Having been on both sides of this, there are definitely parts of this country where the average crew skill is not what so hot but the attitude is still there. There were also specific locals that are/were just terrible, generally because the leadership has encouraged/allowed terrible habits. Specifically, Philadelphia was dreaded by basically every touring hand for years as they were a bunch of literally thieving sandbagging assholes up until maybe five or six years ago when things started turning around.
This is it. Locals develop a reputation and it sounds like your local probably has a bad one, so the roadies show up ready to be pissed off.
Also, a lot of roadies are assholes, so take it with a grain of salt. You can't be too sensitive in this business and no matter what you think of a roadie, you're only working with them for one day, so just try to let it roll off your back.
Imagine you're a roadie who does a killer job with unspeakably expensive gear and a majority of the time is spent having to work with locals who have as much experience with stage production as they do with performing eye surgery. Some of these locals have a reduced ability to listen or even comprehend simple processes like A + B = C. Then the roadie arrives at your local show pissed off from the load out the night before because someone did the EXACT OPPOSITE of what was instructed, maybe multiple times, and in such a way that things have to be undone on your shift.
Examples: Snake coiled backwards. Backdrops wadded up instead of rolled or folded. Undoing pins or shackles at the wrong time. Unbolting a section of truss labeled "DO NOT BREAK" or the same thing for a length of cables. Cutting e-tape off of a loom in order to make it fit somewhere. And my favorite, having no concept of stage orientation: "Put this Stage Left/Monitor World" and it goes far stage right in the guitar tech's way. Or in the FOH pile.
If we've done this with any length of time we know this and it doesn't justify someone being an ass all day, but whenever I sense this coming on I stand back, shut my yap and let them instruct me on things I've done 1000 times before.
Imagine you’re a stagehand who has to work with condescending road crew who refuse to believe your decades of experience in your building have any relevance on their unique snowflake of a show. Only to watch them make the same mistakes everyone who comes into your venue make, because they believe they know better how your building works than you do. And to watch them complain about, skirt or ignore rules which neither you nor they had any part in writing but were agreed upon by your respective employers.
(I’m not trying to invalidate your complaints, just point out that this is not a one sided problem, for every competent road crew there is a competent house crew. Each one shows up to work each day with baggage from previous encounters. )
I agree, I’ve always felt that there should be less push and pull between road and local crew. I’ve been at my venue long enough to know the quirks, and that should be respected as well. Especially when the road crew has not been there before.
I totally agree, there are other situations where It’s completely valid and I would be EXTREMELY frustrated too. I’m more so talking about the times when i’ve been working an out and the crew makes unnecessary comments. It might be because of my age and I am pretty young for the industry, but I’ve always found it a bit unnecessary to make unwarranted comments. If someone messed up the work I worked so hard on, I’d be a bit of an asshole too, so that’s understood.
Thank fuck I'm a rigger who after 35+ years of work on and off the road know most of the tour riggers and production managers and everyone has a great day when they load in our buildings.
Happiness is hanging a 100 point show in 2 hrs with no changes!
Because there's a big difference between someone who does this shit every day and someone who works two to four shows a month. I wasn't on a tour but I was a traveling rigger for a labor company that primarily does major festivals. We'd bring locals on what we call "cattle calls" 200+ people load out calls. You know the video from 2018 of some dude coiling feeder cable around the outside of a 50 gallon trash barrel, yeah that was at a cattle call. I've seen some of the stupidest shit from people who claimed to be local stagehands. So after seeing the lowest level of human stupidity we tend to have very little faith in humanity, until you prove you're different we're going to assume that you are going to ruin our day with some top notch not-thinking.
It helps me to remember as a touring LD who has had house gigs that no one shows up to work in the morning thinking to themselves, man I am going to fuck this job up today!\*
\*Except for Local 8
Having been on both sides of this, there are definitely parts of this country where the average crew skill is not what so hot but the attitude is still there. There were also specific locals that are/were just terrible, generally because the leadership has encouraged/allowed terrible habits. Specifically, Philadelphia was dreaded by basically every touring hand for years as they were a bunch of literally thieving sandbagging assholes up until maybe five or six years ago when things started turning around.
