Behind every music tour—from Beyonce’s Vegas-styled extravaganzas to Phish’s weedand-’ shroom-fueled odysseys—is an unsung individual who’s equal parts f eld marshal, political f xer, armchair psychoanalyst and bag man. The tour manager on a major artist’s outing is often responsible for shepherding more than 100 musicians, gafers, carpenters, lighting technicians and accountants on voyages that span the globe and entire seasons. At the same time, they have to anticipate hundreds of demands from not-always-appreciative employers while keeping the entourage happy, safe and out of trouble.
Billboard recently gathered some of the music industry’s most decorated road warriors for a no-holds-barred roundtable discussion. Participating were Stuart Ross, who’s toured with Tom Waits, Metallica, George Michael, Weezer and Spinal Tap, and was a cofounder of Lollapalooza; Patrick Stansfield, who worked for legendary…