meet “the crew” #5: Mike clark
It might not take an entire village to make America’s Premier Metal Fest the world-wide success that it is, but it does take the efforts of a team of hard-working, dedicated, and passionate backstage crew members.
I put six questions (via e-mail) to the behind-the-scenes people who make it all happen. What follows are the answers I received from one of those people.
Say hello to another of Glenn’s finest.
BM: What is your name?
MC: My name is Mike Clark, but I am often referred to as anything from “Hey you” to Glenn’s Bitch.
BM: Describe what it is you do at ProgPowerUSA.
MC: In short, I am the show runner. While the rest of the crew is playing their guitars and fiddling with their knobs, I am busy running around like mad to make sure that the crew and bands have everything they need for any situation. My job starts a few months in advance (I’m just starting now, actually) when I begin to compile a list of supplies that were needed in previous years, as well as any new requests from Glenn and the crew. I try to have as much on hand as possible before anyone else gets in town in order to limit the number of last minute trips I have to make. As for the crew, I try to keep them stocked up on necessities from back up drum gear to gaffer tape, Sharpies to stage tools and that all-important 1,000-count bottle of aspirin. The bands, as you might expect, are an entirely different animal. While the majority of the bands have been real easy to deal with (if I even deal with them at all), some have managed to keep me pretty busy. Many of the bands that travel overseas are just not able to bring all of the gear necessary to put on a good show, so we have to find that gear for them. This often requires multiple trips to Guitar Center. With some bands being more picky and demanding than others, there are weekends where the Guitar Center staff really starts to wonder if I’ve started working there or not.
Besides just running in circles, making sure everyone has the gear, tools, coffee and drugs they need, I hang the banners behind the drums and occasionally do a little curtain pulling when the set starts. I also help with the equipment load in and load out before and after the festival. Also, after the festival is done, and everyone has left, I spend the next few days compiling a financial report for Glenn detailing all of my expenditures for the weekend.
Finally, above all else (since I know what’s good for me), I make sure that Glenn has the biggest bottle of Jack Daniels that I can find, and that his personal mini-bar (located next to the center stage monitor, in the photo pit) is stocked at all times.
BM: How many PPUSA festivals have you worked?
MC: I have worked every show, starting with ProgPower 2.0.
BM: How did you get the gig with PPUSA?
MC: I originally met Glenn through a mutual friend. He was telling me about how Glenn was putting together this festival with all these bands we’d otherwise never get to see in the States. A few months before ProgPower 2.0, I went to meet Glenn before a Slayer show here in Atlanta. After the introductions were done, he handed me a stack of flyers to hand out, and I’ve been working for him ever since.
BM: What is the funniest/strangest/best thing that ever happened to you while working at PPUSA?
MC: Funniest: The funniest thing that’s happened is definitely when the Blind Guardian roadie electrocuted himself, and flew across the stage. The next funniest thing would have to be when I was driving Devin Townsend and his band from the now defunct Fairfield Hotel to the pre-party at the Riviera club. We were passing the Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts, and he noticed that the show for that week was Winnie the Pooh. So, he started singing a Devin-style rendition of the Tigger song, which had the entire car laughing all the way to the pre-party.
Strangest: Watching the Therion crew completely rewire the stage before their set. Also, having Kristoffer Gildenlow of Pain of Salvation ask me at ProgPower 3 to help him find a new pair of leather pants.
Best: Working on this crew, becoming close friends with Balance of Power after PP2, chatting with DC Cooper while stuck in traffic before his set at PP3, hanging out with Nightwish after their set at PP4, joking around with Jon Oliva at PP5, seeing many of my favorite bands that I probably would never see otherwise, as well as learning about tons of other great bands and meeting lots of great people.
BM: Why is ProgPowerUSA such a success year after year?
MC: This festival is a great success for a variety of reasons. The main reason is, of course, Glenn. He took a vision of what he wanted, and made it a reality. He puts in a lot of hard work all year long to pull off a great weekend. He has also managed to pick the best possible crew to keep things running. Without the guys on stage, and everyone else you don’t see, the show could not run as smoothly as it does. Of course, you can’t forget the fans. The die-hard fans that come every year make it all worthwhile. They push us to keep working to make the show even better every year.
Thanks for your answers (and your expertise), Mike! Jack Daniels, eh? Now I know what makes ProgPower the success that it is! 