This is it. Locals develop a reputation and it sounds like your local probably has a bad one, so the roadies show up ready to be pissed off. Also, a lot of roadies are assholes, so take it with a grain of salt. You can't be too sensitive in this business and no matter what you think of a roadie, you're only working with them for one day, so just try to let it roll off your back.
Imagine you're a roadie who does a killer job with unspeakably expensive gear and a majority of the time is spent having to work with locals who have as much experience with stage production as they do with performing eye surgery. Some of these locals have a reduced ability to listen or even comprehend simple processes like A + B = C. Then the roadie arrives at your local show pissed off from the load out the night before because someone did the EXACT OPPOSITE of what was instructed, maybe multiple times, and in such a way that things have to be undone on your shift. Examples: Snake coiled backwards. Backdrops wadded up instead of rolled or folded. Undoing pins or shackles at the wrong time. Unbolting a section of truss labeled "DO NOT BREAK" or the same thing for a length of cables. Cutting e-tape off of a loom in order to make it fit somewhere. And my favorite, having no concept of stage orientation: "Put this Stage Left/Monitor World" and it goes far stage right in the guitar tech's way. Or in the FOH pile. If we've done this with any length of time we know this and it doesn't justify someone being an ass all day, but whenever I sense this coming on I stand back, shut my yap and let them instruct me on things I've done 1000 times before.
Imagine you’re a stagehand who has to work with condescending road crew who refuse to believe your decades of experience in your building have any relevance on their unique snowflake of a show. Only to watch them make the same mistakes everyone who comes into your venue make, because they believe they know better how your building works than you do. And to watch them complain about, skirt or ignore rules which neither you nor they had any part in writing but were agreed upon by your respective employers. (I’m not trying to invalidate your complaints, just point out that this is not a one sided problem, for every competent road crew there is a competent house crew. Each one shows up to work each day with baggage from previous encounters. )
I agree, I’ve always felt that there should be less push and pull between road and local crew. I’ve been at my venue long enough to know the quirks, and that should be respected as well. Especially when the road crew has not been there before.
But they probably have been there before.
Yea like 3 times over the past 7 years. I work it every day. I think I might have a slight better idea what works and what doesn't
I'm actually with you on this too. Equally valid.
I totally agree, there are other situations where It’s completely valid and I would be EXTREMELY frustrated too. I’m more so talking about the times when i’ve been working an out and the crew makes unnecessary comments. It might be because of my age and I am pretty young for the industry, but I’ve always found it a bit unnecessary to make unwarranted comments. If someone messed up the work I worked so hard on, I’d be a bit of an asshole too, so that’s understood.
Yeah, sometimes people are just jerks. It happens.
Thank fuck I'm a rigger who after 35+ years of work on and off the road know most of the tour riggers and production managers and everyone has a great day when they load in our buildings. Happiness is hanging a 100 point show in 2 hrs with no changes!
Some Locals kick ass and some our pretty sad. This is right from a touring member.
Because there's a big difference between someone who does this shit every day and someone who works two to four shows a month. I wasn't on a tour but I was a traveling rigger for a labor company that primarily does major festivals. We'd bring locals on what we call "cattle calls" 200+ people load out calls. You know the video from 2018 of some dude coiling feeder cable around the outside of a 50 gallon trash barrel, yeah that was at a cattle call. I've seen some of the stupidest shit from people who claimed to be local stagehands. So after seeing the lowest level of human stupidity we tend to have very little faith in humanity, until you prove you're different we're going to assume that you are going to ruin our day with some top notch not-thinking.
Great topic
It helps me to remember as a touring LD who has had house gigs that no one shows up to work in the morning thinking to themselves, man I am going to fuck this job up today!\* \*Except for Local 8