Doppler, A Roadies View

Reflecting

Tomorrow is my birthday. Yes, I am Gemini and well……..who cares. Is a midlife crisis setting in? I don’t think so, I’m only 44, yet on most day’s I feel 34, I think.

I was looking around Myspace, yea I know it’s a bit lame. The best thing about it is that I have found people that I knew many years ago and had lost touch with.

You see there are two parts to my adult life so far. There was the period in the early 80’s when I worked as a radio disc jockey, partied and slept around. Hey it was my early 20’s and I was having a good time. Much have that period of my life is a bit hazy. I still don’t remember the names of some of the women I “spent time” with. There were so many faces and so little gray matter to remember names.

The two things that came out of the period were the music contacts I made back then and the fact that I didn’t catch any diseases.

Now there is the second part of my adult life. I still drank for a period of time when I started touring full time during my late 20’s. I stopped right around the time I turned 30. Ever since then I have been sober and more aware of my world.

During this time I have traveled to a lot of places, done a lot of shows and worked with a lot of bands. I could probably write a book on my travels and I might some day. Of course most “roadies” could write a book especially if you have been on the road as long as I have.

My personal life has been good and bad like most people. The one thing I regret was not being around when my dad passed away. He was sick when I left for the tour but that was nearly a month before. He told me to go, he was always supportive of my job choice. He knew I was doing something I enjoyed. I ended leaving the tour for a few days to attend his funeral. He was only 57.

I had a tour manager that I worked for many years ago tell me “don’t be on the road into your 40’s”. At the time I thought he was probably right. Who wants to be doing this when you are middle aged?

Well now that I’m at that point in time I think he might have been wrong to some degree. Sure the travel can get to you, but the job can still be fun. There is nothing like doing a concert and having that rush. Besides the pay is still pretty good and I don’t have to punch a clock.

Plus the majority of my friends are roadies and musicians. There is a common thread that binds us and it’s a lifestyle that only people in our business really understand.

It is really a business these days especially for crew guys. We manage our money very carefully at least us old road dogs. Owning homes, buying stocks, investing are more important than drugs. Sure we still like to have a good time “wink wink” but we have it under control.

Labels: Money, Roadies, Touring

posted by Doppler at 4:03 PM