Amidst all the bands and artists that keep us entertained on Tone Deaf, it’s also easy to forget many of the unsung heroes and professionals of the rock n’ roll business, and none more so is oft neglected than the professional roadie. It’s often a thankless job without superannuation and can get very lonely at times, and it takes a particular personality to do it.
Once such legend of the road was Pat Pickett, who sadly lost his battle with cancer last week. The veteran roadie, sound and lighting tech had worked with a who’s who of Australian bands including promising young upstarts AC/DC in the early 70s through to the Hard Ons and Screaming Jets.
A friend of Bon Scott, he once said of working with AC/DC, “Angus and Malcolm wouldnt stop playin if they broke a string and it was great cause they were so small i could stand behind them and change it while they were playin. A lot of people don’t believe it but its true.”
