Roadie Free Radio

I decided to take this week to fill you guys in on a few things coming up, some new music I picked-up in Mississippi, and the general state of affairs. Oh yeah, and I did the whole thing from the front seat of my car! Plus, we have a new SALE going on!

After thirty days on the road in Mississippi I’m happy to say I’m home and back in the studio! To help celebrate our 75th episode I sat down with Andrew Ratcliffe of Tweed Recording in Oxford, MS. Andrew has been producing and engineering bands for over twenty years and has carved out an incredible career in an area rich in musical history and heritage. His list of clients includes The Black Crowes, The Damnwells, Pokey LaFarge, Jimbo Mathus, Will Sexton, and the North Mississippi All-Stars. However, the real heart of Tweed studios lies in the incredible microphone collection Andrew has amassed, particularly the selection from Columbia studios. Thanks for tuning-in this week, and stay safe out there!

In the late ‘70’s and into the ‘80’s Hollywood and the Sunset Strip played host to the hair bands and spandex superstars that rocked clubs like the Whiskey and the Roxy night after night. But several miles down the coast, a new sound was emerging; raw, impatient, and not satisfied with the Status Quo. It was in this world that Dave Rat of Rat Sound Systems carved his place as a trusted engineer, with a company that provided the kind of equipment that could match the DIY attitude of the artists and crowds that were showing up to hear bands like Black Flag, Jane’s Addiction, and Rage Against the Machine. After nearly 30 years as the FOH engineer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Rat is setting his sights on a life more simple, allowing him to focus more on the company he started when he was just eighteen years old.

I can’t tell you how incredible it was to sit with Phil Dudderidge at my first AES show, and listen to him reflect on his career. Today, Phil is the Chairman of Focusrite Audio Engineering, a highly successful company known for its audio interfaces, preamps, and consoles, but at seventeen, he was just a kid in North London with a van, and a willingness to seize every opportunity that came his way. Phil attributes his success to the fact that not only was he always in the right place at the right time, but he always had the vision to meet the demand and find the best way forward. From his days as a roadie for Fairport Convention and lyricist Pete Brown, his short but impressionable stint as FOH for Led Zeppelin, launching Soundcraft Electronics, and ultimately re-envisioning Focusrite, Phil has always followed his instincts and found a way to move forward in a conscious and positive way.

For close to thirty years, Jay Blakesberg has photographed and befriended the most incredible roster of artists, musicians, tech giants, hippies, rockers, punkers, and concert-goers. He’s published close to 15 books, runs his own publishing company, gives back to his community, and generally leads a pretty cool life. Being in the moment and in the music is what keeps Jay on his toes from night to night, stage to stage. If you need any proof of this, just look at a few of his photographs and you’ll see what I mean. Jay and I caught-up at the Relix magazine headquarters in Manhattan, while he was in town promoting his latest book; Eyes of the World: Grateful Dead Photography 1965-1995.

Hello from Oxford, Mississippi! I’m very happy to bring you my latest episode from North Mississippi while I’m on location during my current gig. This week’s guest is guitar/bass tech Aron Michalski, a New England native who has toured the world a few times over with the likes of Paul Simon, Metallica, the Indigo Girls, Norah Jones, Babyface, Bruce Springsteen, Weezer, and Little Feat, just to name a few. I caught up with Aron via Skype, while he was on a short break a few weeks ago in-between runs with the Indigo girls. Given the depth of his resume, you can only imagine how deep his story runs, and I’m very excited to share it with you. Don’t forget to grab one of our t-shirt’s from the website and use the code: DELTABLUES to get 15% off of your purchase. Next weeks guest: Jay Blakesberg/Concert photographer/filmmaker/publisher

One could argue that if it were not for an unfortunate mishap at Joni Mitchell's home studio, Toni Fishman may never have had the opportunity to re-launch the Telefunken brand. By reverse-engineering the guts of a badly burned microphone from Mitchell's home studio, Toni was able to not only bring the mic back to life, but realized there was a market for people who owned the same microphones and needed them serviced. It all came down to one small plastic switch. Born and raised in Connecticut, Toni spent many years on the road with various bands archiving live shows and acquiring enough gear to build and maintain his own home studio. His passion for sound and the desire to deliver the best audio experience possible led him on his unbelievable journey re-visualizing the Telefunken brand, earning him the respect of his peers. But don't just take their word for it, ask the growing legion of satisfied customers.

