Best surprise, for a rock concert.....
I work in the business so I have trouble remembering all the bands I've seen. I'm working now in semi-retirement I suppose at the local university fieldhouse. They book shows during the school season and the last one was Def Leppard/Poison/Tesla. I spent a significant chunk of my life working as road manager/lighting director for a band from Wisconsin, and also worked pro for Local 470 who covers greater NE Wisconsin. And when locals 251 (Madison) and 18 (Milwaukee) called for help, I was the one who got sent. This was not just music but theater as well.
Off the top of my head, the biggest surprise for a show I paid to see was Band Camp, a day long fest in Madison. I went to the first one in 2004, with Earshot, Dropbox, Drowning Pool, Damageplan, Dope and Saliva for the headliner. Dope was the surprise. They blew everyone else away, hands down.
I don't remember the year-maybe 1999 or 2000-but the biggest surprise for a show I worked was Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I worked monitors & backline for that show and for the show call I was to remain with the monitor tech and help him if he needed it. What I ended up actually doing was sitting on a road case just off stage left next to the tech for an outstanding view of the show. They weren't real big back then so the audience didn't know what they were in for besides a Christmas show, but we all sure as hell did when it was over.
Ken
I work in the business so I have trouble remembering all the bands I've seen. I'm working now in semi-retirement I suppose at the local university fieldhouse. They book shows during the school season and the last one was Def Leppard/Poison/Tesla. I spent a significant chunk of my life working as road manager/lighting director for a band from Wisconsin, and also worked pro for Local 470 who covers greater NE Wisconsin. And when locals 251 (Madison) and 18 (Milwaukee) called for help, I was the one who got sent. This was not just music but theater as well.
Off the top of my head, the biggest surprise for a show I paid to see was Band Camp, a day long fest in Madison. I went to the first one in 2004, with Earshot, Dropbox, Drowning Pool, Damageplan, Dope and Saliva for the headliner. Dope was the surprise. They blew everyone else away, hands down.
I don't remember the year-maybe 1999 or 2000-but the biggest surprise for a show I worked was Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I worked monitors & backline for that show and for the show call I was to remain with the monitor tech and help him if he needed it. What I ended up actually doing was sitting on a road case just off stage left next to the tech for an outstanding view of the show. They weren't real big back then so the audience didn't know what they were in for besides a Christmas show, but we all sure as hell did when it was over.
Ken
