Radio Check - Life In The Concert Touring Industry

Send us Fan Mail Dick Tee got into the music industry as a means to raise enough money to buy a farm. Decades later, no farm, just a wealth of production experience and know how. Dick is best known for his almost 20 years as head of production for the Glastonbury Festival’s Pyramid and Other stages. We discuss the massive undertaking that the festival requires, as well as it’s evolution over the years. He also tells us what it was like to return to the festival again last year after ten years away.

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Matt and I discuss the first World Cup final half time show at Metlife Stadium. We get into what it was like being there, who was involved, and how this massive undertaking came together.

Send us Fan Mail Joe Sanchez first launched his career in the late 80’s as a personal assistant for UK rockers The Cult. He went on to spend the next 25 years touring the global arena circuit production managing high-profile acts like The Pet Shop Boys, Rihanna and Queen w/ Adam Lambert before forming his own production company 1826 in 2014. Joe explains how he came to start 1826, it’s ethos and where he sees the company going into the future as an elite entertainment agency and full-service concert touring production provider. We also discuss what it’s like to work outside of concert touring with unique clients like Formula 1 and Airbnb.

Send us Fan Mail Lee Charteris is a multi-award-winning production manager who flourished in our industry in the 1990s early 2000s. Like a lot of his peers from that era, he started by humping gear in and out of vans around London. In his case with The Clash. The start of his rise in the industry really started when he got a call from Gerry Stickells to go on tour with Queen as a backline tech. Lee shares stories of his touring life with Queen, Depeche Mode, The Cure and Peter Gabriel as well as huge events like Roger Waters’ The Wall in Berlin and the Freddie Mercury Tribute concert in Wembley Stadium. We also get well into Lee’s involvement with breaking the concert touring industry in the United Arab Emirates where he started his company Flash Entertainment who are responsible for a great deal of the industry’s foundation in the region.

Send us Fan Mail As far back as the early 90s when guitarist Marty Friedman was a member of the classic Megadeth line-up, he’s had a fascination with Japanese music and culture. On this episode we explore Marty’s 20 plus years living in Japan, his time with Megadeth, 18 solo records and his 2024 revealing autobiography “Dreaming Japanese”. We also get into what it was like reuniting with Dave Mustaine and playing with Megadeth again after two decades at the Tokyo Budokan.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we explore the current Nine Inch Nails “Peel it Back” tour. We have with us longtime lighting designer Paul “Arlo” Guthrie and longtime front of house sound mixer Jamie Pollock. Together we take an in-depth look at the creative and technical aspects of the show design from the conception of the idea through each segment of the 4-act performance. It’s fascinating hearing their unique perspectives on what it took to bring this incredible show to fruition.

Send us Fan Mail Greg Price knows how to push air. He has made his reputation by mixing the most powerful bands our industry has ever produced. Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Rage Against the Machine, Tool and now Metallica amongst many, many more. Greg shares stories, philosophies, and techniques that have defined his career. It was great catching up with my old friend.

Send us Fan Mail Radio Check recognizes the farewell performance of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath with a special episode celebrating the “Back to the Beginning” concert that took place at Villa Park in Birmingham. We welcome back Jake Berry, the show’s production director, and welcome for the first time Patrick Woodroffe, creative director and Greg Price, the shows audio designer. These three industry luminaries tell the story of how the show came together and how it ultimately unfolded. We also share great Ozzy stories and recognize just how influential Sharen Osbourne has been to Ozzy’s exceptional career…. Epic from the start.

Send us Fan Mail Dallas Schoo is one of the last bastions of original guitar techs who paved the way for how things are done today. He launched his career by chance while at college in Boulder Colorado in 1971. He tells us how he got started and guides us along his incredible journey that led him to working with U2’s Edge for the past 38 years. Dallas is a gifted storyteller with volumes of history that he kindly shared with Matt and I.

Send us Fan Mail Nigel Buchan has been the head of production in the Southwest for over 30 years producing shows for Evening Star and then Live Nation. Before moving to Phoenix in the early 90’s, Nigel who hails from England was a successful touring sound engineer mixing seminal bands like the original Motorhead, Judas Priest during their British Steel era and Van Halen’s legendary 1984 tour. Nigel tells Matt and I classic stories about Lemmy’s hijinks and witnessing the break-up of the original Van Halen. He is one of our industry’s true legends.

