So, who are you, what is XSelectronics and what is this site all about? My name is Adrian Vines but call me Adi, everyone else does. Primarily I work as a guitar/backline technician with nearly 20 years of touring experience behind me. XSelectronics is a name I use to cover all my work in the music industry. This includes touring and studio technical support, guitar maintenance and repairs as well as designing and assembling rack systems and FX boards etc. XSelectronics are not manufacturers of handbuilt amplifiers and despite the presence of several (OK, two...) unfinished prototypes hanging around the place we (i.e. I) do not build handwired FX pedals. Not yet anyway. Check here for more info on all services provided. To be honest, this whole XSelectronics title is a bit of a ruse for shameless self promotion purposes but you've got to call your website something. Anyway, if you are interested in the technical side of the live music industry you may find a few things here interesting and/or amusing. And whereabouts in the world are you based? About an hour from London on the Suffolk/Essex borders. Who do you work for then? To be honest, usually whoever pays me the most money. Previous clients include David Gray, Bush, Muse, Badly Drawn Boy, Feeder, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Whitesnake, Catatonia, The Prodigy, Razorlight, The Darkness, Ash and Radiohead. Radiohead eh? So can you tell us what FX pedals they use? I could, but I'm not going to. Client confidentiality remains 100% at all times. So how much do your services cost? It depends. Touring rates are negotiable to a certain extent once various factors are taken into account- the length of the tour period being the most important but also the status of the artist, what is involved technically, the size of the gigs, even down to how nice the people in the band are. I think the phrase that is usually used is POA... Rates for rig building usually hinge on the size of what is required and the amount of notice given. I have found, however, that 20% of parts cost is a good indicator of what the labour charge will be. Until I know what you plan to put in your rig, I cannot work out what it will cost you for me to build it. As an EXTREMELY ROUGH guide- example 1 on the Guitar Voice Controllers page cost around £4500 (not including pedals or wireless system- these were provided by the client) and example 3 cost around £900 (including footswitch but not pedals). Do you sell equipment and parts? Do you have a shop? No. I am not involved in the retail side of the industry at all. When I am too old and frail to tour it may end up being the only career option left though! Can you get me on the guest list/Can you get me so and so's autograph/Can you get me backstage etc etc? No. How can I get to be a roadie? Well, roadie is not a term I use myself as its a little too generalised. My role in the touring industry is as a backline technician. If you want to get into it, the best way is to get casual work at your local venue (you'll probably be carrying heavy thing upstairs, lifting heavy things, pushing heavy things and dragging heavy things for your first few years) this way you will learn what everything and everyone does within a touring situation. Watch what people do, listen to what they say-to each other and to you- and ask questions, if you are genuinely interested they will be glad to talk to you (most of the time, anyway. Do not make a nuisance of your self though) Then try driving a van and doing the lifting/carrying routine for a local band. If you do enough of this and you are lucky, you will start meeting people who can give you a leg up if you are any good at what you do. The money and the hours will be shit for the first 5 years or so.