Send us a text Sideman is the title multi-instrumentalist Andy Fairweather Low prefers. Eric Clapton, Roger Waters and George Harrison have all called him their right-hand sideman. AFL, who has an incredible memory for detail, generously walks Matt and I thru his illustrious career playing with several legends of the last 50 years. He even humorous…

Send us a text Eric Piontkowski is on the leading end of the next generation of great production managers. “Ski” as he prefers to be called, is a strong example of how hard work and determination lead to amazing things. He tells us his story of travelling in vans playing with club bands, attending Full Sail University and eventually getting on the …

Send us a text Tim Lougee, aka “Gooch” has been tour managing at the highest level for 35 years. His learned, effective outlook and approach to his work is refreshing and makes for great story telling. We visit tales over his entire career from his early days doing security at the Metro in Chicago, meeting and growing up with the Smashing Pumpkins,…

Send us a text Mark Spring pulls no punches. He says what’s on his mind unapologetically. Springo, a Parnelli Lifetime Achievement recipient, shares sensational stories with Matt and I spanning his 40 plus year career. From his early days working for Show Lights touring huge productions with the likes of Def Leppard all the way through his 22 years…

Send us a text Britannia Row came into being as a rental house for Pink Floyd to hire out their touring equipment as a way to support their crew between tours. Bryan Grant joined Britannia Row in 1979 eventually going on to purchase the company from Pink Floyd in 1984. For the last 45 years Brit Row have been at the vanguard of touring audio system…

Send us a text Chris Adamson is one of the true legends we have in our industry. He started his career in the late 60’s carting band equipment around Britain for several London bands eventually hooking up with Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. Chris went on to work with several prominent bands like Emerson Lake & Palmer, Roxy Music and Steely Dan but is…

Send us a text Matt and I return after an 8 month break to catch up on things. We discuss the state of the industry, touch on tour safety, sustainability and mental health. We also get into our continued love of music and the dangers of going down You Tube rabbit holes. It is good to be back at it again.…

Send us a text Chris Chaney has been in more bands and has played bass guitar on more records and soundtracks than he can remember. He tells Matt and I great stories from both the road and studio. Chris also gets into how exciting and touching it was to play at his best friend Taylor Hawkins tribute shows in London and Los Angeles. He shares some t…

Send us a text Danny Carey and I have spent countless hours talking about music while on the road together. In this episode we welcome the Tool drummer to continue the conversation. We explore our favorite drummers, our deep love of prog rock and our genuine passion for all things music. We also talk about the song writing process and how beat and …

Send us a text To celebrate Radio Check’s 50th episode, we welcome none other than Mr. Show Biz himself, Jake Berry. We discuss his early days in Devon driving feed trucks where his chance meeting with Rick Wakeman gave him his first opportunity in the music business all the way thru his touring days with AC/DC, Metallica, the Rolling Stones, U2 an…

Send us a text Matt and I reconvene after a 3-month hiatus with drum tech and all-around great guy Joe Paul Slaby. We get into our long touring history together as well as some of the great drummers he has worked with over the years like Danny Carey, Josh Freeze and Stephen Perkins. What an incredible trip down memory lane. This is a can’t miss epi…

Send us a text In this episode we chat with monitor mixer, inventor, and entrepreneur Jerry Harvey. Listen as he shares stories of finding his way into the concert touring industry, and how he developed the dual driver in ear monitor out of necessity while working for Van Halen. Jerry goes on to explain how his first company “Ultimate Ears” started…

Send us a text In this episode we “check-it” with Kurt “Slap Daddy” Wagner. Those of you who are familiar with Kurt know him as the stage manager to mega acts like the Rolling Stones, Guns n Roses, Cher, Prince, Billy Joel, Roger Waters and so many others. We chat about how he got his start at the Royal Oak Theater in Detroit and how the comedian G…

Send us a text In this episode, Matt and I discuss the importance of health & wellness while on the road. Matt’s experience as a registered dietitian, health coach and former touring carpenter gives him a unique perspective on the challenges we face on tour. We discuss the importance of restorative sleep, good eating habits and a path forward to he…

Send us a text Mark Fisher was Ray Winkler’s external architecture examiner at University College in London before hiring him on at Mark Fisher Studios, with his indoctrination to the company, U2’s “Popmart” and the Rolling “Stones Bridges to Babylon”. We discuss his years working with Mark on Cirque du Soleil’s “KA”, the Beijing Olympics, U2’s “36…

Send us a text John “Bugzee” Hougdahl got into the music industry by dumping a beer down a guitar player’s chest soaking the guitar. He went on to cut his teeth with 70s rock bands Nazareth, Uriah Heep and the Pat Travers Band before getting his first production manager gig with Blue Öyster Cult in 1981. From there it was off to the big time with M…

