What goes on the road…stays on the road.

Mateship or cover up?

I heard about this concept long before joining the touring troupe. Initially, it added an air of mystery, of an exclusive club full of enigmatic aura. You know, where all the cool kids hung out, winking with insider knowledge … of who knows what?

And I get why it is there. Keeping a disparate group functional under duress (which is what touring events essentially become) relies on everyone trusting each other. As is true of all relationships.

On tour, you are in each other’s pockets all day and all night (sleep and toiletry time aside). You travel as a team and face adversity as a group. You are at your best, and worst, together. Everyone must make some allowance for others having off moments, just as they do for you. If someone gossips about another’s anomalies, it could easily turn around and bite them elsewhere. So, mum’s the word.

In most jobs, you clock off to leave behind your work problems or frustrations with colleagues. Ideally, all packed away until clocking on the next morning. On tour, you don’t have this luxury.

If you get the shits with a workmate during setup, they will still be there at dinner, show and pack down. There is a limited window in which to sort out your differences. Get it wrong and someone is off the bus and heading home next morning. Apart from the feelings of the poor sod who got shafted, the tour vibe can go a bit weird after such an event. I saw this happen a few times and it wasn’t fun for anyone.

There is also the weird power dynamic, with artiste held up as supreme being and all other minions should serve them and their whims. The pay sheet dictates this hierarchy. For this, party members are expected to turn a blind eye to any behavioural oddities of the paymaster. It’s a good thing that green room walls cannot talk.

Discretion assured

So how did this ‘stays-on-tour’ convention come about? I suspect because performing artists are humans too. While they may crave the limelight professionally, they also need time to relax and be themselves, away from the expectations of cameras, media and pestering hangers-on. They certainly don’t want to feel like they’ll be ‘papped’ before their public persona is switched on. Particularly by their crew.

The nature of this union requires all party members to recognise this need and not be a dick by tattling. Discretion is a necessary part of dealing with people in the public eye. Be mindful of revealing too much in photos and socials.

The rest of the crew making up the touring party can shield the talent to an extent but also need their own version of privacy. We can’t be permanently switched on all day and all night.

In this environment, it is inevitable that some tight bonds form. When you enjoy working with others under such conditions you all want this to continue. Of course you’ll be recommending your mate to join that next run, and them you.

If a particular tech has a close personal relationship with the artist or manager, they probably have more chance of ongoing employment than those with greater technical skills. The industry runs on ‘who you know’, not ‘what you know.’ Insiders in lable and tour management know this best. After all, they always seem to keep coming up with the bulk of the spoils.

Covering up bad conduct

It is also foreseeable that unfortunate outcomes can occur in the boiler room of touring. Unchecked interpersonal friction can soon slide into controlling or manipulative behaviours.

I’ve seen bullying and intimidation occur in a few workplaces. I saw it happen on tour. Where I could, I called it out. At other times, I was more subtle and undermined the bullies in ways that they still do not know. Reverse bullying? Maybe, but it still feels cathartically karmic.

Drunken punters and star struck groupies hang around the scene every night. The promise and allure of easy sex often lead to infidelities. When younger and more stupid, I was guilty of this misdemeanour. Guilty of forgetting about a loved one back home in search of a quick thrill. A lesson hard learned at the expense of others.

Perhaps easier to hide are substance use and abuse issues: a particular trap in the entertainment game. Again, guilty as charged. My chemical crutches were fun until they became impediments. I’ve chosen to make mine public but other people’s medicinal issues are theirs to resolve in their own time.

Much more concerning is sexual assault – an insidious problem across the whole world. Nightclubs, alcohol, drugs and inherent power imbalances can fuel this abhorrent behaviour. That cannot stay hidden. Call it if you see it.

Excusing a poor working environment

It’s no secret that life on the road is a tough working landscape. The long hours, endless physical exertion, and dislocation from home come with suitcase life. The lack of job security and entitlements taken for granted by regular wage earners can eat at your soul. Which it eventually did for me.

If no-one talks and everyone winks, how are these conditions going to improve. Which terms should you accept and which ones not? How much should you charge? Award rates are recognised for temporary crewing, production houses and government venues, but don’t really apply when negotiating a tour package. Will you get per diems, paid days off, or other perks? How are you travelling (three up the truck or first-class flights)? Do management expect you to share rooms? If there are NDAs involved, best consult a lawyer before signing.

Even with legal muzzles, people do talk. After a while, the word gets around and most know who the problem artists are, who the weirdest techs are and which promoters are most likely to stiff you.

I have no need, nor desire, to name names for any events allegedly occurring 35 or so years ago. My memory was compromised enough at the time, let alone decades hence. Further, I have become a confidante to many friends and colleagues over that time. This takes trust – a trust that I will never break.

Breaking the taboo

Some of these friends may not like that I have discussed this topic. For them, touring Omerta is sacrosanct. I understand their concern, and will not break that bond, for it is a two-way street. But I’ll equally not allow poor conditions to continue unexcused.

People’s personal business is just that – personal. But when their actions impose unfairly on others around them, it becomes a problem for the whole group. When an industry convention hides deep or nasty secrets, it hurts everyone in that industry.

Secret handshakes have always led to unfair influence. The music and entertainment industries are already nepotistic enough. There is no need to add any more layers of discrimination.