3
BUSINESS

It is relatively easy to get a group to say, “Okay, do our lights!” It is not so easy to keep from getting ripped off. One problem is that most designers go into a meeting eager to show the group how much they know, so they spill their creative guts. Do not be so naïve as to think the manager is not mentally taking down every concept you throw out, even if he doesn't react verbally. All too often your ideas show up on stage, but you do not!

This is an old story. Because it really does happen, the United Scenic Artists (USA) and similarly the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE or IA for short) unions have specific rules that no member puts pen to paper or presents an idea to a prospective client until a contract is signed. Excellent rule, but you need two sides to play the game. Rock & roll has only one side&the manager or producer of the artist. The other side that supports the designer or crew does not exist. Sure, the USA and IA would love to have designers work under their banners, but, frankly,they did not realize the economic potential for their members early on. They were not alone; most of the adult world felt that rock & roll was just a fad. An economic plan geared to the rock & roll designer's needs and the setting of industry standards are a long way from being a reality.

What are the economics of rock & roll touring? Who makes the money and how much? Should you work for a company or an artist directly, or be independent (freelance) with your own consulting company&which is best? These are questions that you should consider before you walk into that first meeting.

There is no governing body setting fee standards in rock & roll; instead, there is a range of fees, which have been static throughout the years because of an increase in the supply of people wanting to enter the business. The coming years don't hold much promise for dramatic changes. The economics are such that it is all relative to how much you are in demand as a designer. The few mega-tours and their designers will continue to make the big money relative to the other 99% of designers working in the field. However, that is no different than in any other consultant or design field. The idea is to create the demand so you can get paid whatever you want.

FREELANCE

You can follow three roads to lead you to work. The first, the independent or freelance way, is simple. All you have to do is find a client and convince the artist, road manager, girlfriend, manager, accountant, business affairs manager, and several close friends of the artist that you can do a great job. Realistically, there is a step before this&how do you get past the secretary in the first place? When I was first starting out, I would try to get one of the top managers on the telephone. If you accomplish this, maybe you should go directly to the presidency of a record company; why stop at being a mere lighting designer!

After you have set up a meeting, the question becomes “How much should I charge, and where do I get the equipment?” It is rare that a group will hire you to design a show without your also estimating a budget for the equipment it will take to do your design. Therefore, you must convince an equipment rental company that you have a client on the line and you need their best price. Cross your fingers that the company does not go directly to the artist's manager and cut you out. I am not implying that this is a regular occurrence, but it has happened. Some of the things the rental company will need to know beyond how many dimmers, lamps, and trusses you will want are length of tour; personnel requirements; equipment list; who covers hotel, trucking, and travel expenses; and deposit and payment method.

COMPANY EMPLOYEE

Artists' managers do not want to be bothered with payments to multiple companies or to a lot of individuals. A package approach is most commonly used for touring today, especially by promoters such as Live Nation. A company that can supply sound, luminaires, trucks, travel arrangements, and other services is in a very strong position. Often, these companies sell their services like packaged home theatre systems: good surround speakers, bad CD/DVD player. Artists only need to pay for any sets, costumes, dancers, and musicians they want to have at the dates.

Herein lies one of the reasons for a designer to hook up with a company. Actually, there are several excellent reasons, including:

1. Accessibility&The company has been at this game a while and already has clients. It can get you past the first steps outlined for the independent, and then you can get down to work.
2. Learning rock & roll&Designing for rock & roll is a new ball game to most college-trained technicians. Although your education is a good base, you still are not ready to design Madonna or U2 shows. The best way to learn the ropes is to work for a company already in the business. Working for someone else might not be your goal, but it can help you get your feet wet while you get a paid introduction to the field.

You will lose a little freedom when you join a company, because there will be rules and procedures and a boss who may appear to interfere with your creativity&that is, if you're allowed any creativity. At first, you'll haul cable around the shop and fix connectors and, dare I say it, sweep up. Oh, don't be such a baby; Yale and Harvard lawyers start out at big New York law firms in the mail room.

But, most of these companies do small local shows, and this is where you'll get your first chance to design. Take it. It may be a fashion show or a college dance, but it is experience in the professional world, so don't knock it. The other big advantage is that your management and sales responsibilities are eliminated (two things we will discuss in more detail in this chapter), and this is a big relief for a new designer.

