What are you listening to?
- Thread starter Srenots
- Start date
Primal
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I’ve actually worked with a lot of headliners in doing concert security. I was a “Pit boss” for cellar door entertainment (concert promoter in Richmond). I’ve never worked with Godsmack. But the shortest headliner I ever worked for was Pink. I’m 6’ and she hardly comes up to my chin. I was hired to work for her as her backstage security @the 9:30 club in DC in 2007. It was one of my last headliner gigs before my accident. Now hearing all that sounds “exciting”. But honestly, the job is boring as hell. I stood at her dressing room door for HOURS and was stage left if I felt she was in danger. There’s nothing glamorous or “cool” in what I used to do. As I said on a good night you were bored to hell.
It's crazy how many people on this forum have worked in the music industry in some facet!
I imagine when working security exciting nights are what your trying to avoid...
I never wanted to be a bouncer, but it happened a few times when shit went sideways in the club I managed/booked. It was terrifying. You are engaged with one guy with no idea what is happening behind you and no legitimate backup in the room.
I had friends who loved the excitement of working the floor in a busy club, but that kind of action I can do without.
Primal
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EXACTLY.... you’d also be surprised who are dicks and who are amazing people. The BEST headliner I EVER worked for was Mark Magrath (Sugar Ray). I’ve worked with Mark since he was doing punk rock...lol. Giving my age there... When he came through Virginia I was tagged to be his pit boss. The “pit” is not a mosh pit. It’s the area between the crowd and stage. So we were at the College of William & Mary (sorry man I love telling this anecdote) and they were playing to a modest crowd of about 12,000 and Oasis was opening. They perform and the shows over. I walk Mark to his bus and technically my night is OVER...
Well there were several hundred teenage girls in line wanting to get a picture with or an autograph. Mark was one of the few artists that LOVED this. You’d be amazed how many “stars” this annoys. So he asks me to stick around for 20 minutes so he can sign. He didn’t actually have security planned for this and he forgot until just that moment OR he knew my ass would do it. Either way, I held the flashlight while he talked, took pictures with, and signed things. After about 15 minutes he tells me he’s going to stop after the next fan. Well the 13 year old girl BEHIND the next girl starts BAWLING and of course Mark notices. He stops and goes up to her telling her it’s okay, trying to calm her down. She just wanted an autograph she she said through tears. Mark hugged her, sent a aid onto his bus and had them get a disposable camera. Took some selfies with her and gave her the camera. (This was early 2000’s camera phones were not the norm). He then looked at about a 40 yd long line and said:
“Hey man, I’m gonna stay and do the whole line...you mind??”
I froze my ASS off for free (not paid) in sweat soaked t-shirt and shorts in 40 degree weather for almost 2 hours, while he finished that line. It was one of the few times a headliner impressed me...
PEACE...
Primal
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That’s how I stumbled into the job. I was a street kid (group homes and kicked out of the house @16) who martial arts (and having a child) turned around. I was in a strip club (this was literally months before I met the guys that taught me to grow.) and two guys started fighting sitting at the runway. The dancer was screaming and I was at the table behind them. They both weighed maybe 90 lbs sopping wet so I pinned them both to the bar around the runway. The owner came out, saw this (one guy “grabbed” at the dancer, the other was her BF) and offered me a job on the spot for 40 hours a week @ $125.00 a night plus tips, I had to bartending too... I was a manager trainer for KFC making 425.00 a week and working 60-70 hours. (1993 here folks I was 23 and a high school dropout). I did the math and took the job. The rest as they say is history.
PEACE...
✌?✌?✌?✌?✌?
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Primal
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One of the best “energies” from a crowd at any concert I worked was with these guys. I have a pentacle tattooed on my calf. They used to joke about keeping a bucket of water on hand in case I burst into Flames. But the crowds at their concerts and the energy they gave off (positive) was amazing. I was working for Sea of Sound productions then.
The first guy I recall having to engage had just left a dude in a broken bloody heap in a parking lot across the street after being kicked out once already. I didn't see the results he left behind, but the people who did were traumatized. He was about 6'3" or 4", had some kind of TMA training and was just a scary man.
He was back on the floor/mosh pit and starting shit again and I had to make a choice. I bear-hugged him from behind, pinning his arms to his side, tucking my forehead into the base of his neck so he couldn't headbutt backwards and yelled who I was as I rushed him to the wall. I'm not a little guy, and I was fairly well respected in the community for giving a lot of young bands their first gig and being open minded about the music I booked; for whatever reason, this guy didn't try to fight me. I pinned him and his friends in the band calmed him down to where I was comfortable removing him from the room again.
