Road crew

A roadie is traveling with event technicians during live performances of musicians and music groups on tour. Roadies are responsible for the assembly and disassembly of musical instruments and amplifiers, as well as speaker (PA ) and light systems. Also, the assembly and disassembly of stage decoration can belong to their duties. After the performances of the artists the roadies load the material, usually with the help of hired on-site assistants ( stagehands ), on trucks to get it to unload before the next appearance at another location and build there again. Then the task of the truck driver or the chauffeur band can be added. If several roadies are required for the completion of these tasks, the team leader is referred to as road manager.

The term is derived from the English word Roadie Road (street). It clarifies that Roadies spend the majority of their working life on the road. You travel often requires the artists to do the construction in time for the Event. Many roadies stay on tour while driving in specially equipped coaches, the Night liners.

Vocational

The job description of Roadies, is similar to that of the Cowboys, often romanticized object transfiguration. This idealization sometimes obscures the reality of the Roadie life, which is connected with irregular (but mostly long ) working hours, sometimes extremely physically strenuous work, unhealthy and often long separation from friends and family. Previously you were a roadie by cross boarding by an electrician, a radio and television technician or other technical (or non-technical ) occupations. Most were from Hobby passion and later a profession. In Germany in the late 1990s, the vocational training for event technology was created. Thus the first time a standard for qualified personnel has been formed in Europe and the profession more professional. The extension of this is the event technology.

Tasks and differentiation from other concepts

The popular image of the roadies are more in the so-called stagehands. This is often by unskilled workers who do not go on tour with the production, but are hired for reasons of cost only at the respective venue. In a roadie only a henchman would the many tasks he has to perform, not do justice to see. Rather, a roadie to must be able to find their way qualified in a number of careers, such as electrical engineering, structural engineer, decorator, instrument makers, carpenters, metal workers and freight forwarder. In general, there are for each trade (light, sound, video, pyrotechnics, etc. ) specialists who nowadays have appropriate training.

Forms of activity

As Backliner a specialized form of Roadies is called. These mobile instrument technicians on the backline responsible (everything is located directly behind the performers on the stage ) and for musical instruments and amplifiers directly connected to it. In particular, on medium and large festivals that take several days to build up the PA system and then make these available to all performing artists available, a complete replacement of all equipment in the pauses is practically not feasible. Therefore, a shared-work interaction of Road Crew ( backline ) and Stage Crew is required to ensure the smooth running of the concert business. This also the logistical costs of traveling personnel simplifies considerably, so that is usually booked on tours alongside the festival activities and for individual concerts of PA service of local tour operators.

More specialists among the roadies are the Grounder ( working at ground level) and rigger, who are responsible for the work on the scaffolding ( rigs ) on which lamps, speakers, projectors, etc. are attached.

Reception

  • The job profile is subject in the movies Roadie with Meat Loaf and Wayne 's World 2 by Mike Myers.
  • On the Road Again: Memories of a Roadies is a fictional satirical book.
  • The lyrics of the song ( We Are ) The Road Crew of the English hard rock band Motörhead on their album Ace of Spades (1980 ) describes the rigors of everyday working life of Roadies.
  • In Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel Rolling Stones advocates addressed the issue of the Libram a troll named on asphalt - a name already alludes to his work as a roadie.
  • In the video game Brütal Legend to play a roadie Eddie Riggs with names.
  • The American band Tenacious D published in 2012 with the song Roadie a tribute to the profession.

Known (ex) Roadies

The public interest in persons working as a roadie is naturally rather low. Therefore advised especially former roadies in the focus of public attention, were able to use their own music career experience and contacts that they collected as a stagehand.

  • Tupac Amaru Shakur
  • Rolf Stahlhofen
Roadie (Film) Public address system Sleeper bus Backline (stage) Ace of Spades (album) Homage Steve Hanley (musician) Paul Hanley (musician) Ian Stewart (musician) Bob Young (musician)
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