Another way to be an employee has recently become available. A number of designers have formed design firms with two or more principals leasing their services out to artists. Visual Terrain, Inc. (a firm I founded with Jeff Ravitz) was one of the first outside or architectural or facility design lighting firms to go after the touring market. A different set of entry skills is required for younger designers; instead of starting out in the shop cleaning and storing equipment you might be drafting or assisting one of the partners. Then, as you gain experience, you could be given small one-off shows, and, if you show some style and business ability, who knows&one day your name could be on the masthead.

DIRECT CONTACT

The third method of employment is to work directly for the group or artist. Although the trend of groups owning their own equipment has faded, Supertramp's equipment spawned the lighting and sound production company Delicate Productions in Camarillo, California, which remains in a highly marketable position to this day. Working directly for the artist does have advantages, but in the long run you may feel trapped just working with one artist. You could also become involved in the infighting that plagues so many artists' personal organizations. Still, this way you do get a weekly check, and if you are into hanging out with a star (we call them paid friends), then you have that opportunity. It is still my least favorite option for starting in the field. I have seen too many designers, equipment managers, and road managers be asked to do “other” distasteful tasks during their off time, because the managers think that they are paying them, so why should they complain? They have a job, right?

PAY

Because there are no union guidelines, your income range is really wide. From a survey I sent to concert touring rental companies and freelance designers in the late 1980s, I was able to extrapolate the following figures. If you work for one of the major concert lighting companies, you could expect a road salary of about $350 to $500 per week while on the road, depending on your position on the crew. In a 2008 survey, those figures had moved to $500 to $800 per week; however, many people out there have upwards of 20+ years of road experience, and they can demand higher salaries for the expertise and proven reliability they bring to the production.

The increase in salaries for company staff crews has not kept pace with the IA union salaries, which generally run about $37 an hour in the major markets, which is $1480 a week for 40 hours. Over the years, nonunion entertainment workers have seen a 25% increase in pay but generally no health insurance. At the same time, IA has provided a 38% increase with health insurance and welfare. Back in the shop, between tours, the pay is usually less. Most people are amazed to learn that IA road contracts ask for an amount that falls very short of what the nonunion touring designers are getting. Occasionally, a good head electrician, whether union or nonunion, will earn about $1500 a week, but this takes some climbing up the ladder.

Touring concert lighting directors can and do make $3500 to $7000 a week, but as I have said there is very often a big difference between what people say they get and what the truth is. For a one-off show, a freelance designer can make $800 to $1500 per day. In addition to the road pay, name designers will receive a fl at fee of $5000 to over $50,000 upfront for preproduction meetings and the design time invested in designing a tour. They also receive a daily fee for the road days of rehearsal. Good lighting board operators can earn $2500 to $4500 weekly, and with a lot less stress. For one-off shows, they can make $500 to over $800 per day.

As a designer, you must also be a good salesperson. Your product is your design ability. Your ability to push your fee as hard as possible and not give in to a low-ball mentality is sorely tested. Just remember: There is no loyalty to anyone, and everyone eventually loses.

PER DIEM

You should also receive a per diem. This is nontaxable income that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows for meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) for each day you spend away from home on business.¹ The maximum currently is $58 per day in major cities; smaller cities have lower rates, such as Kansas City at $45. The rate varies and even accounts for seasonal changes, so this is a little tricky. Your employer will not want to mess with making individual calculations so they may settle on a safe rate lower than the maximum; however, you can keep a diary (the IRS even offers you a form on their website) to maximize your deductions. Most accountants advise that if you get $35 or more per day then you should keep receipts. If you wish to view per diem regulations, see IRS Publication 1542, available only online.¹ Consult a tax expert as to exactly what you must do to maintain the tax-free status of this money. Yearly tax changes can eliminate many deductions, so keep informed each year in order to take advantage of whatever tax breaks there are.

Because most concert tours do not allow time for the crew to exit the building and search out a restaurant, a lunch meal is generally provided. The contents can be specified in the artist's rider. Breakfast may also be provided, although if you want more than donuts and coffee that will also have to be spelled out in the rider. Dinner provided onsite is also common. This brings up an interesting issue. If your employer is paying you a per diem and is still providing one, two, or three meals on show nights (not travel days), how does that affect the per diem from the viewpoint of the IRS? Well, we could sit down with an accountant and figure out how many days a week are show days and how many are travel or off days and come up with a figure of so many meals provided which should rightly be deducted from your per diem. But, that's too complicated, o the average per diem currently is about $35 and everyone should be happy. You get some free meals and still have some cash to do laundry, buy snacks, and maybe a drink in the hotel bar after the load-out is complete.

