» Rent-a-Tech
Years ago, I noticed lighting designers bringing their own electricians to their gigs with them. They would get one token tech from the lighting vendor for that particular show, then bring in their own tech team to work with the local crew. At first, I wasn’t sure why they would do that, as surely they had to pay these hand-picked electricians more than the guys coming from the lighting company. But as I grew older, I saw the big picture. Lighting companies are entitled to make money on their employees. The reasons are endless. And they will charge you close to the same amount for labor that you are paying these freelance electricians. One can’t always be certain of the quality of tech you will get with the rental gear — you may get one good crew chief trying to keep a band of ragamuffin techs running around looking busy. In that respect, it may be cheaper to know you have a well-trained team of techs who get the big picture.
Being an artistic guy, I dabble with looks on my show every afternoon. I like having a lighting guy in the building who can fix something for me. Whether it’s just throwing a switch on the mirror ball motor or resetting a lamp, I really like when a member of my lighting crew cares about the little things. Things like figuring out which way the air currents are blowing so he can properly place the smoke machines. Things like setting up spotlight meetings between dinnertime and house lights. Triple-checking house intercom systems.
» Above and Beyond
I appreciate a lighting tech that goes out of his way to send the house guys up to the spot perches to fire and fine tune the local spotlights at every venue. It’s a thankless task that easily takes an hour of your day. Most lighting crew chiefs hate this and cannot be bothered with the task. I’ve actually had a touring tech tell me that if I wanted good spots everyday, I should’ve rented them and another tech from his lighting company. The majority of shows I do are at the mercy of the local house or rental companies’ inventory. And if I wait until show time to find out that half of the lights are dim and useless, I’m in trouble. That’s why I can’t always depend on the crew chief sent to me by a lighting vendor. It’s why LDs often request that rental companies use their personal electricians on certain gigs. Because we need guys who care about all the lights on the show.
» Willing and Able
I work hand-in-hand with an audio systems engineer named John Tompkins out of Sound Image. He goes by the name of “Haircut,” and he sees the big picture. Before I even start a tour, I send him my CAD drawings and strange requests. For instance, last winter, I asked if he could use some trusses to get his PA cables out of the way of sightlines on the side of the stage. We had a rolling stage, and putting amps under one of those on a tour is time-consuming. And me being an artsy kind of guy, he had designed some side trusses that would most likely interfere with his cable management. We exchanged drawings, ideas and basically agreed to just find a daily way to stay out of each other’s way.
I believe Haircut actually cares about my lighting. I begged him for 32 feet of trim to the bottom of his PA so my light beams can shoot under it and give me a big, wide stage look. But I don’t want to compromise the audio in any way. He comes through for me. I adore Sound Image for allowing me to have him on tour this year. You see, Haircut suffered some major disabilities last year after being struck by a car. It took him a year just to get somewhat mobile again. But he’s not out here because we need someone to move fast. He’s out here because he always sees the big picture and provides the front of house engineer with a huge comfort factor. And to quote a Springsteen lyric, “We take care of our own.” He’s a part of our big, dysfunctional family.
» Teamwork in Action
With any big show, there comes a time where there is a lull in the action during the setup. You can’t lift the truss until the scenery guys hang their rags. You can’t roll the stage until the PA is in the air. Can’t fly the PA because the points haven’t been rigged. Vicious cycle. I hate sitting around, so I time everything to keep the gig flowing, the stagehands working. The stage isn’t rolling yet? Who cares, go put up the floor lights on it before it rolls. Ever notice that you can’t lower your trusses during a load-out because there’s a bunch of speakers in your way? Don’t sit on your ass and wait, grab your stagehands and push the speakers toward a truck. Takes two minutes, builds some muscles and gets stuff out of your way.
» The Specialist
Twenty years ago, I toured with a gigantic show that had five carpenters in charge of a massive set. Pieces moved around the stage and items flew in and out all night long. The carps put in long days, except this one guy. He had been hired to build the rolling stage down at one end of the arena every morning, and that was his sole gig. He would assemble it in an hour, then sit on his butt for hours while everyone else did their respective jobs. When the time came, he would get up and roll the stage into place. I went up to him once and asked why he just sat there and didn’t pitch in to help his brothers out when they were struggling. His response was that he was hired to build the stage. If they wanted him to do anything else, they would have to give him more money. So he just sat there, not part of the team.
Ever noticed how most production managers have assembled groups of guys they have used for years? Bill Rahmy assembles a team of guys that work like a well-trained SWAT team on his shows. They will drag feeder cable across frozen tundra; push dimmers across sandy beaches and hand-carry wardrobe cases down three flights in a filthy bullring to get his shows going. Sure, they bitch about it, but the sense of camaraderie his crew develops over the course of a tour is pretty special. His guys will dump the lighting trucks if you’re not around. They will load half your gear before your trusses hit the ground. They are all about “all for one and one for all.” It’s pretty sweet. Too bad not everybody gets it.
