Red Mosquito

bada wrote:I want more McP back stage stories with details!!!!

I want more McP back stage stories with details!!!!

Spoiler: show

* Bob Dylan's crew is weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeird. They also have the most disgusting-smelling collection of ugly-looking hippy blankets known to man, and are probably the award winners for most wasted food by an organization, which is a lot like being the most basebally baseball team in professional baseball. They had me and one other person go and acquire all the items on their $1,300 shopping list of daily needs, and then changed their mind and ordered pizza instead. They are tremendously arrogant, and incredibly unimpressed with anybody who isn't them. I don't think this reflects on anything other than them as a community that developed over time, because there were people on that tour who'd been there for 6 months and only ever seen Bob as he wandered from bus to stage and back again. Black bus, all tinted windows, and the fucker wears shades. Badass. I asked him if he was ever gonna get around to asking me for my autograph (was I just gonna NOT say anything?). His response: "I was working up the nerve." Then he handed me a napkin and a sharpie (I have to assume that Bob Dylan does not carry a sharpie on his body at all times, but is in fact magic). So I signed it.

* Maynard James Keenan only loves three things in this whole world: X-Box, cocaine, and getting a beej while taking a shower. I think, actually, that's even the correct order, because he seemed really annoyed when told that the cooler his cocaine was spread out on was needed and could he please pause his game and "take care of it" so I could do my job. Someone else (dunno who) in Perfect Circle pretty much just said the word "dude." That's all I ever heard him say.

* Standing onstage with Bob Dylan's Love and Theft band at an outdoor venue, with no other people in sight, while they play an extended, gorgeous instrumental rendition of Not Dark Yet and the sun begins to touch the horizon will ruin your life. Your whole life.

* I really, really thought Steven Tyler was gonna call me "champ," or "slugger," or something. I was just waiting for it. The guy shoulda been wearing a suit and answering questions about insurance premiums. Aerosmith used to love finding small clubs they could get the owner to close so they could do long-ass blues jams and host parties for the crew. They seemed...sober? I guess?

* Ozzy Osbourne is incredibly coherent. Seriously. He's got a heavy slur, but I think he exaggerates it when it suits him. I actually heard him use the phrase "wax poetic" in conversation. Ozzy Osbourne said "wax poetic," and it wasn't just an accidental combination of sounds that fell out of his face. His crew was a surreal group...they looked like Motorhead Halloween costumes come to life, but mostly behaved like church-going grandparents.

* Metallica does not like the Midwest. Metallica does not show up before a show in the Midwest, and Metallica does not stay for one second after the show in the Midwest. They also have some guy in their organization who refers to them solely as Metallica (see previous sentence), and try as I might I couldn't find the right question to make him say something hilarious with it.

After that, it's pretty boring minutiae.

stupidmop wrote:How many fire poles have the post riot act money grab bought? Im thinking by 2020 eds house will be made entirely of solid gold fire poles glued to surf boards tied together with pearl jam dog collars. Both the fire poles and surfboards will bear the 'ev' brand, the superglue will be 10c brand. Youll be able to buy special giftpacks off the 10c website for half price if you promise to vote for the presidential candidate of eds choosing. The entire band will enter the stage sliding down said fire poles, and ed will use his for a rawking pole dance during porch.

McParadigm wrote:

Strat wrote:When you talk about your figures are those specific to certain acts or industry standards?

I was told by

Spoiler: show

Karrie Keyes

that PJ were not making much money on their tours till about 2000-2003 tours..

I've a very long term friend who was one of the biggest promoters in the upper midwest between 89 and 03 (he's retired from it now). I used to do a lot of non-union backstage crew work for him, as well as help out with some of the paperwork and communication stuff. Got to meet and talk with a lot of really cool people (like Charlie Sexton and Larry Campbell), some really shitty people (almost everyone who has ever been in charge of any band's eating habits, anywhere), some weirdo sulky children (Maynard James Keenan), and some people who were total Human Resources management types (Steven Tyler). Some of the weirdest experiences of my life.

More importantly, I got to read a lot of inner-organization memos and steal copies of a lot of industry trades at the time.

As far as 90's touring is concerned, as late as 1998 they were charging $25 a ticket (unrelated "convenience fees" not included). And they were far more willing to play smaller venues as part of that...

02/20/98 - Alexander M. Baldwin Amphitheatre: Maui, HI [96m]
attendance: 5,000

02/21/98 - Alexander M. Baldwin Amphitheatre: Maui, HI [100m]
attendance: 5,000

02/26/98 - Queen's Wharf Events Center: Wellington, NZ
attendance: 5,000

03/09/98 - Entertainment Centre: Sydney, Australia [90m]
attendance: 12,000

03/20/98 - Perth Entertainment Centre: Perth, Australia [112m]
attendance: 5,000

06/21/98 - The Canyons: Park City, UT [95m]
attendance: 10,000

06/24/98 - Rushmore Civic Center Arena: Rapid City, SD [110m]
attendance: 8,500

Well, no wonder you're not making bank when you're hauling organization and equipment enough to handle 25,000 seat venues around, but booking something like a fourth of your tour into tiny venues where the cheaply-priced ticket gross for the night is going to be $125,000.

