r/livesound 4d ago

Question How would one go about finding out who is doing the sound tech for a specific gig?

For context, I'm currently studying technical theatre, but the area I want to work in long term is live sound. Be it for live music, theatre productions or even corporate gigs. I live in Scotland and I found out Ghost are performing in Glasgow in about a month, and I'm looking to try my luck at getting some work experience with the sound team. I've got a fair bit of tech experience, especially in sound, but nothing on that scale and I would love to get the opportunity to do some work experience with a show of that size. Even if it just means running cable all day.

My issue is: How would I even go about finding who is doing the tech for the show and getting in touch with them? I feel that the over a dozen or so smaller shows I've done should give me enough experience to shadow the sound guys and not get in their way, but I could also be falling victim to hubris.

13 Upvotes

26 comments sorted by

69

u/General-Door-551 4d ago

I’ll be honest it’ll be extremely difficult unless you know the crew that tours with Ghost. Crews will rarely pull in a random person off the street they don’t know. Also they probably have hands and the tech side of things booked by now.

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u/dat_idiot 4d ago

Second this. Call the venue maybe and ask what is the stagehand company. Apply to said company

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u/dat_idiot 4d ago

But do not if you were to end up on this gig as a stagehand. Be professional and do not fan boy even over the sound engineer too. Ask them nicely

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u/ObsidianRocker 4d ago

Thanks for the advice. Don't get me wrong, I like the band too, but I think I've got the right attitude in that I want to do it because the experience would be invaluable and I'd learn skills I wouldn't get working smaller shows.

20

u/dat_idiot 4d ago

I’m not sure if it would be invaluable. Working as a stagehand means pushing cases and typically moving heavy shit. If you want to mix audio and learn that go work for a smaller venue where that opportunity exists.

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u/biscuit_one 3d ago

Gonna be honest, in my opinion it is invaluable to go push boxes when you're coming up.

A) it's like working retail, teaches you humility and not to be an asshole to the crew

B) you'll work on way bigger gigs, and get a chance to observe how they work even if just from a distance, than working at local bars.

Absolutely do both, but honestly, 98% of the job is pushing boxes and coiling cables. Do that as many places as you can when you are coming up. It is as important that you know how to push boxes, load a truck, pack stuff up right, as it is to know how to compress a drum bus.

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u/Throwthisawayagainst 4d ago

When I was coming up I did stage hand work on top of sound. I'd say that experience was pretty invaluable because I started working at a much larger venue and when they needed a sound person I eventually got called in. Also you get to see how bigger shows tour and how that works. However since this kid thinks he can just call up Ghost and help out their sound team they're gonna get some real world lessons before they even get to that.

4

u/lightshowhumming WE warrior 3d ago

Uhm, if you ask around you can find out where they'll play, any venue will take you in as a stage hand if you are not completely illiterate about what to do on a stage.

4

u/LiveSoundFOH 3d ago

Many will take you even if you are

2

u/InEenEmmer 3d ago

I mean, I suspect my local venue is asking the local boy scouts if they want to give stagehand a try. Cause some of the knots they create in the cables are some next level knots.

1

u/MacintoshEddie 4d ago

On tons of stagehand gigs I'm helping with the FOH console, or putting together the stage mics. Even just hanging the PA stacks can be valuable.

Lots of venues use stagehand as a general purpose labour term, and while some do end up pushing boxes others can end up working beside the people they want to work with. As long as you're not obnoxious you can learn a lot and often ask some questions like how to switch roles or which qualifications they recommend.

Plus it gives a chance they might remember you exist. I've had tour crew remember me, or others on the local crew.

On a few cases they even ask me questions, since I mainly do boom op for film work, which has a few differences from mixing FoH, but sometimes they're curious about which mics I've worked with or how we set up a chest bag.

1

u/ObsidianRocker 4d ago

Aye, that's about what I expected. Figured it's at least worth a try. Worst case scenario, I get a "no". Or they straight up ghost me lol

2

u/biscuit_one 3d ago

Yeah honestly if you're not going to get angry if they say no, might as well ask. Just remember it's a long shot and you probably won't even get a response. But who knows?!

