Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
> Allan wrote: > Sometimes I see trucks/trailers placarded "Not For Hire" so > maybe that relieves the owners of some regulatory hassle? Yes. Then it is not commercial, and so FMCSR and CDL don't apply. But states can still do what they want for some intrastate stuff. ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
A celeb who treats a nobody as a nobody is himself a nobody. On Mon, Jul 6, 2020 at 10:45 AM Kaleb Striplin via Mercedes < mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > Yep > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Jul 5, 2020, at 10:26 AM, Greg Fiorentino via Mercedes < > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > > > IMO it says a lot about the character of celebs to see how they treat > us "nobodies" they meet in everyday life. > > > > Greg > > > > -Original Message- > > From: Mercedes [mailto:mercedes-boun...@okiebenz.com] On Behalf Of Dan > Penoff via Mercedes > > Sent: Saturday, July 04, 2020 5:08 PM > > To: Okie Benz > > Cc: Dan Penoff > > Subject: Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow > > > > While it has been many years, in the summer in junior/senior years of > high school and later before I was in tech school I used to drive a semi > with a Landoll trailer carrying a 350kW generator set and cables to be used > by the various tours as they went around the Midwest. A lot of the venues > back in that time didn’t have adequate house power to run their whole show, > so they would run the sound off house power and used our generator for > lighting. > > > > I would often follow a given show for a week at a time, sometimes more, > as they toured around the Midwest. We also had a standing gig with Market > Square Area and the Clay Courts in Indianapolis for the same thing, so in > some cases I would be doing it during the rest of the year locally, too. > > > > I was first in, last out. For a typical 8:00 pm show I had to be there > no later than 8:00 am, sound check was usually around 2:00-3:00, then cool > my heels until the show started. A lot of times we wouldn’t have everything > struck at the prior venue until 2:00 - 3:00 am, which meant I might have to > high tail it a couple hundred miles to the next venue, like maybe > Louisville to Columbus or St. Louis, for example. Longer distances usually > meant a travel day in between. Lots of sleeping in the truck. > > > > Some of the artists I toured with: > > > > Rush > > Fleetwood Mac > > Don Henley > > Stevie Nicks > > Kiss > > Foreigner > > Phil Collins > > Def Leppard > > Dire Straits > > AC/DC > > Journey > > REO Speedwagon > > Pat Benatar > > ZZ Top > > Heart > > Toto > > Kenny Loggins > > Steve Winwood > > > > I’m sure there were others, but these are the ones I recall. All I can > say is that while it was fun, sort of, it made me realize what a crappy way > to make a living it was. I had to carry a firearm because I always got paid > in cash by the road manager before the end of the show, so I always had > large sums of cash on me until the morning when I could deposit it if I > could find the right bank where we were. I was not union, so at the union > (IATSE) halls I had to have a union member “assigned” to me that made all > the final connections and I pretty much just flipped the switch and made > sure all was well. Once that was done I was free to hit the buffet if there > was one for the crew. > > > > My recollections about artists are as such: > > > > Rush was the absolute best band to work for. They had a dedicated crew > that toured exclusively with them, some of them having been with the band > for some time. Food was excellent and they (Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson) > were always very nice and came by before the show to thank everyone. Molson > and cold shrimp were some of the regular things on the after show buffet, > and they always had a “to-go” kit of food and goodies for everyone on the > crew after things were broken down/struck. A good breakfast was out on the > morning of the show, too, with lots of fresh fruit and good things to eat. > > > > Don Henley’s entourage was the worst. That was one of those “avert your > eyes when the “artist” is moving through the wings and backstage.” A real > douche. No buffet or food, a pile of order-out pizza and cooler full of > generic soda was all they would put out, and it was rarely enough to feed > everyone. > > > > Keep in mind that food is always provided by the venue/promoter and > costs the act a minimal amount of money, if any, as it’s factored into the > cost of the show and spelled out in the rider in advance. That’s the > contract that says “no brown M’s.” So if a tour does a crappy job on food > for the crew, it’s on the tour, not the venue. > > > > Understand that as a crew member you rarely see the talent. If you do, > they’re moving through backstage from point A to point B with their > entourage around them, so you often can’t even see the
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
Yep Sent from my iPhone > On Jul 5, 2020, at 10:26 AM, Greg Fiorentino via Mercedes > wrote: > > IMO it says a lot about the character of celebs to see how they treat us > "nobodies" they meet in everyday life. > > Greg > > -Original Message- > From: Mercedes [mailto:mercedes-boun...@okiebenz.com] On Behalf Of Dan Penoff > via Mercedes > Sent: Saturday, July 04, 2020 5:08 PM > To: Okie Benz > Cc: Dan Penoff > Subject: Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow > > While it has been many years, in the summer in junior/senior years of high > school and later before I was in tech school I used to drive a semi with a > Landoll trailer carrying a 350kW generator set and cables to be used by the > various tours as they went around the Midwest. A lot of the venues back in > that time didn’t have adequate house power to run their whole show, so they > would run the sound off house power and used our generator for lighting. > > I would often follow a given show for a week at a time, sometimes more, as > they toured around the Midwest. We also had a standing gig with Market Square > Area and the Clay Courts in Indianapolis for the same thing, so in some cases > I would be doing it during the rest of the year locally, too. > > I was first in, last out. For a typical 8:00 pm show I had to be there no > later than 8:00 am, sound check was usually around 2:00-3:00, then cool my > heels until the show started. A lot of times we wouldn’t have everything > struck at the prior venue until 2:00 - 3:00 am, which meant I might have to > high tail it a couple hundred miles to the next venue, like maybe Louisville > to Columbus or St. Louis, for example. Longer distances usually meant a > travel day in between. Lots of sleeping in the truck. > > Some of the artists I toured with: > > Rush > Fleetwood Mac > Don Henley > Stevie Nicks > Kiss > Foreigner > Phil Collins > Def Leppard > Dire Straits > AC/DC > Journey > REO Speedwagon > Pat Benatar > ZZ Top > Heart > Toto > Kenny Loggins > Steve Winwood > > I’m sure there were others, but these are the ones I recall. All I can say is > that while it was fun, sort of, it made me realize what a crappy way to make > a living it was. I had to carry a firearm because I always got paid in cash > by the road manager before the end of the show, so I always had large sums of > cash on me until the morning when I could deposit it if I could find the > right bank where we were. I was not union, so at the union (IATSE) halls I > had to have a union member “assigned” to me that made all the final > connections and I pretty much just flipped the switch and made sure all was > well. Once that was done I was free to hit the buffet if there was one for > the crew. > > My recollections about artists are as such: > > Rush was the absolute