I didn't want to do boring translation work all day, I wanted to be backstage again, I wanted to go on tours, I had missed working at concerts so much.
But none of my mails with that long CV of mine got any response.
So, there I was;
* 24 years old,
* Didn't know that many people in the business in my home country,
* I had worked at many concerts and festivals both here and abroad as an artist guide, assistant tour manager, merchandiser, backstage & hospitality manager,
* Working as a freelance translator for ridiculously low prices to pay the bills,
* Full of ambitions and hopes and dreams about working in music business.
There was this woman I'd met at one of these concers I'd worked backstage. I remember not liking her patronizing attitude, and admiring her at the same time. She looked like she had everything under control (even though she didn't), and people respected her. And by "people", I mean a largely male crowd of promoters, stage hands, roadies, tour managers and also artists.
She used to work for a big promotion company, and she was also the manager of two of the biggest local acts. One of them was a great female rock star who sold millions of records, whom I was a fan of since I was 16, and the other was the greatest metal band here, who had just had a reunion with many sold out shows. I was there on the first of those shows, it was mesmerizing.
So one night, at 4 am, while I was struggling to meet a tight deadline of a boring and extremely difficult translation, and hating it, I wrote this woman a mail. I explained how much I wanted to work in music business, how I pursue a career in translating just because I had to, and fear that it would soon be too late to make a career change. I asked her to give me a chance, asked her if she needed anyone like me in their crew. I sent that mail, and went to sleep, dreaming about how wonderful it would be if I could work with her.
After 2 days of constantly checking my mails, staring at my phone, begging for it to ring, day dreaming, trying not to get so excited but failing, I was disappointed again.
On the 3rd day, my phone rang.
She asked me if I could go on a one-month-tour in 3 days as the backstage assistant of that female rock star. I said YES!!, and as soon as I hung up the phone, went to meet her.
It was a wonderful meeting, I couldn't stop smiling.
She showed me the tour plan, it was a 13-city tour sponsored by a big company, with an expectation of reaching hundreds of thousands of people.
She explained that she needed me to take care of backstage and dressing rooms and quickchange areas, make sure that rider items were complete. And that was all.
She offered me what I normally make by translation for one month, of course I accepted instantly.
So there I was, standing in front of a tour bus, at the start of a new tour with a crew of 15 very nice people who worked together for 10 years, and they were like a family.
My dreams were coming true, I was the happiest person on earth, everything would be perfect.
Things didn't work out that way, of course..
Next: My first tour with them
