Joking Around

"What does a tornado in Tennessee have in common with a divorce in Tennessee?  Answer:  Somebody always loses the trailer.

Repartee between Roadies and "local crew" doesn't always occur easily- who wants to be an instant buddy with someone they may never see again after the next 14 hours- yet those hours are packed with not only work, but opportunity for true camaraderie.  A guy like me seizes those moments.

Besides, I'm 56- I'll sit down on a piece of truss that's waiting at 2 am to be loaded onto a semi and bs with the stage manager, both of us knowing that the young bucks on our mutual crews (who feel the need to prove themselves) will do the heavy lifting.  That's when I get the real tidbits of news, like Farrah Cutiepie starting her career as a table dancer and her current Tour Stage Manager (truss guy) used to be the door bouncer at the strip club she worked.

Or we talk about the politics of rock and roll, and how the neo-cons, via Clear Channel, (whose CEO is a family relative of the Bush's by marriage), is trying to dominate and water-down the music industry.  Clear Channel, which owns more radio stations than anyone else on the planet, is now buying up venues, tour production facilities-including tour buses, talent development companies and promotion facilities, and even developing their own stagehand crews, to vertically and horizontally dominate the delivery of rock and roll to the masses.  Ten years ago Clean Channel owned 8 radio stations.  They now own 1,200.  Where did they get the money? Follow the money......Clear Channel is despised by everyone I've talked to on a loading dock.  They are like the Wal-Mart of music.  Lowest wages and the suckiest contracts.

Three guys walk into a bar.  A priest, a pedophile, and an alcoholic-------- and that was just the first guy.  (Key Arena, Seattle, IATSE Local #15, forgotten source. Peter Gabriel tour?)

The summer of 2004, preceding the prez election, three different stagehands (all union guys) told me about lucid dreams they had of W not living out his second term.  They weren't killer wackos- in fact they were frightened, even unnerved by their dreams.  I think they sought me out in order to feel better psychologically.

The War in Iraq.  Who wants this war?  "Not me and not anyone I know," was the universal refrain on union loading docks.  Union stagehands are the most liberal guys I have ever met.  Non- union stagehands, on the other hand, (who work for half the wages of union guys and forego overtime and bennies), rarely express any political opinion, insight or concern.  Tattoos and deferred sentencing arrangements dominate conversation with these brethren.  One memorable slur I heard from a non-union brother was, "He looks like he went to f---g college."

Push that box, dude.

That's my world, day job-wise.  Wanna know more?

© Bruce A. Smith   2004       previous       next