best band to work for. They had a dedicated crew that > toured exclusively with them, some of them having been with the band for some > time. Food was excellent and they (Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson) were always > very nice and came by before the show to thank everyone. Molson and cold > shrimp were some of the regular things on the after show buffet, and they > always had a “to-go” kit of food and goodies for everyone on the crew after > things were broken down/struck. A good breakfast was out on the morning of > the show, too, with lots of fresh fruit and good things to eat. > > Don Henley’s entourage was the worst. That was one of those “avert your eyes > when the “artist” is moving through the wings and backstage.” A real douche. > No buffet or food, a pile of order-out pizza and cooler full of generic soda > was all they would put out, and it was rarely enough to feed everyone. > > Keep in mind that food is always provided by the venue/promoter and costs the > act a minimal amount of money, if any, as it’s factored into the cost of the > show and spelled out in the rider in advance. That’s the contract that says > “no brown M’s.” So if a tour does a crappy job on food for the crew, it’s > on the tour, not the venue. > > Understand that as a crew member you rarely see the talent. If you do, > they’re moving through backstage from point A to point B with their entourage > around them, so you often can’t even see them if you tried. The only ones I > recall circulating backstage were Rush, ZZ Top and I think Kenny Loggins. > They would often hang around and chat a little bit after the sound check. As > I mentioned before, Rush would come around and thank everyone before the show. > > I really don’t recall a lot of details, as it was 40 years ago, but those are > the ones that stand out. The rest were pretty de
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
Mitch Haley via Mercedes writes: > Fedgov has gotten good at prevention of interstate commerce, at least > for the small companies with fewer than ten employees, they make it > not worth the hassle to do business. Sometimes I see trucks/trailers placarded "Not For Hire" so maybe that relieves the owners of some regulatory hassle? Allan ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
I bet I could count on both hands all the times I've ever seen weigh stations open in New England. We noticed one in Maine open the other day, first time I could remember seeing one open for years... -Curt On Sunday, July 5, 2020, 7:08:08 PM EDT, Mitch Haley via Mercedes wrote: On Sun, July 5, 2020 6:43 pm, Dan Penoff via Mercedes wrote: > Privately owned and licensed separately from the trailer, maybe? It was a > single axle day cab if that mattered. Not something I ever had to deal > with. This was in the late 70s/early 80s if it mattered. I drove it all > of the time picking up and dropping off equipment, never had a problem. Still sounds like a modern day class 8 CDL rig, but nowhere near the 80,000lb max limit. In Michigan, we'd have needed a commercial license with a class A (truck/trailer) endorsement by the late 1970s if not earlier. There were also endorsements for straight trucks over 26,000lb and for having 8 (or was it 10?) passengers. Did you stop at or drive by any open weigh stations along the way? Seems like stopping would get interesting (show us your class A license and bills of lading), and not stopping would get very interesting. Maybe the weigh stations were only for freight haulers and not for fixed loads back then? At least once, I think my commercial license helped get me out of a ticket while delivering pizza (which technically did not require a special license but many in LE weren't happy with the law). Just in the last 20 years it's gotten worse in stages, to where a friend of mine won't even haul his own fork lift to a job because he can't do it without putting DOT numbers on his pickup and stopping at weigh stations. Now he just rents fork lifts and man lifts, has them delivered to the job sites, and adds the rental to his job quotes. He bought a 28" box truck with roll up sides back in 2002 so he could deliver entire conveyor systems, then around 2005 he sold it and bought a 3500 pickup, found out the pickup with GVWR >10k was a CDL item with his equipment trailer behind it, bought a 2500 pickup to replace it, and then threw in the towel a couple years after they made him stencil his 2500 and stop at weigh stations. Fedgov has gotten good at prevention of interstate commerce, at least for the small companies with fewer than ten employees, they make it not worth the hassle to do business. Now he mostly does repairs and design consulting instead of installations, and for now the DOT still lets him haul his own butt around in a pickup truck without stopping at weigh stations. Mitch. ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
I don’t recall ever stopping for a weigh station. We had a rental business and were hauling all sorts of stuff, mainly generator sets, on the Landoll trailer. We had some smaller gooseneck trailers we hauled wit the same truck, too. -D > On Jul 5, 2020, at 7:07 PM, Mitch Haley via Mercedes > wrote: > > On Sun, July 5, 2020 6:43 pm, Dan Penoff via Mercedes wrote: >> Privately owned and licensed separately from the trailer, maybe? It was a >> single axle day cab if that mattered. Not something I ever had to deal >> with. This was in the late 70s/early 80s if it mattered. I drove it all >> of the time picking up and dropping off equipment, never had a problem. > > Still sounds like a modern day class 8 CDL rig, but nowhere near the > 80,000lb max limit. In Michigan, we'd have needed a commercial license > with a class A (truck/trailer) endorsement by the late 1970s if not > earlier. There were also endorsements for straight trucks over 26,000lb > and for having 8 (or was it 10?) passengers. > > Did you stop at or drive by any open weigh stations along the way? > Seems like stopping would get interesting (show us your class A license > and bills of lading), and not stopping would get very interesting. Maybe > the weigh stations were only for freight haulers and not for fixed loads > back then? > > At least once, I think my commercial license helped get me out of a ticket > while delivering pizza (which technically did not require a special > license but many in LE weren't happy with the law). > > Just in the last 20 years it's gotten worse in stages, to where a friend > of mine won't even haul his own fork lift to a job because he can't do it > without putting DOT numbers on his pickup and stopping at weigh stations. > Now he just rents fork lifts and man lifts, has them delivered to the job > sites, and adds the rental to his job quotes. > > He bought a 28" box truck with roll up sides back in 2002 so he could > deliver entire conveyor systems, then around 2005 he sold it and bought a > 3500 pickup, found out the pickup with GVWR >10k was a CDL item with his > equipment trailer behind it, bought a 2500 pickup to replace it, and then > threw in the towel a couple years after they made him stencil his 2500 and > stop at weigh stations. Fedgov has gotten good at prevention of interstate > commerce, at least for the small companies with fewer than ten employees, > they make it not worth the hassle to do business. Now he mostly does > repairs and design consulting instead of installations, and for now the > DOT still lets him haul his own butt around in a pickup truck without > stopping at weigh stations. > > Mitch. > > ___ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
On Sun, July 5, 2020 6:58 pm, Dan Penoff via Mercedes wrote: > That was 1973, the race that went over three days. What's funny/coincidental is this popped up as a youtube suggestion for me several hours ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eodcGBlPtC4 ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