Besides the per diem, your hotel and travel expenses should be covered by your employer or the artist. Some companies and artists try to work deals whereby you get a flat per diem amount that also covers your hotel. This is a common practice on theatrical bus and truck road shows that are going to spend weeks in the same city but I am against this practice for one-night tours. Your day is already too busy to try to make such arrangements, and you are forced to stay at cheap hotels while the band is probably staying at five-star hotels. I do not believe that the technical crew should be treated like second-class citizens, and neither do most artists. It is only accountants and business managers who don't understand the rigors of touring; they are just looking at numbers.

EQUIPMENT COSTS

Tim Murch, currently with PRG (Los Angeles) put it this way: “When it comes to putting a tour together, the lighting people are the last to know. The lighting designer can't do his job until the scenic elements are together.” Even if a budget is known, specific elements are rarely computed accurately. Tim continued:

Then when the cost of the scenic construction comes in and trucking and crew is added in, the lighting gets what's left over. The accountants don't have a clue what we do and nine times out of ten, they push the lighting service company to cut their rates rather than kill the LD's creative input.

Spy Matthews, of Delicate Productions, said:

All of a sudden a client we have worked with for years hires a new attorney and a new nine-page rider shows up at the office just days before the tour is to leave. We are expected to sign it and get it back to them in 24 hours. Hardly enough time to read it, let alone get any legal advice of our own. We are totally screwed.

Like salaries and fees, there are no official guidelines to equipment costs. A company can get $20,000 a night for a tour (the mega-tours do not follow any formula), while another will only get $10,000 for a similar-sized system and crew. Although I cannot be sure that what companies tell me is always the truth, and trying to account for bragging rights factor, the figures given below represent norms set this past decade and are not likely to change well into the 2000s:

Small	50 to 80 luminaires, 1/2 to 1 truck	$750 to $1000 per show
Medium	100 to 150 luminaires, 1 to 1-1/2 trucks	$1250 to $1500 per show
Large	150 to 300 luminaires, 2 to 3 trucks	$1500 to $2500 per show
Stadium	300 to 400 luminaires, 3 to 4 trucks	$2500 to $3500 per show

Note: All of these costs take into consideration a 20-unit moving luminaire package plus conventional luminaires, increasing to 100 or more moving luminaires for the large and stadium packages. All figures are based on a guaranteed five shows per week.

CONTRACTS

Because the USA and IA standard contract forms do not normally apply, you are left to your own devices. I had a $20,000 lesson in contract writing in my early days. I got a group to use my services, so I wrote up what I thought covered all the points of our agreement, and a representative of the group signed it. Troubles developed within the group, and they broke up. It took over 3 years to collect my money, and I had to pay my lawyers' fees.

The answer is not necessarily a long legal contract. Part of the problem comes from the extremely fast pace at which this work is done, as mentioned by Spy Matthews earlier. On average, a group finally gives you the go-ahead a few weeks prior to the start of the tour. If you use a lawyer to draw up a contract, you can wait at least a week or two for the finished document to be delivered to you. After the contract is presented to the group, it will go to their lawyers and the process starts over again, which could mean the tour will be over before the contract is signed!

I have found a happy medium with letters of agreement. These look rather informal, with no whereas or wherefore&just plain language that tells all the details and duties of each of the parties. But, even this informal paper must contain the basic components of a legal contract to be valid. The best thing to do is to confer with an attorney who will give you a list of things that must be covered to protect you properly. I devised a checklist for myself of points that should be covered in all my letters of agreement. Do not consider this a legal reference, because each state has conditions that should be verified by an attorney; however, the following will help you understand the basics.

Who Are the Parties Involved?

It is not as easy as it might appear to ascertain the responsible parties. Often the person with whom you have negotiated the agreement has no legal standing or power to execute a contract on behalf of the party who will be responsible for your payment.

What Are You Going to Do for Them?

You must write a job description. Be specific and include even things you assume they should know you will do as the designer, such as provide plans and color charts, work with the equipment supplier to assemble the equipment, call the cues, and travel with the show.

What Are They Going to Do for You?

