Hear Us…
We are the touring crew: Production managers, tour managers, merchandise managers, accountants, lighting designers, pyro technicians, videographers, FOH engineers, monitor engineers, guitar techs, drum techs, keyboard techs, carpenters, riggers, props managers, wardrobe managers, truck drivers, bus drivers, caterers, head of security, body guards, musicians, athletes, wrestlers, actors, etc.
We are the local crew: Production managers, promoters, accountants, stage hands, riggers, caterers, backstage managers, steel workers, forklift drivers, specialty techs that you need there by law to run your fire, lasers and cannons, house technicians, local provider technicians, venue managers, venue staff, runners, security, the tent providers, food trucks, etc.
We are the organization crew: Managers, booking agents, festival owners and operators, bus companies, backline companies, sound companies, lighting companies, trucking companies, shipping companies, travel agencies, ticketing agents, etc.
We are the people who need all of you because you need us: Screen and merchandise printing companies, backdrop providers, artists, graphics designers, live music journalists, photographers, venue owners, etc.
We are the people you wouldn’t think are effected by the loss of live events, but are: Restaurants, taxi drivers, bars, airlines, trains, buses, hotels, hosting cities, food and beverage suppliers, shipping companies, etc. and the hundreds of thousands of staff members involved in all of these things.
From the head honcho local promoter, to the venue cleaning staff, to the band themselves, and to the person who sold you that sweet t-shirt.
We all have an important role to play.
Without us, there is no show.
WE ARE THE CREW
And this just barely touched the surface of the dozens of key roles involved for the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives just flipped upside down.
We are some of the people who play a key role in making your dream show come true, and you never even knew we were there.
You are the people who need us to bring you the experience of a lifetime. Whether it’s a live show, theater, Comic Con, a convention for people who love unicorns (that needs to be a thing separate to Comic Con…just expressing dreams here), wrestling, football (American and European), your favorite festival (no matter the size), traveling carnivals, the opera, drag shows… if it’s live and you are going to be entertained, we are behind it.
We need you as much as you need us.
And right now, those of us behind bringing you the shows, are hurting.
Please watch this and spread the word. This is strictly from the US market perspective. The rest of the world is suffering equally as hard.
We were the first to close.
We will be the last to open.
We need help, and we need you to use your voices to let the world know about it.
Share this far and wide.
Featured Photo:
Sólstafir taken at Vienna Metal Meeting 2019, Photo by @shadegrowneye
Erin Lynch
Venting Post 16 
Thank you for putting this together. As a bus driver for the live entertainment side of the industry, I have found it hard to make people understand how it is, trying to get help. Also, how our industry just stopped. And how there isn’t a lot for most of us to do but pray, stay positive and hope our government, local, state and national, can get us help and start to find a better way to get us working again. Sorry for the rant, I know that you all get the gist of it. Spread the word and this video…I did!
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Thank you for this. As a set builder and stagehand,this cuts to the core.
It is difficult to convey the feelings of the importance of what we do. But I think this says it all.
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That means so much, James, thank you. Please, feel free to spread the message far and wide. People need to understand. Let me know if you would like to write anything here to get it out and let people know how essential we are.
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Thank you so much, Sonny for all that you do. As a tour manager, I always tell everyone that the bus driver is the most important person on the tour. And it’s 100% true. Please let me know if you would be interested in doing a proper vent from the perspective of a bus driver during these times. People need to know!
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Thank you ma’am, I just needed to Vent lol. Not much to do but take care of homework and keep busy. That usually keeps the mind occupied and not thinking of all the speculation going on. Cheers to you and this group. I’ll keep my eye on the posts. I wish everyone good will.
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God Bless these 12 million workers and let the Feds help these people, too.
Stand up and support them!
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Thank you, Holly! And remember that’s just in the US 😔 Worldwide, that number is likely quadrupled. Thank you so much for reading and helping to get this post viral so people know what this is doing to us.
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Thank you,,,,but dont forget the forkliftdriver !!!!
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I could never forget the forklift drivers! Adding right now, because it’s super important to mention 🙂 There are so many moving pieces to this whole machine… I was just giving a few examples. If anyone else feels left out, please let me know!
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❤
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Each and everyone of our individual worlds simply eviscerated right before our eyes with little warning.
As a videographer in both broadcasting and corporate events of all sizes and profiles as well as, being a promoter rep/production manager with touring/management experience I have lost 40+ gigs from March through June and 85% + are not coming back.
Collectively as a whole, each of us received a punch in the throat by the virus and the government shutdown.
I’m very thankful to receive unemployment compensation plus the federal weekly stimulus for gig workers as it is only a fraction of what we normally earn.
Very likely we’d all rather be working, being creative doing what we love and drives us to make a difference in all we do, which I still strive for in my mid 60’s
When our industry is finally allowed re-emerge from the ruins and our earning potential is no longer being held hostage, our new normal will not be as it was for a long time if ever again.
Which means less work and less earnings for many of us as events will be eliminated or dramatically downsized as cost factors rise beyond our control for cost effective productions and profitability.
Quality production values will and have taken a back seat yet again as it did with video as broadcasters and streaming-web-casters who lowered the bar as they distribute
disappointing programming and took the privilege during the shutdown to say poor quality is the new normal and we gladly now accept poor lighting, poor audio, and latency is alright as mainstream production values disappear and this will likely overflow into the event space for cost savings.
By any other standards we would have been fired for what is acceptable today.
We are not ham & eggers we are professionals that the world depended on daily for a greater experience for concert goers and event attendees.
We need work today not bankruptcy attorneys tomorrow.
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So eloquently put my friend. I agree 100% I have heard of artist’s playing gigs at rich people’s home’s and the Drive in gig? What in the world..I wonder if they’ll have a cartoon advertisement about snack time? Oh wait! No social gathering at the snack bar.. I also wonder if they’ll have a play ground at the front of stage? I guess it’s a start but as you mentioned, how is the production going to be? How many crew members will be on call? Again..anything to get this ball rolling. I hope for EVERYONE’S sake, the professional way won’t be watered down. I wish you and yours the best, and I can’t wait to see and work with you again. SB
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Seeing my calendar die in the blink of an eye was…let’s say depressing. This thing hit during the busy season so now the year is gone…more or less.
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Well spoken… Being shut down during our busy season has placed a tremendous strain on my family. Although my stage work is not the only income, it was the main income providing household needs, groceries, children’s school supplies and clothing, etc… So I am not sure how we will manage this coming fall.
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Take what is given( or, what ever is left unattended) & give back when you can.
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