Before he attended and completing ACM’s Tour Production and Management course in 2011, Myles Whitehouse freely admits that he didn’t really have any experience in the music industry except for going to gigs.
But it was this love of gigs that has propelled Myles onto the live music production and management scene. ACM caught up with Myles to talk about life since ACM.
What motivated you to come and study at ACM?
I heard about ACM through a family friend and decided to come to one of the open days and pretty much decided I wanted to come here as soon as I walked through the door. I wanted to study the Tour Production and Management course because I wanted to be part of a live gig or festival and I can’t play any instruments or sing.
What was the best part about studying at ACM?
The best part of ACM were the opportunities we had to work in the music industry; for example my first experience was HMV’s ‘Next Big Thing’ in Camden. During the year at ACM I also worked at Brighton’s <a href=”http://escapegreat.com/” title=”Great Escape Festival”target=”_blank” title=‘The Great Escape Festival’ and also at ‘Beach Break’ live on the main stage.
Tell us about what you’ve been up to since leaving ACM?
Since leaving ACM I’ve had a work experience day with Richie Sambora’s (Bon Jovi) guitar tech. During the day I talked to his tech about what he had to do to get ready for one show and what Richie’s set up was for all of his guitars. Afterwards I watched the gig from the front row and helped with the load out when the gig was over. My next job was the BRIT Awards 2012 I was part of the team that built the stage and also took it down the day after the ceremony.
Before the summer kicked in I had a few odd jobs at TV studios including Elstree Studios and also at Pinewood Studios where some of the James Bond films have been filmed. I also did the load out and break down for the Britain’s Got Talent Final at Fountain Studios in Wembley.
When the Queens diamond Jubilee came around I worked in Hyde Park building the stages there for the festival over the Jubilee weekend, before working the main stage of Beach Break Live again where by the end of the weekend, the stage manager let Ben Neeves, (another ACM Tour Production and Management student) and I were running the stage.
Next I went on to help build the stage for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. I also did the break down and got the stadium ready for the athletics which took us 3 days!
I was down in Dagenham for a couple months for the closing ceremony rehearsals and I was part of the team that put the London landmarks together and I was part of the ‘gherkin team’ and my job was to be underneath it and get the legs up so we could actually get it off the stage and out the back of the stadium.
The day after the closing ceremony I went to Chelmsford for V Festival and was there for a week setting up and then got to be at the festival and see who we wanted to see and then I was there for the break down.
After v, it was the Paralympics opening ceremony and I was on the load out and break down of the stages. I then did the stage build for the closing ceremony of the Paralympics and also took the stage down.
What’s been your proudest moment/career highlights so far?
This has to be the closing ceremony of the Olympics when walking to the stage to wait underneath it, for our cue to move the London landmarks off stage. The atmosphere inside the stadium was amazing, everyone was buzzing. The whole summer was a highlight and I doubt another summer will beat it.
Do you have any advice or tips for our current ACM students?
I’d say no matter how rubbish the job is you’ve been asked to do, (e.g. sweeping up rubbish backstage), just get on with it and not complain about it. Try to make lots of contacts when you’re out in the industry and you never know who might remember you.
ACM would like to thank ACM Alumni Myles Whitehouse for taking the time to tell his story and we wish him well for his forthcoming projects especially the BRIT Awards 2013.