There were so many ways that could have gone badly. I like to stack the odds in my favour, and the cards were against me that night. Like I said, not my cup of tea.
Full props to the guys who do it well and who respect the clientele. They are vital to the industry. I salute you.
Fuck you to the old school bouncers who got their jollies boot-fucking drunks.
Primal
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I’ve only hit ONE person in my entire career and I did it in front on a Richmond City Deputy. “The Roots” we’re playing at the Flood Zone in 96 and I was running security (15 bouncers and 3 off duty officer w/ one in uniform) I came down to check the door and talk to the Uni (officer in uniform) that was keeping an eye on the money being collected. This guy comes in and tells the officer and I that a guy and girl are fighting in the adjacent parking lot. We go check it out as things are actually quiet over there. We walk up and the guy is SITTING on this woman’s stomach, her shirt balled in his hand l, and punching her like out of some movie.... best right cross I ever threw. (Not really as I don’t punch like that, but it sounds good)
My chosen art is Ving Tsun king fu. I’ve practiced since I was 20. It’s all about hand speed. Here’s a video of a 15 year old girl showing you how it’s done.
Lockedin
In Bloom
My one and only "fight" at work happened at a small concert venue in Kokomo.
Short, ugly, and pretty f-n embarrassing.
BIG dude - 6'4" and the same waist size - went after one our female crew. I made the mistake of putting a finger in his chest (I know, I know.....) - he returned with a left paw to my temple that sat me on my ass DAZED; and he took another step at our PA.
I couldn't see anything after that (that's my excuse...) --- and I threw a fist hard and "up" towards him from the floor where I was seated;
and felt him buckle a bit, so I gripped his clothing with my other hand and kept punching away as he went down,
until another crewman separated us and pulled the girl & I through the door backstage.
He was laughing his ass off - I couldn't see the humor at all, my eyebrow was split open and bleeding everywhere and I was still shaking off some fog.
Turned out my first punch hit him in the groin area and I'd grabbed the hem of his shirt - guess I really zeroed-in at that point --- he was still throwing up on the other side of the door.
What a hero!
Primal
CHOOSE YOUR TITLE
My one and only "fight" at work happened at a small concert venue in Kokomo.
Short, ugly, and pretty f-n embarrassing.
BIG dude - 6'4" and the same waist size - went after one our female crew. I made the mistake of putting a finger in his chest (I know, I know.....) - he returned with a left paw to my temple that sat me on my ass DAZED; and he took another step at our PA.
I couldn't see anything after that (that's my excuse...) --- and I threw a fist hard and "up" towards him from the floor where I was seated;
and felt him buckle a bit, so I gripped his clothing with my other hand and kept punching away as he went down,
until another crewman separated us and pulled the girl & I through the door backstage.
He was laughing his ass off - I couldn't see the humor at all, my eyebrow was split open and bleeding everywhere and I was still shaking off some fog.
Turned out my first punch hit him in the groin area and I'd grabbed the hem of his shirt - guess I really zeroed-in at that point --- he was still throwing up on the other side of the door.
What a hero!
After 20+ year I have too many stories to tell. The first three of those in strip clubs. The WORST gig I ever did was 300.00 for 4 hours work running security at....a swinger convention every month for 5 years.... you DON’T even want to hear those stories....
stanknugzz77
CHOOSE YOUR TITLE
This motherfucker right here always slays the freestyle game. Let that first video heat up haha.
Positive vibes...
~nugzz
Positive vibes...
~nugzz
Primal
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Funny but true, I did personal security for Keanu Reeves. He has a band called Dogstar and they toured in 96-97. On this occasion, I’m NOT going to tell tales out of school. BUT from one “asshole” to another (inside joke, the guy is really likable.) I loved the guy. I only met him the once and I doubt he’d remember me. But “Ted” sure as hell made sure I’d never forget him.
Lockedin
In Bloom
LOL - I CAN imagine....
I did 6 seasons working on HBO's Cat House - 2-3 weeks at a time in Carson City.
That show is NOT on my CV!
Primal
CHOOSE YOUR TITLE
BWAHAHAHA!!! I love it. Only guys like you and I can tell security stories that involve the words:
“So they had this thing called a Sybian....”
???????
Wow I really did stumble in the right board didn’t I??? I think I found “my people”!!!!!
Lockedin
In Bloom
Ever try to put a lav mic on Air Force Amy? (not a lot of material to pin the vampire clip on....)
Or weirder - discover that you grew up in the same area and know some of the same people back home???
Still not exactly sure what to make of that...
Seems there's a lot of "6 degrees of separation" on this thread.
Wouldn't surprise me to find out that some of us have crossed paths before.
