Tattooed, trash talking techs
Gritty warriors with hearts of gold
Forsaking a life of normalcy
For the grind of the open road
Black clad angels with flashlights
Subsisting on pizza and beer
Whiskey, fries and cigarettes,
Broken sleep and broken gear
Fixing anything that can go wrong
For no task are they unable
Speakers blown and drunken fans to be bounced
Changing strings and swapping cables
Running towards an on-stage crisis
Like firefighters to a burning building
As I stand there helpless, guitar in hand
My ego swiftly wilting
In younger days before ever on stage
My problems seemed to last forever
If only I'd had my own road crew show up
To duct tape and super glue my life together
28 comments:
Happy New Year everyone!
Just a few more days on this tour for me, then well needed break for 8 days (not enough, but hey, tis the life I chose).
I'd thought I'd kick the year off with a little tribute to some folks without whom, us touring musicians would be unable to do what we do. Much more to come.
Hope 2010 is a great year that brings us all closer to our own truths.
Enjoy!
Alex
Happy New Year, Alex! Nice tribute, and the Def Leppard setlist made me smile. (huge fan)
Have a great 2010!!!!
Hello Alex,
Happy New Year to you too!
You made a very accurate description of what a road crew member is.
Happy New Year Alex !!
I hope 2010 is as good as it can be for you.
The first post for new year is very concerned with.
It's very poetic.
Is he working with Def Leppard ?
Road crew works seems be so tough, but I think your life is touhg too.
When you left TESTAMENT, I was surprised because it seemed like you forsaked your all status you had get.
Getting the record deal is very difficult and TESTAMENT had many fans and many peaple wanted your play, but you left...
For the peaple who were struggling for the light, it was crazy !
But at the same time, I admired your courage and mind of seeking music.
And I am grateful to you because you are developping yourself, so we can a lot of fan and great time with good music you play.
I'm looking forward to your play and this blog this year, too !!
And I'd like to develop my English for the level you can read my comment without the stress.
Great tribute.....shows your appreciation to an oftentimes overlooked group of hard-working people.
Have a happy, healthy & prosperous new year, wherever it may take you!
Happy New Year!
I hope 2010 will be a great year to you and all the readers.
Looking forward to seeing AST this year.
Bonne Année Alex !
See you in Montreal in February.
Carole
I love your tribute Alex! I hope you and all of my other fellow bloggers have a year filled with happiness!
Jen
Happy new year!
That was really nice.. this post.
My brother does tech stuff, (he helped set up/tear down the TSO stage for Detroit). He's done big scale shows... like Hannah Montana, as well as road gigs, and said he felt so unappreciated because of how much work there was and nobody even thanked them.
(He also commented on TSO's equipment and how nice and easy it was to set up and take down, lol he was happy about that)
Anyway, I think that was really nice of you to write this post. :)
See you in February with Testament! hah
- M
Hi Alex,
Happy 2010 to you too.Hope you had fun at the Tso party..as seeing some of photos im sure it was..like the one of you on the mic..I could only imagine what your were singing..lol.This was a very nice post..its nice to see musicians show appreciation for the road crew..or all these great shows would not be possible.Down to the last 3 shows..hope there great..Thnxs for another great Tso tour..you were amazing as usual:)..Enjoy your days off..its well deserved..Take care and have a safe trip home..Will be seeing you with Testament in Camden,Nj,then again at the Izod Cntr for the VIP M&G..looking forward to meeting and hopefully talking with you then..xo:)
Thank you all. Yes, he's working for Def Leppard.
I don't actually know this guy, but felt the pic really captured the 'tech'in action. Since Def Leppard is an act that conjures glamorous images of the 80's, it felt like a perfect to contrast to the grueling life of the crew, no matter who they work for.
I took that pic in Europe when Def Leppard was playing on the same festival as us, the GrassPop Fest in Belgium.
Noble, these often unseen and unappreciated, whose deeds prepare a trusted stage set, and whose obligation, illuminates and supports yours and other artists efforts along the road way. Strength, talent,and perhaps gritty will carries them and you from start to finish and allows you to prevail in what you do best, and by doing so they do as well. Kudos to all backups, we all need them,(worthy/trusted ones) Happy New Year Alex and co-boggers!!!!
Happy New Year Alex. I'm glad to see you're returning to Atlanta so soon. If I have the day off, I'll be there. Good thing it's the day before the season premier of Lost.
Mike \m/
Hey Alex
seeing you in front of the "soup cans" reminded me of when i was alittle girl growing up in a small town north of pittsburgh called Lyndora. Andy Warhola (he dropped the a) would often visit his aunts and cousins on holidays .several Christmas' were spent at my parents home. iwas too young to remember, but my older brother likes to tell me how andy drew pitures of us kids on the napkins. I wish i could find the photos of andy warhola opening up the bottles of wine! i've been afan since i saw you way back in 94 with savatage.love to watch you perform no matter what type of music you play. Rock on alex! Rachel
Greatest tribute to Roadies since Motorhead's "We are the Road Crew"
Hi Alex,
Have a Brilliant New Year and enjoy your well deserved rest, however short it may be.
