Over the years, I’ve done a lot with guitars: I’ve sold them, played them, written about them, and occasionally broken them. But until a few days ago I had never professionally guitar teched for a band, much less a best-selling band with hundreds of thousands of doting fans around the world. This all changed on Saturday, July 12 when post-hardcore bands Thursday and Hot Water Music co-headlined Terminal 5 in midtown Manhattan. A couple weeks earlier, Thursday asked me to help them out with the show, and I said yes immediately, downplaying the lump in my throat and playing up my, ahem, limited experience. Read on for an account of my night to remember:
3 p.m.: Doors don’t open until 7, but load-in for the show begins at 3 p.m. sharp, which means that me, the members of Thursday, and the label handlers unpack a Penske truck full of merch, guitars, amps, and everything else that Thursday needs for their on-stage production. The strength possessed by the band’s keyboardist Andrew Everding, who lifts large road cases with ease, is humbling, as I sadly can’t say the same for myself …
4 p.m.: After loading in, Hot Water Music gets going on their sound check. This is basically like seeing my favorite band in the world play for me and me alone. They don’t take requests, but the cavernous venue sounds fantastic completely empty—a good omen for what it will sound like once it is packed with people a few hours later.
4:30 p.m.: With the guitars unloaded and laid out before us, Thursday guitarist Steve Pedulla goes over which guitars need to be tuned to what (Thursday uses standard, Dropped-D, and Open D tunings), how to turn on and off the wireless packs, and what to do if―heaven forbid―there happens to be a problem. Apparently, if two of the wireless packs are on at once it can cause a loud hissing sound―not something I want to happen on my clock.
5:00 p.m.: I have two hours of downtime between set-up and the show so I hang out backstage with the guys and obsessively drink Diet Coke and eat salsa.
7:00 p.m.: Doors open. Seeing all the people pour in is slightly horrifying. I begin to worry that the tomatoes in the salsa will give me salmonella, and I plot what I will do should intestinal troubles render me unable to perform my tech duties.
8:15 p.m.: Five minutes before Thursday’s set, I place bottled water by everyone’s station, go over everything again with Steve, and wish him luck. Thankfully, Thursday’s former guitar tech Mike will be next to me the entire set in case anything goes horribly wrong and another one of their old techs Josh is on the other side of the stage, taking care of the band’s other guitarist Tom Keeley.
8:20 p.m.: Thursday hit the stage. For 70 minutes, I sweat and hand off guitars. At one point I accidentally give Steve a guitar without a strap on it, but I don’t think anyone notices. I also get to do a shot with Steve during the band’s new song (he doesn’t play during the first two minutes). This calms my nerves and helps me from hyperventilating on-stage.
9:30 p.m.: Thursday finishes and there is a frantic rush to get all the amps, pedal boards, and guitars into their road cases and off the stage before Hot Water Music goes on at 9:50. After the items are packed in the cases, the venue handlers wheel everything off-stage where it is loaded back into the Penske truck and driven to the band’s practice space in New Jersey.
9:45 p.m.: My work is done. A little frazzled and a lot relieved, I retire backstage to watch Hot Water Music’s set, far more at ease then I was when they sound checked earlier that afternoon.
11:00 p.m.: Afterparty!