Chasing Illusions: My Day as a Roadie for Failure
Approaching the end of Spring, 2015, I received an announcement from the 90's "space rock" band Failure. Though Failure struggled to achieve commercial success prior to their breakup in 1997, the advent of digital music distribution saw a noticeable increase in the band's popularity. Failure reunited in 2014, one year before the announcement of their fourth studio album, The Heart is a Monster.
Several venues across the U.S. were offering unique concert perks like VIP sound checks, signed merchandise, and 'Roadie for a Day' experience packages. The allure of joining the road crew and stepping into a rock 'n roll fantasy world, where my childhood dreams converged with reality, was irresistible. But, as with many fantasies, reality was fraught with zeal and poor judgment.