On Tour

Chapter 1 - New Manager

GABRIELLA

If anyone had told me five years ago that I would have to take a decision that could change my life drastically, I would have laughed in their faces at the ridiculous proposition. I was in my comfort zone and enjoying my job, but then I wondered if I was ready for something challenging, bigger, if complicated. When I heard a rumor about this vacancy I wondered if it was what I had been hoping for. I applied without giving it much thought, not even sure if I had the right qualifications.

I believe I was born to be a manager. My friend Leo had a rock band when we were in college. Back then we were inseparable and I end up learning so many management and backstage tasks that made me realize I wanted to do that for the rest of my life. I wanted Leo and his mates to thrive and for that I carried musical equipment, patched pants ripped in the passion of a stage slide, and cured hangovers the next day. I also learned the not so exciting part of managing the band's finances to keep them from drinking their earnings. 

After college, the band members took significant life decisions of their own and went their separate ways. Leo married a wonderful girl and decided that life on the road wasn't meant for him. I got approached by a few bands and found myself booking local gigs for them, and making a name for myself while accompanying them. Eventually, I felt like I wanted to do more for my bands, and we started going out of town for short tours by bus. That's where I found my true passion as a road manager. Besides bringing good entertainment to people, what I loved was  how every day brought something different.

I've proven that I have the figurative balls to run herd on a bunch of rockers, but I've also been accused of being too feminine for my career of choice. I like taking care of myself, but I'll happily break a pink lacquered nail if it means my guys get what they want and need. I actually broke a bar owner's nose once and my thumb when he tried to cheat us from our payment. When the police came, they laughed when they were told that I was the one who hurt the guy in the name of justice.

Now in front of me, I have an opportunity that could bring everything I've worked for to a higher level of professionalism. My hand trembles from nerves and excitement as I sign the contract for my new job as tour manager for Pinch of Postal. This rock band has shot into popularity in the past two years at rocket speed. The entertainment segments in the news usually have something to say about them, be it good or bad. I have mixed feelings running through me as I look at my signature. The label met me, interviewed me thoroughly, and made me an offer. Yet I've never met the band and I don't know if we will click at all. As their manager, I'm in a position of trust and having never met them I don't know if they'll see me like that which makes me slightly nervous.

Since I had accepted the job on the phone, signing the contract was a formality. The accompanying email and plans have all the details known so far about the upcoming Pinch of Postal tour. The list of managers for each moving part of bringing this show on the road is extensive and it makes me glad that I will be able to concentrate on the wellbeing of the band members instead of trying to multitask everything else. The label has also developed an application just for the team management and I'm certainly interested to find out what it is about. No one seems to keep papers and calendars around anymore, but they never seem to be without their phones.

I stand up from the couch and feed the papers through the scanner. While I wait for the documents to process, I look around our apartment and give it a silent goodbye. Once the tour starts, I'll spend my time in planes, hotels and tour buses for nine months. Women deliver children in that time frame and my goal is to deliver four people unscathed at the end of that period.

My sister Victoria walks in the room still wearing her pajamas while cradling our cat Velvet. She stretches lazily on the couch and Velvet curls next to her.