Rafi is the chilliest dude in the building. Also, the sweetest. But don’t let that fool you – this guy knows his shit when it comes to mixing. Currently, he does monitors for the John Butler Trio and when not on tour resides in Miami.
I spoke to Rafi after a sound check for a show in Philadelphia, in November 2018. Even though he is softly spoken and humble, Rafi has worked with some heavy weights and has been touring since 2001. I wanted to talk to a him to hear what his experience was like as a crew member, and if it was different to mine as a performer.
Rafi’s first tour was with a side project with members from The Misfits. Rooming with the lead singer’s girlfriend at the time, he had just quit the band and put together a tour. “We did 54 shows in 60 days across America with 14 people in an RV only meant for 6. I started getting paid $50 a show after two weeks of touring, but it was fun!” Wow. Talk about earning your stripes.
Since then, Rafi has taken on various roles including FOH, tour manager and working as a recording engineer. When he lived in New York, Rafi cut his teeth at The Bowery Ballroom. “It was the club in New York where all the international bands would do their first show, and I was the in-house monitors guy.” After deciding that sitting in a recording studio was not for him and after polishing his skills helping bands achieve their sound on stage, he eventually went back to monitors and has toured with Blackalicious, Patti Smith and Tame Impala.
The touring lifestyle can be grueling at times, but for Rafi his attitude is positive and he has learnt more than a thing or two in his career. Here is what he had to say about it.
What initial aspects of the touring life did you like?
"I have always been an introvert and getting to know such different people - people I thought I’d never become friends with - I really loved that. I also love being in a different place every day."
How have you toured as an introvert?
"It still takes time for me to open up to other people but I’ve been lucky enough to be around a few people and bands that are great. I think it’s made me better as far as making friends go and feeling more secure. That’s the aspect I liked from the beginning. On the road, touring with friendly people can make all the difference."
Did you always know you wanted to do sound?
"I actually played bass when I was a kid! But I knew early on I wanted to do monitors because I related to the musical aspect. I think I help musicians and translate what they need on stage. Doing sound has helped me understand music a lot more. When you are on tour, doing so many shows with the same band every night, it’s like the first 10 shows your learning what to do and then after that you get to know every little part of the songs and understand why things work. This also translates well if I want to go into the studio to do a record."
As a crew member, you are normally the first one to load into the gig and the last to leave. Sometimes the days are long and its physically demanding and takes a lot of mental concentration and focus. What still makes this lifestyle rewarding for you at this point in your career?
"What’s rewarding for me? Three things. I’ve always been able to tour constantly so what I’ve managed to do is when I am at home – I don’t work. When I am on the road, I try to be super present. It is a lot of work, but in the back of my head I am super lucky because being on the road for a month or a couple means that when I am finished I can be at home doing what I like, such as spending time with family. Second thing is the friends and knowing the people in the team. Third thing is, my outlook on touring has changed over time. Now that I have been doing it for a while, you learn to cope with it better and learn to appreciate your craft. I feel that you get better and you notice it. I know I can do this job well."
So, essentially you like the format of being on tour for a couple of months, then home for a month instead of working a 9-5pm job format with a holiday at the end of the year. Would you say you like this lifestyle?
"When on tour I disconnect from everything else, it’s kind of a vacuum. The way that I see it, is as long as I wake up, half of the work is already done. I’m already at the place I need to be. I already know what I need to do and that’s the cool thing. It’s different every day but the result HAS to be the same. That’s satisfying, going to different venues knowing what outcome you need to achieve. You have the same challenges: the load in is different, the space is different. Then I just try to be super present and just do it. Finances are good cause I am working and also having fun. I’ve never been attracted to a 9-5 style job. I’ve also tried the opposite, like trying to do projects on the road such as writing etc but ive figured now it’s better for me just to do the gig and concentrate. Because I am part of the crew I have a lot of hours of work so its easy to fill up the hours of the day. I don’t have a lot of down time. But the more times you go to the same places, you start finding fav spots. My little exciting thing that I do is going to find a great coffee place or a record store in each city. At the end of the day, you do the job. It takes time to realise that. If I’m on tour all I have to do is be present. I think it takes ages, no matter how much someone tells you. You just need to realise it with time."
What are some qualities you think every touring musicians should possess?
"Patience. Half of what we do is waiting. You need to know how to wait. Humour. Good interaction. Social skills. You don’t have to be a social butterfly, you just have be open to different mentalities. Being able to respect other people’s opinions and be able to brush off things that bother you. Touring is not a place to get bothered by things. Endurance. Touring is not a one-day thing. You can’t peak too early especially on long tours. Consistency. You have to be able to deliver whatever it is you are required to do over a long period of time and in every different scenario possible. That goes for Technical aspect and personal aspect. You’re having a shit day? Well not everyone should deal with it. You need to be a pleasant person to be around. Respect. You need to respect peoples time. Be punctual. You can’t be selfish on the road with time or space. I try to be very conscious of this and co-exist. Know your boundaries, everyone’s different you but you can figure it out. Go easy on yourself and have a good attitude. You’re not going to be perfect on everything but maybe that’s what’s keeping you there! Always striving to be better and to have balance. You can have a bad show but if your attitude is positive that shit keeps you going."
What has been one of the hardest things you have to deal with on tour and how did you get through it?
"Dealing with an artist that’s sick and trying to make the show work. My job is one of the hardest ones because if they are having a tough gig, they are going to hear it right away. If its shit, I am also gonna hear it and have to help them deliver. I’ve been lucky with health, I got sick once. Technical issues will always happen - things breaking or not working. But you learn to problem solve."
What is your advice to some who is going to take on constant touring as their way of living?
"I’ve heard it’s hard to tour with crew you don’t like. I made that conscious decision early in my career that I would only tour with bands I felt comfortable with. I’ve been offered bigger tours but I knew I wouldn’t be happy. I think that’s a decision that everyone should do early on. So, if you see your going to tour for a living try to work with people that respect you and what role you play in the team. Whatever it is for you."
Do you have any pre-show rituals that you do for yourself or the performers?
"There are things I like to do when I can. I try to get 10-15 mins alone time to clear my head before the set starts. I like to clear the space by burning Palo Santo. I love the smell and it clears the energy before the gig. And, I always mix with my shoes off."
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