You want the client to pay you, of course. How much, how often, and by cash or check should be made very clear before you start work. Are they paying travel expenses? All of these things must be spelled out clearly if you do not want to have it come up later in court. Payment schedules that are simple and straightforward are best. Accountants and tour managers like amounts that get paid regularly rather than many add-on charges that cannot be determined before the tour starts. Remember to ask for program or air credit for yourself if shots are used of your show design for a television special or music video. If you also ask to be paid additional fees for such use of your tour design, it will not go over well and could be a deal-breaking point. Most managers will not sign such a clause; they feel it puts them in a bad negotiating position. You will most likely get credit, but they will not want it to be locked into a written contract. The only time to be sure to be paid is if you are a nontouring designer who has to be called out on the road to modify plans for a show that is going to be taped; that is clearly a negotiation point.

What Are You Providing?

You are providing a finished light plot, yourself as touring LD, a staff, and/or equipment. Explain exactly what, in detail, you will give them for their money.

When Will the Tour Begin and End?

You need in writing the starting date of rehearsal and the dates of the first and last shows, so if the tour is cancelled you have justification for a claim for loss of income.

An Optional Paragraph

Your final paragraph can include the standard legal line about suing the other party if it does not live up to the agreement and that any legal fees are at their sole cost and expense. Actually, the expense is set by the court and does not come close to today's high legal fees. It does show, however, that you do know something about the law and it should keep them on their toes.

AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE

Finally, have the authorized representative sign and date a copy. Make sure the person signs “On behalf of XYZ Productions” and returns a dated copy to you. Because the Uniform Commercial Code has not been adopted in all states, there are many variations and degrees of force with which the courts will hold a letter of agreement as legally binding in this simplest of forms.

Consult an attorney in your own state to set up a personal legal plan for your specific situation and needs. The expense may seem high, but not as high as the expense of a lengthy court battle.

If there is a single area in which most designers fail, it is business. Read some books on contract law, business law, and accounting. It can save you great expense and trouble later on. Do not, however, try to be your own attorney or accountant. These are areas where a little knowledge is very dangerous. There is just too much to deal with, and it takes years of training to become an expert. Because most people are eager to work, they tend to jump in with both feet before they take a look under the water. Even if you are going to work directly for the artist or the production company, get an agreement in writing that spells out these simple points. You will not be sorry, and the time you spend will be worth it.

CONTRACTING THE CREW

As theatre, film, or television lighting designers, normally we do not become involved in the stagehands' contractual part of the production. In theatre, a union head electrician would be hired for the show, and he would assist the union in arranging with the producer for the crew. Concert tours take a slightly different road: Virtually none of the shows has a traditional unionized road crew, so there are no department heads to discuss crew needs in the preproduction meeting. You will find that the artist's manager is looking to you to know how long the setup will take and how many local stagehands it will require. Actually, the crewing, physical stage needs, and other items to be supplied in each city in which the concert will play are usually determined jointly by the lighting director, audio engineer, road manager, and production manager (if there is one) unless there is an extensive set, in which case the scenic construction company's representative should be consulted also.

So, how do you get your requirements for stagehands known in the different towns? There are two ways, both of which should be used: the yellow card and the contract rider.

For a concert appearance, the booking agent sends a general contract, which states the flat performance fee or percentage splits of gate, deposit, billing, and other financial conditions, as well as date and time of show and length of performance, to the alent buyer or promoter, who signs and returns it. The rider, which covers the specific performance needs of the artist, is usually put together by the road manager after consulting the lighting and sound people who are doing the show.

THE CONTRACT RIDER

The contract rider is usually considered a supplementary agreement. It is based on the original contract and is incorporated into the contract by reference to it. The problem is that, if it is not part of the original agreement, then it is, in effect, a new contract and therefore there must be a separate and distinct passage of consideration from the offeree. What is it that the artist offers the promoter to accept the rider?

The law generally considers something called trade usage or custom. This means that if you can prove in court that it is a widely used and generally common practice in your business to send riders containing certain information and demands for equipment and services, after the original contract has been signed, a court could accept the rider as a valid part of the agreement.

If you are in a position to send a rider to promoters, send it registered mail, return receipt, so you know that it was received. At the very least, send it via an overnight package service such as Fed Ex or UPS. People tend to take this form of delivery as more important than a regular airmail letter and will usually see that it gets to the recipient as soon as possible. The issue of Internet transmission is still a gray area. Many e-mail services have a way for the sender to receive confirmation that the recipient did in fact receive the e-mail. I do not know of any court case that has tested this method by holding the receiver liable for not living up to the contents of the e-mail.

