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
I'm off to see the wizard
It's been a busy 6 weeks here at home, working with the guys at
Audio Images Sound & Lighting. We have been doing quite a few festivals providing staging, sound, lights, backline, etc. Long hours but also some good times and laughs.
Well now it's back on the road on Sunday with the band
YES. The tour is kicking off in Toronto and will run till August 22 when it finishes in Mexico City. A North American tour in the summer and fortunately most of the shows are indoors. I hate the heat.
After the YES tour I will be heading out with the band
ASIA. Steve and Geoff from YES will obviously playing with them too. The tour will kick off in Japan in the middle of September with a North American tour after that and the UK in December.
So it looks like the rest of my year will be fairly busy. I have begun looking for a different house and have been going back and forth with the credit union on a mortgage. It looks like I have finally been approved. So hopefully during the weeks between legs of the tour I can find the new digs.
Labels: Concert, Home, Road, roadie, Roadies, Stage, Toronto, Tour, Touring, YES
Stay Classy Buffalo
It’s that time of year and the summer concert season has
begun. Concert tours large
and small. This includes festival
shows of all types of music styles.
It’s the time of year when radio stations like to have their
summer “bashes” by some catchy
name. Most of these are outdoor
events.
The country stations are no exception. Last night was one of
these shows. This is known as
“Taste Of Country” and this one was in Buffalo NY. The production company that I work for when I am not touring
provides sound, lights and staging for this event and has for several years.
We actually set up the stage and everything the day before
(Thursday). We had excellent
weather though a bit cool. The
forecast for the show (Friday) was rain most of the day. The promoter (radio station) scheduled
this festival “rain or shine”.
The morning of the show the bands loaded in their equipment
this included some additional lighting, stage monitors, backline, etc. Just a typical day which began at
8am. The weather has turned gray,
cold and rainy.
We try to keep things as dry as possible. Covering up some of the gear with tarps
etc. The day progressed normally considering the conditions. The gates opened and the crowd streamed
in.
There were five acts on the bill and the first four
performed. All of them in the rain
even though the intensity of the weather varied through out. The conditions were monitored all day
and fortunately no thunderstorms or dangerous winds up to this point.
This changed during the fourth artist Joe Nichols. The wind started to pick up and rain
became quite heavy during the late part of his set. I personally became concerned. I am the lighting crew chief on this
event. However I am also
responsible for operating the motors that support the “roof” system, which the
lighting is attached to. The owner
of our company was working on site with us and he also voiced concerns with the
changing conditions.
We decided to lower the roof down in hopes to reduce the
pressure on the structure. This is
normal procedure and it’s recommend by the company that makes it. Upon doing so we received weather
reports that the conditions were going to get worse. The covering on the roof was taking quite a beating. With that said the staging was holding
up very well. We take great care
and time to make sure of this. We
even add two additional towers upstage to help carry the load of everything
hanging on it. This is an eight
tower roof.
No matter how safe you are and how good the equipment Mother
Nature can still come up and smack you in the face. The roof is only rated to handle a certain point of wind
speeds and we were approaching them.
So it was decided with all those involved that the remainder of the show
was to be cancelled.
No one likes to see this. We don’t go through the dozens of hours, effort and man
power to not give the paying public what they want. It’s about putting on the best show possible. When it’s all said and done the public
safety, the bands and crews safety are what matters.
The public was told that we could not continue at which
point the booing began. This was
understandable. What began next
was pathetic. Several people
decided to begin throwing full beer cans, chairs and other items at the
stage. We are looking out for
these people’s safety and they turn around and potentially could hurt those
helping them by throwing things.
Yes it was small amount of idiots that did this but it makes
the people of Buffalo come across as ignorant and childish.
I hope those that threw things and shouted obscenities have
“sobered up” today and realize that stopping the show was the right thing to
do. They can say what they
want. I know that all the powers
that be would handle this the same way if and when it’s happens again.
I know I woke up earlier today knowing we did the right
thing.
Labels: 2012, Buffalo, Collapse, Dunn Park, Eric Church, Festival, Indiana, Joe Nichols, Stage Collapse, Taste of Country, Touring, Tours, Weather
It's been awhile
I have not posted here in months. Not that there hasn't been much going on. Far from it. I've been pretty busy with work and life in general. I just haven't found the energy to post here I guess.
So where do I begin. Well I have been working with the band YES since last fall. We do a tour of Europe which included stops from Portugal to Finland. I had a chance to do some sightseeing going to places I have not been to and some I had been to before. The biggest disappointment was the fact that we didn't make it to the show in Moscow. The singer lost is voice and we cancelled the last three shows of the tour. I have never been to Russia and don't know if I will get the chance again, at least on tour. These things happen.
The holidays came and went. I did a couple local shows for the production company that I work with when I'm home.
In late March I boarded a plane and headed to New Zealand. This is where we began the tour which consisted of shows in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Indonesia and Hawaii. Let me just say we logged a lot of frequent flyer miles.
The band will be hitting the road again in July with a six week
US tour.
Labels: 2012, Progressive, Tour, Touring, YES
Another tour I won't be working
Well John (aka
Five For Fighting) will be hitting the road this fall. It will be an acoustic tour, with John and guitarist Greg Suran. I have not spoke to him (John) directly. I did talk to the sound engineer/tour manager who will be working with him on this tour. The full band will probably not tour until 2010. I will not be out on the acoustic tour.
Anyway here are the dates if you haven't seen them.
18-Oct Toronto, ON El Mocambo
20-Oct New York, NY City Winery
22-Oct Bay Shore, NY (Long Island) YMCA Boulton Center
23-Oct Uncasville, CT The Wolf Den
24-Oct Washington, DC Jammin Java
26-Oct Boston, MA The Paradise
27-Oct Philadelphia, PA World Café Live (downstairs)
29-Oct Nashville, TN The Belcourt
30-Oct Chicago, IL Lakeshore
3-Nov Salt Lake City, UT The State Room
5-Nov Seattle, WA Crocodile
6-Nov Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
10-Nov San Francisco, CA Swedish American Hall
11-Nov Los Angeles, CA Largo at the Coronet
As for me. I will be in Memphis in September with Eyrkah Badu working as her lighting director. I am covering for her regular LD on the show.
Also I was contacted about another tour in October. I was asked to send in a resume and so now it's wait and see.
Labels: FFF, Five For Fighting, Lighting, Memphis, Touring
Lots of luck and all bad
I have usually had fair luck in my life. It is kind of like that Seinfeld episode where Jerry always comes out even. That is me.
This spring I have had several tours come my way, which I have recently posted about here. For one reason or another things didn't pan out and I ended up not working these tours. If my past was a barometer I should have had something else drop in my lap by now. It hasn't and I am beginning to become concerned.
The summer touring season gets underway in a few weeks.
Some good news. Five For Fighting (aka John Ondrasik) has begun recording music for his new CD. He mentioned to me he hopes to tour sometime by late summer or early fall. The guys in Finger Eleven are currently writing for their next CD. So there is potential work going in 2010.
Until then I have tightened the money belt and continue to network. I will have to ramp it up a bit I guess.
Labels: FFF, Finger Eleven, Five For Fighting, Roadies, Touring
H1N1 Virus
This virus is all over the news. It's a concern and people should be aware of it. Will it affect the touring industry as we go through the spring and into the summer? At this point who knows. I think it will depend on how much it spreads.
Hopefully people will be smart and see a doctor if they start to have symptoms. Stay home from school or work if they are sick.
My gut feeling is if it does become wide spread you will see people begin to avoid gatherings especially with large crowds. With the current economy this illness could really hurt the live music business. It will interesting to see what happens.
As for myself I have still not had a tour pan out for this spring. The talk of a tour later this summer is still looking to be happening with one of my regular artists. Of course now with what is beginning to happen I wouldn't be surprised if things change.
I'm not saying it's a time to panic but a time for caution as they say.
I have not heard of anyone getting sick while on tour at the moment. Generally if there is a flu bug or cold virus going around. Road crew folks usually get it at some point since we are in such close proximity to the public. It spreads fairly quick and easy among ourselves since we travel and live on tour buses. I spent most of the month of November with a bad respiratory infection while on tour.
