Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Fairytale Over At Midnight
Music has always been something special to me. I have used it over the years to get away from my reality and to express how I felt at that moment in time. I guess I was able to put on a song and feel someone out there had felt that same way at one point in their lives. As my mood changes so does my music, varying from rock to rap to classical.
As I went to sleep Monday night I was anxious and nervous and I really didn't sleep well. I woke up early Tuesday morning to make my call to the event organizer, I still didn't know exactly what being a roadie meant I would have to do. I didn't even know when I was going to show up! It took all day to finally get a hold of someone ( I knew they were busy) and finally about 5 pm I was told to come down to the Egan Center and ask for the production manager, he would let me in.
Getting down there I met up with the production manager and I was given a "working" pass, which meant I could go every where except to the dressing rooms. I was then taken to the stage and met all the roadies and got to listen as the opening band Theory of Hate, did the sound check. I was passed on to one of the roadies who had me replace the batteries in the guitars which made me think of those battery commercials! After that I was taken up to a conference room and was given "roadie" tasks. This involved taping receipts to paper and checking on a mileage plan for the production manager. As I was sitting there this guy came in and sat down next to me and started to talk on the phone, I was trying not to stare at any of them, you know trying to be cool. Turns out the guy sitting next to me was Dave Mustaine, the lead singer of Megadeth. So I got to sit with him for a while and listen to him on the phone. After my job was done there I got to go down and go outside and grab people from the waiting line and give them preferred entrance, I am happy to say that I was able to get my niece and my friend inside without making them wait. I wonder if I earned some cool points for getting them in early. One kid in the front had been there for four hours!
As the show began there were more details they had to accomplish so I was left to myself, only getting "to dos" every once and awhile as someone would remember I was the "roadie". I hung posters and positioned chairs for "best seat" guests. I was even given the task of removing the official kwhl photographer! I also got to go to the VIP room which had FREE beer!!
Having this downtime gave me the chance to chat with all the people backstage about their jobs. They started setting up the stage and sound system at about nine, this is amazing when the opening band played at eight! There were miles and miles of cables all neatly wrapped and there were thousands of plugs they all ran to. I just had to laugh, could you imagine sending a bunch of two year olds in there! I got to witness the security briefing and those guys were amazing. There was this kid and he had done something bad, because when they finally removed him from the heaving crowd, they took him to a side door and tried to throw him out of the building. Well the kid had different ideas. He tried to fight the security guys, all three of them and funny thing is two of APD's finest were hanging out backstage (they were both fans), so that pretty much took care of the struggling teen. I just had to chuckle when he left with no shirt or shoes. Why the hell would you throw your shoe? I stepped in something when I was on my way to the sound stage and I was really glad I had my shoes still on! I don't even know what it was. Don't want to. There was the man in a wheelchair and the eight year old girl who got to go on stage with Dave.
I even got the chance to see Sarah and have a drink with her! Thanks for the beer Sarah. Man I saw her and was glad I wasn't out there!
I spent the last part of the concert in the sound stage which I thought was the best spot in the house!
When the concert was over I hung out and met the last members of the band. I ran into the Drover brothers on their way out and shook their hands. James Lomenzo gave me a hug and sat and chatted with me for a moment. He was actually really nice and funny to. He asked me what I thought of being behind the scenes. I told him that I learned there is so much more that goes into a concert than most people realize. He laughed and said it was like going to a Chinese restaurant, you never want to see how your food is made. I thought that was very fitting comment for the end of the evening.
I am not sitting here stating I know the band on a personal level, but I saw how my "food" was prepared and I am sure I will never be the same for it just as I am sure I will never forget that feeling watching Dave walk across the hallway, hat pulled down, hiding from one lone wanna be roadie. . .
I was home and safe by midnight and like the fairytale Cinderella all the magic had expired at midnight and all that was left was a poster hastily signed by the band, an all access pass from a previous Megadeth tour and my "working" pass.
As I went to sleep Monday night I was anxious and nervous and I really didn't sleep well. I woke up early Tuesday morning to make my call to the event organizer, I still didn't know exactly what being a roadie meant I would have to do. I didn't even know when I was going to show up! It took all day to finally get a hold of someone ( I knew they were busy) and finally about 5 pm I was told to come down to the Egan Center and ask for the production manager, he would let me in.
Getting down there I met up with the production manager and I was given a "working" pass, which meant I could go every where except to the dressing rooms. I was then taken to the stage and met all the roadies and got to listen as the opening band Theory of Hate, did the sound check. I was passed on to one of the roadies who had me replace the batteries in the guitars which made me think of those battery commercials! After that I was taken up to a conference room and was given "roadie" tasks. This involved taping receipts to paper and checking on a mileage plan for the production manager. As I was sitting there this guy came in and sat down next to me and started to talk on the phone, I was trying not to stare at any of them, you know trying to be cool. Turns out the guy sitting next to me was Dave Mustaine, the lead singer of Megadeth. So I got to sit with him for a while and listen to him on the phone. After my job was done there I got to go down and go outside and grab people from the waiting line and give them preferred entrance, I am happy to say that I was able to get my niece and my friend inside without making them wait. I wonder if I earned some cool points for getting them in early. One kid in the front had been there for four hours!
As the show began there were more details they had to accomplish so I was left to myself, only getting "to dos" every once and awhile as someone would remember I was the "roadie". I hung posters and positioned chairs for "best seat" guests. I was even given the task of removing the official kwhl photographer! I also got to go to the VIP room which had FREE beer!!
Having this downtime gave me the chance to chat with all the people backstage about their jobs. They started setting up the stage and sound system at about nine, this is amazing when the opening band played at eight! There were miles and miles of cables all neatly wrapped and there were thousands of plugs they all ran to. I just had to laugh, could you imagine sending a bunch of two year olds in there! I got to witness the security briefing and those guys were amazing. There was this kid and he had done something bad, because when they finally removed him from the heaving crowd, they took him to a side door and tried to throw him out of the building. Well the kid had different ideas. He tried to fight the security guys, all three of them and funny thing is two of APD's finest were hanging out backstage (they were both fans), so that pretty much took care of the struggling teen. I just had to chuckle when he left with no shirt or shoes. Why the hell would you throw your shoe? I stepped in something when I was on my way to the sound stage and I was really glad I had my shoes still on! I don't even know what it was. Don't want to. There was the man in a wheelchair and the eight year old girl who got to go on stage with Dave.
I even got the chance to see Sarah and have a drink with her! Thanks for the beer Sarah. Man I saw her and was glad I wasn't out there!
I spent the last part of the concert in the sound stage which I thought was the best spot in the house!
When the concert was over I hung out and met the last members of the band. I ran into the Drover brothers on their way out and shook their hands. James Lomenzo gave me a hug and sat and chatted with me for a moment. He was actually really nice and funny to. He asked me what I thought of being behind the scenes. I told him that I learned there is so much more that goes into a concert than most people realize. He laughed and said it was like going to a Chinese restaurant, you never want to see how your food is made. I thought that was very fitting comment for the end of the evening.
I am not sitting here stating I know the band on a personal level, but I saw how my "food" was prepared and I am sure I will never be the same for it just as I am sure I will never forget that feeling watching Dave walk across the hallway, hat pulled down, hiding from one lone wanna be roadie. . .
I was home and safe by midnight and like the fairytale Cinderella all the magic had expired at midnight and all that was left was a poster hastily signed by the band, an all access pass from a previous Megadeth tour and my "working" pass.
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