So last year I was a part of a short NZ tour with two Wellington bands (plus local openers). With the bands Androgynous Lemon and Electric Current, we played three dates in the lower North Island; Wellington, Whanganui and Eastbourne. This was my first tour and to be honest I was pretty nervous, especially considering how I was the Tech Production Manager. This meant that I was in charge of the small tech team of eight and the general planning/operation of the gig's sound, lightning and stage setup.
This was daunting. This wasn't the first time that I'd taken on the role of Production Manager for a show, the first being the Wellington Upside Down gig in 2017 where we got a few bands to play in a boxing ring in a gym. This tour, however, was quite a bit more nerve-wracking. If we forgot any gear we needed, we'd be in a different city with very little hope on getting it. Furthermore, we'd have never stepped foot into the venues themselves before the date, so it required a lot of communication with the venues' managers to find our limitations (power, stage size etc). Plus there's always the fact that we'd have to execute the shows perfectly for three consecutive nights.
However, somehow, we did it. The shows were great. All had great crowds. The tech team worked like a well-oiled machine and the shows looked/sounded great. I couldn't be more proud of myself and the team. We all were vastly different people, with differing skillsets and personalities. At times it was tough. Clashing personalities and large workloads, the usual challenges. But we stuck together and did it. The picture below is quite a special one for me, rich with memories of the tour. This was after our longest and hardest setup in Whanganui. The rest of the tour (the bands and industry members) thought that we should get the free meals from the venue (shout out to Lucky!), since we'd been working all day (shout out to them, was really kind and meant a lot!).
Finally, whilst the live tour life may not be my goal, this was a tonne of fun and was a massive learning experience. We got to travel, hang out with mates and listen to good music. Plus eat some pretty killer (free!) Spaghetti Bolognese.
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