So we wait and see.
Labels: Crew, H1N1, Roadies, swine, Touring, virus
Oh well...next
It was confirmed yesterday that I will not be doing the tour I mentioned the other day.
Turns out they decided to not only not increase the salary. They decided to not bring anyone out to fill the position. Money must be getting tight for them. I was told they would also not be adding additional lighting like they had hoped. So the lighting director from the headliner will just run their lights.
This is not uncommon. I have been in this position in the past where one of the support acts has covered their set.
So now it will continue to look for another tour.
There is some talk of one of my previous artists touring later this summer. I'm not holding my breath.
Labels: Lighting, Roadies, Touring, Tours
I must be psychic
Last week I posted about the situation of bands and their managers paying less for crew members for their tours.
Like I mentioned, in todays economy the tough choice of either taking less than you are worth just to work or wait for that proper paying gig.
Well just a couple days later it happened. I was offered a position with a band that I know. I have never worked for them but have shared stages with them over the last 6 or 7 years while working for other artists. They will be a major support band on an upcoming arena tour. They have a separate bus for their crew. It's a pretty good gig.
So you are thinking, what is the problem?
The salary being offered. It is too low. Sure if I told you what it was you would probably say "wow" that's good cash. If I was a young guy and had been doing this for a few years it would be. But after 25+ years it was a bit of an insult.
I told them I would be glad to come on board if they match what I wanted or were close.
We will see what happens. I am not holding my breath.
Labels: Lighting, Roadies, Salary, Touring
My tour ends early
I have been so busy touring this year and I haven't been blogging here much. Well our current tour was cut short last week. We were suppose to be out with 3 Doors Down this month. We have been playing shows with them off and on since May. Along with Seether, Staind and a few other bands and doing some headlining shows.
Anyway Brad, the lead singer from 3 Doors had been struggling with his voice and it turns out he has laryngitis. He was ordered to take a week off. So while he was doing this our band flew home and the crew traveled from Denver to New York where we had a headlining show early last week.
After the NY show we left and drove to Kentucky to resume the tour. We reached West Virginia and received a phone call from the 3 Doors camp. They told us to sit tight because it looked like we were going to postpone until at least Dallas.
It was decided by our management to send everyone home and wait. So here we sit. The tour has been postponed.
In the meantime we are getting ready for a Canadian headlining tour. It will be something very different from what the guys have been doing recently up there.
I have been putting together a special sized lighting package.
I have also been fighting a cough for nearly a month. It seems to go away and then come back. I think I had a cold and now it's allergy driven.
Labels: 3 Doors, Concert, F11, Finger Eleven, Touring
Still active
I haven't been posting much here I know. Still busy touring with Finger Eleven.
If you want to read more up to date info go to our
crew page.
Labels: F11, Finger Eleven, Touring
what is it about June
It seems like every year around this time I hurt myself. You know a major cut, sunburn or like this past weekend a sprained ankle.
The worst part was it was a stupid accident. I rolled my foot on a broken sidewalk coming off of steps on a porch. In all fairness the sidewalk had some weeds and grass growing through and it had been raining. I haven't heard the end of it from one of my sister's kids who thought it was funny.
The picture here was from this morning, it actually looks worse now but feels better.
Lots of ice and wrapping it. Ice being the most important part especially in the first 48 hours.
The reason I mention this whole ankle story is it happened at a bad time. I leave this weekend to begin another run of shows. It's going to be a busy summer and it means a lot of time on my feet.
I also have a lot of flying to do in the next week too. Saturday it's off to San Francisco where we do a show on Sunday in Stockton California. I then fly back home on Monday. On Wednesday I turn around and fly to Milwaukee. We have to fly to Calgary within the first week of the tour too.
Thankfully I have a couple ace bandages and lots of Ibuprofen.
Labels: Airports, F11, Finger Eleven, Touring, Tours
So this is where I live....
No not the place in the picture. That is the venue at the Toledo Zoo. Yes, they have a concert venue inside the zoo. Kind of cool actually.
