At every stop, roadies unload instruments and gear from the truck, set up and test sound, lighting, and rigging before soundcheck, and troubleshoot anything that breaks mid-show since there's no time to wait. As soon as the performance ends, it's straight into breaking everything back down and repacking for the next city, all while coordinating with venue staff on load-in times and stage logistics. It's physically demanding, travel-heavy work concentrated into intense touring stretches, with irregular sleep and long hours on your feet the norm rather than the exception.
Pros
No formal degree required, skills are learned on the job starting with local crew work
Hands-on, physically active work travelling to different venues and cities rather than a static workplace
Being part of a touring production offers a front-row seat to live music and stage production
Cons
Long, demanding hours, often 50-70 hours a week during touring stretches
Entry-level pay can be quite low relative to the physical demands and time away from home
Touring means irregular sleep, constant travel, and long stretches away from home and routine
A typical day
Load-in starts at 7am at the arena: the trucks open and the day becomes a sprint of cases rolling down ramps, each stenciled and headed to its zone — backline here, lighting motors there. The roadie's specialty today is guitar world: restringing two guitars, mapping the pedalboard, and setting the stage exactly to the taped spike marks, because the artist's muscle memory expects everything within an inch. Soundcheck at 4pm is the test; the roadie stands by for a buzzing cable hunt. Doors, show, and the roadie watches from the wings with a flashlight and spare strings, ready for the mid-song handoff. Then the out: everything torn down, cased, and in trucks by 1am. Sleep happens on the bus between cities.
Tasks at the job
Load, transport, and unload instruments, amplifiers, and sound or lighting equipment at each venue.
Set up and test stage equipment, wiring, and rigging before soundcheck.
Troubleshoot equipment failures quickly during setup or mid-show.
Break down and pack equipment immediately after a performance ends.
Coordinate with venue staff on load-in times, power access, and stage logistics.
Maintain and repair instruments and gear while touring.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens at concert venues, arenas, and backstage areas that change nightly while on tour, involving heavy lifting and long hours on your feet.
The pace is intense and compressed around load-in and load-out, with a hard deadline set by showtime that can't slip. Touring means irregular sleep, constant travel, and long stretches away from home.
Education necessary or common
No formal degree required; skills are learned on the job, often starting with local crew work
Licenses & certifications
OSHA 10 General Entertainment safety courses
ETCP rigging certification (later, for the ambitious)