For over 30 years, multi-instrumentalist Michael Lardie has traveled the world and rocked stage after stage as the keyboardist and guitarist for the band Great White. He's ridden every high and low that comes with rock stardom, and through it all he's kept the same passion and love for music that prompted him to move to Southern California in the late '70's. Michael started out in recording studios engineering some of L.A.'s first punk bands, before he found his way as a session player and eventually got the call to join Great White in 1985. From then on, he's been an integral part of the band, writing and contributing to some of the band's most memorable songs. I caught-up with Michael in-between gigs in the midst of the band promoting their latest album, Full Circle.

Singer-songwriter Jeff Slate is an internationally recognized recording artist and music journalist. He co-founded the band the Mindless Thinkers, founded The Badge and has performed and worked with countless other rock luminaries, including Pete Townshend of The Who, Sheryl Crow and others. His band with David Bowie sideman Earl Slick, and his current band Jeff Slate & Friends, are both mainstays of the Northeast music scene. I met Jeff in Forrest Hills, NY this past Summer at a Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers show, while I was grabbing my interviews with Greg Looper and Chris Adamson. When I found out he was both a music journalist and a performer in his own right, I knew I wanted to have him on the show. Not only does Jeff write about music for Esquire, he recently contributed liner notes to the 50th anniversary edition of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and is the author of the authorized Roy Orbison biography which comes out on October 17th, 2017.

Robert Compton is no stranger to life-changing events. As you'll hear in our interview, he's had quite a few. In fact, Compton's knack for surviving a few of those events is what's led him to focus his passion and channel his creativity into building guitars out of his home in New Jersey. Redemption, a love of music, and a rekindling of childhood dreams is what helped turn this veteran of corporate America around. Join me as I talk with Robert from his home in Stirling, NJ.

With twenty-five years of touring experience under his belt, Production manager/Tour Manager Chris Wrightsman certainly know his way around a venue or two. The Cleveland native is also not afraid to mix FOH, monitors, or even lend his hand as a lighting Designer. At the end of the day, it’s about putting on a great show, keeping a level head, and getting to the next gig. I spoke with Chris backstage before a recent Young The Giant show at New York’s Summer Stage in Central Park. It’s a load-in/load-out not without it’s complications, but we were still able to find time to chat about some of Chris’s touring highlights. Here’s just a short list of some of the bands that Chris has worked with; Young the Giant, Michelle Branch, Richie Sambora, O.A.R., Secret Stash, Yukon Cornelius, Ozomatli, Multiple Warped Tours, and many others.

Welcome to our 65th episode! In this special installment I thought I would honor famed booking agent Ian Copeland, who not only changed my life, but changed the lives of countless artists and musicians, and forever left his imprint on the music industry. Ian's story is nothing short of fascinating. He was a rebel, a pilot, an innovator, a club owner, and a highly decorated Vietnam veteran. He also was part of an incredible family. His father was one of the original architects of the C.I.A., his mother was an archeologist, his older brother Miles managed the Police and Sting, while his younger brother Stewart was not only a founding member and drummer for the Police, but has since gone on to establish himself as a prolific composer for film and television, and has written several operas. Join me from the Telefunken headquarters in South Windsor, CT, as I sit down with Ian's daughter Barbara Copeland, who watched from the front row as her father ushered in the New-Wave movement of the '70's and '80's, with a lo

There are many mantras to help you survive life on the road. For Stage Manager Bobby Carroll, there is only one that counts, and that is the Golden of the Road: "Do Unto Roadies, As You Would Have Them Do Unto You." For him, being nice isn't a tactic simply to get the job done, but rather, a way of life impressed upon him by those that taught him the ropes. Bobby has traveled the globe in vans, buses, planes, trains, and even cruise ships, with the likes of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Chris Brown, the Zac Brown Band, Austin Mahone, Sixthman Concert Cruises, and Shelby Lynne. A Florida native who makes his home in Atlanta, GA, Bobby considers each day on the road a gift that he gets to share with those around him.