This recent leg of the tour wrapped up on Saturday night and I returned home on Sunday. After nearly three months without seeing home, I am now sleeping in my own bed.
The band heads to Europe next week for 7 or 8 shows. I will not be going which is sort of fine with me since I can use a break. I was offered a job with another band doing a three week Canadian tour starting today. The timing was perfect since I was going to be off during this time period, but I passed for several reasons.
I will head back out with Finger Eleven again at the end of June. It is more festival dates and a run of shows with Seether. Then it looks like shows with Three Doors Down who we have done some festival dates with recently.
In the meantime it's back to doing normal everyday stuff. It is always strange when you come off a long tour. Your home life seems to have stood still. It's hard to believe how much time has actually passed. I am trying to get put some things in order. Deal with some financial things and maybe do a few home improvement projects.
Let the decompressing begin.
Labels: Concert, F11, Finger Eleven, Touring
Hockey, Coffee and the road
We are in Norfolk for a show tomorrow.
The days are all running together right now. I haven't been home since winter and summer is just over a month away. At least it's still hockey season and my team is in the conference finals. GO PENS!! It is also the only way I actually know what day it is. I wake up each morning and go through basically the same routine. I am pretty much a robot at this point.
I decided today to shut myself down for 24 hours. No band stuff, no hanging out with anyone from the tour. Just myself going for coffee, eating lunch and walking around. I'm probably going to head to the movies alone. It's not that I don't like everyone I'm touring with, I do. It's a great bunch out here, band and crew. But some days you have to say enough.
Just twelve shows left before the break. The guys head to europe for two weeks, which I will not be doing. No need for a lighting guy. So I will have most of June off. Well not actually off since I have a bunch of projects to finish around the house.
Labels: Concert, F11, Finger Eleven, Lighting, Touring
What month is it?
The tour with Chevelle came to a close last night. That was a fast seven weeks. So now I find myself sitting in a hotel in Memphis, TN for the next four days. The guys flew back to Toronto for a couple days rest and a photo shoot.
We will pick up the tour on Friday in Baton Rouge. The next month will be some headlining dates and radio festivals. Yea I know I mentioned this before.
I didn't mention we went to Las Vegas a couple weeks ago for the Miss USA pageant. What a pain in the ass....yea right! Hanging around 51 beautiful young women and get paid to be there. I will never do that again. The sarcasm button is still on.
If they happen to be reading, hello to Miss Florida and Miss Maryland. Sure like they will be reading this.
I even ended being up around $150 gambling.
Getting back to the tour. I ended up doing lights for Chevelle for the last three shows along with the Finger Eleven guys. The LD for Chevelle ended leaving the tour early for some reason. So I was asked to cover for him. Extra money is always nice.
Labels: Chevelle, F11, Finger Eleven, Lighting, Touring
how did you spend your Sunday?
Today was Easter and for myself and everyone on the tour it was spent on the beach in Florida. Nice weather is always a plus. Now if everyone could be on the same basic schedule. I tried to organize an afternoon of go carts. These plans would soon fall apart.
Oh well maybe in Corpus Christi later this week.
Tomorrow begins three shows in a row.
Labels: F11, Finger Eleven, Touring
Puttin On The Foil...no wait....
That would be a backstage pass. After a two week delay it's finally time to get back on the road. Things kick off for the guys in Columbus Ohio tomorrow night. We then go to Detroit on Wednesday and then up to Canada for a week, before returning to the states.
The guys are Canadian of course and some of them are hockey fans like myself. Being from the Toronto area they are Leafs fans, while I am an old Penguins fan. I think I am driving them nuts since my team is having a much better season. Plus it's only a little more than a month from the playoffs. It's a good thing we have a satellite dish on the bus.
It's tough some days though since we are doing shows while the games are on.
Our schedule is filling up quickly. We are going to be out with Chevelle until April 20th. It looks like we will then be jumping onto a bunch of radio festivals right after that. May will be more of those and possibly some headlining shows mixed in. The summer is being filled in with more festivals. Hopefully the guys will end up on a nice shed tour. I haven't heard of anything in that regard but I'm hoping. I love sheds in the summer.
