A few pics before retirement (sound)

[Animl-AW]

Probably not many interested. Was migrating to another drive and decide to post a few.

https://animl-aw.com/live-sound/

[uptown]

That would be an interesting career I bet. Did you get any good autographs?

[Animl-AW]

That would be an interesting career I bet. Did you get any good autographs?

1, my last 1.

First high profile band, Rick Derringer. W/ Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy) 2nd gtr. Was a fan of both.
Spent an hour with Rick on how he wanted things to sound on stage. Just talking like any two people on same level, biz.

Got through monitor mix and then I made the mistake and asked if he wouldn’t mind giving me an autograph. I literally watch his whole body language change. He was now the “Star” and I became a little “fan”. It was no longer professional. He gave me it, but I was disgusted seeing the change.

Never asked anyone ever again, nor a photo. I’ve been dragged into photos, never asked. So, no.


Was with Aretha for 2 yrs. She passed out her book to the crew. I checked to see if it was signed. NOPE. I asked why she didn’t sign her own book. I was told, “because people will profit off it when she dies, and too many would lower the value”. <blank stare> Didn’t care but it was odd. I was told only her family and other celebrities get that stuff. <blank stare>. Really? She requested me, I didn’t even want the gig, i doubled my prices, she said yes, I hold her career in my hands and I got that? Phfff.  Excuse me while I accidentally let feedback slip through. Whoops, so sorry.

Here’s that catch, I have all the pay receipts with her sig on em. She was a real chore.

Other than that, nope.

You have to be on equal level or you become a yes man when you should say no. You won’t last. If they talk down to me my focus weakens. Rick James tried that crap, told him to gfy. Then he realized I was his monitor engineer. Ya, idiot, I will destroy you, and did so. Never ever toy with the ME.  I’m with someone bigger than you tomorrow.

[uptown]

Wow that's crazy. You'd think they be more humble and grateful for the fame. I've met several Nascar drivers over the years, and Carl Edwards and DaleJr were the only ones I cared for. The others seemed too big for their britches. All that and a bag of chips type guys. 
I met Bo Diddly once. Hated that guy.

[Eagler]

Fame and $$$ makes them smarter than the rest of us..just ask them..

See hollywood for another example..

Eagler

[Animl-AW]

The will to be famous requires ego in a lot of cases. Very similar to sim pilots. (Fame)
Those are just a cpl examples of living in their own heads, fans just encourage it. Fame is like drug many don’t know how to handle it mentally, its not natural.

AF was a split personality. She was nice to me, because she sought me out, that put me in control to say no, which she wasn’t used to. Its my reputation and career too. If I pork a show the whole industry would know it in a week. Those who wanted my chair would blow it out of proportion, companies wouldn’t take a chance. You’re black balled. There is a ship of pressure.

All that drivel, there are some much more grounded and humble. Thats when they and I really click into a great show.

Then you get those with stage fright. They check in with me before I launch them. Usually “ did anything change from sound check”. I’ve seen a few shaking. Thats when I inject a 1 min convo to build em up, “sound check went great, you’re sounding good, everything is working, we’re going to have a great show…” Then I comm to FOH, “ they are ready, lets go”. They are announced and I we launch it. As soon as they step in lights they become different. There will be a lot of eye contact through the show. Always needing conformation everything is still ok. Basically I’m the hidden god on stage to them.

Peter, Paul and Mary hand made my pre-show dinner themselves.

So it varies from one to the next. I usually research their issues before sound check.

Then there are some, who are so over the top ego maniac I simply refused to work with them. Again, I’m protecting my career, if they are known to blame the ME for their failures its a NO.
Steven Tylor and Prince topped that list. Those were instant NO.

For me, BB King, Marshall Tucker, Styx, Cheap Trick, Starship and a few others were like family.  BB King was the best human in the biz, hands down. He would drag me out on stage to thank me to the audience as “sound crew”.

Yet, Lover Boy drummer and me whipped the bird at each other the whole show, an epic Ahole. He had to be escorted off stage at the end, everyone knew I’d stomp his ars.

