Radio Check - Life In The Concert Touring Industry

Mark Spring pulls no punches. He says what’s on his mind unapologetically. Springo, a Parnelli Lifetime Achievement recipient, shares sensational stories with Matt and I spanning his 40 plus year career. From his early days working for Show Lights touring huge productions with the likes of Def Leppard all the way through his 22 years as production manager for Paul McCartney. This man knows what it takes to produce massive shows for some of the most prominent artists in our industry. His stories are unique, entertaining and fun.

Britannia Row came into being as a rental house for Pink Floyd to hire out their touring equipment as a way to support their crew between tours. Bryan Grant joined Britannia Row in 1979 eventually going on to purchase the company from Pink Floyd in 1984. For the last 45 years Brit Row have been at the vanguard of touring audio systems around the globe. Bryan guides Matt and I through the early days of the company and how they evolved over the years from stacking PA by hand to modern day line array. We also touch on the Clair Global acquisition and the company’s international strategy.

Chris Adamson is one of the true legends we have in our industry. He started his career in the late 60’s carting band equipment around Britain for several London bands eventually hooking up with Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. Chris went on to work with several prominent bands like Emerson Lake & Palmer, Roxy Music and Steely Dan but is most known for his time with Pink Floyd. He tells Matt and I classic tales of the making of Dark Side of the Moon including how he came to record his famous line “I’ve been mad for years”. Chris also shares heartfelt stories of his long and close relationship with Tom Petty.

Matt and I return after an 8 month break to catch up on things. We discuss the state of the industry, touch on tour safety, sustainability and mental health. We also get into our continued love of music and the dangers of going down You Tube rabbit holes. It is good to be back at it again.

Chris Chaney has been in more bands and has played bass guitar on more records and soundtracks than he can remember. He tells Matt and I great stories from both the road and studio. Chris also gets into how exciting and touching it was to play at his best friend Taylor Hawkins tribute shows in London and Los Angeles. He shares some tribute highlights of the music played and how exciting it was to hang out backstage with some of his heroes.

Danny Carey and I have spent countless hours talking about music while on the road together. In this episode we welcome the Tool drummer to continue the conversation. We explore our favorite drummers, our deep love of prog rock and our genuine passion for all things music. We also talk about the song writing process and how beat and riffing ideas evolve organically into a new Tool track.

To celebrate Radio Check’s 50th episode, we welcome none other than Mr. Show Biz himself, Jake Berry. We discuss his early days in Devon driving feed trucks where his chance meeting with Rick Wakeman gave him his first opportunity in the music business all the way thru his touring days with AC/DC, Metallica, the Rolling Stones, U2 and so much more. What an honor it was for him to share his story with us. Thank you, Jake.

Matt and I reconvene after a 3-month hiatus with drum tech and all-around great guy Joe Paul Slaby. We get into our long touring history together as well as some of the great drummers he has worked with over the years like Danny Carey, Josh Freeze and Stephen Perkins. What an incredible trip down memory lane. This is a can’t miss episode. Please also check-out Joe's funny and informative Instagram page....(@ joeslaby)

In this episode we chat with monitor mixer, inventor, and entrepreneur Jerry Harvey. Listen as he shares stories of finding his way into the concert touring industry, and how he developed the dual driver in ear monitor out of necessity while working for Van Halen. Jerry goes on to explain how his first company “Ultimate Ears” started, and what his current company “JH Audio” are up to these days. Matt and I learned so much. This is a must listen.

In this episode we “check-it” with Kurt “Slap Daddy” Wagner. Those of you who are familiar with Kurt know him as the stage manager to mega acts like the Rolling Stones, Guns n Roses, Cher, Prince, Billy Joel, Roger Waters and so many others. We chat about how he got his start at the Royal Oak Theater in Detroit and how the comedian Gallagher convinced him to move to Los Angeles where his career launched. He and I laugh our way through his recollection of the early days and reminisce on the opportunities that opened the doors to a long and successful career. We also get into our shared love of baseball.

In this episode, Matt and I discuss the importance of health & wellness while on the road. Matt’s experience as a registered dietitian, health coach and former touring carpenter gives him a unique perspective on the challenges we face on tour. We discuss the importance of restorative sleep, good eating habits and a path forward to healthy touring. Matt’s wealth of knowledge is pure gold for anyone looking for an improved touring way of life.

Mark Fisher was Ray Winkler’s external architecture examiner at University College in London before hiring him on at Mark Fisher Studios, with his indoctrination to the company, U2’s “Popmart” and the Rolling “Stones Bridges to Babylon”. We discuss his years working with Mark on Cirque du Soleil’s “KA”, the Beijing Olympics, U2’s “360” all the way up until Mark's passing in 2013. Ray and Stufish have since gone to new heights designing immersive theaters in China as well as breaking new ground in Saudi Arabia. This was an incredible conversation.

