Local crew hire

[ouizy]

Hi again.

Does anyone know the process on how to get hired for the local crew to work on the stage set up prior to a show?

Is there a specific company to contact?

Do you have to be a member of a union?

Any advice can help as it has always been a dream of mine (even to do grunt work and take boxes out of a truck.)

Thanks!


o u i z y

 

[mikal]

hmm....not sure. i wouldn't be surprised if they have all their employees in place already, but i would of course start with your local job board websites. otherwise, maybe call their principle management. maybe they'll give you the company name.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

 

[Galeongirl]

I wish I'd know. I'd be available all summer for the whole band.

 

[Shawn Bonneau]

It depends on the venues. Most of the stadiums U2 are playing are probably part of the IATSE Union. You have to get invited to join up, and it takes years of work. The college venues are probably done by students. I have worked local crew for years at various venues in New England. Stadiums can be tricky, all the time that goes into it. Also, you usually don't get to see the show that well. During U2's set, you'd be loading the opener's stuff back in the truck. It would all depend on what city you're looking at. Also, where the money is amazingly great, it also isn't constant.

SMB

 

[Liesje]

I know someone who got on one and got to meet the band. I think it was during Elevation. A family member or someone he knew worked for/at the venue (I think it was a college, so Notre Dame I guess). They said they always have to hire a certain amount of union workers or something like that....I can't remember exactly but he got on the local crew and got to help out backstage.

 

[bridonohue]

during popmart someone here posted the local hire info for foxboro. i called up and got a job building the stage. showed up at 11pm the night before the show and worked till 8am. put together the lemon and helped with the sound and video board. i was given a backstage pass and told to show up during the concert the second night. used the pass to get on the floor each night. nice experience walking around on the huge stage, but don't expect to see the band.

only job requirements were a hardhat, steel tipped boots, and a wrench.

 

[EdgeIsTooSexy]

I know the band doesnt hire roadies that are fans. Thats all I really know

 

[ouizy]

It depends on the venues. Most of the stadiums U2 are playing are probably part of the IATSE Union. You have to get invited to join up, and it takes years of work. The college venues are probably done by students. I have worked local crew for years at various venues in New England. Stadiums can be tricky, all the time that goes into it. Also, you usually don't get to see the show that well. During U2's set, you'd be loading the opener's stuff back in the truck. It would all depend on what city you're looking at. Also, where the money is amazingly great, it also isn't constant.

SMB

Thanks for the info.

Yeah - for me it is not about meeting the band, seeing the show or any of that, but more to simply put some stuff together and see the gear.

 

[Shawn Bonneau]

It is really cool to see trucks full of boxes in the morning, then at night, see the show and the whole stage built and the lights and crowd reaction. It's painful to take them all apart after ha

SMB

 

[partygirl43]

*runs and hides from union friends who want to break my kneecaps for laughing*

 

[lov12113]

You have to get yourself hired by a stadium to be part of their crew. Getting hired by U2 to be part of the band's touring crew isn't gonna happen, and most of the stage set up work will be done by the band's crew with stadium personal just filling in the gaps and doing odds and ends. That's how it always worked when I worked for a local 10,000 seat arena in college. The touring crews do most of the work when they arrive with the band, while the "in house" crew does whatever odds and ends are needed.

 

[Shawn Bonneau]

You get cool crew shirts too

SMB

 

[Pop Artist]

I seem to recall a few people who did get on a local crew for PopMart, most of them set up and broke down the seats on the field, which there won't be this time, or collected the ticket stubs from the ushers for weighing, which is generally not done these days either since your ticket is scanned! So I don't think there is as much of a need for local crew these days than there used to be.

 

[Super_Fan]

It depends on the venues. Most of the stadiums U2 are playing are probably part of the IATSE Union. You have to get invited to join up, and it takes years of work. The college venues are probably done by students. I have worked local crew for years at various venues in New England. Stadiums can be tricky, all the time that goes into it. Also, you usually don't get to see the show that well. During U2's set, you'd be loading the opener's stuff back in the truck. It would all depend on what city you're looking at. Also, where the money is amazingly great, it also isn't constant.

SMB

Depends mainly on a few things. First off who is hiring? Stadium shows usually are hand picked and are non-union. Some shows they might take alot of Union people close by and stick them in to do the show. Usually for stadium shows you are out there a week before the show and max 3 to 4 days after to take it down. Local Crew/stagehand you got to put time in and don't fool around or someone is going to stick a C-wreck up your B-hole! If you can't hang with the big boys and the smart ass women you can't join the crew! Priority and Reputation matters as well. Don't cry if you don't get a deck call during the show. There's a line for that! Crew shirts alot of tours are cutting back. Especially the Killers, & Panic @ The Disco.