We Are The Road Crew - A History of Roadies

We Are The Road Crew - A History of Roadies

Author: Curiouscast May 7, 2025 Duration: 30:29
There are plenty of thankless jobs out there…think about the people who have to work outside in all kinds of weather…line workers for power companies…garbage collectors… construction workers. Same goes for prison officers, nurses, teachers, and first responders of all types…i could go on, but you get the idea…so much needs to go on behind the scenes for us to be able to live our lives.  There are dirty jobs but someone’s gotta do it…for the most part, they do their jobs so well that we don’t even think about them…but if not for these people, society wouldn’t function.  Now let’s look at the music industry…the performers get all the glory, but we’d know nothing of them if it wasn’t for the massive support they get from people in the background.  That includes support staff at record labels and management companies,  publicists, assistants, and thousands of other positions that helps make the music happen.  One of the most important positions is paradoxically both visible and invisible…if they do their jobs well, they’re ghosts…but if they don’t, things don’t go so well…in fact, they may not go as well.  I’m talking about roadies, members of the road crew, the people who enlist in the army that’s necessary to put an act on tour…without their expertise, long hours, and willingness make sure everything always goes smooth, there would be no live experience.  They say that if there ain’t no audience, there ain’t no show…but if there ain’t no road crew, then their ain’t nothing at all. This is a history of the men and women who make live shows happen…it’s the story of roadies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For over two decades, the Ongoing History of New Music has served as an essential audio documentary series, digging deep into the stories that shaped alternative rock, hip hop, and everything in between. Hosted by the legendary music historian Alan Cross, this podcast functions as a curated archive of musical culture, moving far beyond simple artist profiles. Each episode is a thematic exploration, connecting sonic dots across decades to reveal the hidden contexts, forgotten pioneers, and cultural shifts that define what we listen to. You’ll hear about the scenes that birthed genres, the technologies that changed production, and the personalities whose influence ripples through today’s charts. It’s less a linear history lesson and more an ongoing conversation about why music matters, delivered with Cross’s authoritative yet accessible narrative style. Tune in and discover the rich, often surprising backstories behind the songs and artists you thought you knew, gaining insights you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. This is Canadian broadcasting at its most inquisitive and enduring, making the Ongoing History of New Music a foundational listen for anyone curious about the forces that continually reinvent our sonic landscape.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Ongoing History of New Music
Podcast Episodes
In the Studio with Oasis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:44
I’ve always been fascinated with recording studios…the atmosphere, the equipment, the musical gear, the slight scent of ozone from all the electricity running through the circuits. Yeah, you can make very good records at…
Still More Outsider Music [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:51
This program begins with an advisory…no, no—not that kind…there’s nothing dirty or obscene or controversially political coming up…it’s just that, well—what you’re about to hear is different…very different…and I mean real…
60 More Band Name Origins in 60 Minutes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:21
This episode is directed at people who need to understand how their favourite bands got their names. I will present you 60 band names over the course of this program…the first 20 will be a study of current popular groups…
Why Punk Happened [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:05
Every once in a while, something extraordinary happens in rock’n’roll…I hate the use of the cliché of “a perfect storm,” but that’s precisely what I’m talking about…a bunch of things involving culture, politics, demograp…
The History of Hardcore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:10
One of the things that makes rock great is the energy and the power that comes with the music..and depending where you go, that energy and power varies from place to place... If you’re looking to exorcise a little aggres…
Songs of Protest [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:02
Sometimes people get so pissed off or so inspired by something that they just have to sing about it…this is the protest song and it’s been with us for centuries… It’s music that encourages political and social change… an…
Hobbies of Musicians [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:21
What do you for fun?...hobbies, pastimes—things that you do just for you, away from your job and all your other responsibilities?... I’ve got my dogs…my wife and I like to travel…and I’ve always had this thing about the…
The Oral History of "Madchester" - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:23
We're going back into the Ongoing History archives to bring you a show a lot of people have asked about. And with over 300 OGH podcasts, sometimes episodes get buried in the feed. This is the second part of our Oral Hist…
The Oral History of "Madchester" - Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:08
We're going back into the Ongoing History archives to bring you a show a lot of people have asked about. And with over 300 OGH podcasts, sometimes episodes get buried in the feed. This is the first of a two part series o…
Censorship And Music: Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:19
For this week’s podcast, we’re going to revisit the Ongoing History of New Music vault for the second part of a two-part series on censorship in music. Why are certain songs, bands, or styles of music censored? Who makes…