Entertainment Industry Insider

I’m an amateur photographer and someone came up to me at this show the other night and said I wasn’t allowed to have a camera in the club. I figured it would be okay to take pictures since it was a small show. Someone from the club and someone who looked like they were with the band said it needed to be in my car. I paid for my ticket so why can’t I take pictures?

                                                                -Jessica.  Buffalo, NY

If you are not an accredited press photographer the public relations company will not let you shoot their clients at the request of management. This has nothing to do with your skills or love for the band. It is just easier to control that way. You’ve seen on entertainment shows and gossip websites how bad certain people look with unauthorized photos. This is why they have these rules. Your cell phone, even if it’s a crappy picture is the best bet as these days because it’s so hard to oversee. If this is your life goal a good idea is to contact the pr company and they may help you set it up. Don’t do this with the tour manager on the day of show because he doesn’t have the authority to do photo opportunities past fan photos.

I’ve touched on this subject before but want to go into more detail…

Headline bands do not let other people use their equipment. Period. These are usually very, very expensive pieces made specifically for that artist. As much as they perhaps feel for you and would like to be able to loan you

something their techs want you to use this considerably less and would probably kill you. Your best chance is to maybe get a set of strings or an extra outlet. But using the headliner bands equipment is never going to

happen. Well, unless you are in a bar opening for a former 80’s hair metal band. Your best bet is to have the promoter provide it for you or haul your own gear in there. But make sure you check with the headliners

production manager and stage manager before moving any of your equipment onto the stage area.

My band recently played a hall and I had an old dude come up to me and say I wasn’t allowed to plug anything in. He said he was with a union and no one in my band could do it. What the heck?

                                                -Nick. Morgantown, WV

That is because he was with I.A.T.S.E. (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees). If this was an IATSE hall do what they say. Don’t ask questions, this was not a joke. This is the most powerful union in the entertainment world and you don’t want to mess with them. If it’s not a union hall you can mess with people all you want. If you anger these guys they cam make your show an utter nightmare.

Lately I’ve been working in a bar and the part time at the civic center as a security guard. I want to know how I get to tour with bands as a security guy. I’m very big and although I have a small criminal past (years ago) I am very loyal and great in a fight. How do I hook up with some of these guys to work?

-Jack. Dallas, TX.

Hey buddy. First most the “security officers” that work as body guards with major acts have military, police, or Special Forces backgrounds. They are recruited by major companies such as Halliburton and are very well trained for all types of situations with any level of celebrity. The bar bouncer mentality is not permitted in the current climate of the concert industry. Acting like a tough guy is just asking for trouble (and a lawsuit). Not to mention a criminal background will cause everyone a headache when crossing over borders.

Most security directors can conduct briefings with the local police department, fire department, and venue staff. They are aware of legalities regarding pyrotechnics, how far the venue and hotel are from one another, and how to take separate routes if needed. You don’t learn this while removing a Budweiser from drunken patrons or throwing out a kid who crowd surfed one to many times.

I work for a local transportation company who does ground transportation and we do a lot of bands to and from our local airports. Since I’m also a musician I like to talk to these people about the business and what they do. Some of them seem real quiet or just rude and act like they don’t want to talk to me on the ride. Is everyone in the business this rude?

-Cam. Long Island City, NY

What you need to do is be quiet. We are either trying to sleep, on our phone and computer working, or in a walking coma. This car ride may be the only quiet time we have all day. Not to be rude but your job is to get us from point A to point B. We appreciate the ride and all but please be quiet. Let me do my job and you do yours. Hopefully one day your band will succeed and you’ll have your own driver and realize all of this.

Once again as opposed to answering a question I’m going to speak about something that happens every day in our office. Sometime between 7:30am and midnight people call wanting to book Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, Garth Brooks, Kanye West…. You get the idea. When you get off of work go home, watch some television, and relax.  You are not a concert promoter. If you’re not willing to loose hundreds of thousands of dollars doing this then all you’re doing is being a curiosity seeker. The people who call us should have the following things in order.

1.  The act you are looking for.
2.  Date of the event.
3.  Venue where it will be held (which has been cleared already with the facility).
4. Who is paying for all the additional costs besides and above the bands fee.
5.  Do you have the money to send a 50% deposit?
6. Who will be signing the legal papers.
7. Will there be other acts on the show.
8. If it’s an outside event who will be providing power and staging

And most important of all, what is you’re realistic budget for talent? Bryan Adams will not be playing your wedding for $20,000 no matter how big of a fan you are.