On Sun, July 5, 2020 6:43 pm, Dan Penoff via Mercedes wrote: > Privately owned and licensed separately from the trailer, maybe? It was a > single axle day cab if that mattered. Not something I ever had to deal > with. This was in the late 70s/early 80s if it mattered. I drove it all > of the time picking up and dropping off equipment, never had a problem. Still sounds like a modern day class 8 CDL rig, but nowhere near the 80,000lb max limit. In Michigan, we'd have needed a commercial license with a class A (truck/trailer) endorsement by the late 1970s if not earlier. There were also endorsements for straight trucks over 26,000lb and for having 8 (or was it 10?) passengers. Did you stop at or drive by any open weigh stations along the way? Seems like stopping would get interesting (show us your class A license and bills of lading), and not stopping would get very interesting. Maybe the weigh stations were only for freight haulers and not for fixed loads back then? At least once, I think my commercial license helped get me out of a ticket while delivering pizza (which technically did not require a special license but many in LE weren't happy with the law). Just in the last 20 years it's gotten worse in stages, to where a friend of mine won't even haul his own fork lift to a job because he can't do it without putting DOT numbers on his pickup and stopping at weigh stations. Now he just rents fork lifts and man lifts, has them delivered to the job sites, and adds the rental to his job quotes. He bought a 28" box truck with roll up sides back in 2002 so he could deliver entire conveyor systems, then around 2005 he sold it and bought a 3500 pickup, found out the pickup with GVWR >10k was a CDL item with his equipment trailer behind it, bought a 2500 pickup to replace it, and then threw in the towel a couple years after they made him stencil his 2500 and stop at weigh stations. Fedgov has gotten good at prevention of interstate commerce, at least for the small companies with fewer than ten employees, they make it not worth the hassle to do business. Now he mostly does repairs and design consulting instead of installations, and for now the DOT still lets him haul his own butt around in a pickup truck without stopping at weigh stations. Mitch. ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
That was 1973, the race that went over three days. Saw that one from the paddock penthouse. I remember Salt Walther’s car sliding to stop and seeing his legs hanging out of the front of the tub. We also saw the crew member get hit in the pits by the fire truck responding to the Swede Savage crash. It was a total cluster. I remember Dan Gurney being interviewed on a local news station after the second day, saying that as far as he was concerned they should just make the race a scratch and move on to Milwaukee... Things were so screwed up by the third day they weren’t even checking tickets any more. You could pretty well walk in and sit where you wanted. My Dad had a customer that was the commercial GMC (trucks and heavy equipment, Parker GMC) that bought blocks of tickets to give out to customers, along with a suite they had in the Speedway Motel on the second turn. I sat in that one year and it was lousy except for the food, drinks and valet parking. I got free tickets to the 500 for years from them and pretty much sat in nearly every part of the track. Best place to sit? Southeast Vista in the end of the alphabet double letter rows. You’re high up enough to see almost to the finish line around the first and second turns, down the back stretch into the third turn chute. You also get torched by the sun up there on a sunny day. -D > On Jul 5, 2020, at 5:38 PM, Buggered Benzmail via Mercedes > wrote: > > When I was 17 I drove an old converted school bus party wagon full of drunks > to the Indy 500. That was the year Swede Savage got killed in a big wreck on > the 2nd or 3rd lap right about the S/F line. 1972 I guess. Some of the drunks > got hit by fuel and flying debris so we were delayed leaving while they got > checked out in the infield hospital. > > Getting out was a trip. They were all sh*tfaced, I was the only sober one, > threw that sucker into first gear and laid on the horn and the crowd and > traffic parted like Moses and the Red Sea. I got $20 and an infield ticket, > met a buddy right quick in amongst about 30,000 people at the first turn, > that didn’t last long. > > --FT > Sent from iPhone > >> On Jul 5, 2020, at 5:25 PM, Mitch Haley via Mercedes >> wrote: >> >> I was thinking 18 (but no way a major freight carrier's insurance will >> cover you under 21) but I was wondering the same thing. >> >> I don't think Michigan would have given me a Chauffeurs license before I >> was 18 with our without the Class A endorsement. I had one at 20 with no >> truck/bus endorsements on it. >> Mitch. >> >>> On Sun, July 5, 2020 5:13 pm, Allan Streib via Mercedes wrote: >>> How did you drive a semi as a high-schooler? I thought you had to be 21 >>> for a CDL? >> >> >> >> ___ >> http://www.okiebenz.com >> >> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ >> >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com >> > > ___ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
Privately owned and licensed separately from the trailer, maybe? It was a single axle day cab if that mattered. Not something I ever had to deal with. This was in the late 70s/early 80s if it mattered. I drove it all of the time picking up and dropping off equipment, never had a problem. -D > On Jul 5, 2020, at 5:13 PM, Allan Streib via Mercedes > wrote: > > How did you drive a semi as a high-schooler? I thought you had to be 21 for a > CDL? > > Allan > > Dan Penoff via Mercedes writes: > >> While it has been many years, in the summer in junior/senior years of high >> school and later before I was in tech school I used to drive a semi with a >> Landoll trailer carrying a 350kW generator set and cables to be used by the >> various tours as they went around the Midwest. A lot of the venues back in >> that time didn’t have adequate house power to run their whole show, so they >> would run the sound off house power and used our generator for lighting. >> >> I would often follow a given show for a week at a time, sometimes more, as >> they toured around the Midwest. We also had a standing gig with Market >> Square Area and the Clay Courts in Indianapolis for the same thing, so in >> some cases I would be doing it during the rest of the year locally, too. >> >> I was first in, last out. For a typical 8:00 pm show I had to be there no >> later than 8:00 am, sound check was usually around 2:00-3:00, then cool my >> heels until the show started. A lot of times we wouldn’t have everything >> struck at the prior venue until 2:00 - 3:00 am, which meant I might have to >> high tail it a couple hundred miles to the next venue, like maybe Louisville >> to Columbus or St. Louis, for example. Longer distances usually meant a >> travel day in between. Lots of sleeping in the truck. >> >> Some of the artists I toured with: >> >> Rush >> Fleetwood Mac >> Don Henley >> Stevie Nicks >> Kiss >> Foreigner >> Phil Collins >> Def Leppard >> Dire Straits >> AC/DC >> Journey >> REO Speedwagon >> Pat Benatar >> ZZ Top >> Heart >> Toto >> Kenny Loggins >> Steve Winwood >> >> I’m sure there were others, but these are the ones I recall. All I can say >> is that while it was fun, sort of, it made me realize what a crappy way to >> make a living it was. I had to carry a firearm because I always got paid in >> cash by the road manager before the end of the show, so I always had large >> sums of cash on me until the morning when I could deposit it if I could find >> the right bank where we were. I