When I was on the road doing Statler Brothers concert tours we did shows all over the US and Canada. I got to see many places and it was a great experience.

My main job was running the lights for the concert and did the lighting rig design for the shows. I also helped set up and tear down lighting, sound and band gear on the stage. I also did the front work for the shows, contacting the venues to let them know our requirements for stagehands, power, etc.

We were touring around in New England on one run. We were doing a show “in the round” in Philadelphia one night. These shows have a round stage in the center with seating all around and the stages usually rotate. A very intimate setting as there are no giant set pieces or stage explosions. Just the artist and their gear with some lights.

We got the stage set up and ready to do a sound check. It was always just the band (no Statlers), but sometimes those of us in the crew would get up and play with the band, and it gave the sound guys a chance to set levels on all instruments.

This particular type of show was new to me; I had never done a show in the round up to this point. I was always used to running lights out in the crowd like you see at concerts. This was different.

All we did was set up band gear for this show – everything else was already there – house sound and lighting. It was also a union stage so it was hands-off…a stagehand operated the lighting console and I gave him the cues and told the spotlights what to do while he ran the board.

The house lighting console was down under the stage at this venue as I remember. Since the stage rotates you have to keep an eye on the cables so there was a camera on the spindle supporting the stage. This is where the cables come through the stage, down to the sound system and stage power.

The stagehand would keep an eye on that monitor as the stage rotated while the show went on. When the cables started approaching being wound up, the turntable stage was reversed and the cables wound unwind and wind up the other way.

So we go down to this console and have a seat so he can go over with me how this all will work out. The lighting console has a cover on it so I take it off to see the console.

I looked at the cover in my hands…and it’s the biggest pair of pink panties I have ever seen in my life. The lighting console is probably 3 ½ – 4 feet long and 1 ½ to 2 feet wide so this was a lot of fabric. Of course I had to ask about them.

Apparently, a few days before our show, the famous singer Tom Jones was there doing a show and women throw assorted undergarments on stage while he performs. They thought this was a good lighting board cover.

Wonder if they ever washed them…

That’s all for this post.

Shawn