M.E. is THE hardest and most technical part of a concert no one knows about.

So its really pot luck from act to act, buckle up. Its my aircraft carrier and I control it, inculding keeping egos in check.

I’ll miss the hair standing adrenaline, but not the industry. Everyone will cut my throat for my chair.

So for me, a sim like AH replaces some of that adrenaline flow. When I fly alone into a horde I’m getting my fix. The wirst I make it for myself the better.

A few celebrities did play AW and AH. Jerry, flute player from Marshall Tucker (RIP) flew AW together, I think he was in AH in the beginning.

Ya also learn a lot about marketing. A game/scenario and concert same kind of marketing, its entertainment. Ya don’t run indoor concerts in summer, ya go outside. Fall-Winter is when ya gear up for inside shows. Ys just can’t drag people inside in summer.


I let Rosa Parks set with me at my console while I mixed monitors for an AF show when she got a plaque from the WH at the show. Very surreal.

[Animl-AW]

Just remember stars are just humans. Fame is people praising someone for a skill, yet they know nothing about.

They are just humans with odd jobs. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Eagler]

Add in unlimited drugs of every kind and they are just regular geniuses...

Personally think too much attention is given to them just because they open their mouths and make noises some enjoy..or memorize lines and get paid millions to fake it for a 120 minute less than great movie..

Eagler

[Animl-AW]

Add in unlimited drugs of every kind and they are just regular geniuses...

Personally think too much attention is given to them just because they open their mouths and make noises some enjoy..or memorize lines and get paid millions to fake it for a 120 minute less than great movie..

Eagler

Well that's because you're using your logical side of the mind. I agree BTW.

It all has to do with perspective and personal preference.
It's all an illusion we create. Musicians, Lighting, Sound, Video, Pyro....it's all an illusion of strength and power or tear yanking immersion grabbing. For me Pink Floyd "Pulse" tour videos is a great illustration of them all coming together for one immersion.

You could put almost anyone in that world and they will appear greater than they are, but it requires some talent to appear great.

But the logic you are using is separation of personas. And you're probably not far off.

Here's the main point, sensation sells, BIG.
Some guy got rich off running a freak show at a fair for the cow with 5 legs. There was always a line for that. Yet all he was was a circus geek.

ComicCon, a Comic Book convention STUFFS the biggest convention center in the country, McPlace.

You nor I would pay a dime for either.

Separating the skill from the personality is a realistic POV. IMO.
Some of these Guitarist spent their whole learning youth in the bedroom practicing guitar....literally. Some have no personality, the only one they have is a stage persona, those are the nuttiest. Some are quite weird and not always easiest to talk to.

These productions we do now days make laborers a lot of money and are down right impressive sht. BUT, if we turn the clock back to the early 70s when productions were pretty much "Oh by the way" the artist was either great or they weren't.

That Taylor Swift photo, that was 128 semi trucks of gear, it took over 100 stagehands a week to get it all in the door in a certain order that it would not clog the entire building waiting to be setup. I can't image why the price of tickets (sarcasm). But is she really that great of an artist? The girls say so like they did with the Beatles. They wrote great songs, but the talent was not epic, IMO, it was simple. $$$$$$$, She took home $4M per night (3-4) on that one, the promoter made more.

So see, as long as an illusion can be created, people will come.

Don't get me wrong. A great deal of artist can be pretty cool and friendly people. Why not? They're not flipping burgers. All they have to worry about is who is taking their money, or where their stone-stepping wife/GF is.

But for some the fame just cooks them into the abyss. Kinda sad actually, they fall for their own illusion.

MY POV is, damn, for being Opie from Mayberry I had a lot of fun when the show actually started, everything else,... Meh!

It can be a fun biz. But it's certainly not for everyone. The industry can chew you up and spit you out like used jet trash.

I just reached a point where I was losing interest. I wasn't getting the quality bands I was used to, there just aren't many. IMO, personal preference. Tracks are so bogus for the fan that's paying $350 for an average seat. Ya I was done.