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Saving on transport
New episode on CarambaTV:
In these cash strapped times it is heartening to know that the full value of the road crew is appreciated and taken into account when dealing with the band’s budget.
Thanks to Steve Campbell for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
These guys get very little credit except for when things go wrong.
When I played with Gillan’s Inn a few years ago, the guitar tech was extremely nice to me–much better than another band member who apparently saw me as some kind of interloper.
The tech was a little embarassed when I took his picture. I thought working with him was just as a part of the experience as working with the group.
November 22nd, 2008 at 19:35Can’t imagine out of that group of guy’s, which one would act in such a way toward you or any other ‘fan’ especially when you were a significant part of the show… I can’t see any of them doing this, it sounds like a quite uncomfortable part of what was otherwise a great experience.
If he know you were going to be on stage with them, then why you got such treatment is flabbergasting to say the least.
Either he was having a bad night, or perhaps didn’t get a good vibe from you, possibly?
“The crew have lost again… ah, they’re beaten men” IG
November 22nd, 2008 at 19:49It’s easy to blame it on me…but I had a witness. My wife was there, too.
It didn’t detract from the fact that the guitar tech was a really nice guy.
November 22nd, 2008 at 20:31I know you don’t want to mention any names, but after the time I spent with them it’s hard to imagine any of them doing that. I guess the pre-show experience is the difference. I didn’t have all access to the show I attended, so I just visited with them from about 11:30 pm to 2:30 am. But thats not my only experience with all of those guys, as I spend time on the phone and email with every one of them since then, and did online interviews with Michael, Rodney and Randy, talk on the phone and do email correspondence to this day with every one of them. I Can’t imagine which one of them would act like that, but these things do happen… sorry to hear that.(maybe it was Michael or Dean worried about you stealing their thunders… LOL!)
November 23rd, 2008 at 01:07One guy I did meet was Kacz from Buffalo who is a stage production manager, a position I know of many who do and have done.
November 23rd, 2008 at 22:33That was the guy with the sort of mohawk hair-do.
Not sure if he was teching for Dean or Michael but he was the stage guy and a very nice guy indeed, also a great musician in his own right.
If you also met Stacy Paris then you were in even more great great company.
I don’t think it is appropriate for me to drop names.
Let me just say as the winner of a playing contest that was skill-oriented–I was chosen by Gillan et. al. and it was not some phone-in contest–I did not feel as welcome as I could have and it was extremely obvious to my wife as well, who, after the soundcheck, asked me, “What was HIS problem?”
Yes, I did meet Stacy Paris. A very nice young lady who had to deal with some headaches due to some last minute changes.
As for stealing someone’s thunder… I’m not a bad guitarist when I’m in the mood and want to be–but I am an amateur and am no threat to any professional musician in any capacity–keyboards, bass, guitar, whatever. I don’t sing very well, so Gillan was safe! (Although when I was younger, I could hit that “Child in Time high note… I said “hit it”–not that it sounded any good!)
Having said that, the same person was, as my wife from the South says, “Nice as pie” after the performance. Some people require respect to be earned, and despite some equipment issues, I came through. I never have stage fright, and soldiered on despite the problems. Maybe that was the case: Trial by fire.
The stage manager must have been Kacz, based on your description. He was pretty busy!
Still a great episode (a miracle, really–a fan as big as I am earns the right to play “Smoke” with a member of Deep Purple?? This is a joke, right?), and the adventure of a lifetime (there is more to this story), but more fun in retrospect than it was at the time.
At any rate, I have great respect for the behind-the-scenes people.
November 24th, 2008 at 02:31Given the two guitarists in question, I’m pretty sure I know which one it was, but still surprised… both are very nice, one just not American, lol!
Sound checks can either be a pain or a dream, and often they’re just starting their day at that point, or at least in a duty aspect.
The performance was great and you hammed it up quite well and pulled off a blinder if you ask me.
November 24th, 2008 at 03:14Thanks for the compliment.
I chalked it up to the fact that a sound check was new to me and someone was a little impatient. I’ve always played with open amp (Marshall) and no mixer and previous to that my biggest crowd was only around three to four hundred at best. Like I said–AMATEUR.
November 25th, 2008 at 04:18