The road and another year gone...
It's a very cold and snowy day today. I decided to log onto my blog, which I realized today I never seem to post to anymore. I guess it happens. I find myself on Twitter and unfortunately Facebook. Also there are a few industry blogs and forums that I like to frequent.
Time seems to go by quicker each year. 2013 found me still touring, though not as much as the previous few. The guys in YES have been keeping me busy and 2014 is gearing up to be more so than 2013.
The music business is shifting on so many levels. Bands are making very little money selling their music. So touring is a means to make some real money and if they are lucky a living. The bean counters have really stuck there noses into the industry. Managers, accountants and even the bands themselves are cutting back on salaries offers. They are also pushing to cut back on the amount of people they hire and ask the ones they do to wear more than one hat.
This multi hat issue is not new. It has been going on with the younger and up incoming artists for some time. The problem is established and more well known bands are doing it more and more. For example they want the same person to do sound and road manage. Or they want someone to set up the band gear and handle the merchandise. Yet they only want to pay them the equivalent of one job or even less.
What this is leading to is the quality of work is suffering. Also I believe it will lead to safety issues as well.
As a fan it will effect you to a point. The quality of the product will go down. Say if you have an young inexperienced sound person mixing your favorite band and it sounds bad, you a not getting what you paid for. This will come back on the artist because "you" the fan may not be willing to pay your hard earned money to see them the next time around.
Labels: 2014, Band, Canada, North America, Progressive, Road, roadie, Roadies, Salary, Snow, Tour, Tours, Travel, YES
2013 is underway
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| ASIA Lighting Rig Japan 2012 |
Is it really a month into 2013 already? Wow time seems to be flying by. 2012 was a fairly busy touring year which was good for the bank account. I spent most of the year touring with the band
YES. We did a North American tour which included the US, a couple Canadian shows and a show in Mexico City. We also did a tour of the far east which included Japan, Australia and Indonesia. Things wrapped up at the end of the summer.
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| Mount Fuji |
In September I was asked to work with the guys from
ASIA which of course includes Steve Howe and Geoff Downes from YES. It was ASIA's 30 anniversary tour. This time we started in Japan and then did a North American tour. The tour wrapped up at the end of November.
It was then announced that Steve Howe would be leaving ASIA to concentrate on solo work and of course the band YES.
Speaking of
YES. The band will be hitting the road at the end of February for another North American tour. They will be performing three of their classic albums in their entirety. Also there will be a five day
cruise during the middle of it, that will feature several progressive rock bands along with YES headlining.
After this tour we should be heading to South America in May. After that there is talk of a summer tour but where we haven't been told yet.
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| part of the kitchen remodel |
Since I have been home for the holidays I have worked a few local shows, but mainly I have spent this past month remodeling my kitchen. I hired a contractor to do 75% of the work. I designed the kitchen and did most of the demo and all of the painting. I was very fortunate that it came in at what I had budgeted. I have a home improvement line of credit which I have been using over the past year to make improvements to the house.
It's tough doing anything around your house when you spend more time away from it than you do in it.
I will be working this year just pay for most of these improvements but in the end it will be worth it.
Labels: 2012, 2013, ASIA, Canada, Lighting, Mexico, North America, Photos, Road, roadie, Roadies, South America, Toronto, Tour, Touring, Tours, YES
Oh Canada!
Two weeks have gone by rather quickly. Thousands of miles under our belts and several live concerts and a couple acoustic performances we are back in Toronto and getting ready to do a live show on Much Music. The show will be live Monday at 8pm and the guys will be performing 5 songs.
We flew in from Phoenix last night just as a major snow storm was hitting the area.
This morning I woke up to about a foot of snow and ventured over to the television studio. We set up the backline and the guys came in to sound check.
Tomorrow afternoon we will run through a rehearsal and the show will do the camera blocking. The guys will also be doing a couple of interviews.
So this evening I am spending time in my hotel suite trying to stay warm and get some sleep. I will be heading home on tuesday for the holidays. The real stress begins since I have done no Christmas shopping. This is unusual for me since I generally have it done by now. Get ready for a lot of gift cards my friends.
Labels: Canada, Christmas, Finger Eleven, Holidays, Snow, Touring
Happy Thanksgiving and chill time
I have some time off again, some where around 10 days I guess.
We spent the last weekend in Florida playing radio festivals. They went well for the most part especially when the band had no sound checks. All of the shows featured Breaking Benjamin, Seether and Drowning Pool along with various other acts. All of the bands know each other and have toured together in the past, so it is like a family reunion.