Send us Fan Mail Sooner Routhier is one of the most versatile creative designers in our industry having the unique ability to cross over into any musical genre producing visually striking shows at the highest level. From working as a lighting tech regionally in New England, to programming shows for other LDs, all the way to designing tours for some of the biggest artists in the world, winning several awards along the way, Sooner has a great story of her rise in the industry. Coldplay, Green Day, Muse, Carol G, Rhianna, and the Lumineers are just a few of the artists that have been beautifully represented by her work. She also talks to Matt and I about her design company, “Sooner Rae Creative”, her collaborative design group “The Playground”, and her passion project “Even Network” that sponsors young individuals looking to get into the business.

Send us Fan Mail Sideman is the title multi-instrumentalist Andy Fairweather Low prefers. Eric Clapton, Roger Waters and George Harrison have all called him their right-hand sideman. AFL, who has an incredible memory for detail, generously walks Matt and I thru his illustrious career playing with several legends of the last 50 years. He even humorously shares the story of being called out by Jimi Hendrix for playing out of key. What a storyteller, what a guitar player, what a great guy. This was an absolute pleasure. (I absentmindedly left my podcast microphone on the road. I apologize for my poor audio)

Send us Fan Mail Eric Piontkowski is on the leading end of the next generation of great production managers. “Ski” as he prefers to be called, is a strong example of how hard work and determination lead to amazing things. He tells us his story of travelling in vans playing with club bands, attending Full Sail University and eventually getting on the road with Clair Brothers as an audio tech. Ski is now one of the most respected production managers in our industry. His story is as fascinating as it is inspiring.

Send us Fan Mail Tim Lougee, aka “Gooch” has been tour managing at the highest level for 35 years. His learned, effective outlook and approach to his work is refreshing and makes for great story telling. We visit tales over his entire career from his early days doing security at the Metro in Chicago, meeting and growing up with the Smashing Pumpkins, having to remove sweaty stage armor off of Gene Simmons after his first show, to navigating the eccentricities of Neil Young. This is a great podcast.

Send us Fan Mail Mark Spring pulls no punches. He says what’s on his mind unapologetically. Springo, a Parnelli Lifetime Achievement recipient, shares sensational stories with Matt and I spanning his 40 plus year career. From his early days working for Show Lights touring huge productions with the likes of Def Leppard all the way through his 22 years as production manager for Paul McCartney. This man knows what it takes to produce massive shows for some of the most prominent artists in our industry. His stories are unique, entertaining and fun.

Send us Fan Mail Britannia Row came into being as a rental house for Pink Floyd to hire out their touring equipment as a way to support their crew between tours. Bryan Grant joined Britannia Row in 1979 eventually going on to purchase the company from Pink Floyd in 1984. For the last 45 years Brit Row have been at the vanguard of touring audio systems around the globe. Bryan guides Matt and I through the early days of the company and how they evolved over the years from stacking PA by hand to modern day line array. We also touch on the Clair Global acquisition and the company’s international strategy.

Send us Fan Mail Chris Adamson is one of the true legends we have in our industry. He started his career in the late 60’s carting band equipment around Britain for several London bands eventually hooking up with Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. Chris went on to work with several prominent bands like Emerson Lake & Palmer, Roxy Music and Steely Dan but is most known for his time with Pink Floyd. He tells Matt and I classic tales of the making of Dark Side of the Moon including how he came to record his famous line “I’ve been mad for years”. Chris also shares heartfelt stories of his long and close relationship with Tom Petty.

Send us Fan Mail Matt and I return after an 8 month break to catch up on things. We discuss the state of the industry, touch on tour safety, sustainability and mental health. We also get into our continued love of music and the dangers of going down You Tube rabbit holes. It is good to be back at it again.

Send us Fan Mail Chris Chaney has been in more bands and has played bass guitar on more records and soundtracks than he can remember. He tells Matt and I great stories from both the road and studio. Chris also gets into how exciting and touching it was to play at his best friend Taylor Hawkins tribute shows in London and Los Angeles. He shares some tribute highlights of the music played and how exciting it was to hang out backstage with some of his heroes.

Send us Fan Mail Danny Carey and I have spent countless hours talking about music while on the road together. In this episode we welcome the Tool drummer to continue the conversation. We explore our favorite drummers, our deep love of prog rock and our genuine passion for all things music. We also talk about the song writing process and how beat and riffing ideas evolve organically into a new Tool track.