How did you get your start?
When I was nineteen I moved with a few friends from a small town in Pennsylvania to Hollywood. They were in a metal band and felt LA provided the best opportunity to get a record deal and be successful. Unfortunately, like many bands that moved to LA they never made it, but I realized there was an entire music industry of professionals who work “behind the scenes” and are required for an artist to have any success. I started out being part of their stage crew and quickly started working with many other bands playing Hollywood and Southern California clubs. From there I kept networking and started doing national van tours as a tour manager for the band Masi and then with TSOL. Tim Kelly who was one of the guys I moved out to LA with from my hometown. He ended up getting the guitar gig with Slaughter. I started working with them in the recording studio and then I went on tour as their tour manager. This was my first tour in a bus and we opened up for Kiss.
Who have you worked with in the past?
I’ve have the privilege to work with many incredible musicians and artists. Here is a sample of some of them. As I mentioned I started with Slaughter in the early 90’s. I then worked with Jackson Browne, Shawn Colvin, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, The String Cheese Incident, Phish, Pretty Lights, Foster The People, Jack Johnson and just finished a world tour with Idina Menzel.
Why did you want to be a tour manager?
I had no idea a position like this existed when I moved to LA and then started in the business. I’ve always been comfortable with being the responsible one and handled the business end of things in my dealings throughout school and from when I was a young adult. I was offered two open positions from the manager of Masi. One being a FOH engineer and the other being a tour manager. I wasn’t qualified as a FOH engineer so I had him explain to me what a tour manager was. Even though it seemed overwhelming with the responsibilities he gave me I had the confidence I could handle it. I took the position and haven’t stopped working since.
What do you think are the personal qualities a great tour manager requires?
Being a leader with organizational and accounting skills and the ability to multitask. Be methodical with the tasks and deadlines directly in front of you plus the need to continue to plan for the days, weeks and months ahead. You also need to be able to keep your cool, not get flustered or lose your temper. It’s being able to control the chaos that is constantly coming at you. The job also consists of making decisions so being decisive is very important.
What was the first tour you used Master Tour on?
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals back in 2004.
What feature do you use the most on Master Tour?
Ability for the management team (the administrators in Master Tour) to each input details into Master Tour when advancing and setting up the tour and have each of us updated in real time. This helps reduce the time it requires to add the same information and be repetitive with the same data entries into each person’s different programs. Having the tour manager, production manager, and production coordinator all on the same page and not having details lost between one another when setting up and then while on tour is imperative. Also the mobile app and the ability to have your entire organization with the up to date itinerary and schedule details. Information is knowledge and the mobile app provides all the information each person in your organization requires.
What the best advice you can give to a tour manager just starting out?
Always have the artist’s best interest in mind when making decisions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and be willing to learn every aspect of the music and touring industry. Not only understand how best to have the tour run logistically, but also know all the technical aspects that go into putting on a show or tour. This will help with your overall planning as well as budgets and the financial side of touring. Bringing home the most profits for your artist is high priority. Network and make sure you always carry yourself in a professional and honorable way. You have a lot of responsibility and the demeanor and tone of the tour starts at the top. You are the face of the organization to the outside world whether it’s venue, hotel or other industry staff so always treat people with respect and be pleasant.
What’s the best part of the job? What makes you love the road life?
That each day provides new challenges. You have to remain sharp and ready to handle any situation that arises each day. There is a lot of hard work that goes into each show and it requires many long hours for a tour to run smoothly. I like nothing better then to NOT have any drama. I always say “touring is hard enough, let’s not make it difficult”. By far the best part of the day is when you call house lights and the audience screams with excitement waiting for their first glimpse of the artist and you put the band on-stage. My heart still races and it just makes all the hard work and long hours worth while. I always feel very grateful and appreciative for being able to do something I love.
What’s the biggest misconception in your opinion about the touring lifestyle?
1) The limited amount of sleep you get while on tour and the job is non-stop 24/7.
2) That you sleep on a bus.
3) That you actually have time in the cities you are performing in to see anything besides the bus, hotel, and venue.
What’s the best city to have a day off in, besides Chicago of course?
This is a hard one as there are so many fantastic cities, but besides Chicago and a day at Wrigley’s field I’d have to say Byron Bay Australia. I always try to work it out that the tour is able to have a couple days off there. Really the best when I can get these apartments right on the beach for everyone. We can then all get together for some sun, beach, surf, barbecuing, tennis death matches, and time relaxing. Great camaraderie building away from the gig and venue.