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1[[quoteright:350:[[Music/TenaciousD https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_roadie_tenacious_d.png]]]]
2 [[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/SchoolOfRock The rockers make it rock, but the roadies make it roll.]]]]
3
4->''"A good roadie knows his whole job is to make someone else look good, keep someone else safe, help someone else do what they were put here to do. A good roadie stays out of the spotlight. If he's doing his job right, you don't even know he's there. Once in a while he might step on stage just to fix a problem, to set something right. But then before you even realize he was there or what he did, he's gone."''
5-->-- '''Eddie Riggs''', ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend''
6
7TheRockStar is but a rock. With the help of the roadie, these rocks will be polished and shot through space and become the stars that they were meant to be.
8
9The Roadie is an integral -- yet sadly unappreciated -- part of the rocking process. Roadies tune guitars, carry amps and speaker cabinets, [[LightBulbJoke replace lights]], check mikes, [[{{Bouncer}} bounce fence-hoppers]], [[BadassDriver drive the bus with panache]], [[RealMenCook cater band parties]], market [[TheMerch merchandise]] and holds the bass player's hair up as they [[VomitIndiscretionShot vomit]]. The great onstage show does not just happen ''by accident'' after all.
10
11Because of the various jobs roadies are know to do, they are usually portrayed as the "HyperCompetentSidekick" type, managing to fulfill every need no matter how grand. Older roadies are portrayed as sagely, veteran types, having been to every corner of the industry, toured the world, from BadassBiker bars to stadiums, tasted every drug, and known every legend. Rock stars who are facing PerformanceAnxiety from a big show value veteran roadies' years of experience and [[NervesOfSteel calmness under pressure]]. As well, experienced roadies always have AnAesop to impart.
12
13Note that stage managers and roadies/stage crew are two different things and never should be confused.
14
15----
16%% Keep them alphabetized.
17!!Examples:
18
19[[foldercontrol]]
20
21[[folder:Comic Books]]
22* "Young" Neil Nordegraf from ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'' is the roadie of the PowerTrio band "Sex Bob-Omb", which also is the support bassist when Scott is out as well their LoonyFan Knives Chau.
23[[/folder]]
24
25[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
26* In ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtheadDoAmerica'' it turns out their fathers were both roadies for Music/MotleyCrue.
27[[/folder]]
28
29[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
30* ''Film/{{Roadie|1980}}'' stars Music/MeatLoaf as a GadgeteerGenius who becomes a roadie for a traveling rock and roll show.
31* Various classmates in ''Film/SchoolOfRock'' who did not become a part of the band were assigned the roles of roadies and groupies (albeit a [=PG=]-rated equivalent).
32* In ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap'' the roadies often have to come on stage to help with the many goofs involving props or improperly done fancy moves.
33* The Dude casually mentions to Maude in ''Film/TheBigLebowski'' that he worked as a roadie for Music/{{Metallica}} for a time.
34* In ''Film/TheDrummerAndTheKeeper'', the autistic teen Christopher turns out to be surprisingly good at packing equipment, so Flood Tides hire him as their roadie. Later, he gets jobs working for other bands.
35[[/folder]]
36
37[[folder:Literature]]
38* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel ''Literature/SoulMusic'', the Disc's first rock band acquires a roadie named Asphalt.
39[[/folder]]
40
41[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
42* The 2016 Creator/CameronCrowe series ''Roadies'' are about a group of roadies that help set up for the The Station-House Band.
43[[/folder]]
44
45[[folder:Music]]
46* The minor [[Music/TheByrds Byrds]] track "BB Class Road" is sung in the persona of a roadie boasting about his skills and lifestyle.
47* The Music/TenaciousD song "The Roadie" was made as a thank you letter to all the roadies out there whose work goes unappreciated. In the song's official music [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b1acvZRvV4 video]] however, the titular roadie Sebastion is portrayed as being a legitimately good roadie that had worked with Music/VanHalen, Music/{{Metallica}} and Music/{{ACDC}} in the past, but eventually gets drunk and destroys Jack and Kyle's green room after being rejected by a groupie. He then goes on to buy drugs, reject a boy who comes to him with a paternity test and then cons money out of them in exchange for a hooker. Jack and Kyle fire him right after.
48* Music/{{Motorhead}}'s "We Are The Road Crew". Often, the roadies would come onstage and sing backup during that song.