Hopefully I am able to get out tomorrow since the weather is suppose to get ugly in the morning.
Labels: F11, Finger Eleven, Hockey, Touring
To the Five For Fighting fans
Over the last month or so I have noticed a lot of people coming to this blog after searching for Five For Fighting tour dates. I'm sorry to say that there are no plans for John and the band to do any touring anytime soon. John has been playing a few charity, corporate and other events solo but no band shows.
I am not sure what his plans are for 2008. Our conversations have centered around hockey lately. Plus I have been busy with the Finger Eleven camp and their tours which continue next week.
Feel free to contact John at his
website or myspace. I know he tries to answer all his email.
In the meantime if you haven't done it, go out and buy the latest concert DVD from his most recent tour. You will get to see my work right on your tv or computer.
Labels: Concert, F11, FFF, Finger Eleven, Five For Fighting, Touring
let me correct myself
The tour dates that I posted recently are correct except that I mentioned they were all with Chevelle. Let me correct that they will not be on any of the Canadian dates except for Toronto.
I have spent several days working on a lighting and set design for the Canadian shows. The band will have some surprises in store for those shows.
We will not be carrying production for the US tour dates at this point. I am a little disappointed but it was not my call.
It looks like we will be fairly busy at least into the summer.
Labels: F11, Finger Eleven, Lighting, Touring
Tour dates updated
Originally we were scheduled to start the next tour on the 19th of February. Things have been pushed back to March 4th. Most of the shows are with Chevelle. There are some dates you will find posted for Chevelle around the net that the guys will not be on. All of the dates posted here are the two bands together.
Also the guys will be performing at Juno Awards in Canada in April. They are also up for single, album and artist of the year.
I haven't posted anything about these changes till now. Things have been pushed back due to illness with a band member. He is going to be fine but was ordered to rest. I will not discuss it here until the band posts it on their site.
Here are the updated shows.
Mar 4 2008-Newport Music Hall- Columbus, Ohio
Mar 5 2008-Fillmore - Detroit= Detroit, Michigan
Mar 8 2008-Massey Hall- Toronto, Ontario
Mar 10 2008- Hamilton Place Theatre- Hamilton, Ontario
Mar 11 2008- Capitol Theater-North Bay, Ontario
Mar 12 2008- Centennial Hall- London, Ontario
Mar 16 2008-The Hippodrome-Springfield, Massachusetts
Mar 18 2008-Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel -Providence, Rhode Island
Mar 19 2008-Rams Head Live! -Baltimore, Maryland
Mar 20 2008-Toad’s Place -New Haven, Connecticut
Mar 22 2008-Sammy T’s- Huntsville, Alabama
Mar 24 2008-The Swamp Ft. -Walton Beach, Florida
Mar 25 2008 -Strand Theatre- Shreveport, Louisiana
Mar 26 2008 -Diamond Ballroom (Oklahoma City)- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Mar 29 2008 -The Pavilion @ Concrete Street -Corpus Christi, Texas
Mar 30 2008-Whiskey River- Waco, Texas
Apr 1 2008-Midnight Rodeo- Amarillo, Texas
Apr 2 2008-Fillmore Auditorium Denver, Colorado
Apr 8 2008-University of Akron- EJ Thomas- Akron, Ohio
Apr 9 2008-Bogart’s- Cincinnati, Ohio
Apr 11 2008-Univ. of Pittsburgh-Johnstown- Johnston, Pennsylvania
Apr 12 2008-Machine Shop- Flint, Michigan
Apr 13 2008-Streeters -Traverse City, MI, Michigan
Apr 15 2008-House of Blues - Chicago -Chicago, Illinois
Apr 16 2008 -Pageant- St. Louis, Missouri
Apr 18 2008- East Peoria Event Center- East Peoria, Illinois
Apr 19 2008 -Uptown Theatre 1800 -Kansas City, MO, Missouri
I am looking to get back out there.
Labels: Concert, F11, Finger Eleven, Touring, Tours
