Life as a roadie

If you love music, becoming a roadie can be one of the most fun and exciting jobs you can have. In addition to traveling to all sorts of cities around the world and interacting with fans, you get to hear live music for free. These benefits, however, come at something of a cost. Setting up all the equipment is hard work and it can be difficult keeping up with your dental and medical care while traveling every other day.

As a roadie, you take care of all of the heavy lifting that goes into putting on a concert, which can be difficult and dangerous. You move equipment, hang up lights, set up and work from scaffolding, move cables and any other tasks related to a specific concert. Being a roadie requires a lot of physical strength, stamina and care as occupational hazards are more common. Dangers, although extreme, include falling from a platform or being electrocuted when setting up lighting, amps or other high-voltage equipment. The most common hazard is likely related to the weight of the items being moved. Given the rush involved with setting up and breaking down shows, the risk of hurting or overexerting yourself is heightened. Muscle strains and sprains, hernias and even dehydration are common results of overexertion.

Traveling as a roadie presents dangers of its own, most of which are related to the potential neglect of your basic health needs. Sleeping in a series of motels or on a tour bus doesn’t motivate a person to take care of things like dental checkups or doctor visits until a problem is too major to ignore. This neglect is hard on your wallet as well as your health. To keep yourself healthy, take steps to ensure your basic physical needs are met on a non-emergency basis. Start by acquiring health insurance and dental insurance to keep illness or injury from breaking your budget. Makes it easier on yourself to walk into a healthcare clinic, hospital or dentist’s office in any city and get the services you need without have to cover all the costs out of pocket.

Carrying insurance doesn’t just make it cheaper to get the health services you need. Since you won’t be worrying about the costs, you’ll be more motivated to take care of problems before they grow into major issues. Annual checkups can head off major illnesses and dental insurance will allow you to get a cavity fixed before you need a root canal. Being on the road for weeks or months at a time can lend itself to poor self-care habits, including eating too much junk food or not getting enough sleep. Regular health and dental checkups can make your life a lot easier.

By taking care of yourself, you’ll be able to spend more time making money doing roadie work and less time sitting in doctors’ offices and dentists’ chairs. You’ll also have more fun when you’re in good health. Keeping yourself in peak physical condition will reduce your chances of suffering an accidental injury. You’ll be able to concentrate on what you’re doing and avoid the slip-ups that can put you on the sidelines. Being a roadie is fun and exciting. If you take care of yourself, your work and travels will be that much more enjoyable.