The Ongoing History of New Music, episode 10450: We are the road crew: A history of roadies
There are plenty of thankless jobs out there. Think about the people who have to work outside in all kinds of weather. Line workers for power companies. Garbage collectors. Prison officers. The same goes for nurses, teachers, and first responders of all types. I could go on, but you get the idea. So much needs to go on behind the scenes for us to be able to live our lives.
There are dirty and difficult jobs, but someone’s gotta do it. Mostly, they do their jobs so well that we don’t even think about them. But if not for these people, society wouldn’t function.
Now let’s look at the music industry. The performers get all the glory, we’d know nothing of them if it weren’t for the massive support they get from people in the background.
That includes support staff at record labels and management companies, managers, publicists, assistants, and thousands of other positions that help make the music happen.
One of the most important positions is paradoxically both visible and invisible. If they do their jobs well, they’re ghosts. But if they don’t, things don’t go so well. They may not go at all.
I’m talking about roadies, members of the road crew, the people who enlist in the army that’s necessary to put an act on tour. Without their expertise, long hours, and willingness to ensure everything goes smoothly, there would be no live experience.
They say that if there ain’t no audience, there ain’t no show. But if there ain’t no road crew, then there ain’t nothing at all.
This is a history of the men and women who make live shows happen. It’s the story of roadies.
Songs heard on this show:
- Motorhead, We Are the Road Crew
- Tenacious D, Roadie
- U2, One Tree Hill
- Depeche Mode, Condemnation
- Melvins, Honey Bucket
- Oasis, Live Forever
- Raconteurs, Steady as She Goes
- Superchuck, FOH
Eric Wilhite has a playlist for us.
The Ongoing History Music can be heard on these stations. Don’t forget that there’s a podcast version, too, in case you miss any episodes. Get them for free wherever you get your podcasts.
- 102.1 The Edge/Toronto – Sunday night at 7pm
- Q107/Toronto – Sunday night at 9pm
- Live 88-5/Ottawa – Saturdays at 9am and Sundays at 6pm.
- 107.5 Dave-FM/Kitchener – Sunday nights at 11pm
- FM96/London – Sunday nights at 8pm
- Power 97/Winnipeg – Sunday nights at 10am and 10pm
- 107-3 The Edge/Calgary – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
- Sonic 102.9/Edmonton – Sunday at 8am and 8pm
- The Zone/Victoria – Sunday at 8am and 9pm
- The Fox/Vancouver – Sundays at 10anm and 10pm
- The Goat Network/Interior BC
- Surge 105/Halifax – Sunday at 7pm
- WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Arkon, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm
