Respect For The House Tech

I spent some time tonight at Zaphod Beeblebrox in Ottawa. Monday nights are usually for local bands playing their first gigs for free, and in many cases, the night of the multi-car train wreck. I went in not expecting much, but left pleasantly surprised. A large part of that was because of the house tech, Tom Stewart. Tom is a wicked guy who genuinely loves what he’s doing. He takes the time to educate the bands and to explain how to make their shows better. He never complains about his gig and truly enjoys helping out and encouraging the new bands. As he told me tonight, he loves getting a band of insanely excited 17 yr olds playing their first gig ever and helping to make it a night they’ll never forget.

 

Tom is a rare breed in this industry. So many people in his position would just turn on the vocals, go to the bar and get loaded. It was really refreshing to see him and to listen to him talk. It’s one thing to polish a turd, but he makes them shine like the stars in the Big Dipper. He treats every band he works with like the platinum-selling rock stars they one day hope to be. So, if there’s any local bands reading this, please don’t take Tom, or people like him, for granted. You won’t find people like that anywhere else, and believe me, I’ve been around long enough to know. Take the opportunity to learn from him and buy into his enthusiasm. This is a hard industry to survive and guys like him make it bearable.

 

Talking with Tom tonight really opened my eyes and reminded me why I got into this whole mess in the first place. By comparison, my job is a joke. I’m fortunate and lucky enough to work with the big names, and by the time they get to me, they have their shit so hammered together that I don’t really have to do much of anything and it’ll sound great. Now, I paid my dues and went through the bad local nights without tuners etc… but after a couple years on bigger gigs and national tours, it’s easy to forget about that stuff and to lose your enthusiasm and excitement for live music – it’s just another day, just another show. Tom gets more excited about some of the local bands on his stage than I do about the Grammy winners on my stage.

 

So, Mr. Stewart, my hat goes off to you. Thank you for reminding me how great this job can be, even in the worst circumstances, and for making me look forward to my next gig. May your knowledge and enthusiasm spread through the young bands like a virus without a cure.