49* Music/JacksonBrowne mentions the roadies a lot during his life-on-the-road epic, "The Load Out".
50* The video for Music/DireStraits' song "Heavy Fuel" centers on one of their roadies, played by Creator/RandyQuaid.
51[[/folder]]
52
53[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
54* When Wrestling/JeffJarrett was doing his country singer gimmick in the mid-90's, he was accompanied by [[Wrestling/RoadDogg The Roadie]], who would do a quick mic check before handing Jarrett the microphone.
55* Wrestling/{{Test}} made his first appearance for the WWF on a night Music/MotleyCrue performed on the show, playing one of their roadies.
56[[/folder]]
57
58[[folder:Video Games]]
59* Eddie Riggs from ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'' is a roadie [[spoiler:literally]] BornInTheWrongCentury, famous in the biz for his roadie skills and love of classic HeavyMetal, forced to work under the [[{{Jerkass}} disrespectful]] [[GenreBusting Second Wave of American Tween Melodic Rap Metalcore]] band "Kabbage Boy." After [[spoiler:dying on stage and accidentally summoning Ormagoden in the process]], Eddie ends up in a HeavyMithril world where his [[AccidentalPun rocking and roadie]] skills help him lead the [[HumansAreWarriors human]] [[LaResistance resistance]] army [[HeavyMetal Ironheade]] against the [[HairMetal Hair Metal Militia]], the [[DeathMetal Drowning Doom]] and the [[IndustrialMetal Tainted Coil]]. Roadies are later presented as a stealth-based infantry in Ironheade's army, wielding incredibly large amps and invisibility skills that allowed them to free Ophelia's Razorgirls from Lionwhyte's pleasure tower. Watt-R-Boys are the Hair Metal Militia equivalent.
60[[/folder]]
61
62[[folder:Visual Novels]]
63* In ''VisualNovel/{{Melody}}'', only one roadie, Trixie, is mentioned by name.
64[[/folder]]
65
66[[folder:Web Comics]]
67* Roadie Joe from ''WebComic/TheRockCocks'' is a roadie hired by Sterling for the band's first official album recording.
68* In ''JustForFun/TVTropesTheWebcomic'', Gabe TheSixthRanger started moonlighting as a roadie for the main cast's band Troper Croe soon after his first appearance in the series.
69[[/folder]]
70
71[[folder:Western Animation]]
72* ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}'': Rio's [[NewJobAsThePlotDemands career is never that concrete]], but he is sometimes Jem and the Hologram's roadie.
73* Steven from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' has expressed that one of his dream jobs is to be a roadie (his father having once been TheRockStar) and gets to live out this dream by helping Sour Cream set up a rave in "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E7DropBeatDad Drop Beat Dad]]". It helps he's a talented musician, and extra-strong thanks to being half-alien.
74* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'': "Hello Bikini Bottom!" has Colonel Fubster hiring two wrestlers (the same as from "Krusty Krushers") as his roadies. In response, Mr. Krabs sets up Patrick as a roadie...who does his job [[TheDitz as one might expect]].
75* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBremenAvenueExperience'', Tanner's dad Pete appears to be an AmazinglyEmbarrassingParent at first, but then he reveals his backstory. Back when Pete traveled with a popular band back in his day, he was their roadie (and a popular one too!), and he's also [[CoolOldGuy a pretty good drummer]]. This makes Tanner respect his father a lot more.
76[[/folder]]
77
78[[folder:Real Life]]
79* Most roadies in the United States work as part of the [=IATSE=] union ("International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees").
80* [[TheEighties 1980s]] and [[TheNineties 1990s]] ChristianRock band Whiteheart's third and final lead singer, Rick Florian, started off as a roadie for the band before the discovery of his vocal talent led to his [[StepUpToTheMicrophone being named lead vocalist]] after the previous lead singer, Scott Douglas was fired.
81* Before making it with his own band, Music/{{Motorhead}}, Lemmy was a roadie for Music/JimiHendrix and The Nice. [[Music/EmersonLakeAndPalmer Keith Emerson]] credits him as the one who gave him the idea for his trademark stunt of using a knife to hold the keys down while he was playing.
82* Roadies in hip-hop music aren't uncommon but are rarely mentioned. Both Music/TupacShakur and Music/CraigMack started out as roadies for their groups (Music/DigitalUnderground and Music/{{EPMD}}, respectively) before going off into successful solo careers.
83[[/folder]]

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