Take your current interests or hobbies and try to translate that into a job that you can do on tour. Think about experiences in the past that could help you work on a tour. For instance, if you worked as a stagehand for a school play then you already have a basic understanding of lighting and sound. If you’re good at negotiating with people and keep on a strict and organized schedule, you may want to become a band manager. Read up on the most commonly used equipment and learn how to operate it because it will give you an advantage over your competitors.
Many crew members now have their formal education in a field that relates to touring with a band, such as a degree in sound-production or music. [1] X Research source Some of the best colleges for sound and music production include, Academy of Art University, the Peabody Institute, and Full Sail University. [2] X Research source Concentrate on electives that will give you the skills you’ll need on the road, like lighting or rigging.
Make it a point to be outgoing and introduce yourself to everyone. You can say something like, “Hey, so I heard Death Rattle toured a couple months ago? What was that like? I always wanted to tour the country. "
Popular books that deal with touring include, “A Journey Through America with the “Rolling Stones”,” “Diary of a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” and “Billion dollar baby: A provocative young journalist chronicles his adventures on tour as a performing member of The Alice Cooper Rock-and-Roll Band. “[3] X Research source Make sure that you read industry reports to see what’s trending to help you make your decision. [4] X Research source
Many music camps are also looking for volunteers to perform basic roadie tasks like breaking down lighting equipment and fixing and operating sound equipment for the camp. [5] X Research source You can say something like, “Hey, my name’s Garrett. I was wondering if you guys needed any volunteers or help setting up or breaking down for bands. I’m looking to get into being a crew member and I need to get some experience first. "
On stage crew you can learn things like sound prep, lighting, makeup, and managing. [6] X Research source
Even if they don’t end up going on tour, you’ll still get valuable experience that you can use as leverage when looking for a paid job.
Instead of saying that it can’t be done, try to come up with a compromise or solution that can satisfy the producers or performers. For instance, you can say something like “A suspended dragon probably won’t be possible on the schedule we are trying to keep, but I’ve thought of a solution. Instead of having a physical dragon, we can do a projection of a dragon behind you to simulate it. "
Jobs that are available at venues or stadiums include janitorial staff, lighting and sound engineers, event planners, security, set up and break down crews, ticket cashiers, and food staff. [8] X Research source Sometimes when venues need general help they won’t require any previous experience. Look for venues that need help as soon as possible as they will be more likely to hire someone with no experience.
Some of the most popular roadie specific job boards include, Roadiejobs. com and Crewspace. com.
You can search for band’s contact information using popular search engines, however many times response rates are low. [9] X Research source Try reaching out to the band or crew manager via social media to see if there are any job openings.
You can say something like, “I’m having a hard time finding a job. Do you know of anyone that needs a good lighting person right now?”
Create a business page and a website so that venues and bands can reach out to you. Network with existing contacts to see if there’s anyone that’s in search of your skills. Once you get a couple of jobs under your belt, see if your prior customers can refer you to other businesses that need your services. If you have a reliable and knowledgeable crew, it will be easy to take on projects that require a lot of different types of work. You may also want to obtain a business license for your crew. Since you won’t always be on tour, you’ll need to be able to supplement your tour work with work that you can do while you’re off-tour. The more jobs you get as a freelancer the more reputable your work will become.