I sure hope the last sentence of you poem is just a figure of speech and that your life isn't torn to pieces.
Enjoy yourself and take it easy.
Regards,
Claudia
Happy New Year Alex!
This is a great tribute to those hard-working behind the scenes people. Great start to 2010. Hope you have a good break. Don't work too hard.
~Belinda
This guys make the more hard work !!!
Happy New Year Alex!!!
Thank you is an expression not stated often enough. Yet when it is received by someone it can mean so much.
A tribute to the people behind the scenes, who keep the show going, is a great way to start the year. I can only imagine the various situations a road crew has to handle. Especially TSO, it’s a massive undertaking and a logistic challenge. The road crew and staff behind the scenes truly deserve appreciation.
Thanks for a year of amazing blogs and shows with A.S.T., TestamenT and TSO. I feel very privileged having been able see you perform with all three bands. Thank you very much. (Gassho / \) May all your projects continue to bring you success!
Hopefully, I was able fulfill one last promise and you noticed a little difference this tour, when compared to ones in past. (Sometimes, there are things we don’t understand. In that moment, we need to look inside ourselves, trust our inner truth or intuition, put aside whatever is in our way (fear, judgment, worry etc), and make a leap of faith.)
If your hope for 2010 is that the year “brings us all closer to our own truths”, then we need to begin by looking within ourselves to find our inner truth. To do so, we must close our everyday eyes and open our third eye. For it is through this eye we seek our inner knowledge, wisdom and intuition. The knowledge we need, the wisdom to know what to do with the knowledge, and the intuition to utilize the wisdom.
We all have wings within ourselves. That which we need to let our spirits take flight. It is only when the caterpillar takes the time to look inside, becoming quite within the cocoon, do they find their wings and become a butterfly.
Perhaps you already have what you need to begin opening your third eye and revealing the truth you seek.
Just remember, at times there are things we may never understand. It’s about trusting our inner truth, finding those wings, and believing they will carry us when we make a leap of faith.
Best wishes for 2010! Continuing to send you light, love and universal energy. Got a feeling; it’s going to be another dynamic year. ;-)
yea what she said.(naomi!)...wow-
Alex-The marriage of musician, and crew is one that can't be understood by me or most(mere) mortals, it is a calling, one that has all the same attributes as the acolyte, to the Minister, or Priest of any Church. I really enjoyed your Poem, your gritty emphasis on food and language, and the purely masculine overtones. But I was taken aback at the falling from grace due the reality of needing another ones help.
I understand the need to be grateful for the selfless-giving or the hard work of others, however, how could it do anything to make you less human? It makes me feel truly complete, and blessed. Reminding us all that we are connected, in an intricately woven web, that we help design. Alex you are like the rock at the top of the mtn, no less than the supporting stones at the bottom,and the Universe has put you where you belong.
Thank you for doing the timeless, selfless job of music, concerts and writing. Its worth it...
Brutal legend anyone? Not that I can play it...my grateful Son can, for it was his Christmas gift.
got life,
not seamless,
parts, its essence,
thirsty, for fixes,
more, everyday,
learn and enjoy,
a long way,
enlight,
in grace,
to find
your place.
You say the kindest things Alex (and VERY poignant Naomi). Here’s to all the folks who have our back. Happy 2010 & big blessings A and to all the Skol-goers!!!
So when you'd like to spend a little more time at home in NYC, the tour cancellation kinda comes in handy, right?
By the way, writing a poem for your road crew is, in my opinion, one of the nicest things ever done.
Greetings from Germany!
Hi Alex,
As fans we sometimes don't realize what goes into making a show like TSO's tour each year. We only see the finished product when we come to a concert.I am sure it takes a lot of hard work and synchronizing to put everything together to work as one, and the end result is awesome..Each time I come to the show I am facinated by the time and patience that goes into working the lights above the stage..After each show they are taken down then put back up at each venue.. Alot of work :)
Kudos to the road crew!
Happy New Year to you!
MJ
The idea for this came about one night when the front of a stage nearly collapsed. It wouldn't have been tragic, but detrimental for sure, especially for the singer who was trapped on the platform. The three guys who came to the rescue had different jobs on the tour. One was backline (amps) and two were lighting crew. But it didn't matter, they saw a problem and ran out to fix it, even if it wasn't exactly their department.
As a performer, there is a small sense of helplessness in these situations simply because
you have to just stay put and play that guitar (or other instrument) regardless of the crisis and let them fix the problem. That's YOUR job, to stay put, do your thing and keep the show running.
I have such admiration for these guys (and girls too-there were a couple awesome crew chicks on my last couple tours). If there's ever a national emergency, these are the people you want nearby. They'll conduct evacuations, build shelters and coordinate rescue missions. Me? I can come up with melodies reflecting how sad it all is.
....And melody makers amongst the mayhem is a real good thing. Singing on the chain gang, a much needed diversion and survival trait.
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