Backstage Pass is a series of six episodes that tracks the evolution in the early 70’s of an era when production and staging exploded in the ‘rock and roll’ industry. Get your own Backstage Pass and go on the road to some of the biggest and most iconic ever musical events during that time. Hear how the industry grew from the Moody Blues touring with two small trucks in the UK carrying all their equipment accompanied by just a handful of ‘roadies’ to Abba, the Rolling Stones and many bands and artists having multiple articulated or semi trucks on the road. The growth was seismic - Abba’s fleet of trucks had ‘Abba bigger than Volvo’ emblazoned on the side - tours criss crossed continents, massive crews and endless road boxes and crates of gear and specialist equipment travelled by air as well as road and shows would take days to set up and take down. With your Backstage Pass you will hear from some of those that were there. Their stories, told with warmth, affection and humour will tell you how they made it happen...
episode 1: Episode 1: Memories Are Made of This
It wasn’t all sex and drugs and rock and roll and we start the series with a look back by former crew members of a small London production company who were in the forefront of the development of the staging of rock and roll shows as they recall working with the Who, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Queen, Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, Neil Diamond, The Osmonds, Donovan and many others.
You hear about a birthday party on a plane complete with brass band and lighted candles on a cake, a snake in the bath that caused mayhem, riding the railroad across Europe drinking beer with Bob Dylan, the making of the biggest music video of all time, why an elephant can’t play guitar, why a drummer couldn’t drum and much, much more.
Part of Pantheon Podcasts