It was actually pretty cold for the show on Friday somewhere in the mid 40's when the guys hit the stage. For me my fingers cramped up a bit from it.
I had a chance to see the some of the guys who used to be in the band Cold. I toured with them in 2003 and they are how I first met Finger Eleven. A lot has changed in four years.
I also had a chance to see another old friend Joe Comeau. He is a singer/guitarist who has been in various bands over the years. I have known him about 20 years, but have not seen him in about 7. It is always great to get caught up with people.
For those of you in the USA, I want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.
Labels: Canada, Concert, Finger Eleven, Florida, Thanksgiving
Hurry Up and Wait
Things have been a little surreal the last few days. We are still on the road but this part of the tour is basically over. We will still being doing the show in Winnipeg tomorrow. Unfortunately we have to use local production and this makes my day a lot longer. I have to program the show from scratch and I have mostly par cans and only 10 moving lights. But I am professional and I will rise above it.
Wednesday is still a scheduled fly day to Toronto. The band will be appearing at MTV in the afternoon and then at the Casby awards that night playing three songs.
It also appears that I will remain in Toronto until Saturday when we fly to Houston to do Buzzfest.
So all in all I will only lose about 10 days of work from this tour. There are three shows in late November in Florida and then several more weeks in the states in December. Most of these are radio station festivals.
There is talk of starting a long tour in mid January either in Canada or the US. Nothing is set in stone yet. I have been assured that we will be touring in 2008.
So one more week and then home to my simple boring life.
Labels: Canada, Concert, Finger Eleven, Tour, Touring
Finally a day of rest
Finally a day off, well a partial day off. We departed Kelowna late last night and arrived in Edmonton around 3:30 this afternoon. I think I slept most of the way. However on our bus sleep is not very restful. We are on a Prevost H3 and they are so tall and just sway back and forth. I am stuck in a top bunk so I get tossed around like a rag doll.
Anyway after four shows and a couple days of rehearsal let me reflect a little. Things are coming together on all levels. I am still going through the lighting cues and cleaning things up. The guys have also been changing the set list around a bit. I am also taking on a couple extra jobs on this tour. Besides running lights for the Finger Eleven guys, I am running lights for the opener and also helping out the lighting crew and set carpenter.
Hey any extra cash is a good thing. Even though it makes my day a little longer.
I took a few pictures of the lighting just after sound check yesterday. Kind of hard to see with the venues house lights on but it gives me an idea of how things are progressing.
The show in Toronto next month will be filmed for release as a concert DVD. So I have begun to get ideas for the show since we need to add a bit more lighting for the shoot. I expect to hear from the video crew this week.
Labels: Canada, Concert, Finger Eleven, Lighting, Strength In Numbers
Quick update
I have been so busy and the posts have been few.
We are underway and tonight is show number four. The crowds have been enthuseastic but a bit smaller than I thought they would be.
The picture here is of the Sum 41 set as it was being put up. I will post our set in the next few days.
Labels: Canada, Finger Eleven, Lighting, Touring
Hello Canada
Well another week at home just flew by. After some home repairs, a dentist visit and auto inspections I head back out on the road. It's off to the great white north. We will be on the Strength In Numbers Tour co-headling with Sum 41. If you have seen the guys in Finger Eleven before well they have a couple of surprises for you this time around.
The tour will run till November 10th, hopefully we won't see a lot of cold weather yet. Well at least not much snow.
I need to pack. Three flights ahead of me.
More to come.
Labels: Canada, Concert, Finger Eleven, Strength In Numbers, Tours
Late Night TV
We are taking a break on the way to Minneapolis as I type this. Yesterday we spent most of the day at the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. I have done the show before. This time the band performance was done by two separate artists. The Finger Eleven performance will actually air this Friday the 14th.
The guests were Dwight Yoakam and Billy Bob Thorton. Dwight was there and also performed, however Billy Bob cancelled for some reason. I was disappointed because I really wanted to meet him.
Everything went very well. Everyone also went downstairs and took pictures with some of the Price is Right games including the wheel.
I also found out that they got my work papers so I will be on the Canadian tour next month. The guys will be co-headlining with Sum 41 doing arenas across the great white north. It should be fun since I am doing some cities I have never been to.
Labels: Canada, Finger Eleven, Late Late Show, Touring, Tours
