Road crew

The road crew (or roadies) are the technicians or support personnel who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians. This catch-all term covers many people: tour managers, production managers, stage managers, front of house and monitor engineers, lighting directors, lighting designers, lighting techs, guitar techs, bass techs, drum techs, keyboard techs, pyrotechnic techs, security/bodyguards, truck drivers, merchandise crew and caterers, among others.

Road crew appearances

The road crew are generally uncredited, though many bands take care to thank their crew in album sleeve liner notes. In some cases, roadies have stepped in to help out with playing onstage.

Road Crew

Road Crew were an American garage band from Los Angeles, California, formed in late 1983. The band consisted of future Guns N' Roses members Slash, Steven Adler and Duff McKagan. They auditioned a number of singers while writing material. However they disbanded the same year with no releases.

Following his firing from Guns N' Roses in 1990, Adler joined Vain in 1991, with the band renaming themselves Road Crew the same year. The new lineup consisted of former members of California glam rockers Vain: Davy Vain, Ashley Mitchell, Jamie Scott, and Shawn Rorie. They recorded an album and gained some label attention. However, due to Adler's drug abuse, Road Crew disbanded once more without releasing the album.

History

Early years, formation and disbanding (1984)

Following the breakup of his previous group Tidus Sloan, Slash found himself without a band. His childhood friend Steven Adler, who had learned to play drums and had an uncle who owned the Roxy Theatre (West Hollywood), suggested that they form a band together. Slash eventually agreed to check out Adler while he practiced at a public park. Slash stated that he "wasn't convinced of his abilities, but [he] was satisfied" and decided to work with Adler. After trying out for London they decided to form their own band, taking out an ad in The Recycler for a bass player before auditioning for singers. Though they received a few calls, only Duff McKagan wanted to meet with them.