was not union, so at the union (IATSE) halls >> I had to have a union member “assigned” to me that made all the final >> connections and I pretty much just flipped the switch and made sure all was >> well. Once that was done I was free to hit the buffet if there was one for >> the crew. >> >> My recollections about artists are as such: >> >> Rush was the absolute best band to work for. They had a dedicated crew that >> toured exclusively with them, some of them having been with the band for >> some time. Food was excellent and they (Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson) were >> always very nice and came by before the show to thank everyone. Molson and >> cold shrimp were some of the regular things on the after show buffet, and >> they always had a “to-go” kit of food and goodies for everyone on the crew >> after things were broken down/struck. A good breakfast was out on the >> morning of the show, too, with lots of fresh fruit and good things to eat. >> >> Don Henley’s entourage was the worst. That was one of those “avert your eyes >> when the “artist” is moving through the wings and backstage.” A real douche. >> No buffet or food, a pile of order-out pizza and cooler full of generic soda >> was all they would put out, and it was rarely enough to feed everyone. >> >> Keep in mind that food is always provided by the venue/promoter and costs >> the act a minimal amount of money, if any, as it’s factored into the cost of >> the show and spelled out in the rider in advance. That’s the contract that >> says “no brown M’s.” So if a tour does a crappy job on food for the crew, >> it’s on the tour, not the venue. >> >> Understand that as a crew member you rarely see the talent. If you do, >> they’re moving through backstage from point A to point B with their >> entourage around them, so you often can’t even see them if you tried. The >> only ones I recall circulating backstage were Rush, ZZ Top and I think Kenny >> Loggins. They would often hang around and chat a little bit after the sound >> check. As I mentioned before, Rush would come around and thank everyone >> before the show. >> >> I really don’t recall a lot of details, as it was 40 years ago, but those >> are the ones that stand out. The rest were pretty decent because they >> recognized the value of keeping the help happy. It was still a crappy gig, >> but I got paid pretty well for the time, I think $200/day in cash. >> >> -D “Yeah,
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
When I was 17 I drove an old converted school bus party wagon full of drunks to the Indy 500. That was the year Swede Savage got killed in a big wreck on the 2nd or 3rd lap right about the S/F line. 1972 I guess. Some of the drunks got hit by fuel and flying debris so we were delayed leaving while they got checked out in the infield hospital. Getting out was a trip. They were all sh*tfaced, I was the only sober one, threw that sucker into first gear and laid on the horn and the crowd and traffic parted like Moses and the Red Sea. I got $20 and an infield ticket, met a buddy right quick in amongst about 30,000 people at the first turn, that didn’t last long. --FT Sent from iPhone > On Jul 5, 2020, at 5:25 PM, Mitch Haley via Mercedes > wrote: > > I was thinking 18 (but no way a major freight carrier's insurance will > cover you under 21) but I was wondering the same thing. > > I don't think Michigan would have given me a Chauffeurs license before I > was 18 with our without the Class A endorsement. I had one at 20 with no > truck/bus endorsements on it. > Mitch. > >> On Sun, July 5, 2020 5:13 pm, Allan Streib via Mercedes wrote: >> How did you drive a semi as a high-schooler? I thought you had to be 21 >> for a CDL? > > > > ___ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
No CDL in those days. I worked a coupe concerts with a friend of mine who worked for the local promotion company. Lotta hot sweaty work to listen to bands I didn't care for, but it paid. Got to find the correct wine and pick the red M out of the candy -- and much later found that those things were in there to make sure the local guys were reading and fulfilling the contract, the band didn't much care. ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
I was thinking 18 (but no way a major freight carrier's insurance will cover you under 21) but I was wondering the same thing. I don't think Michigan would have given me a Chauffeurs license before I was 18 with our without the Class A endorsement. I had one at 20 with no truck/bus endorsements on it. Mitch. On Sun, July 5, 2020 5:13 pm, Allan Streib via Mercedes wrote: > How did you drive a semi as a high-schooler? I thought you had to be 21 > for a CDL? ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
How did you drive a semi as a high-schooler? I thought you had to be 21 for a CDL? Allan Dan Penoff via Mercedes writes: > While it has been many years, in the summer in junior/senior years of high > school and later before I was in tech school I used to drive a semi with a > Landoll trailer carrying a 350kW generator set and cables to be used by the > various tours as they went around the Midwest. A lot of the venues back in > that time didn’t have adequate house power to run their whole show, so they > would run the sound off house power and used our generator for lighting. > > I would often follow a given show for a week at a time, sometimes more, as > they toured around the Midwest. We also had a standing gig with Market Square > Area and the Clay Courts in Indianapolis for the same thing, so in some cases > I would be doing it during the rest of the year locally, too. > > I was first in, last out. For a typical 8:00 pm show I had to be there no > later than 8:00 am, sound check was usually around 2:00-3:00, then cool my > heels until the show started. A lot of times we wouldn’t have everything > struck at the prior venue until 2:00 - 3:00 am, which meant I might have to > high tail it a couple hundred miles to the next venue, like maybe Louisville > to Columbus or St. Louis, for example. Longer distances usually meant a > travel day in between. Lots of sleeping in the truck. > > Some of the artists I toured with: > > Rush > Fleetwood Mac > Don Henley > Stevie Nicks > Kiss > Foreigner > Phil Collins > Def Leppard > Dire Straits > AC/DC > Journey > REO Speedwagon > Pat Benatar > ZZ Top > Heart > Toto > Kenny Loggins > Steve Winwood > > I’m sure there were others, but these are the ones I recall. All I can say is > that while it was fun, sort of, it made me realize what a crappy way to make > a living it was. I had to carry a firearm because I always got paid in cash > by the road manager before the end of the show, so I always had large sums of > cash on me until the morning when I could deposit it if I could find the > right bank where we were. I was not union, so at the union (IATSE) halls I > had to have a union member “assigned” to me that made all the final > connections and I pretty much just flipped the switch and made sure all was > well. Once that was done I was free to hit the buffet if there was one for > the crew. > > My recollections about artists are as such: > > Rush was the absolute best band to work for. They had a dedicated crew that > toured exclusively with them, some of them having been with the band for some > time. Food was excellent and they (Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson) were always > very nice and came by before the show to thank everyone. Molson and cold > shrimp were some of the regular things on the after show buffet, and they > always had a “to-go” kit of food and goodies for everyone on the crew after > things were broken down/struck. A good breakfast was out on the morning of > the show, too, with lots of fresh fruit and good things to eat. > > Don Henley’s entourage