Some artists need a number of different instruments to get all the authentic tones off their record. Some guitarists depend on their tech do switch amp channels and/or effects, while in other cases your main job can be to watch the show eagle-eyed for any sign of trouble. The guitar technician’s role during a showĭepending on the band you work with, as well as the size of their crew, a guitar technician’s range of responsibilities can differ greatly. Ten minutes into the show and the roadie starts to relax visibly, sending non-verbal messages that he is approachable again. He wants to make sure his client has a trouble-free gig. The guitar tech is focussed fully on the technical aspects of the show. Don’t bother the technician by asking him for an artist’s pleck, or by enquiring the way to the nearest bathroom. If you approach a guitar tech during the first few minutes of a show, he will think that there’s a problem with any of the equipment. The crew are really concentrated and wired, especially at the start of the show. The crew starts to relax a little bit: The instruments and backline work as they should, so we can enter the maintenance phase. When the artist tells you everything is OK – usually with a wink or a nod – it is time to start breathing again. The last bars of the intro tape, the band’s on stage – will everything go as planned? Even the most-seasoned guitar tech will be close to a heart-attack at this very moment, his heart in his mouth, wishing for the best…īand techs usually spend the first two numbers of a show watching “their” artist closely for any hints at a problem. My heart races and my eyes constantly jump from one piece of the rig to the next. There’s nothing worse than to start a show, only to discover that one of the instruments of the band (or even worse, the vocalist) can’t be heard. Right now I could use all the rabbit’s foots and lucky charms in the world! There is not such thing as a margin of error for the first song of a show. I keep my fingers crossed, and hope, that the rig will work smoothly. I feel I’m being sucked into an adrenaline-fuelled vortex. If he went for a ringing power chord he would destroy the magic moment for the fans, and the FOH-guy would throw a fit. If he really must do it, advise him to give his guitar a very quiet, palm-muted chug or two. You can see his fingers twitching every ten seconds or so. The guitarist might find it extremely hard to resist the urge to check if his guitar and amp are really working. The front-of-house soundman doesn’t want to hear a single note coming off the stage, while the intro tape is rolling. The crew and the band have one prime objective – to put on a great show for the fans. Touring is a very draining business – both mentally as well as physically – because of the extremes you’re going through every day. On tour you get your daily dose of adrenaline, but you can’t stay on this “high” for the whole time, your body has to relax as well. You work toward this climax each day, but once the tour is over you’re left stranded, wishing for it all to continue. This feeling can work like a drug: Once you’ve felt this rush firsthand you want to feel it every day. This adrenaline rush is what many of us backliners thrive on. The adrenaline rush set off by the light show and the loud music is also gripping the band and their crew. Under ideal circumstances, this explosion of energy causes a collective uplift for all those people watching. The audiovisual spectacle of a Rock show is something to remember for the fans.
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