The Alarm, being I think British or Australian, had a British roadie. He instructed us, in a somewhat-bored Cockney:
"Follow spot One, at all times you will follow the lead singer. That is the tarty bloke up front who is singing. Now everyone focus your attention to the gentleman with the guitar. We will call him THE GUITARIST. Follow spot Two, you will follow THE GUITARIST."Robert Palmer's roadies were quite businesslike, almost grumpy.
I noticed one of the percussionists playing a weird instrument that is basically a stick bent into a bow with pianowire, with a gourd stuck on as a resonator. You whack the wire with a chopstick attached to a rattle, and tension the string for pitch by pulling on it with a coin with a hook in it. Melody and rhythm accompaniment in one inexpensive package made from indigenous materials.
I had seen these in a documentary at a Brazilian/Portuguese film festival at Film Forum. Overwhelmed to see this weird thing from my childhood right in the middle of this giant sound-and-light pandemonium, I spoke up on the headset:
ME:Steve Miller Band's roadies were VERY relaxed and friendly.
"Hey, isn't that a berimbao?"ROADIE: "NO CHATTER ON THE HEADSETS PLEASE.
{Then, surprised someone knew what it was}
....yes, it is a berimbao."
ME: "This is Follow Spot Two, I need to go dark at the end of this song, need to make an adjustment."At first I thought that was what listening to Steve Miller Band for months on end would do to you.ROADIE: "Sure, dude! That's cool. Whatever you want!"
Then I realized they were also a little bit baked.