McParadigm wrote:

I want more McP back stage stories with details!!!!

Spoiler: show

* Bob Dylan's crew is weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeird. They also have the most disgusting-smelling collection of ugly-looking hippy blankets known to man, and are probably the award winners for most wasted food by an organization, which is a lot like being the most basebally baseball team in professional baseball. They had me and one other person go and acquire all the items on their $1,300 shopping list of daily needs, and then changed their mind and ordered pizza instead. They are tremendously arrogant, and incredibly unimpressed with anybody who isn't them. I don't think this reflects on anything other than them as a community that developed over time, because there were people on that tour who'd been there for 6 months and only ever seen Bob as he wandered from bus to stage and back again. Black bus, all tinted windows, and the fucker wears shades. Badass. I asked him if he was ever gonna get around to asking me for my autograph (was I just gonna NOT say anything?). His response: "I was working up the nerve." Then he handed me a napkin and a sharpie (I have to assume that Bob Dylan does not carry a sharpie on his body at all times, but is in fact magic). So I signed it.

* Maynard James Keenan only loves three things in this whole world: X-Box, cocaine, and getting a beej while taking a shower. I think, actually, that's even the correct order, because he seemed really annoyed when told that the cooler his cocaine was spread out on was needed and could he please pause his game and "take care of it" so I could do my job. Someone else (dunno who) in Perfect Circle pretty much just said the word "dude." That's all I ever heard him say.

* Standing onstage with Bob Dylan's Love and Theft band at an outdoor venue, with no other people in sight, while they play an extended, gorgeous instrumental rendition of Not Dark Yet and the sun begins to touch the horizon will ruin your life. Your whole life.

* I really, really thought Steven Tyler was gonna call me "champ," or "slugger," or something. I was just waiting for it. The guy shoulda been wearing a suit and answering questions about insurance premiums. Aerosmith used to love finding small clubs they could get the owner to close so they could do long-ass blues jams and host parties for the crew. They seemed...sober? I guess?

* Ozzy Osbourne is incredibly coherent. Seriously. He's got a heavy slur, but I think he exaggerates it when it suits him. I actually heard him use the phrase "wax poetic" in conversation. Ozzy Osbourne said "wax poetic," and it wasn't just an accidental combination of sounds that fell out of his face. His crew was a surreal group...they looked like Motorhead Halloween costumes come to life, but mostly behaved like church-going grandparents.

* Metallica does not like the Midwest. Metallica does not show up before a show in the Midwest, and Metallica does not stay for one second after the show in the Midwest. They also have some guy in their organization who refers to them solely as Metallica (see previous sentence), and try as I might I couldn't find the right question to make him say something hilarious with it.

After that, it's pretty boring minutiae.

bada wrote:

McParadigm wrote:

I want more McP back stage stories with details!!!!

Spoiler: show

* Bob Dylan's crew is weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeird. They also have the most disgusting-smelling collection of ugly-looking hippy blankets known to man, and are probably the award winners for most wasted food by an organization, which is a lot like being the most basebally baseball team in professional baseball. They had me and one other person go and acquire all the items on their $1,300 shopping list of daily needs, and then changed their mind and ordered pizza instead. They are tremendously arrogant, and incredibly unimpressed with anybody who isn't them. I don't think this reflects on anything other than them as a community that developed over time, because there were people on that tour who'd been there for 6 months and only ever seen Bob as he wandered from bus to stage and back again. Black bus, all tinted windows, and the fucker wears shades. Badass. I asked him if he was ever gonna get around to asking me for my autograph (was I just gonna NOT say anything?). His response: "I was working up the nerve." Then he handed me a napkin and a sharpie (I have to assume that Bob Dylan does not carry a sharpie on his body at all times, but is in fact magic). So I signed it.

* Maynard James Keenan only loves three things in this whole world: X-Box, cocaine, and getting a beej while taking a shower. I think, actually, that's even the correct order, because he seemed really annoyed when told that the cooler his cocaine was spread out on was needed and could he please pause his game and "take care of it" so I could do my job. Someone else (dunno who) in Perfect Circle pretty much just said the word "dude." That's all I ever heard him say.

* Standing onstage with Bob Dylan's Love and Theft band at an outdoor venue, with no other people in sight, while they play an extended, gorgeous instrumental rendition of Not Dark Yet and the sun begins to touch the horizon will ruin your life. Your whole life.

