Radio Check - Life In The Concert Touring Industry

Send us Fan Mail Charlie Hernandez has done just about everything there is to do in the concert touring industry.  He was production managing large scale, high tech shows when he was still in his 20’s… We discuss his incredible career, the story of how the Production Alliance came to be, the importance of the Event Safety Alliance, and his passion for helping people in need all over the world with...

Send us Fan Mail Bryan Hartley has been designing, programming and operating lights in the concert touring industry for over 35 years.  He and I started with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts together in the mid 80s. We discuss our early days as well as the challenges of topping himself year after year designing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  We also get into his 15 years with Kiss and how difficult...

Send us Fan Mail Mark Guterras was a drum tech in the early 70’s for Emerson Lake & Palmer before finding his passion for driving trucks. He and his partner Sandy founded Transam Trucking Limited in 1976 with a single bob-tail truck.  They have grown the company into one of the largest transport companies in Europe.  We discuss his early days with Motorhead and AC/DC, the state of trucking in...

Send us Fan Mail Joerg Philipp is the owner and founder of Beat the Street Band & Crew Bussing.  From an early age he knew he was destined for the music business.  He started as a stage hand and promoter before finding his niche driving buses for hard core bands throughout Europe.  From there he has built BTS into one of the largest international touring companies in our industry….  Listen as...

Send us Fan Mail Shaun Clair grew up in the music business.  He has done every conceivable job in the company prior to escalating to VP of Sales.  Shaun shares some of his progressive ideas on health and well being in the company, the great relationship he has with his father Troy and what his amusing nickname was when he toured as a fly guy on The Police.

Send us Fan Mail Matt Doherty and Jerome Crooks from “Touring Professionals Alliance” discuss TPA’s conception and how they are building a movement to help our industry make it thru the Covid 19 pandemic.  We also get into Matt’s history with the “Big Day Out” festival in Australia.  Please find here some contact information for Matt and Jerome as well some strong sources to get some help.  If you...

Send us Fan Mail Steve Lawler is a true Icon in the concert touring industry.  Listen to him tell the story of his early days as a grocery bagger and stage hand to touring stadiums with the biggest bands of the 70’s.  Steve also recalls the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash and how he recently went back to visit the crash site to share a moment with people from the local community who rescued them.  He a...

Send us Fan Mail Howard Ungerleider was the longtime creative director for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Rush.  His designs are famous for their uniqueness and creativity.  Howard received the Parnelli Visionary award in 2014 honoring his 40 years of innovation in the concert touring industry…  He shares stories of his early day as a talent agent in NYC, his philosophies on show design, th...

Send us Fan Mail Dan Cleary has seen some shit in his years backline teching in the concert touring industry.  Listen as he tells the story of what it's like to get sucker punched by Marilyn Manson or play on stage with NIN.  Dan also co- hosted the long-running podcast "Dark Matter" w/ Dave Navarro. Currently, he has his own podcast called "Rare Form Radio.” Check it out on th...

Send us Fan Mail Veteran production manager Bill Rahmy has toured with many ground breaking bands over the his decades long career such as NIN, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, and The Smashing Pumpkins. We discuss our history, friendship, the uncanny amount of gig overlap we've had and what it's like to one on one with Kanye West.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Matt and I talk about the importance of sleep on the road, how vital your rigger is, the difference between artists and how they relate to the crew and the fact that there is no place for mediocrity on the road.

Send us Fan Mail We discuss the importance of health and well being, how there will always be complainers on the crew, that experience carries a lot of weight and how important it is for the production manager to communicate with the crew on a daily basis.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris talks with Jesse Thayer. Jesse is a vet in the music touring industry and best know for his roles as a stage manager and carpenter. He has worked for bands such as Roger Waters, Tool, Massive Attack and, U2. Chris and Jesse talk about his beginnings and other positions that he held over the years and the bands that he has worked for. Jesse is also an accompl...

Send us Fan Mail We discuss how work comes my way and the process of building a tour.  We also get into some favorite "live" production moments that inspired. 

Send us Fan Mail Icarus, who is a long time touring industry vet has worked for amazing artists such as Massive Attack, Roger Waters, James Blake and, Ah-Ha. Icarus gets into the evolving world of video production and technology as well as the bond we share with bicycle accidents.  I also ask him if he knows Banksy. Dropbox link to a pic of Icarus' exhibition at the Tate Modern in London. htt...

Send us Fan Mail Jerome is one of the industry's top tour managers. He has worked with high profile acts such as Tool, NIN, Beastie Boys, Linkin Park and Soundgarden. Listen to his story about his love for music and how he came to work with some of the world's top musical talent.

Send us Fan Mail Gary is an industry vet working in the Detroit area as a tour promoter for Live Nation.  Listen to him tell the story of how he got his start working for a booking agent in NYC and how he got his big break moving to Detroit to work for Cellar Door.

Send us Fan Mail In our debut episode, Matt asks me about my early days in the industry. How I started and the different positions that I worked that eventually led me to become a touring industry production manager. And the realization that I was an awful guitar tech.