RIDER ITEMS

Three general areas must be covered in the rider:

1. Artist's requirements
   1. Piano, tuned to A440; specify size of piano
   2. Piano tuner to tune piano prior to sound check and be available after sound check for touch-up
   3. Amplifiers, organ B-3 with one or two Leslies, electronic keyboards
   4. Dressing room needs, how many people ine ach
   5. Limousines required, airport and hotel pickups
2. Food
   1. Soft drinks for crew during setup
   2. Breakfast (if early load-in), lunch, and dinner for crew
   3. Food trays in dressing rooms for artist, with cheese trays and fruit and whatever liquor and beer is requested (many artists specify brand names)
3. Stage requirements
   1. Timeofload-in
   2. Numberofs tagehandsr equired
   3. Number and type of follow spots, possibly position (front, rear, side)
   4. Power requirements for lighting, sound, and band
   5. Stage size
   6. Riggingr equirements

In addition to this basic group of items, the rider ust include the specifics that pertain to the actual production. These include any items that could incur costs for the promoter or the people or services expected to be provided, such as balloons or a seamstress. Special attention should be paid to alerting the promoter if truss-mounted follow spots will be used. Some stagehands will not operate them, and a half hour before the show is no time to learn that a crewperson hired for follow spot duty will not climb the truss.

Remember, all of these requests of the promoter will come out of the artist's settlement, so make sure management is aware that the band may be incurring hidden costs.

The rider shown in Figure 3.1 was developed by Michael Richter.

Other sections in the rider deal with handling the press, contract fees, payment method, billing, comp tickets, and other needs of the artist.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RIDER

Write everything into the rider and be as clear as you can, because if you believe that everyone knows that you need power on stage to do the show then guess again! People with money promote concerts, not necessarily people who know what it takes to mount a production. It can happen that the promoter is extremely naïve and so taken with show biz that he thinks everything is magical, including how a show is set up.

The main reason why I place so much importance on the rider is that it shows the promoter that competent production personnel are on the show and gives a sense of security that the coming production is together. Confidence is half the battle.

Second, it helps you get your act together. To write a clear, full, and accurate rider, you must do your homework, and that helps to anticipate problems before you hit the road. There is no substitute for good planning. If there is ever a time that Murphy's Law will come into play, it is on a concert tour of one-night stands. You cannot avoid problems completely, but you can be better prepared if you have spent the time in the preproduction stage.

FOLLOW-UP

The major problem is not what to put into this rider and to what degree of detail, but will it get go to the right people in time? This is why a follow-up or hall advance should be made in conjunction with the rider. Dan Wohleen, formerly a production manager of the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California, said this is still a big issue. He found that he often had to track down the road crew to obtain updated information. He said it is pretty silly not to think that by contacting the venue in advance that you are helping to ensure that things are ready for your arrival.

After making sure that each promoter gets the newest, most accurate rider, it is very important to follow up to see that the promoter gets it to the person whose job it will be to arrange for those things the rider requires. If your artist is not making his or

her first headline appearance, then there is already a rider floating around out there. Because it is usually not attached to the contract, it is quite probably the old one. Good follow-up can take care of this.

Your problems are not over just because you've written the rider. Chances are that you will get the rider back with changes, deletions, and notations. At that time, check with the booking agency and the artist's management to make sure they are aware of any such changes or deletions. Often, a booking agent receives a modified rider, signs it, and sends it back to the promoter and then never tells the road crew. Producing your best effort if the stage is 5 feet too narrow for the ground-supported truss or if there is only one follow spot instead of the four you had planned in the design takes a lot of physical as well as mental adjustment.

THE PROMOTER'S VIEW

Interviews with several promoters revealed their feelings about the contract riders they received. They brought up their constant annoyance with out-of-date riders, but conceded that it was possible that the booking agent or a management secretary sent out a rider that had been lying around without first checking to see if it was the latest version.

From the promoter's standpoint, essential information that needs to be covered in the rider includes stage size, power requirements, number of follow spots, security needs, and band equipment not being provided by the artist. Asked what is most often left off the rider, these promoters specified keyboards, which the artist expects the promoter to rent for the performance, and the request that a piano tuner be there.

Of the riders they said they see, 60% are clear and complete, but the remainder are confusingly written or simply are not complete. Many promoters voiced complaints about catering requirements. They felt that artists insist on too much food and beverages. Most artists just do not consider the promoter's costs to meet the rider.

It was also pointed out that, although most riders make clear how many stagehands will be needed, they do not break down the time&for example, 4 hours to set up, 2 hours for sound checks, 3 hours to strike and load out the show. Because some union fees have different rates for these periods, it would help if the artist gave the average time required for each part of the day's activities.

