imparticular comes to mind.
    We were working a load-in, which, because of a very young tour crew was way behind schedule. Seven hours into the load-in, tempers began
    to fly. Everyone was on edge. I took it upon myself to relieve the stress level in the room.

    I had been working backstage nailing some truss units together with a neumatic nailer. I was walking across stage during a sound check and
    "accidentaly tripped" and nailed my foot to the floor. I then (with a howl of pain) began to flail my arms and pivot around in a circle around the foot that was pined to the floor.

    The few that knew me on the crew were on their backs laughing and so were the rest of the crew once they found out that this trick relied
    on my artificial leg.
    Sometimes a simple gag is all it takes to make a bad load-in worth while.



    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ...Trussing can be dangerous!!! Your T-shirt is on the way!
    ( Whats wrong with a foot
    nailed to a floor??!!!!)


  • From Dave the Crew
    "On a tour when I was the "mic-man" on stage, working under a guy called "swamhead" (a really boring guy).
    I was to hold the wireless mic for one of the "Great guys" on this event,but...it took some time and I was waiting and waiting
    ...so I was getting really hungry, and the sandwich that I took from the backstage catering tent was looking really good!
    I was on that moment so hungry, that I took the sandwich in one piece, and after 5 minutes of "still waiting" I feel
    that "garlic nuclear sandwich" was trying to pressing out some air out of me, so I "burp" as a whale and forget the
    michrophone in my right hand !!! (the direction of the air running out of me was ,of course to the right of me!)
    ........When I handover the mic, the "great guy" run out on the stage and said:- Hellooo Out there!!!... Tonight we have on stage the STR.......(sniff).....(sniff)....OUYYEREEEECHHH!!!! .... (he nearly throw up!).
    Green in his face he step out of the stage and begging for another mic, and I was try to look as nobody.....
    I put up a another mic for him ,and just when I handled it to him.......I "burped" him right into his face!!!!!
    After 10 minutes the stagemanager had a new guy out into the stage because,
    the first one was laying down on a table backstage for several minutes......


    ..Well....! As we on BackstageWorld says: ...The show must go on,even on a "Smelly" mistake like this!!! Your T-shirt is on the way!
    ( Please try to eat at least 2 days
    before your next gig!!!!)


    From Alan Ross
    "My most memorable concert moment was when I saw Mr.Big open for RUSH in 1989 at the Omni in Atlanta,GA.
    The lead guitarist for Mr.Big attempted a feat only mastered by Eddy Van Halen. He began to play his guitar with a cordless drill
    causing some very interesting effects. As he continued his "feedback" ,he turned and walked off the stage,and the bass player entered for a solo.
    The bass player kept looking off stage as something was wrong ,
    and upon further observations we saw a stage hand with a pair off scissors cutting the guitarist hair out of the drill bit!!!
    ........RUSH, thankfully made up for the bizzare,unstaged act by putting on their best show yet!


    ..Poor guy! As we on BackstageWorld says: ...The show must go on,even on a "hairy" mistake like this!!! Your T-shirt is on the way!


  • From: Pontus "Bullen" Lagerbielke (the King)

    "So it was this famous Swedish Monitor Tech. that was on his first tour (in the summer of 1987 I think). Or actually he was just hanging out.
    But anyway, He was ask to take a walkie-talkie to the F.O.H. tech. So he took the radio and saw some girls sitting by the barricade,
    He thinks: I better impress these girls so they think I am a real Rock and Roll Roadie. So he tries to jump over the barricade BUT he forgets one leg!!
    Since sitting on a barricade with one leg on either side not is that nice, he falls of (with a lot of pain in you no where and a voice like the Bee-Gees!!) and gets the antenna on the radio in his eye.

    If that not a loser i dont no what is!! "

    ......Thats nice! People thats plays "Macho" is always funny! (we on Backstage World has always thougt that "Mr X" has a good eye for girls!!! (at least one!!!)
    Your XXXL T-shirt is now on construction on "Big Image AB" !

  • From : Seth Wallace

    "I was working in a show in Maui for A/V Kauai,at a certain high priced resort for certain convention of cellular service provider sales execs.
    The show entailed lots of robotic lighting,and the theme was "TOP GUN" so we were going to use a lot of smoke (and a lot of full volume F-14 flybys through the Meyers). The fire marshal in Maui is a direct descendent of Ebeneezer Scrooge, only without his sense of humor. A kind and helpful hotel engineer offered to bypass the smoke detectors in the ballroom,since it was illegal for the installer to tell us how to do it,and unthinkable for him to do it himself....for less than 500 bucks!! So the engineer preformed his surgery or wahtever he did,and we tested some smoke with no problem. The next day,(it was a morning show) we smoked the room untill nobody knew wich way to turn,blasted jet noises through the audio system,and sat through two hours of boring sales awards. When the session broke at noon,there was a little warparty of pissed off hotel execs and other self important officials waiting to speak at me. It seems the engineer had bypassed the siren circuits in the ballroom rather than the detector circuits,and the alarms had indeed gone off,all over the hotel.
    Elevators locked up,sirens wailing,confused rich guests everywhere,the fire department autodialed. Of course we were blissfully unaware of this because the nice engineer had kindly bypassed the sirens in the ballroom. Being the new hotel it was,nothing could be shut off untill the smoke cleared which in a ballroom with closed doors can take a while.
    I found it too funny to maintain my composure which further infuriated the lynch mob in front of me. I can image the calls to the front desk....." - I paid 400$ for this room and the elevators dont work??". Some people have no sense of humor,even on vacation.
    Seth Wallace.


    ......Nice story Seth! Its all over the world some "engineers" that is nice guys,and will help you with any kind of problems,but can proberly put you in deep shit with a smile!,so look out....And your T-shirt is on the way and soon your favorite!




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