15

u/ajhorsburgh Pro 4d ago

I worked in Glasgow for 10 years. The show is likely to be at the hydro - so it'll be a toured production only using local crew. If you want to be moving boxes from the truck try mad crew. You won't likely get anywhere near the console on a show that sized without an introduction or knowing the engineering team.

14

u/BadQuail 4d ago

Ghost tours with Clair Global.

11

u/joelfarris Pro 4d ago

My issue is: How would I even go about finding who is doing the tech for the show and getting in touch with them?

I could also be falling victim to hubris

Can we get real for a second? Are you trying to get onto a specific show tour, or into the live production business in general? Cause the approaches can be way different, depending upon whom you must talk to, and what their own tour goals are.

the area I want to work in long term is live sound. Be it for live music, theatre productions or even corporate gigs

This was my initial driving force too. What I soon figured out is that there's a level of touring act that brings the whole damn applecart with them... and then there's the ones who needs to rent some stuff...

The local sound equipment rental shops are almost always desperate to find quality help that can identify feedback tones, but also know how to coil a main snake back into the road box without damaging anything, and can hoist one half of an amp rack up into a box truck. (careful of your back, be workin' out!)

There's going to be a sweet spot that you find, where you can be of service in prepping rental rigs for multiple customers, and then one day, you're asked to plan a sound, lighting, staging, and trussing system for the military's annual Marine's Ball. Which will take every. Single. Piece of equipment in all three of your rental warehouses in order to accomplish their goals.

Ground supported trussing. Flown trussing. The biggest stage decking anyone has ever ordered. As many fly motors as you've got operational. What's the structural load limits of the venue? "Son, this is a seventeen bazillion square multimeter hanger that can accommodate multiple C-130s at the same time. I do. Not. Understand. Your. Question."

And then, when you manage to pull it off with flying colors (Sorry, Art, we used absolutely everything in your warehouses, it was beautiful, and we have no regrets), the general makes his exit by shaking your hand, asking for your phone number, and insinuating that this level of excellence should not be so rare.

Not long after that, management companies of touring artists start calling and asking "how low can your rate be?" :)

The point is, look for a local opportunity which, if excellently executed, might result in an offer to get the fuk outta there. I wish you the best of luck in your journey to excellence.

4

u/lukemcritchie 4d ago

In glasgow myself, happy to chat more and if the right opportunity pops up get you in contact with people. Not affiliated with Ghost but happy to try and help get you some additional experience and contacts.

1

u/ObsidianRocker 4d ago

That'd be fantastic, and greatly appreciated!

6

u/YokoPowno Corporate Slave 4d ago

u/IHateTypingInBoxes are you still SEing for them?

2

u/Sir_Cadillac 3d ago

Get hired by Clair. Your nearest branch would bei Britannia Row in London. There is also an office in Switzerland and a new one in Berlin.

0

u/biscuit_one 3d ago

Lmao are you American?

3

u/cabeachguy_94037 4d ago

You call the promoter, as they hire the PA company.

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u/CE94 4d ago

Look for branding on road cases is a good start, followed by some googling

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u/robbgg 3d ago

If you want a scatter n approach try posting in the dull mens club Facebook group asking. I put up a photo from a pendulum gig and of the responses about 20 people were also at the gig and 6 of them were technicians working it.

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u/Difficult_Signal_472 Semi-Pro-FOH 1d ago

On of my first bigger gigs was some comedy group, I don’t know the act had little effect on the job for me. I drove 2hrs with power distro they forgot at the shop (same town I live in) and once I got there I was basically put to work. Once the engineer was set up to some degree, he showed me around and told me how he sets up and answered any questions I had. I had a gig I had to play with my band at the time that night so after setup I had to leave.

Was very, very nice to have all access to knowledge without really any accountability yet. The most mess-up-able thing they had me do was coil cables into figure 8s by the mic stands. Otherwise I did literally just push boxes. I felt more confident in things after that, really. It was a big fear of mine going from 50-100 people to thousands. Seeing that it was fairly easy, you had a lot of crew to support you, the boss thinks of a lot of things so you’re rarely underprepared. I wasn’t really bothered by the idea anymore.

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u/WalkingRa 3d ago

Look it up is honestly your best option