Originally published 2019:
The loss of Keith Flint of the band Prodigy brings up a few important points about how difficult life can be for both touring musicians and crew. In this article I’ll focus on the crew.
Every show you go to is put on by a pretty much unsung group of women and men behind the scenes whose devotion to live music well outstrips the benefits they receive in providing it for you. If they are lucky they sleep in tiny bunks on a bus, travelling like the Partridge Family on sometimes days long trips to get to the next place. If they are lucky they get to sleep from 2–7 am and then get up and start moving heavy equipment and setting up your experience from scratch, grabbing whatever they can get to eat, hopefully not pulling any muscle they really need; maybe getting to call home if there’s a 5 minute lull. Around 5 they do a sound check, maybe break for dinner (hopefully some decent catering?—?otherwise could be anything); then its doors; showtime and then after they gotta take that all down; count it all out and get it all back on the truck. Back on the bus and off again…
I tell you this not so you can feel sorry for them. But so you can understand the potential for anxiety (will this bus crash in that snow? Is all okay at home? And most importantly?—?what will I do once this is over and there’s a big gap till the next tour?—?if there ever is one?) The potential for early serious health events, chronic back pain and other issues (health really suffers eating all that crap and mostly riding in a bus/van/plane); injuries from workplace related accidents; and depression… Addiction is another area affecting people on the road. Accidents and pain can lead to prescription medication dependence. Same with anxiety and depression. Alcohol abuse is rampant. They don’t call it “roadie Friday” for nothing.
I realized early on that because its holistic in nature, homeopathy not only addresses the physical stuff people might have going on but very importantly the mental and emotional issues as well.
I found, when I became a homeopath, that I could really support first of all my friends in the industry, then their friends and so on. I am as devoted to music as the people making it and have a unique insight into what issues are. I realized early on that because its holistic in nature, homeopathy not only addresses the physical stuff people might have going on but very importantly the mental and emotional issues as well. Addiction and recovery support is built into my practice. Between tours when road family are stressed out about down time becomes the perfect time to work on “self development” and other tried and true methods of attracting new work and being creative with one’s time. I love working in all these areas.
Anyone giving their all to anything over a concentrated period is susceptible to a crash when it’s over?—?be it an intense work project, a theatrical production or movie; or anything else that’s similar. Homeopathy can even out those highs and lows in an all natural, safe, un-medicated way that’s devoted to restoring actual balance rather than suppressing the state on one end or the other.
