Setting the Stage for the Steven Wilson Solo Tour

What does it take to ensure that a Steven Wilson solo concert is an electrifying performance and sublime sonic experience? Part of the reasons for such a seamlessly impressive concert depends upon the hard work, preparation, and sweat in setting up the stage, instruments, and equipment ahead of time. (Of course, Steven Wilson's solo effort is in name only because it includes a group of consummately skilled musicians: Aziz Ibrahim: guitar; John Wesley: guitar; Nick Beggs: bass, vocals; Theo Travis: saxophone, flute, keyboard; Marco Minnemann: drums; Adam Holtzman: keyboards, synthesizer) On Saturday, November 12, 2011 at Philadelphia's Temple Performing Arts Center Tonto Jhowry let me accompany and photograph him and his assistants as he set up the venue for that evening's performance. You remember Tonto as the earthy and burly stage manager/chief roadie for Steven Wilson's Porcupine Tree? The guy who vacuums the floor for SW? The guy who changes guitars for SW, etc? Now Tonto has been stage managing Steven Wilson's first "solo" tour promoting the Grace for Drowning and Insurgentes albums across Europe and now North America. Here is my behind-the-scenes, pictorial look at how Tonto and his crew prepped the stage and instruments for SW's concert at a Philadelphia Temple University locale originally built in 1891 as a Baptist church in Romanesque style with stained glass windows - an intimate, ideal spot for the spooky melodies and haunting riffs of SW's Grace for Drowning.

The day began at 12 noon, a bit later than normal I am told, but sometimes these things are out of their control. Tonto takes me around the venue and gives me a brief tour. As with most venues, there is a green room (relaxation room with snacks), full bathroom, tour manager’s office, a catering room for meals, etc. Just about everything a touring musician and their crew need. I meet all the band members and the crew.  After the introductions, the work officially begins.

Unloading

            The first step of the process was to unload the trailer. For this tour the band is hauling a trailer attached to the tour bus.  All the equipment for the show fits into this one trailer. Tonto, Jason Birnie (drum tech) and Ian Bond (sound engineer) with the assistance of the venue’s own stage crew all begin to unload the equipment from the trailer and transfer it into the venue. All venues are different and thus the crew will face various obstacles. In the case of Philadelphia’s Temple Performing Arts Center, the only way for the equipment into the site was down one story via an elevator, and then transferred through an inner hallway into another elevator, which went up another floor and exited directly next to the stage. Transferring the equipment from trailer to stage in this case took longer than usual.

Instrument and Equipment Set-up, Lighting and Soundboard Installation

            Once all the equipment was on stage, the more in depth work could begin. Prior to setting up the equipment, logistics are gone over with the Steven Wilson crew and the crew of the venue: Where will this go? Is there room for that? What time do we need to finish by? And so on. The whole crew is involved in the negotiations of the evening’s performance. By the time equipment is being set up a plan is in place on how to do it all. Most of these tasks are similar to all other venues. The drums go here, and the keyboards go there. While Tonto and Jason are laying down the carpet, the risers for the drums and the amps, Ian Bond is setting up the soundboard opposite the stage at the rear of the concert hall. Next to Ian is Paul Vd Heijk (lighting engineer) setting up his lighting control board and running his tests. Tonto primarily works on guitars and bass, stringing and testing the connections, while Jason sets up the drums, keyboards and woodwinds. Everyone is doing something, and they all pitch in together to help one another regardless of their specialty.

The Curtain

Steven Wilson’s roadies and the Temple Performing Arts Center crew discuss how and where the curtain can be hanged.  (The curtain is an integral part of the performance. As the audience will later see, moving images with Bass Communion background music are projected onto it prior to the band’s appearance to set the mood. The curtain remains down for the first four songs of the show.) Setting up the curtain is different at each concert location. In the case of this venue, the curtain is attached to the vertically movable stage ceiling (which also houses the lights) and drop tested once to assure that it works properly.

What is the band doing?

While the roadies are at work readying the stage for the sound check, the performers themselves are doing their own things. They may be eating, going for a walk around the block, or even sketching some of the unique architecture of the concert hall that was once a church, as Bassist/Vocalist Nick Beggs was seen doing. The performers are tired from night in and night out of shows, its what they love, but they take advantage of the time before a show to relax.

Soundcheck

After all is set up, the curtain, the lighting and the sound system are tested, the crew is ready for soundcheck. Steven Wilson and his band members all come out and, in very casual form, begin the soundcheck. They soundchecked ‘No Twilight in the Courts of the Sun’, ‘Index’ and part of ‘Remainder the Black Dog’. Throughout the soundcheck, the band members are communicating with the sound engineer on what sounds right and what doesn’t, what needs more volume and what doesn’t. The soundcheck is important to fine-tune the optimum audio and acoustics for the evening’s performance.

Doublecheck and Re-Check

After the soundcheck, everything is finalized. Everything is tested again to make sure it’s in working order. Lights and sound are tested and re-tested, all instruments are checked and in-tune. The curtain installation is inspected again. The roadies work up until the final minute the show begins and even carry on their work unseen to the audience.

Showtime

By the time the audience enters the venue, the majority of the preparation work is complete. The audience will witness a final test of instruments prior to showtime. Once the show begins, however, Tonto and his crew’s work is not done. Tonto is constantly monitoring Steven Wilson and his equipment; Tonto is in charge of the guitar switches for Steven. Ian Bond is working the soundboard and Paul on the lights. Jason is sitting behind the percussionist Marco Minnemann monitoring his drums. The crew must keep their eyes and ears open not only for the expected instrument changes and curtain drops, but to be ready for any unexpected moment.

After the Show

Once the performance has concluded, the work still continues for the roadies. They then must do the opposite of what they did for 8 hours of the day. In only a few hours, they must disassemble everything and pack it back up into the trailer. Once this is complete, all the crew and band members load up into the bus and head out to the next town for the upcoming show.

Wrap-up

About 30 minutes before the doors opened for ticket holders, as Tonto and I sat in front of the completed stage, I asked him, “What is the best part about your job?”, Tonto replied gesturing toward the stage, “This, seeing this.” In other words, its knowing that no matter how difficult the task or whatever problems arise, the roadies and stage crew will do the job flawlessly. Viewing the finished product makes it all worthwhile. That is the crew’s criteria of success and accomplishment: Knowing they got the job done and they are going to make Steven a happy musician ready to give a superlative performance!

It's like painting a picture, beginning with an empty canvas and by the evening it's complete. These hard workers are the unseen heroes of the evening’s performance. So next time you’re at the show and if you see the crew, thank them. They do appreciate it.

-I’d personally like to gratefully thank the following: Dave Salt, Jason Birnie, Ian Bond, Paul Vd Heijk, Steven Wilson, Marco Minnemann, John Wesley, Theo Travis, Adam Holtzman, Nick Beggs, the whole crew of the venue, and of course my friend Tonto Jhowry.

Below are a lot of extra images for your viewing pleasure, lots of unique ones. Please take a look!