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If you’re a music lover, there’s a good chance that, at some point in your life, you mused about how amazing it would be to go on the road with your favorite band. The music, the lifestyle, the music…what’s not to love, right?
Well it probably won’t surprise you to learn that, like with every gig, once it’s your job some of the shine inevitably wears off.
For the roadies of the world, though, it’s usually only some – read on to learn 5 secrets (and why most of them love their jobs).
5. It’s tough to maintain relationships.
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The travel is frequent, the hours are long, and even with today’s technology to make things easier to keep in touch, roadies find it challenging to find the time and the privacy to call home.
It can be a lonely life in some ways, and people don’t often have a long tenure.
4. They don’t actually like to be called roadies.
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Morgan Paros, a violinist and singer based out of L.A., says the generic term is slightly derogatory now, with musicians and tour companies giving each person a job title that does along with their duties.
“Anyone on tour is generally working very hard to fulfill their role of tour manager, front of house, light tech, stage manager, instrument tech, or merchandise manager. These individuals make everything possible for the performers every night.”
3. They’re not just there to hang out with the band.
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They have to strike a balance between fulfilling professional duties and having fun, because they’re essentially both working with and living with their co-workers.
Like everything in life, it’s about finding a balance that works for everyone involved.
2. They work really long days.
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We’re talking 16-20 hour shifts, with most days starting at the crack of dawn and ending after 2 in the morning.
1. They have good reasons for putting up with it all.
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Roadies are typically huge music lovers, and do it for all the right reasons, says sound engineer William Pepple.
“For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to have a job in music.”
They get to travel, see the world, meet new people, and make money while they do it – if you’re single and free of obligations, it sounds pretty amazing.
This is one of those jobs that was always too cool for me.
If you know someone in the biz, share some more secrets with us in the comments!