was the worst. That was one of those “avert your eyes > when the “artist” is moving through the wings and backstage.” A real douche. > No buffet or food, a pile of order-out pizza and cooler full of generic soda > was all they would put out, and it was rarely enough to feed everyone. > > Keep in mind that food is always provided by the venue/promoter and costs the > act a minimal amount of money, if any, as it’s factored into the cost of the > show and spelled out in the rider in advance. That’s the contract that says > “no brown M’s.” So if a tour does a crappy job on food for the crew, it’s > on the tour, not the venue. > > Understand that as a crew member you rarely see the talent. If you do, > they’re moving through backstage from point A to point B with their entourage > around them, so you often can’t even see them if you tried. The only ones I > recall circulating backstage were Rush, ZZ Top and I think Kenny Loggins. > They would often hang around and chat a little bit after the sound check. As > I mentioned before, Rush would come around and thank everyone before the show. > > I really don’t recall a lot of details, as it was 40 years ago, but those are > the ones that stand out. The rest were pretty decent because they recognized > the value of keeping the help happy. It was still a crappy gig, but I got > paid pretty well for the time, I think $200/day in cash. > > -D “Yeah, I’m with the band, baby” > ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
He would have never been elected now days. Does ask what you can do for your country sound like it would fly now days? Sent from my iPhone > On Jul 5, 2020, at 1:54 PM, Andrew Strasfogel via Mercedes > wrote: > > My mother and rode an elevator with JFK one winter evening in '58 when he > was a US Senator visiting the Donnell public library in NYC to give a > talk. No security at all - just the two of us sharing a small space with > an incredibly distinguished looking man in a blue cashmere overcoat. My > mother told him he was one of her favorites, and he graciously acknowledged > the compliment. Even then as a mere 12 yo I knew he was special. > >> On Sat, Jul 4, 2020 at 11:16 PM Buggered Benzmail via Mercedes < >> mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: >> >> I got to hang out with the guys in Mountain one afternoon at the airport >> (FWA) where I worked summers. There were thunderstorms around that >> prevented their plane from coming to pick them up for 3-4 hours. Because of >> that everything was dead so I just hung out in the office with them. They >> were really tired and bored but also just really nice regular guys. We just >> chitchatted a bit, I mostly left them alone. I think I might have run to >> get them lunch or something from the airport diner They read and rested, >> were happy to leave, thanked me. >> >> When I told my friends later they thought I was a god. >> >> I saw James Brown one night too for a minute. THAT was an experience. >> >> --FT >> Sent from iPhone >> >>> On Jul 4, 2020, at 8:08 PM, Dan Penoff via Mercedes < >> mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: >>> >>> While it has been many years, in the summer in junior/senior years of >> high school and later before I was in tech school I used to drive a semi >> with a Landoll trailer carrying a 350kW generator set and cables to be used >> by the various tours as they went around the Midwest. A lot of the venues >> back in that time didn’t have adequate house power to run their whole show, >> so they would run the sound off house power and used our generator for >> lighting. >>> >>> I would often follow a given show for a week at a time, sometimes more, >> as they toured around the Midwest. We also had a standing gig with Market >> Square Area and the Clay Courts in Indianapolis for the same thing, so in >> some cases I would be doing it during the rest of the year locally, too. >>> >>> I was first in, last out. For a typical 8:00 pm show I had to be there >> no later than 8:00 am, sound check was usually around 2:00-3:00, then cool >> my heels until the show started. A lot of times we wouldn’t have everything >> struck at the prior venue until 2:00 - 3:00 am, which meant I might have to >> high tail it a couple hundred miles to the next venue, like maybe >> Louisville to Columbus or St. Louis, for example. Longer distances usually >> meant a travel day in between. Lots of sleeping in the truck. >>> >>> Some of the artists I toured with: >>> >>> Rush >>> Fleetwood Mac >>> Don Henley >>> Stevie Nicks >>> Kiss >>> Foreigner >>> Phil Collins >>> Def Leppard >>> Dire Straits >>> AC/DC >>> Journey >>> REO Speedwagon >>> Pat Benatar >>> ZZ Top >>> Heart >>> Toto >>> Kenny Loggins >>> Steve Winwood >>> >>> I’m sure there were others, but these are the ones I recall. All I can >> say is that while it was fun, sort of, it made me realize what a crappy way >> to make a living it was. I had to carry a firearm because I always got paid >> in cash by the road manager before the end of the show, so I always had >> large sums of cash on me until the morning when I could deposit it if I >> could find the right bank where we were. I was not union, so at the union >> (IATSE) halls I had to have a union member “assigned” to me that made all >> the final connections and I pretty much just flipped the switch and made >> sure all was well. Once that was done I was free to hit the buffet if there >> was one for the crew. >>> >>> My recollections about artists are as such: >>> >>> Rush was the absolute best band to work for. They had a dedicated crew >> that toured exclusively with them, some of them having been with the band >> for some time. Food was excellent and they (Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson) >> were always very nice and came by before the show to thank everyone. Molson >> and cold shrimp were some of the regular things on the after show buffet, >> and they always had a “to-go” kit of food and goodies for everyone on the >> crew after things were broken down/struck. A good breakfast was out on the >> morning of the show, too, with lots of fresh fruit and good things to eat. >>> >>> Don Henley’s entourage was the worst. That was one of those “avert your >> eyes when the “artist” is moving through the wings and backstage.” A real >> douche. No buffet or food, a pile of order-out pizza and cooler full of >> generic soda was all they would put out, and it was rarely enough to feed >> everyone. >>> >>> Keep in mind that food is always provided
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
My mother and rode an elevator with JFK one winter evening in '58 when he was a US Senator visiting the Donnell public library in NYC to give a talk. No security at all - just the two of us sharing a small space with an incredibly distinguished looking man in a blue cashmere overcoat. My mother told him he was one of her favorites, and he graciously acknowledged the compliment. Even then as a mere 12 yo I knew he was special. On Sat, Jul 4, 2020 at 11:16 PM Buggered Benzmail via Mercedes < mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > I got to hang out with the guys in Mountain one afternoon at the airport > (FWA) where I worked summers. There were thunderstorms around that > prevented their plane from coming to pick them up for 3-4 hours. Because of > that everything was dead so I just hung out in the office with them. They > were really tired and bored but also just really nice regular guys. We just > chitchatted a bit, I mostly left them alone. I think I might have run to > get them lunch or something from the airport diner They read and rested, > were happy to leave, thanked me. > > When I told my friends later they thought I was a god. > > I saw James Brown one night too for a minute. THAT was an experience. > > --FT > Sent from iPhone > > > On Jul 4, 2020, at 8:08 PM, Dan Penoff via Mercedes < > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > > > While it has been many years, in the summer in junior/senior years of > high school and later before I was in tech school I used to drive a semi > with a Landoll trailer carrying a 350kW generator set and cables to be used > by the various tours as they went around the Midwest. A lot of the venues > back in that time didn’t have adequate house power to run their whole show, > so they would run the sound off house power and used our generator for > lighting. > > > > I would often follow a given show for a week at a time, sometimes more, > as they toured around the Midwest. We also had a standing gig with Market > Square Area and the Clay Courts in Indianapolis for the same thing, so in > some cases I would be doing it during the rest of the year locally, too. > > > > I was first in, last out. For a typical 8:00 pm show I had to be there > no later than 8:00 am, sound check was usually around 2:00-3:00, then cool > my heels until the show started. A lot of times we wouldn’t have everything > struck at the prior venue until 2:00 - 3:00 am, which meant I might have to > high tail it a couple hundred miles to the next venue, like maybe > Louisville to Columbus or St. Louis, for example. Longer distances usually > meant a travel day in between. Lots of sleeping in the truck. > > > > Some of the artists I toured with: > > > > Rush > > Fleetwood Mac > > Don Henley > > Stevie Nicks > > Kiss > > Foreigner > > Phil Collins > > Def Leppard > > Dire Straits > > AC/DC > > Journey > > REO Speedwagon > > Pat Benatar > > ZZ Top > > Heart > > Toto > > Kenny Loggins > > Steve Winwood > > > > I’m sure there were others, but these are the ones I recall. All I can > say is that while it was fun, sort of, it made me realize what a crappy way > to make a living it was. I had to carry a firearm because I always got paid > in cash by the road manager before the end of the show, so I always had > large sums of cash on me until the morning when I could deposit it if I > could find the right bank where we were. I was not union, so at the union > (IATSE) halls I had to have a union member “assigned” to me that made all > the final connections and I pretty much just flipped the switch and made > sure all was well. Once that was done I was free to hit the buffet if there > was one for the crew. > > > > My recollections about artists are as such: > > > > Rush was the absolute best band to work for. They had a dedicated crew > that toured exclusively with them, some of them having been with the band > for some time. Food was excellent and they (Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson) > were always very nice and came by before the show to thank everyone. Molson > and cold shrimp were some of the regular things on the after show buffet, > and they always had a “to-go” kit of food and goodies for everyone on the > crew after things were broken down/struck. A good breakfast was out on the > morning of the show, too, with lots of fresh fruit and good things to eat. > > > > Don Henley’s entourage was the worst. That was one of those “avert your > eyes when the “artist” is moving through the wings and backstage.” A real > douche. No buffet or food, a pile of order-out pizza and cooler full of > generic soda was all they would put out, and it was rarely enough to feed > everyone. > > > > Keep in mind that food is always provided by the venue/promoter and > costs the act a minimal amount of money, if any, as it’s factored into the > cost of the show and spelled out in the rider in advance. That’s the > contract that says “no brown M’s.” So if a tour does a crappy job on food > for the crew, it’s on the tour, not the venue. > > > >
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
I got to hang out with the guys in Mountain one afternoon at the airport (FWA) where I worked summers. There were thunderstorms around that prevented their plane from coming to pick them up for 3-4 hours. Because of that everything was dead so I just hung out in the office with them. They were really tired and bored but also just really nice regular guys. We just chitchatted a bit, I mostly left them alone. I think I might have run to get them lunch or something from the airport diner They read and rested, were happy to leave, thanked me. When I told my friends later they thought I was a god. I saw James Brown one night too for a minute. THAT was an experience. --FT Sent from iPhone > On Jul 4, 2020, at 8:08 PM, Dan Penoff via Mercedes > wrote: > > While it has been many years, in the summer in junior/senior years of high > school and later before I was in tech school I used to drive a semi with a > Landoll trailer carrying a 350kW generator set and cables to be used by the > various tours as they went around the Midwest. A lot of the venues back in > that time didn’t have adequate house power to run their whole show, so they > would run the sound off house power and used our generator for lighting. > > I would often follow a given show for a week at a time, sometimes more, as > they toured around the Midwest. We also had a standing gig with Market Square > Area and the Clay Courts in Indianapolis for the same thing, so in some cases > I would be doing it during the rest of the year locally, too. > > I was first in, last out. For a typical 8:00 pm show I had to be there no > later than 8:00 am, sound check was usually around 2:00-3:00, then cool my > heels until the show started. A lot of times we wouldn’t have everything > struck at the prior venue until 2:00 - 3:00 am, which meant I might have to > high tail it a couple hundred miles to the next venue, like maybe Louisville > to Columbus or St. Louis, for example. Longer distances usually meant a > travel day in between. Lots of sleeping in the truck. > > Some of the artists I toured with: > > Rush > Fleetwood Mac > Don Henley > Stevie Nicks > Kiss > Foreigner > Phil Collins > Def Leppard > Dire Straits > AC/DC > Journey > REO Speedwagon > Pat Benatar > ZZ Top > Heart > Toto > Kenny Loggins > Steve Winwood > > I’m sure there were others, but these are the ones I recall. All I can say is > that while it was fun, sort of, it made me realize what a crappy way to make > a living it was. I had to carry a firearm because I always got paid in cash > by the road manager before the end of the show, so I always had large sums of > cash on me until the morning when I could deposit it if I could find the > right bank where we were. I was not union, so at the union (IATSE) halls I > had to have a union member “assigned” to me that made all the final > connections and I pretty much just flipped the switch and made sure all was > well. Once that was done I was free to hit the buffet if there was one for > the crew. > > My recollections about artists are as such: > > Rush was the absolute best band to work for. They had a dedicated crew that > toured exclusively with them, some of them having been with the band for some > time. Food was excellent and they (Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson) were always > very nice and came by before the show to thank everyone. Molson and cold > shrimp were some of the regular things on the after show buffet, and they > always had a “to-go” kit of food and goodies for everyone on the crew after > things were broken down/struck. A good breakfast was out on the morning of > the show, too, with lots of fresh fruit and good things to eat. > > Don Henley’s entourage was the worst. That was one of those “avert your eyes > when the “artist” is moving through the wings and backstage.” A real douche. > No buffet or food, a pile of order-out pizza and cooler full of generic soda > was all they would put out, and it was rarely enough to feed everyone. > > Keep in mind that food is always provided by the venue/promoter and costs the > act a minimal amount of money, if any, as it’s factored into the cost of the > show and spelled out in the rider in advance. That’s the contract that says > “no brown M’s.” So if a tour does a crappy job on food for the crew, it’s > on the tour, not the venue. > > Understand that as a crew member you rarely see the talent. If you do, > they’re moving through backstage from point A to point B with their entourage > around them, so you often can’t even see them if you tried. The only ones I > recall circulating backstage were Rush, ZZ Top and I think Kenny Loggins. > They would often hang around and chat a little bit after the sound check. As > I mentioned before, Rush would come around and thank everyone before the show. > > I really don’t recall a lot of details, as it was 40 years ago, but those are > the ones that stand out. The rest were pretty decent