Although not actually part of the rider, insurance is a big expense for the promoter, and the fees are based on the past history of all the shows the promoter has done. That means that the promoter must split the cost between the shows being promoted that year. Some artists have begun to take out their own insurance because of their past good records, thus obtaining lower rates if they have not had problems with equipment or, more importantly, audiences. This is no small sum. On a per-show basis, the fee can run $2000 to $15,000 for liability insurance on a concert. If the promoter does not have to pay this, he has more money to put into the physical production.

In summary, the promoter wants clarity, reasonable requirements, and up-to-date riders. Too often the rider spends more time on additional frills than on services required to put on a good show. Requests for pool tables backstage and limo pickup for girlfriends, etc., can mean the difference between the production having that fourth follow spot or not.

SMALL PRODUCTION— LOW BUDGET

What about the artist who does not carry luminaires or sound on the road? This is usually a new rock & roll artist, but also includes many Vegas-type acts as well as many jazz and comedy performers. These artists, though, are becoming more and more aware of the need for production values, and they are adopting the rock & roll mode of production.

The rider must be written so it can be understood by the electrician or promoter's representative who will be given the paperwork to prepare the show. Do not be fooled; the standard theatrical template may not be as universally understood as you have been led to believe. Somehow you must produce a light plot that it is reasonable to believe the promoter and facility can re-create. Just leave enough leeway so you can be flexible when it comes to the physical limitations of the facility.

If you do not carry the lighting equipment, it is best to give colors in general terms (e.g., light red and moonlit blue), rather than specify a #821 Roscolene, because several very good color media are available, and sometimes not all brands are available in every town. The same holds true for instrumentation. Will you get all PAR-64s when you need some ellipsoidal spotlight? Try to make clear the area each lamp will cover and its function, so if a substitution has to be made the local supplier or electrician can give you something that will come as close to your needs as possible. Make sure you specify a working intercom between follow spots, house lights, light board, and yourself. Although good intercoms are the rule you should still specify as follows:

The intercom shall be of the proximity boom mike type and double-headset type and shall have the capability to talk back at all positions.

The actual form of the rider need not be drawn up by a lawyer, but good English and clear presentation of your needs are musts. Plus, road managers will probably put together the final documents from the material they have been given by the sound crew, lighting, road technicians, rigger, band members, and others.

After the rider is completed, you are only one third of the way done. The remainder of the work is follow-up. Of that, one-half is tracking down the person who should have the rider for each venue, and the other half is explaining and working out the compromises. You could say that the contract rider is a waste of time, if in fact you need to work out all these compromises, but by covering all the bases you should improve your chances for success.

Ideally, a single promoter will be doing the whole tour (it is happening with more and more frequency) and then you can get everything set once and not worry&much.

THE YELLOW CARD

A yellow card show is one that is negotiated with the IA local, usually in the town in which the show rehearses or previews. They work out the needs for all the road and local crew in advance. The form that is sent to each IA local happens to be yellow, thus the name commonly used in conversation. It specifi es how many persons in each department& props, carpentry, electrics (sound is still considered part of the electrical department in many venues)& are required for load-in, setup, show run, and strike. The IA local's business agent then sets the calls for members based on these requirements. The card also shows how many people in each department are traveling with the show. You can be sure that the business agent of the local will check to make sure each road person listed on the yellow card has a valid IA card as well as a pink contract (a road contract issued by their local).

I have never heard of a true rock & roll tour having a yellow card. A yellow card cannot be issued unless all road personnel are IA members and hold valid cards and pink contracts. Just because someone holds an IA card does not mean he or she can get a road contract, as certain requirements must be met. So make sure, if you are in a position to hire, that you ask the applicant if he or she can get a contract to go on the road, not just “Do you have a union card?”

The chances that the rock & roll sound company on the tour has been unionized are even slimmer. None of the major sound companies is currently unionized. This effectively blocks the issuance of the yellow card, even if the lighting company's employees and the carpenters and riggers are union members. So why even tell you about the yellow card if it is not possible to obtain one?

There are always exceptions to the rules. I have put this section in, even though the IA has not penetrated the rock & roll touring market, because the rental companies can now supply all kinds of touring productions: dance, opera, car shows, theatre bus, and truck productions. In these markets, it is much more likely that a yellow card could be issued.

1 For per diem rates (for travel within the continental United States), see the IRS online publication at www.irs.gov/pub/p1542.pdf.