Get Backstage!
by Rand
Your favorite band is coming to town next month and you absolutely have to get an autograph and a picture. Any ideas how to do it? Here are a few tips that might work:
1. Become a cute girl. Works almost every time, even if you’re trying to meet a female star. Cute girls can charm their way around security guards, stagehands and even tour managers. If you’re not a cute girl or can’t become a cute girl, move on to tip number 2.
2. Do your homework. Find out where the artists enter and leave the venue by scouting the building ahead of time. Diehard fans usually get an up close view of their heroes while they walk to the tour bus after the gig. If you can’t find out much by observing, politely ask a security guard what the best opportunity might be to get an autograph. Most security professionals would rather tell you when and where to approach the star rather than have to deal with you later.
3. Befriend the house staff. Every live music venue has stagehands, caterers, ticket booth personnel, security, lighting technicians, sound guys, janitors, etc. If you can get in good with the house staff chances are you can get backstage anytime, for any show. Not to mention the free tickets…
4. Get a press pass. If you’re in college try to volunteer with the student paper, radio or tv station. College students make up a HUGE portion of the ticket-buying public and concert promoters know it. College press gets just as much access as MTV or the New York Times, get a press pass from your school and you may get a few minutes to interview the band! If your not in college you can always try and make a fake press pass and see how far you can get with it.
5. Volunteer with the local radio stations. You may be handing out flyers in the parking lot or selling t-shirts in the lobby but you’ll be one step closer to your goal. Once you are seen by the house security as an ‘employee’ you probably won’t be stopped on your way backstage.
6. Get a job at the venue. There’s no better way to get backstage than to be paid to be there. Runners, stagehands, caterers, promoters, technicians, security and delivery drivers are in and out of the venue all day while the band rehearses. We’ll describe these jobs in detail in a future Roadie Show article on jobs in the music industry.
7. Contact the opening act. Openers are often starving for success and are very open to meeting fans and giving interviews. Try and contact an opening act ahead of time and schedule a meet and greet session. Check myspace.com artist pages, it’s often a great way to contact bands and comedians directly.
8. Keep an eye out for contests. Venues, radio stations, promoters and sponsors often have several contests going on simultaneously. Keep an eye on those websites and an ear on those radios.
If you get backstage and are asked to leave, just leave. It’s far better to follow instruction and miss meeting your favorite band than to be banned from the venue or worse. Security guards are often itching for a chance to toss some punk into a dumpster headfirst, so be polite! If you bring along a camera be prepared to lose it, most stars don’t like to be photographed before they have a chance to shower and re-apply makeup and hairspray. Follow these guidelines and you’ll have a huge advantage over the average fan.