Send us a text Kille Knobel went to the California Institute of Arts with the mind of becoming an actor. When she discovered acting wasn’t for her, she side shifted over to Cal Art’s theater department and fell in love stage lighting modern dance. From her days at Cal Arts, Kille has since gone on to become one of our industry’s most versatile ligh…

Send us a text Brothers Wob and Chris Roberts have a combined 70 years in concert touring. From their humble beginnings playing in garage bands in the UK, they have risen to industry prominence as two of the most sought after production managers in our business. Their parallel journeys throughout the decades have been filled with friendly jealousy …

Send us a text Health and Safety has risen to the forefront of the concert touring industry. No one individual personifies this movement more so than Jim Digby and the non-profit association he founded, the “Event Safety Alliance”. Listen as Jim shares his story on why both physical and mental health, along with overall site safety, have become so …

Send us a text In our 40th episode, we pay homage to the mighty RUSH. Matt and I had the great pleasure of welcoming back Howard Ungerleider and Robert Scovill to revisit their days working together with the band. They have great stories of fun n games with Geddy and Alex as well as thoughts, on how hard it still is, getting over the death of Neil …

Send us a text Pyro Pete is a legend in the world of pyrotechnics. We first met in 1983 in the days when he was blowing up cars and buses for the Plasmatics. From there, his career exploded touring with Kiss, Def Leppard, Motley Crüe, and AC/DC shooting the biggest, most innovative pyro displays on the road. We talk about his career, technology, th…

Send us a text Ken “Pooch” Van Druten has done it all. He’s mixed live sound for heavy metal bands, pop divas, hard core rap artists and even K-pop, at the highest level of success. We breeze through his massive resume, talk about his love for Linkin Park, his giving back to the sound community thru his master classes, and even get into his podcast…

Send us a text It’s no coincidence that DC Parmet went from tour merchandiser, to tour accountant, to tour manager in just a few short years. His work ethic, enthusiasm and knack for balance sheets, swung open the door of a great career working with Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Sade and for the last 25 years, Elton John. We chat about our early da…

Send us a text Pantera were the mightiest heavy metal band of their era. Both Guy Sykes and Grady Champion worked for Pantera throughout most of their career, Guy as tour manager and Grady as “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott’s guitar tech. We have a great time recalling Pantera’s storied history from their spandex club days in Texas all the way to becoming…

Send us a text Dale “Opie” Skjerseth describes himself as a “brick and mortar” production manager. I would imagine that is what it takes to handle The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Guns n Roses all at the same time. Opie is one of the most respected and successful production managers in our industry, having followed in the footsteps of h…

Send us a text #34 David Lawrence has always done whatever it takes to get the job done. Titles mean nothing to him. That’s how he went from selling t-shirts and driving the van for Manchester hip-hop and reggae bands in the 80’s, to winning the 2019 TPI – Dennis Sheehan, Tour Manager of the Year award. David tells the story of his early days in Ma…

Send us a text Tom Kenny started his stage lighting career at the age of 14 in Ireland, where he learned a little bit about everything. He has gone on to cover the entire ROYGBIV spectrum of lighting, working in theater, rock n roll and television. Concert lighting with Eric Clapton, Page and Plant, David Bowie and The Who to television, lighting T…

Send us a text Robert Scovill knows a thing or two about audio. Not only is he a world class, award winning sound mixer, but he is also a teacher, lecturer and ambassador for the sound community. We have a wonderful time talking about his history with Def Leppard, Rush and Tom Petty as well as his role with AVID developing the future of audio techn…

Send us a text Marguerite Nguyen is one of our industry’s true success stories. From her early days working in clubs in Richmond, VA, all the way to becoming the tour manager for Coldplay and everything in between, she has done it all. Listen as we exchange fun banter telling tour stories as well as discuss what truly solidifies our friendship, foo…

Send us a text Debbie Sharpe has always had a love for music and the music industry. From her early days in Australia as a music writer, all the way to Britain to do the accounts for Adam and the Ants, to becoming one of the early pioneers of rock n roll tour catering. Debbie’s story takes you from Paul McCartney, through the Rolling Stones, all th…

Send us a text Keely Myers is a Renaissance woman. She is driven by many things to include equality, gender neutrality and updating the outdated language used in both. We discuss her forward-thinking Tour Production Group’s diversity sessions, how she started The Production Office, and her current very progressive company, the Global Touring Office…

Send us a text Andy Franks, who is lovingly known in our industry as “Franksy” has done it all. He started as a musician in the 70’s playing punk rock before moving into live audio, mixing acts like Gang of Four and Pig Bag. He went on to work with Depeche Mode for 17 years starting as their monitor mixer and quickly elevating to tour manager. Fran…

Send us a text Jon Lemon is a well-travelled sound mixer. Between his impressionable days working with Jands in Australia, and then moving to the UK working with Britannia Row, he began carving his very long and successful career becoming one of our industry's true world class sound engineers. We discuss his early days with Level 42, The Cure and D…

