Roadie

Roadies play an essential part in staging live music events such as pop concerts and festivals. Their job involves setting up the equipment that artists need for the show. The work may include:

• driving, loading and unloading vans, trailers and buses
• lifting and carrying equipment and sets
• erecting sets and lighting to suit the stage area at each venue
• rigging up electrical equipment
• setting up and maintaining sound equipment, and checking sound levels
• tuning and maintaining instruments
• setting up videos, computers and other media
• using specialist equipment such as fork-lift trucks and cherry pickers to install lights on towers and scaffolding
• taking down the set after the show.

On tour, roadies work long hours, often finishing in the early hours of the morning. Weekend work is usually required, and the job often involves travelling long distances between venues. The work requires heavy lifting, bending, climbing and working in cramped conditions. Working at heights may also be required. The job often requires staying away from home for long periods.

Salaries may range from around £12,500 to over £32,000 a year.

A roadie should:

• have practical skills and be good with their hands
• be physically fit with a lot of stamina
• be good at teamwork
• be interested in technology and electronics.

Most roadies are self-employed and work freelance. They may find work for music promoters, music venues, equipment-hire companies and individual bands and artists. There is always strong competition for vacancies.

There is no formal entry route. Volunteering to work backstage on school, college or amateur productions, is a useful way of learning about the equipment used and the work involved. Roadies working in some specialist fields - such as sound production, lighting, pyrotechnics, rigging and video work - may need a technical qualification.

Most roadies learn on the job from more experienced colleagues. The more skills they can offer, the more employable they become. Roadies can do qualifications in subjects like electronics or pyrotechnics and then work in a specialist field.

Experienced roadies may progress to supervising small teams. Some may become tour managers, or take additional training to specialise in a technical field. Roadies with qualifications and experience in fields like sound or lighting may move into related fields like stage or television work.

Information from Connexions Jobs4U Career Database http://www.connexions-direct.com

For more information:

Production Services Association (PSA)

www.psa.org.uk

Send to a friend | Digg this! | Del.icio.us | Added by: Kate Tucker (16/01/2008)