John “Bugzee” Hougdahl got into the music industry by dumping a beer down a guitar player’s chest soaking the guitar. He went on to cut his teeth with 70s rock bands Nazareth, Uriah Heep and the Pat Travers Band before getting his first production manager gig with Blue Öyster Cult in 1981. From there it was off to the big time with Mötley Crüe, Kiss and 25 years of arenas and stadiums with Bon Jovi. We talk about the 1984 Jackson’s Victory tour as well as what it was like the day Michael Jackson died during production rehearsals for “This Is It”. His 50 plus years in the concert touring industry speak for itself.

Kille Knobel went to the California Institute of Arts with the mind of becoming an actor. When she discovered acting wasn’t for her, she side shifted over to Cal Art’s theater department and fell in love stage lighting modern dance. From her days at Cal Arts, Kille has since gone on to become one of our industry’s most versatile lighting minds, having designed, programmed and operated in both television with Jimmy Kimmel Live garnering 2 Emmy nominations, and on tour for the last 20 years in arenas and stadiums with Pearl Jam. We talk about her time as an Icon programmer and bench tech at Light and Sound Design and how her big break with Pearl Jam came about. We also discuss being the mother of 3 boys and the stigma associated with being a touring mother while no such bias is given to touring fathers.

Brothers Wob and Chris Roberts have a combined 70 years in concert touring. From their humble beginnings playing in garage bands in the UK, they have risen to industry prominence as two of the most sought after production managers in our business. Their parallel journeys throughout the decades have been filled with friendly jealousy and respect. Their incredible stories are heartwarming and fun. We could have chatted for hours. www.tourproductiongroup.co.uk

Health and Safety has risen to the forefront of the concert touring industry. No one individual personifies this movement more so than Jim Digby and the non-profit association he founded, the “Event Safety Alliance”. Listen as Jim shares his story on why both physical and mental health, along with overall site safety, have become so important to him. He also tells Matt and me all about “Show Makers”, his on-line industry educational platform. This is a must listen episode for all industry professionals. Please find here links to Jim’s platforms and passions. Event Safety Alliance Show Makers Behind the Scenes charity Mental Health First Aid training Mental Health Resources Roadie Clinic Janine Diaz – Well Better Best

In our 40th episode, we pay homage to the mighty RUSH. Matt and I had the great pleasure of welcoming back Howard Ungerleider and Robert Scovill to revisit their days working together with the band. They have great stories of fun n games with Geddy and Alex as well as thoughts, on how hard it still is, getting over the death of Neil Peart. This was a real privilege. www.pdifx.com www.robertscovill.com

Pyro Pete is a legend in the world of pyrotechnics. We first met in 1983 in the days when he was blowing up cars and buses for the Plasmatics. From there, his career exploded touring with Kiss, Def Leppard, Motley Crüe, and AC/DC shooting the biggest, most innovative pyro displays on the road. We talk about his career, technology, the future of pyrotechnics and what it’s like to mentor the next generation of pyrotechnicians. We recall the day in 1985 when he taught me how to blow up watermelons and more recently how hard it is to get Keith Richards to stand in the right place on stage. We have a lot of fun.

Ken “Pooch” Van Druten has done it all. He’s mixed live sound for heavy metal bands, pop divas, hard core rap artists and even K-pop, at the highest level of success. We breeze through his massive resume, talk about his love for Linkin Park, his giving back to the sound community thru his master classes, and even get into his podcast he hosts with Kevin “Tater” McCarthy called “Wrong End of the Snake.” I highly recommend giving this one a listen. Here are links to Pooch’s podcasts, masterclasses and social media. Wrong End of the Snake http://www.youtube.com/c/WrongEndoftheSnake/?sub_confirmation=1 https://anchor.fm/wrong-end-of-the-snake Pooch and Rabold https://www.youtube.com/c/PoochRabold/?sub_confirmation=1 https://anchor.fm/poochandrabold Masterclass https://www.kenpooch.com Twitter: @tourpooch Insta: @foh_engineer_pooch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fohengineerpooch

It’s no coincidence that DC Parmet went from tour merchandiser, to tour accountant, to tour manager in just a few short years. His work ethic, enthusiasm and knack for balance sheets, swung open the door of a great career working with Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Sade and for the last 25 years, Elton John. We chat about our early days touring together with Ozzy Osborne, Soundgarden and The Cult as well as spending time getting into his long history with Elton. It was so fun catching up with DC and finding out all the pet nicknames Elton has for him.