Lighting Designer & Drum Technician
Lighting Designer
As a lighting designer, my job is to shape the mood, energy, and emotion of a live performance through lights. It’s not just about making things look good—it’s about timing, rhythm, and being in sync with the band. During a show, I’m often triggering lights live in real-time, following the drummer’s cues and playing the lighting desk like a drum machine. Every cue needs to land perfectly to match the dynamics of the performance.
But it’s not always smooth sailing. I’ve been 15 minutes from doors opening with half the lights not responding—too late to climb the rig or re-check every cable. In those moments, there’s no time to panic. You have to stay laser-focused, think fast, and find a workaround on the spot. Thousands of people are about to pour into the venue, and they’re expecting a flawless show. The pressure is real, but I’ve learned to thrive in it—and those same lessons have helped me stay calm and solution-focused in my professional work life too.
Drum Technician & Backline Support
As a drum tech, the day starts early with loading in the backline, then carefully setting up the drums, mic’ing them up, tuning them, and sorting any last-minute fixes. We don’t always have many spares, so quick thinking is key. Once the band is on stage, I’m just out of sight—kneeling behind the drummer, making sure nothing comes loose and everything feels just right.
One of the most intense moments I’ve faced was at a sold-out show. The drums were set, sound-checked, everything perfect. But 30 seconds into the first song, the snare tension strap snapped—turning the snare into something that sounded like a bongo. We didn’t have a spare snare drum. I had seconds to fix it while the band was already playing live. I ended up taking the AA battery from my torch and wedged it between the tension strap and the drum shell—just enough to restore the tension and save the sound. That kind of on-the-fly problem-solving is a huge part of the job.
On the road
When time permits, I travel on small tours mainly in Germany, France, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, the UK, and Italy. Touring is one of my favourite parts of the role. It lets me spend time with the bands and friends I enjoy being around. You meet amazing local people, other bands, and local crews everyone working together behind the scenes to create something special.
Being part of a crew means being part of a family. We share the stress, the laughs, the problem-solving, and the rush when the lights go down and the first note hits.
Bands
Gallery
