Festivals are huge here. There is particularly one touring festival sponsored by Coca Cola, which brings the top artists together every year, and tours the whole country. It is always perfectly planned. Hundreds of crew members of these artists/bands stay at the best hotels, fly with the best airways, there are two stages, one of which is being dismantled while the other is being built in the next city, and there's always top-notch production in every one of the 20 shows in 30 days.
The Queen was one of these top 3 artists in the summer of 2010, along with a great rapper (I have memorized all of his songs in this tour), and a young band, which was the Coldplay of here.
Jenny was pregnant with her second child, and she didn't join us in this tour in every leg. She appointed another colleague, who was originally a production manager, and unlike the annoying couple she had authorized on her behalf at another tour, this guy didn't bother me at all. Because this time, I had no doubts about my position, and he respected my experience and hard work.
We, as the Queen crew, had to be at our best for this tour. She had zero tolerance for any mistakes whatsoever. So I prepared the following checklist for this tour:
1. Inform the crew about the dates [ ]
2. Explore transportation options [ ]
3. Prepare the rooming list and send to promoter [ ]
4. Prepare the flight list and send to promoter [ ]
5. Prepare the tourbook including general info and daily itineraries, and email to the band & crew [ ]
7. Prepare a less detailed version, and send it to the artist [ ]
8. Buy necessary medications (first-aid kit, painkillers, Alka Seltzer!!, etc.) sufficient for the whole tour [ ]
9. Call the hotel and double-check the booking for all, and special requests for the Artist's room [ ]
10. List local transportation times, and send to the promoter [ ]
11. Do the online check-in for flights exactly 24 hours before the flight, get the front seats for economy [ ]
12. Register frequent flyer miles for everyone after completing the check-in [ ]
13. Get print-outs of backstage rider, rooming list, and local transportations [ ]
14. Give wake-up calls to the everyone in case of early flights [ ]
15. Print boarding passes, or go to the airport and get them from the kiosk [ ]
16. Distribute passcards, tourbooks and boarding passes at the airport [ ]
17. Get the driver info for airport-hotel transportation, call before boarding to double-check [ ]
18. Call the hotel 15 minutes before the arrival, and complete the check-in for everyone while they wait in the lobby or at breakfast [ ]
19. Remind transportation times to the first technical crew, let the second crew know in case of any delays [ ]
20. Give transportation print-outs to the drivers [ ]
21. Do the online check-in for the next morning's flight [ ]
22. Go to the venue with the second crew, and make sure the dressing rooms are being prepared[ ]
23. Make sure the band leaves the hotel on time for the soundcheck, and use the backstage rider to check if the dressing rooms are ready [ ]
24. Go to the entrance during soundcheck to meet the fans who came early, receive their gifts if any [ ]
25. Collect that night's invitees from everyone, and send to the promoter [ ]
26. Hold a security meeting, inform them about the meet&greet and general requirements [ ]
27. Have setlist print-outs [ ]
28. Be ready at the dressing rooms 30 minutes before the band&artist arrives, do the final checks [ ]
29. During the concert, always be in the eye-sight of the roadies, help them if they need or ask anything [ ]
30. Oversee the pyro operators (this later turned into "Do the pyros -laser, fire, CO2, confetti, comet- in 10 songs") [ ]
31. Call the hotel to inform them about the after-show soup arrangement, make sure they prepare a huge table for the whole crew [ ]
32. Check the backstage during the last song to make sure the dressing rooms are clean and ready, prepare the artist's after-show coffee and Alka Seltzer [ ]
33. Arrange meet&greet, pick the ones to come backstage [ ]
34. Inform everyone if there will be a soup service at the hotel [ ]
35. Arrange wake-up calls for all the rooms for the next morning [ ]
36. Inform the driver about next morning's airport departure times [ ]
37. Help the Artist pack all her suitcases before she goes to bed [ ]
38. Arrange the Artist's VIP car to pick her up at the airport [ ]
39. Oversee the hotel check-out (make sure everyone pays their extras) [ ]
40. Get and distribute the boarding passes at the airport [ ]
41. Call the Artist's VIP car on arrival [ ]
Oh I loved this checklist. I madly enjoyed doing everything written here.
There was a reason why each and every item was there. Most of them were things that were forgotten or ignored in the course of the day in the past, and caused serious problems.
After 3 years of experience, lots of fucking-up and learning from mistakes, I was now ready to work with all my heart, and enjoy every moment of that tour.
But things didn't turn out that way. I was fine, and did everything right, but it turned out to be a horrible tour for everyone.
