Steve Varga is a genuinely lovely human, and also a complete badass. I met him when he was touring with Paul Kelly in 2013. I was playing drums in the support act. Over the years we’ve kept in touch here and there and I’ve watched him work with different acts. As a touring musician myself now, I am gaining more interest in the various roles that people play that make up the crew for an artist as well as how those people take care of themselves whilst travelling.
Steve has held various positions over his career, including working as a Tour Manager, Backline Tech, VIP Co-ordinater, Stage Manager, Promoter Red, Merch Rep and Driver. Get all that? He has worked with some music industry heavyweights including Ozzy Osbourne, Neil Finn, System of a Down, Richie Sambora & Orianthi, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Motley Crue, Boy & Bear, Sarah Blasko and The Avalanches just to name a few.
On my own journey to discovering how to achieve optimal well-being whilst on tour, I have been talking to many people about their own experiences. As Steve has been touring for most of his life, I knew he would be able to offer me valuable information and knowledge. I really look up to people that are able to take care of themselves because it shows me that all it takes it practice. This lifestyle can be tricky at times but has it's rewards.
Steve is currently on tour in Australia with The Whitlams and had some spare time to share some insight with me and answer a bunch of questions.
What are three qualities that you think a touring crew member should possess?
"1. Professionalism. You have to treat it like a real job, a career, you cannot just be there to have a good time and party with bands.
2. Attention to detail. Whether it’s in a tour management role or as a tech or engineer you need to be focused on every detail and also be able to see how what you do effects the big picture and what other people on the tour have to do.
3. Be a decent human being. You have to spend long days with other people, much longer than in a 9-5 and travel with those people and basically live with them sometimes 24/7 if you’re riding a bus together so don’t be an asshole and try to respect everyone else’s space and their feelings. Help people if you can. Don’t be a jobsworth."
You are frequently travelling, dealing with sleep deprivation, change of diet, late nights among other things. How do you stay on top of your well-being and health in general?
"Pursuing this lifestyle means that you are away most months of the year from your family and friends. How do you keep in touch on the road and maintain healthy relationships? My family are so used to it that it’s not even a thing for them now. My oldest kid is 15 and I was touring way before he came along so it’s all they’ve ever known. I feel like the touring in Australia is easier because it’s usually shorter runs so you get home and see the family more often. It is disappointing missing a lot of the occasions like weddings, dance recitals, soccer games, graduations and the like but they’re very understanding. Overall I feel like my time at home is about the same as someone working a 9-5 with a long commute only it’s broken up differently. They might be out of the house from 7am-7pm, five days a week whereas I might be gone for two whole weeks then home for a week or gone for six and home for four but however it breaks down I think the actually amount of time I spend at home is about the same as any regular working dad / husband. I do try to make the most of the time I am at home and when I’m home, i’m home so I get to take the kids to school and pick them up and do lots of stuff with them and around the house. When I’m on the road I will try to at least text my wife and kids each day and FaceTime or call when appropriate. Time differences make it hard when touring overseas but we manage. Getting away from the family aspect and thinking about friendships I feel like most of my friends are people I tour with or have toured with and I sometimes find it hard to relate to ’normal’ people as they have no real understanding of what it is we do and the life we lead."
Have you ever developed any substance abuse issues as a result of the touring lifestyle or know people that have? You have spent a lot of time on the road, are there any habits you’ve discovered to be unsustainable?
"To be honest I haven’t had any problems myself but have been around lots of people who have or still have issues. I’ve worked with a lot of people who are sober and have been for years. I find that ’the program’ isn’t really a thing in the industry in Australia but it’s quite common in the US. I’ve been on tours where all the sober folks would arrange meetings on show days somewhere in the venue or would seek out local meetings in the city where we’d have a day off. I applaud those folks for sticking with it especially in that environment. On a lot of the bigger tours drugs aren’t really tolerated like they once were and the job requirements have become so specific and detailed and require a super professional work ethic that it’s not really possible to be 'out of it' and work. That said I know plenty of functioning stoners who need to smoke weed to get through the day and they manage to get their jobs done. I’ve certainly worked with some functioning alcoholics as well and that’s really sad to watch. I’ve seen some of those people get themselves sober too and be much better for it. It’s mostly been musicians who I’ve seen go down that path as they can get away with it, it’s harder for a crew person to be an alcoholic and not get let go because of it. I’ve had some wild nights here and there over the years of course but the older I get the less appealing that scene is to me."
What is the longest time you’ve been on tour for? What were some of the highs or lows you experienced on that run? What are some things you learnt on such a long stretch of touring?
"Man. That’s a tough one to remember. Probably it would have been about a three or four month stretch I’d say. Obviously being gone that long you’re getting to see some amazing new places which is really one of the greatest things about this job but it’s hard when you miss so much stuff happening at home and it is a long time to be away. Coming home after being gone that long is hard because everyone has gotten used to you being gone and it’s almost like you’re in the way. I’m pretty lucky with my health on the road, I never really get too sick apart from the odd cold here and there. Sleep is important. Getting a good nights sleep isn’t always possible so trying to catch up when you can is key. Being in such close proximity with the people you tour with can be testing for such a long stretch and any sort of tensions can be exacerbated by that so it’s a test of your patience and respect for other people. Bigger tours I’ve been on there always ends up being little social groups that form and those people will hang out on days off and stuff. When you're on a tour with four or five crew buses, a lot of the time the folks that ride on each bus will hang out together. People that have toured together a lot previously will hang out or departments will hang out, like the audio guys will all hang out or the backline guys OR the guys from bus 4 but on a smaller tour where everyone is on one bus it tends to be everyone hanging out together all the time. In that scenario it’s great to be able to get away and be on your own. If you have friends in a particular city you can go hang out with them and get a break from your tour family, as much as you might love them it’s good to get away."
As a crew member, you are normally the first one in and the last to leave. What elements do you love about the nature of this job being very physically demanding and stressful at times?
"I fucking love my job. I don’t care if it’s a huge band doing arenas or a small band doing a 200 seat club. There’s upsides to every level of touring. Being a part of something that means so much to so many people is awesome. I often say that’s what we do, we make people happy. If it’s making the band happy from a crew or tour management point of view or being a part of the whole team that puts the show on that makes the fans so happy - that’s what it is we do, we make people happy. I don’t want to sound like a wanker here but as far as the physically demanding and stressful side of it goes It’s hard but it’s part of it. It’s not for everybody, feeble people need not apply. I know people from the real world that whine when they have to do a couple extra hours of overtime, like a ten hour day, we’re out there regularly doing 12-18 plus hours and that’s just what it is. I think you get conditioned to it as well. The upside to smaller tours is shorter work days and the venues tend to be in the centre of the city so you can get out and about and explore even on a show day. The upside of a larger tour is just that everything is bigger and better, more people to do the work, better catering, more space in the venues, stuff like that. Working with top level people who are really good at their own jobs is inspiring too."
Looking back on your own experiences, if you could give one piece of advice to a young musician/roadie about touring what would it be?
"Make the most of it. Don’t be hungover and miss out on seeing something epic in a place that you’ve never been before. Never turn down work unless it’s because you’re already working. Work gets work. All the work I’ve ever gotten has been 100% word of mouth. It’s an awesome life if you are cut out for it but it’s not for everyone - recognise that early and get out if it’s not for you. Also learn from people who’ve been doing it a lot longer than you, learn what to do from the great ones and what not to do from the not so great ones. You’ll meet both along your journey."
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