* I really, really thought Steven Tyler was gonna call me "champ," or "slugger," or something. I was just waiting for it. The guy shoulda been wearing a suit and answering questions about insurance premiums. Aerosmith used to love finding small clubs they could get the owner to close so they could do long-ass blues jams and host parties for the crew. They seemed...sober? I guess?

* Ozzy Osbourne is incredibly coherent. Seriously. He's got a heavy slur, but I think he exaggerates it when it suits him. I actually heard him use the phrase "wax poetic" in conversation. Ozzy Osbourne said "wax poetic," and it wasn't just an accidental combination of sounds that fell out of his face. His crew was a surreal group...they looked like Motorhead Halloween costumes come to life, but mostly behaved like church-going grandparents.

* Metallica does not like the Midwest. Metallica does not show up before a show in the Midwest, and Metallica does not stay for one second after the show in the Midwest. They also have some guy in their organization who refers to them solely as Metallica (see previous sentence), and try as I might I couldn't find the right question to make him say something hilarious with it.

After that, it's pretty boring minutiae.

I could read about that sort of stuff all day.

stupidmop wrote:We need a disgruntled roadie to quit and tell us stories about how boom demands $300 hair conditioner at every venue, or how jeff refuses to talk to people if they pronounce it uh-ment instead of ay-ment.

EJ wrote:

stupidmop wrote:We need a disgruntled roadie to quit and tell us stories about how boom demands $300 hair conditioner at every venue, or how jeff refuses to talk to people if they pronounce it uh-ment instead of ay-ment.

I'm more interested in the groupies.

Strat wrote:

McParadigm wrote:

Strat wrote:When you talk about your figures are those specific to certain acts or industry standards?

I was told by

Spoiler: show

Karrie Keyes

that PJ were not making much money on their tours till about 2000-2003 tours..

I've a very long term friend who was one of the biggest promoters in the upper midwest between 89 and 03 (he's retired from it now). I used to do a lot of non-union backstage crew work for him, as well as help out with some of the paperwork and communication stuff. Got to meet and talk with a lot of really cool people (like Charlie Sexton and Larry Campbell), some really shitty people (almost everyone who has ever been in charge of any band's eating habits, anywhere), some weirdo sulky children (Maynard James Keenan), and some people who were total Human Resources management types (Steven Tyler). Some of the weirdest experiences of my life.

More importantly, I got to read a lot of inner-organization memos and steal copies of a lot of industry trades at the time.

As far as 90's touring is concerned, as late as 1998 they were charging $25 a ticket (unrelated "convenience fees" not included). And they were far more willing to play smaller venues as part of that...

02/20/98 - Alexander M. Baldwin Amphitheatre: Maui, HI [96m]
attendance: 5,000

02/21/98 - Alexander M. Baldwin Amphitheatre: Maui, HI [100m]
attendance: 5,000

02/26/98 - Queen's Wharf Events Center: Wellington, NZ
attendance: 5,000

03/09/98 - Entertainment Centre: Sydney, Australia [90m]
attendance: 12,000

03/20/98 - Perth Entertainment Centre: Perth, Australia [112m]
attendance: 5,000

06/21/98 - The Canyons: Park City, UT [95m]
attendance: 10,000

06/24/98 - Rushmore Civic Center Arena: Rapid City, SD [110m]
attendance: 8,500

Well, no wonder you're not making bank when you're hauling organization and equipment enough to handle 25,000 seat venues around, but booking something like a fourth of your tour into tiny venues where the cheaply-priced ticket gross for the night is going to be $125,000.

Yea, as a band as big and talented as pearl jam, i could imagine come 2003 id be like "you know, fuck, we deserve some coin for this shit" so they upped the prices. i think thats fair and legit and understandable.

BurtReynolds wrote:Maynard sounds even more awesome than i imagined.

stupidmop wrote:

BurtReynolds wrote:Maynard sounds even more awesome than i imagined.

I bet pj are more wii kinda guys. I wonder who does the most coke though.

Mine wrote:

stupidmop wrote:

BurtReynolds wrote:Maynard sounds even more awesome than i imagined.

I bet pj are more wii kinda guys. I wonder who does the most coke though.

B'OB.

BurtReynolds wrote:Maynard sounds even more awesome than i imagined.

McParadigm wrote:

BurtReynolds wrote:Maynard sounds even more awesome than i imagined.

I honestly couldn't tell if he was a natural born chubby chaser, or if he just didn't pull well enough among the ladies to choose.

BurtReynolds wrote:

McParadigm wrote:

BurtReynolds wrote:Maynard sounds even more awesome than i imagined.

I honestly couldn't tell if he was a natural born chubby chaser, or if he just didn't pull well enough among the ladies to choose.

Seems like the kind of guy that just takes whatever is available and easiest.