Members of the prop department prepare to move a stage floor that will be used during a performance at the Grammy Awards. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
MEET THE CREW BEHIND THE 2016 GRAMMYS
Thursday // February 18, 2016
The Grammys celebrate the year’s best in music and the industry’s brightest stars. However, the 2016 Grammy Awards hit the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Monday evening and now the only thing people are talking about are the subtle audio glitches and no-shows. Though the majority of performances throughout the evening weren’t terribly exciting, a few performers actually had defining moments - Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga.
But with the technical problems overshadowing all else on social media, we wanted to highlight all of the hard work that goes into making The Grammys happen. It’s unfortunate that in this industry more congratulations aren’t communicated when everything goes perfectly, but you are called out when shit hits the fan.
All in all, we’ll always be your fans through the good and the bad, so keep doing what you guys do to make the Grammys great.
WHAT YOU MISSED BACKSTAGE
Keeping the Equipment Organized – The Grammys’ musical staging supervisor, Johnny Lord, keeps track of all the equipment in the music coordinating room at the Staples Center to ensure that the instruments get to the right place at the right time.
Johnny Lord, musical staging supervisor for the Grammy Awards, inside the music coordinating room at Staples Center. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Gear Check – Before Lionel Richie performed, the crew made sure all the equipment was set up correctly on the drum riser. Audio assistant Pete San Filipo and Damon Andrews, with backline tech Ben Fenton, get the gear set up and checked to ensure a smooth performance.
From left: Audio assistant Pete San Filipo, back line tech Ben Fenton and audio assistant Damon Andres get gear set up and check microphones on a drum riser that will be used for a performance by Lionel Richie during the Grammy Awards show. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Can You Hear Me Now? – The Grammys need communication to run smoothly to ensure a fantastic show. Jon Zucino works backstage to install the fiber-optic lines to make sure the show goes on.
Jon Zucino works on installing fiber-optic lines for this year's Grammy Awards show at Staples Center. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Fancy Footwork – It takes a full team of workers to move the stage floors and change sets between performances. These guys are constantly on their feet and moving gear to make sure the next performers set is perfect.
Members of the prop department prepare to move a stage floor that will be used during a performance at the Grammy Awards. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Academy President Neil Portnow even admits “We have the most complicated technical show on television. Period….I Mean, if you’ve been backstage – I can’t understand how they get it done, but they do.”
If you worked during the 2016 Grammys and have any backstage stories, we’d love to hear about it! Tweet, tag, or share your stories and photos with us.