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
We convinced my youngest cousin that his name was pronounced “Fairy Banananose”. His mom, my aunt, loved Barry. It was awesome. Bob R Sent from my iPhone > On Jul 4, 2020, at 5:56 PM, Kaleb Striplin via Mercedes > wrote: > > Interesting gives a whole new meaning to the nick name > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Jul 4, 2020, at 7:08 PM, Dan Penoff via Mercedes >> wrote: >> >> While it has been many years, in the summer in junior/senior years of high >> school and later before I was in tech school I used to drive a semi with a >> Landoll trailer carrying a 350kW generator set and cables to be used by the >> various tours as they went around the Midwest. A lot of the venues back in >> that time didn’t have adequate house power to run their whole show, so they >> would run the sound off house power and used our generator for lighting. >> >> I would often follow a given show for a week at a time, sometimes more, as >> they toured around the Midwest. We also had a standing gig with Market >> Square Area and the Clay Courts in Indianapolis for the same thing, so in >> some cases I would be doing it during the rest of the year locally, too. >> >> I was first in, last out. For a typical 8:00 pm show I had to be there no >> later than 8:00 am, sound check was usually around 2:00-3:00, then cool my >> heels until the show started. A lot of times we wouldn’t have everything >> struck at the prior venue until 2:00 - 3:00 am, which meant I might have to >> high tail it a couple hundred miles to the next venue, like maybe Louisville >> to Columbus or St. Louis, for example. Longer distances usually meant a >> travel day in between. Lots of sleeping in the truck. >> >> Some of the artists I toured with: >> >> Rush >> Fleetwood Mac >> Don Henley >> Stevie Nicks >> Kiss >> Foreigner >> Phil Collins >> Def Leppard >> Dire Straits >> AC/DC >> Journey >> REO Speedwagon >> Pat Benatar >> ZZ Top >> Heart >> Toto >> Kenny Loggins >> Steve Winwood >> >> I’m sure there were others, but these are the ones I recall. All I can say >> is that while it was fun, sort of, it made me realize what a crappy way to >> make a living it was. I had to carry a firearm because I always got paid in >> cash by the road manager before the end of the show, so I always had large >> sums of cash on me until the morning when I could deposit it if I could find >> the right bank where we were. I was not union, so at the union (IATSE) halls >> I had to have a union member “assigned” to me that made all the final >> connections and I pretty much just flipped the switch and made sure all was >> well. Once that was done I was free to hit the buffet if there was one for >> the crew. >> >> My recollections about artists are as such: >> >> Rush was the absolute best band to work for. They had a dedicated crew that >> toured exclusively with them, some of them having been with the band for >> some time. Food was excellent and they (Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson) were >> always very nice and came by before the show to thank everyone. Molson and >> cold shrimp were some of the regular things on the after show buffet, and >> they always had a “to-go” kit of food and goodies for everyone on the crew >> after things were broken down/struck. A good breakfast was out on the >> morning of the show, too, with lots of fresh fruit and good things to eat. >> >> Don Henley’s entourage was the worst. That was one of those “avert your eyes >> when the “artist” is moving through the wings and backstage.” A real douche. >> No buffet or food, a pile of order-out pizza and cooler full of generic soda >> was all they would put out, and it was rarely enough to feed everyone. >> >> Keep in mind that food is always provided by the venue/promoter and costs >> the act a minimal amount of money, if any, as it’s factored into the cost of >> the show and spelled out in the rider in advance. That’s the contract that >> says “no brown M’s.” So if a tour does a crappy job on food for the crew, >> it’s on the tour, not the venue. >> >> Understand that as a crew member you rarely see the talent. If you do, >> they’re moving through backstage from point A to point B with their >> entourage around them, so you often can’t even see them if you tried. The >> only ones I recall circulating backstage were Rush, ZZ Top and I think Kenny >> Loggins. They would often hang around and chat a little bit after the sound >> check. As I mentioned before, Rush would come around and thank everyone >> before the show. >> >> I really don’t recall a lot of details, as it was 40 years ago, but those >> are the ones that stand out. The rest were pretty decent because they >> recognized the value of keeping the help happy. It was still a crappy gig, >> but I got paid pretty well for the time, I think $200/day in cash. >> >> -D “Yeah, I’m with the band, baby” >> On Jul 4, 2020, at 6:07 PM, Kaleb Striplin via Mercedes wrote: >>> >>> I
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
Interesting gives a whole new meaning to the nick name Sent from my iPhone > On Jul 4, 2020, at 7:08 PM, Dan Penoff via Mercedes > wrote: > > While it has been many years, in the summer in junior/senior years of high > school and later before I was in tech school I used to drive a semi with a > Landoll trailer carrying a 350kW generator set and cables to be used by the > various tours as they went around the Midwest. A lot of the venues back in > that time didn’t have adequate house power to run their whole show, so they > would run the sound off house power and used our generator for lighting. > > I would often follow a given show for a week at a time, sometimes more, as > they toured around the Midwest. We also had a standing gig with Market Square > Area and the Clay Courts in Indianapolis for the same thing, so in some cases > I would be doing it during the rest of the year locally, too. > > I was first in, last out. For a typical 8:00 pm show I had to be there no > later than 8:00 am, sound check was usually around 2:00-3:00, then cool my > heels until the show started. A lot of times we wouldn’t have everything > struck at the prior venue until 2:00 - 3:00 am, which meant I might have to > high tail it a couple hundred miles to the next venue, like maybe Louisville > to Columbus or St. Louis, for example. Longer distances usually meant a > travel day in between. Lots of sleeping in the truck. > > Some of the artists I toured with: > > Rush > Fleetwood Mac > Don Henley > Stevie Nicks > Kiss > Foreigner > Phil Collins > Def Leppard > Dire Straits > AC/DC > Journey > REO Speedwagon > Pat Benatar > ZZ Top > Heart > Toto > Kenny Loggins > Steve Winwood > > I’m sure there were others, but these are the ones I recall. All I can say is > that while it was fun, sort of, it made me realize what a crappy way to make > a living it