Illusion Never Changed Into Something Real
Whatever happened to NataIie Imbruglia anyway? I was just thinking what I was doing a year ago today. Several hours ago, a year ago today, I was having breakfast in Montreux, sitting across from Van Morrison and his party at The Palace in Montreux. I miss that part of the life, mostly the people (and somewhat the money) but I don’t miss the lifestyle. I’ve got it good right now. But I miss my homies, or is that hommeys? I miss Briggs (and judging from recent email on the current tour he misses me), Kaitoi, Tupper, Big Joe the TM and those knuckleheads in the band, and most of all, “The Jazz Singer”. I have a different gig now, and it’s a different life. Change is good, so I’m told. Part of the change that perplexed me is how people are hired here in Sin City. Oh, BTW yesterday I became an official resident of the “Great State of Nevada”, or as I like to call it, the shithole in the middle of the desert. It was 115 degrees today. Today will likely be my last day off for the next three. perhaps four weeks. Kind of like touring though I have my own space and I’m only on call for about 10-12 hours a day. That said, there are many differences between how I was hired for the gig with “The Jazz Singer” and this gig I have now at a big time show on The Strip.
One of the biggest differences I first saw when I was hired at Thee Swanky Dive On The Strip (marketing, feel free to use that…) was the way they hired sound roadies and also managed the creative talent (we like to call performers) as though they were part of the corporate resort cog, much like porters, doorpersons, cooks and waiters. Based on what I’ve seen in the last year, most of the people outside the immediate production related departments not only have ever managed our sort of workers, I doubt they’ve ever been to a concert. Pretty fuckin scary sometimes.
In our little village of the show it’s not too bad though some in management have never had show biz jobs off The Strip. And it shows. This just in, there is an entertainment industry outside of the few miles of Las Vegas Blvd they call The Strip. That’s right folks, the rest of the entertainment biz is in Nashville and Branson. The crew are pretty hardcore having a myriad of experience, much of it theatrical though there are several of us old rock dogs on staff. We total around 120 or so, of which 75 or so are required so we can do this show. The Noise Department can do the gig with 3 Varsity players on the team. The band has more people than the audio department. Most of the other departments need at least 10, sometimes more just to do the gig. Even after nearly a year on the gig, the scale and scope is awe inspiring. As is the corporate mentality and outright stupid bulshit that surrounds the process.
The hiring process is unlike anything I’ve seen or experienced in the soon to be 28 years in this field. Prior to last year, here’s how it worked…
“Dave, dude, this band, the Big Hahnyocks needs a sound guy. You available?” says the person you know, prod manager, tour manager, manager (or most likely manager’s assistant because the manager can’t be bothered talking to a roadie), wardrobe gal, lampy or backline guy you know. Simple, have a gig, know someone that can do it.
You determine what the dates are, how much cash is to be exchanged what the hell you are supposed to be doing on the gig and everything is golden. Worked for me for touring and for the bigger corp gigs I did. It was more who knew me, rather than who I knew. It worked pretty well and I was on some shit hot crews over the last few decades, if I must say so myself. There were a few numbnuts here and there, but pretty much everything was pretty enjoyable, except for those couple of gigs we subbed for dB in the 90’s which were absolute shit fests and I don’t think either Harry or I ever got past it and Bruce never gave a shit. Old guys will know who I’m talking about. Ironically, the last tour I did before hanging it up for the bright lights, high tech, insufferable resort management, on The Strip was on a tour where they were the provider. It’s a small world and you gotta watch where you shit when you eat, so to speak.
Here is how the hiring process works at this kind of place. You apply on the Web. I lucked out in that my gig was crafted for me. They knew that I had applied for a management position almost a year earlier and a tech position about six months after that. Many, if not most of these higher end slots are filled from within. The posting and application process is more of an EOE/HR jerkfest than a real search for a compatable candidate. There aren’t many people not already working on The Strip that are qualified for these gigs. It’s an interesting mix of rock, theater and corp/AV gigs that define the skillset. Most regular rock guys don’t make the cut. And that’s too bad, because The Strip could use more honed rock guys. Some of the guys working here are an embarassment. They know dick about power distro, basic acoustics and audio theory and how to work with others in a fast paced environment.
You apply. If you’re lucky you get an interveiw. I didn’t, my pal Steve called and offered me the gig and I was hired sans interview, but they knew about me from my nearly three decades in the biz. I wish that were the case with all the candidates. It was just over a year ago, Steve called about 16 hours before I was to leave for Azerbijain on a two month leg. Part of this kind of gig is to get a drug test and background check. I diverted my day to get my drug test. It was at a non descript office in south LV, in the same industrial park where Ultimate Ears used to be when they were in LV. The next morning I boarded a flight to take me away for the next nine weeks to come back to my orientation at the big time resort casino on The Strip.
Nine weeks later we had a week break and I spent it at the big time resort casino, doing my orientation and getting a few days of normal gigging in that environment in. The next six weeks or so I spent knowing that it was likely my last as a touring showbiz roadie. And it was quite a relief. And hooking up with Ksug for a few days was an extra added bonus. It was like the light at the end of the tunnel, except that the light wasn’t a train ready to roll me over, but the conclusion of a life of work. I can’t tour extensively anymore. It’s fucked me up not only mentally, but physically. I loved it, but it was time for me to go. It was probably past time. The transformation into Vegas production show sound roadie from hardcore touring sound roadie has been, well, eventful. and we’ll cover that in another episode of A Barking Dog.