Send us a text Malcolm Weldon and I first met on the Club MTV tour in 1989, and have been good friends ever since. Since our early days together with Paula Abdul and Milli Vanilli, Malcolm developed into one of the top production managers in our industry. Under the tutelage of super star manager Roger Davies, he has worked for some of the biggest a…

Send us a text Todd Fox began learning his trade in the Marine Corps before segueing into personal security with Madonna and Maynard James Keenan. He has risen to the top of his field by developing forward thinking methods and practices that are now common place on the road. We talk about our long history working together, his company “Tour Protect…

Send us a text LeRoy Bennett is possibly the most celebrated theatrical show designer of our time. Starting with his career working with Prince in 1980, he has designed hundreds of shows for all sorts of artists in every genre, from Rammstein to NIN, Madonna to Tina Turner and from Ariana Grande to Paul McCartney. We discuss his early days with Pri…

Send us a text John Huddleston has been in concert lighting for over 40 years, starting as a crew chief in the 80’s and making his way to becoming the Director of Production Services for Upstaging. I spoke to him from his office in Sycamore, Illinois where he and the company have reinvented themselves into a PPE production line creating face shield…

Send us a text The Warped Tour broke many barriers en-route to becoming one of the most influential and innovative festival tours of our time. Kevin Lyman tells the story of how he carved his path thru the school of hard knocks, not paying any attention to the norm with Warped for 25 years. We also discuss how his influence and mentoring have helpe…

Send us a text Marty Hom has found himself predominantly working alongside super star women for the last 35 years, shepherding them around the world, through their biggest tours and moments. Between Stevie Nicks, Barbara Streisand, Shania Twain, Paula Abdul, Shakira, Bette Midler, (I could keep going) he has cultivated a wonderful and productive ca…

Send us a text Bill Leabody was part of the London punk scene of the 1970’s, witnessing first-hand the rise of the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. He went on to cut his teeth with the Pretenders, eventually becoming their long time Production Manager. We talk about his great career with Peter Gabriel, David Bowie and The Cure as well as his …

Send us a text Tait Towers has been the leader in theatrical scenic fabrication since it’s inception in 1978. Their exceptional staging concepts, automated engineering and show control have contributed to the biggest shows in the history of our industry. Here to tell their story are the company founder Michael Tait, President and CEO James “Winky” …

Send us a text Charlie Hernandez has done just about everything there is to do in the concert touring industry. He was production managing large scale, high tech shows when he was still in his 20’s… We discuss his incredible career, the story of how the Production Alliance came to be, the importance of the Event Safety Alliance, and his passion for…

Send us a text Bryan Hartley has been designing, programming and operating lights in the concert touring industry for over 35 years. He and I started with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts together in the mid 80s. We discuss our early days as well as the challenges of topping himself year after year designing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. We also get int…

Send us a text Mark Guterras was a drum tech in the early 70’s for Emerson Lake & Palmer before finding his passion for driving trucks. He and his partner Sandy founded Transam Trucking Limited in 1976 with a single bob-tail truck. They have grown the company into one of the largest transport companies in Europe. We discuss his early days with Moto…

Send us a text Shaun Clair grew up in the music business. He has done every conceivable job in the company prior to escalating to VP of Sales. Shaun shares some of his progressive ideas on health and well being in the company, the great relationship he has with his father Troy and what his amusing nickname was when he toured as a fly guy on The Pol…

Send us a text Joerg Philipp is the owner and founder of Beat the Street Band & Crew Bussing. From an early age he knew he was destined for the music business. He started as a stage hand and promoter before finding his niche driving buses for hard core bands throughout Europe. From there he has built BTS into one of the largest international tourin…

Send us a text Steve Lawler is a true Icon in the concert touring industry. Listen to him tell the story of his early days as a grocery bagger and stage hand to touring stadiums with the biggest bands of the 70’s. Steve also recalls the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash and how he recently went back to visit the crash site to share a moment with people fr…

Send us a text Matt Doherty and Jerome Crooks from “Touring Professionals Alliance” discuss TPA’s conception and how they are building a movement to help our industry make it thru the Covid 19 pandemic. We also get into Matt’s history with the “Big Day Out” festival in Australia. Please find here some contact information for Matt and Jerome as well…

Send us a text Howard Ungerleider was the longtime creative director for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Rush. His designs are famous for their uniqueness and creativity. Howard received the Parnelli Visionary award in 2014 honoring his 40 years of innovation in the concert touring industry… He shares stories of his early day as a talent agent in…

Send us a text Dan Cleary has seen some shit in his years backline teching in the concert touring industry. Listen as he tells the story of what it's like to get sucker punched by Marilyn Manson or play on stage with NIN. Dan also co- hosted the long-running podcast "Dark Matter" w/ Dave Navarro. Currently, he has his own podcast called "Rare Form …