was. I had to carry a firearm because I always got paid in cash > by the road manager before the end of the show, so I always had large sums of > cash on me until the morning when I could deposit it if I could find the > right bank where we were. I was not union, so at the union (IATSE) halls I > had to have a union member “assigned” to me that made all the final > connections and I pretty much just flipped the switch and made sure all was > well. Once that was done I was free to hit the buffet if there was one for > the crew. > > My recollections about artists are as such: > > Rush was the absolute best band to work for. They had a dedicated crew that > toured exclusively with them, some of them having been with the band for some > time. Food was excellent and they (Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson) were always > very nice and came by before the show to thank everyone. Molson and cold > shrimp were some of the regular things on the after show buffet, and they > always had a “to-go” kit of food and goodies for everyone on the crew after > things were broken down/struck. A good breakfast was out on the morning of > the show, too, with lots of fresh fruit and good things to eat. > > Don Henley’s entourage was the worst. That was one of those “avert your eyes > when the “artist” is moving through the wings and backstage.” A real douche. > No buffet or food, a pile of order-out pizza and cooler full of generic soda > was all they would put out, and it was rarely enough to feed everyone. > > Keep in mind that food is always provided by the venue/promoter and costs the > act a minimal amount of money, if any, as it’s factored into the cost of the > show and spelled out in the rider in advance. That’s the contract that says > “no brown M’s.” So if a tour does a crappy job on food for the crew, it’s > on the tour, not the venue. > > Understand that as a crew member you rarely see the talent. If you do, > they’re moving through backstage from point A to point B with their entourage > around them, so you often can’t even see them if you tried. The only ones I > recall circulating backstage were Rush, ZZ Top and I think Kenny Loggins. > They would often hang around and chat a little bit after the sound check. As > I mentioned before, Rush would come around and thank everyone before the show. > > I really don’t recall a lot of details, as it was 40 years ago, but those are > the ones that stand out. The rest were pretty decent because they recognized > the value of keeping the help happy. It was still a crappy gig, but I got > paid pretty well for the time, I think $200/day in cash. > > -D “Yeah, I’m with the band, baby” > >> On Jul 4, 2020, at 6:07 PM, Kaleb Striplin via Mercedes >> wrote: >> >> I just heard a Barry Manilow song and it reminded me of a story. A friend of >> mine's wife has this part time gig where when shows come to town they do the >> back stage stuff with costumes. Anyway she was working a Barry Manilow >> concert and apparently if they saw him coming none of them were allowed to >> look at him. They had to
Re: [MBZ] Barry Manilow
While it has been many years, in the summer in junior/senior years of high school and later before I was in tech school I used to drive a semi with a Landoll trailer carrying a 350kW generator set and cables to be used by the various tours as they went around the Midwest. A lot of the venues back in that time didn’t have adequate house power to run their whole show, so they would run the sound off house power and used our generator for lighting. I would often follow a given show for a week at a time, sometimes more, as they toured around the Midwest. We also had a standing gig with Market Square Area and the Clay Courts in Indianapolis for the same thing, so in some cases I would be doing it during the rest of the year locally, too. I was first in, last out. For a typical 8:00 pm show I had to be there no later than 8:00 am, sound check was usually around 2:00-3:00, then cool my heels until the show started. A lot of times we wouldn’t have everything struck at the prior venue until 2:00 - 3:00 am, which meant I might have to high tail it a couple hundred miles to the next venue, like maybe Louisville to Columbus or St. Louis, for example. Longer distances usually meant a travel day in between. Lots of sleeping in the truck. Some of the artists I toured with: Rush Fleetwood Mac Don Henley Stevie Nicks Kiss Foreigner Phil Collins Def Leppard Dire Straits AC/DC Journey REO Speedwagon Pat Benatar ZZ Top Heart Toto Kenny Loggins Steve Winwood I’m sure there were others, but these are the ones I recall. All I can say is that while it was fun, sort of, it made me realize what a crappy way to make a living it was. I had to carry a firearm because I always got paid in cash by the road manager before the end of the show, so I always had large sums of cash on me until the morning when I could deposit it if I could find the right bank where we were. I was not union, so at the union (IATSE) halls I had to have a union member “assigned” to me that made all the final connections and I pretty much just flipped the switch and made sure all was well. Once that was done I was free to hit the buffet if there was one for the crew. My recollections about artists are as such: Rush was the absolute best band to work for. They had a dedicated crew that toured exclusively with them, some of them having been with the band for some time. Food was excellent and they (Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson) were always very nice and came by before the show to thank everyone. Molson and cold shrimp were some of the regular things on the after show buffet, and they always had a “to-go” kit of food and goodies for everyone on the crew after things were broken down/struck. A good breakfast was out on the morning of the show, too, with lots of fresh fruit and good things to eat. Don Henley’s entourage was the worst. That was one of those “avert your eyes when the “artist” is moving through the wings and backstage.” A real douche. No buffet or food, a pile of order-out pizza and cooler full of generic soda was all they would put out, and it was rarely enough to feed everyone. Keep in mind that food is always provided by the venue/promoter and costs the act a minimal amount of money, if any, as it’s factored into the cost of the show and spelled out in the rider in advance. That’s the contract that says “no brown M’s.” So if a tour does a crappy job on food for the crew, it’s on the tour, not the venue. Understand that as a crew member you rarely see the talent. If you do, they’re moving through backstage from point A to point B with their entourage around them, so you often can’t even see them if you tried. The only ones I recall circulating backstage were Rush, ZZ Top and I think Kenny Loggins. They would often hang around and chat a little bit after the sound check. As I mentioned before, Rush would come around and thank everyone before the show. I really don’t recall a lot of details, as it was 40 years ago, but those are the ones that stand out. The rest were pretty decent because they recognized the value of keeping the help happy. It was still a crappy gig, but I got paid pretty well for the time, I think $200/day in cash. -D “Yeah, I’m with the band, baby” > On Jul 4, 2020, at 6:07 PM, Kaleb Striplin via Mercedes > wrote: > > I just heard a Barry Manilow song and it reminded me of a story. A friend of > mine's wife has this part time gig where when shows come to town they do the > back stage stuff with costumes. Anyway she was working a Barry Manilow > concert and apparently if they saw him coming none of them were allowed to > look at him. They had to look down or a different direction. What a jerk. > > > ___ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com >