Greg Howard’s first tour on the road started a little later than most, but it certainly hasn’t stopped him from making up time along the way. A Florida native, Greg has called Raleigh, N.C. his home for most of his adult life, and it’s where he started working in a music store, fresh out of college, never imagining he’d have the career he does now. Along with being one of the most in-demand guitar techs in the business, for artists such as Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, My Morning Jacket, and AC/DC, Greg is one of the founders of 3 Monkeys Amps & Solderless cables. With his partners Brad Whitford and Ossie Ahsen, Greg has created a trustworthy, tone-heavy brand that continues to grow and innovate, keeping fans and customers satisfied from the very first note.

I've used the word passion many times to describe several of my previous guests. Some are passionate about their careers, others about their instruments, and still others care deeply about doing the best that they can at any given moment to achieve the absolute best outcome. Production Manager & Front of House Engineer Brian Speiser fits most comfortably in this last category. A long-time member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band family, Speiser's passion lies in his quest for every audience member to leave a performance having had the ultimate audio experience night after night, show after show. I caught-up with Brian during some rare downtime at his apartment in Queens, where we discussed his love of all things analog, the balancing act of wearing multiple hats on tour, and how he's maintained such long-running relationships with the many artists on his resume.

Music journalist Katherine Turman has certainly earned her stripes in the industry, documenting and sharing the stories and profiles of countless artists, in a long list of magazines, newspapers, and radio shows, such as Rockline, and Nights with Alice Cooper. She landed her first writing job at the age of sixteen and went off to receive a BA in Journalism from USC. It was there she started writing music pieces for the school newspaper, covering events throughout Hollywood, the Valley and L.A.’s west side. A Los Angeles native who now lives in Brooklyn, Katherine’s uncle is iconic movie producer Lawrence Turman, know for such films as The Graduate, The River Wild, and Short Circuit. Along with co-author John Wiederhorn, Katherine’s latest book is LOUDER THAN HELL: THE DEFINITIVE ORAL HISTORY OF METAL.

Michael Musburger knows what it’s like to be at the epicenter of something incredible. As a Seattle native, he not only witnessed the rise of the Grunge scene, but as a member of the Posies, and subsequent Production and Stage Manager for the Presidents of the United States of America, he was one of the scene’s first ambassadors. Michael’s dedication and passion for the industry has led him on a journey that still finds him behind the drum kit for several bands, and has afforded him the opportunity to Stage Manage and drum tech for the Experience Hendrix tour for the last 10 years. That is of course when he’s not working for the likes of Doyle Bramhall 3rd, Chris Layton, and many others.

For over fifty years Chris Adamson has led the kind of career most people would dream of. As one of the most sought after Production Manager’s in the business, he’s the guy who makes sure every piece of gear and all personnel gets from one part of the world to the other safely, on time, and that the show will certainly go on. Having spent considerable time with Pink Floyd, he has the distinction of being the first voice heard on the album Dark Side of the Moon, and was recently able to relive some of his memories with the band by visiting the current Floyd exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Chris and I caught-up in Forrest Hills, NY just prior to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers taking the stage on their 40th anniversary tour, and he graciously shared his experiences with Fleetwood Mac, Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, The Byrds, Steely Dan, John Mayer, and Dead & Co.

Fresh from graduating from the University of Hartford, Alan Venitosh promptly landed a job at Telefunken Elektroakustik in South Windsor, CT. A touring musician with a degree in music production and a keen interest in recording techniques, Alan joined owner Toni Fishman in their modest office space, never imagining where this turn of events would lead him. Fifteen years later, Alan is now the Director of Operations, and has not only witnessed the incredible growth of Telefunken but has played a major role in that growth. I spent a couple of hours with Alan at Telefunken headquarters, and got to witness the pride and passion that goes into each product made on site.

Parnelli award-winning monitor engineer Greg Looper knows firsthand the role fate can play in a career. For the last several years he has been with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, first as a systems tech for FOH engineer Robert Scovill, but eventually stepping-in at monitors, where he has proven to be an invaluable asset. A chance encounter with an old friend at the age of twenty-one led to a career with a staggering list of artists including the Allman Brothers Band, Prince, Soundgarden, the Cult, Aerosmith, John Fogarty, the Scorpions, Shannondoah, and the Deftones. Greg and I met-up in Forrest Hills, NY at a recent Tom Petty gig and traced the many miles of his journey, and the many mentors that have left their mark on him.