muckles:
I’ve always thought the roadies at concerts moved the bands gear and set it up, all the drivers did was transport it and load their trucks?
If that’s the case then i may have worded my topic title wrong. I just assumed that drivers on tours were classed as roadies but not too sure tbh
.
Truckies Is the more appropriate word mate. Local crews will load the trailer, we supervise it, secure it and transport it. Then we park up, eat and then if it’s a back to back we sleep, if it’s a couple of nights at the venue we can do what we want.
Bigtruck3
read the above as that is how it is, not what you think it is in your fantasy world.
muckles:
I’ve always thought the roadies at concerts moved the bands gear and set it up, all the drivers did was transport it and load their trucks?
If that’s the case then i may have worded my topic title wrong. I just assumed that drivers on tours were classed as roadies but not too sure tbh
No problem, I wasn’t trying to score points or anything like that, just my understanding of the various job titles, as for your original post, I’m sure tour work has its fair share of arrogant ■■■■■■ but probably no worse than anywhere else.
robthedog:
Bigtruck3 care to elaborate on this sentence
the rest of the time you would laugh at what they do to earn a crust embarrassing
Gofors, every crew needs gofors and it’s usually the truck drivers do this do that do anything when not behind the wheel
You’ve obviously never done the job as you are talking out of your [zb].
I have done the job and it’s just as i said gofors and tea boy and do what the rest of the crew won’t do
Not in the last 8 years, the drivers I work with now, who have been doing the job for 25 plus years have never been gofers or tea boy and wont allow any of the drivers they work with to be either. Maybe you just got the short straw on your tour
Good friend of mine landed a job driving the trucks a few years ago, and did actually move some of Madonnas stage stuff from Barcelona to, I think, Gothenburg, double manned.
He flew out, collected the truck, and him and another driver moved it to Sweden, then he flew back. Nothing flash about that, nor did he get into Madges knickers.
There seems to be many myths surrounding the job, but then again, there are in all forms of truck driving.
Quinny:
Good friend of mine landed a job driving the trucks a few years ago, and did actually move some of Madonnas stage stuff from Barcelona to, I think, Gothenburg, double manned.
He flew out, collected the truck, and him and another driver moved it to Sweden, then he flew back. Nothing flash about that, nor did he get into Madges knickers.
There seems to be many myths surrounding the job, but then again, there are in all forms of truck driving.
Ken.
I think being a roadie, or an F1 truckiee, are similar professions, to being a member of an elite fighting force, every driver in the RDC plastic chair has either been one, or his mate was one.
Quinny:
Good friend of mine landed a job driving the trucks a few years ago, and did actually move some of Madonnas stage stuff from Barcelona to, I think, Gothenburg, double manned.
He flew out, collected the truck, and him and another driver moved it to Sweden, then he flew back. Nothing flash about that, nor did he get into Madges knickers.
There seems to be many myths surrounding the job, but then again, there are in all forms of truck driving.
Double driving pays quite well. All the companys use them and usually take on more as the season gets busier. Fly out, hotel, drive, (can be upto and 20 hours) hotel, fly home…varies in length how long you are needed for. Some of the stories I heard before I started were quite amusing, but you soon learn fact t from fiction, and most if its fiction. My mate said or my mate knows someone who works there and he said…unfortunately very few other drivers actually come and talk and ask. I’ve been on the ferry and met some arrogant general haulage drivers, so it’s not just music that has them
Due to complex nature of most big tours, as mentioned these days the roadies/riggers load/unload trucks and build stage sets at most big tours, same as F1. The truckies drive the trucks, some events will even have dedicated shunters to move the trucks around whilst the drivers have rest periods in hotels.
It’s not unusual for truckers to be flown in and out just to move kit from one venue to another if there is a few days between movements.
I was a set builder/roadie on a medium size euro tour a few years back. There were 2 coaches with trailers and one 18 tonner. The drivers drove, and that’s all.
The equipment was loaded and unloaded by myself, the guitar and drum techs and the lighting guy with help from the local venue crews.
If this is the case on a fairly low budget tour, then its almost certainly the case that the driver does no more than drive on large tours…
If you are a driver on a large tour and you are cleaning toilets and making tea, then you are a mug and its your own fault.
theres certainly no need to be cleaning toilets when you will always have a lidl close by with an endless supply of carrier bags to use in the comfort of your own cab…
I’ve watched a lot of Mat Ireland’s videos and I have never heard him mention doing anything other than driving. As regards the thread title, Mat comes across as a sound down to earth bloke. youtube.com/channel/UCiXPVO … RwvJAoGTZQ
I have worked in events for the better part of 20 years, there are some drivers who think they’re something special, they’re not, they’re drivers who work in a specialist sector. On F1, you drive, build the structure and set it all up for the free loaders, work the event, if it’s your rest period you stay well away, but you can guarentee you’re back on duty when the race is finished and it’s time to pack down.
When you tour with bands it really depends on how big the tour/band is. Small tours/bands you can end up running cables, working lights, helping sell merch, all for a small gratuity on big tours you can do some/all of the above for the same gratuity, or you can empty the truck, get a shower and go to bed, there is always catering at the events, hotels most of the time, it can make you think you’re something special, but you’re not, you drive a bloody truck and have been lucky enough to escape sitting in an RDC.
As above. I’ve just finished event work after 5 years. I drove to the venue, local crew unloaded, I ■■■■■■ off. When the gig was up,I came back, the crew loaded and I ■■■■■■ off. That’s it!
From what I’ve seen it attracts plenty of ■■■■■■■■■■ If they are wearing a led zeppelin T-shirt and loads of leather bracelets and a skull or some other kind of stupid pendant avoid like the plague. Otherwise be non stop so I said to bono and he said to me all night.
kr79:
From what I’ve seen it attracts plenty of [zb]. If they are wearing a led zeppelin T-shirt and loads of leather bracelets and a skull or some other kind of stupid pendant avoid like the plague. Otherwise be non stop so I said to bono and he said to me all night.
Or i met bono and made him a cup of tea then he asked me to wash his car
on big tours you can do some/all of the above for the same gratuity, or you can empty the truck, get a shower and go to bed, there is always catering at the events, hotels most of the time, it can make you think you’re something special, but you’re not, you drive a bloody truck and have been lucky enough to escape sitting in an RDC.