This week on The Offstage Life, we’re celebrating Episode 10 by going behind the desk with Sydney sound engineer, lighting operator, award-winner, musician-at-heart and professional chaos wrangler — Steve.
From growing up in a musical family and being classically trained on violin, to falling in love with Aussie rock, working backstage, mixing live bands, managing egos, fixing gear minutes before showtime, and somehow surviving a gig on a boat that started sinking in the middle of Sydney Harbour… Steve has seen the side of live music most people never think about.
We talk soundcheck disasters, loud guitarists, soft singers, lighting as part of the live experience, the magic and burnout of turning music into your job, wild backstage stories, The Frocks, the infamous two Chrises, and why the people behind the stage are often carrying the whole show.
It’s funny, chaotic, honest, and very Offstage Life.
In this episode:
Soundcheck etiquette, sinking boats, Elvis impersonators, backstage madness, live music disasters, The Frocks, sound engineering, lighting, egos, and the real work that happens before the crowd ever hears a note.
0:00 - The boat started to sink in Sydney Harbor.
1:03 - Introduction to episode 10 of the Offstage Life podcast.
2:09 - Discussion about Steve's musical family background.
3:20 - The importance of playing the violin and its impact.
4:45 - Transition to becoming a sound engineer.
6:09 - High school experiences and musical journey.
8:26 - Falling in love with rock and roll music.
11:17 - Desire to be on stage and pursue music.
13:16 - First opportunity to learn sound engineering.
16:34 - The importance of lighting in music performances.
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