Playing in The Larry Bagby Band has afforded me the opportunity to do some neat stuff. Lots of traveling. We just got back from the Sundance Film Festival, playing a few shows there and in surrounding environs. Utah is a mighty strange place, and that's another story for another day. But we made some friends in Salt Lake, Provo, and Park City, and we're psyched to see them again.
But I've been called upon to do things in this band I wasn't quite prepared for. I'm used to being on call for whatever instrument needs me. So far in this band I've been playing guitar, bass, and standup bass; whatever the gig and band lineup calls for. Mighty fun. But my formidable administrative talents have suddenly been called into play also, and I have been tasked with composing our contract rider for a big upcoming gig in Tulsa, OK (where the wind comes right behind the rain, goddamnit...), apparently opening for Crystal Gayle. I'll believe that when I'm on the plane coming home, with fond memories of slurping on her earlobes. How I got into all this country music lunacy is also, thankfully, a story for another day.
For those unfamiliar, a contract rider is that "professional musician" tome you attach to an engagement contract which specifies absolutely everything you need as a band for every show. Everything from power specs to stage dimensions to monitor/FOH requirements to the height of the drum riser, and, most importantly, backstage/hospitality arrangements. Remember Van Halen and the brown M&Ms? Nigel Tufnel and the small bread? As David Lee Roth said, if you don't tell them what you want, you just don't get nuthin'.
Now, it's kind of a treat to be in a position where as a band you actually need to provide a rider. It means you've reached a point, for the moment anyway, where there is at least an assumption that you're being taken care of, and that your time, energy, effort, and performance are valued and appreciated. A step closer to the grown-ups table, if you will. I'm excited to compose this thing, keeping in mind that we're the rookies on this bill, and that I can't ask for imported French sparkling mineral water with every other bubble removed from the bottle. But I've been examining some riders from big bands to get a clue how to proceed. If you want a little hilarious insight into how the big bands behave before the house lights go down, have a look at this:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/backstagetour/index.html
There are a lot of good ones. Hands down, Iggy Pop's is the best. Whoever wrote that knew how to get exactly what he wanted without being a self-important music industry fop. Frankly I was expecting more hilarity from Guns 'N' Roses; all they seemed to want was wine and porn. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Posted by eric at January 31, 2008 11:58 AM