Giggs Podcast

Giggs

The Giggs Podcast, hosted by Nikki Sanz, Founder & CEO of Giggs, the professional career platform for the live event industry, dives into the world of touring and live events to share the good, the bad, the ugly, and the unbelievable moments of gigging life, along with invaluable lessons learned on the road.We’re here to fill the gap in content about what it truly takes to work on the road. Our episodes explore every discipline within the live event industry, showcasing big wins, hard-learned lessons, and everything in between. We honor the pioneers of this industry, offering invaluable insights from the older generations who shaped modern touring.Whether you’re an aspiring tour manager, a seasoned backline tech, or just passionate about the live event scene, this podcast is for you. Join us as we take you behind the scenes to explore the highs and lows of gigging life.

  1. Giggs Rewind: Rachael Bronstein | Managing Money on the Move

    4D AGO

    Giggs Rewind: Rachael Bronstein | Managing Money on the Move

    We're bringing back one of the most practical conversations from the Giggs archive. Nikki Sanz sits down with Rachael Bronstein, founder of Life's Jam — a financial coaching service built specifically for the touring and live events community. 70% of music industry professionals are freelancers. Just under half report feeling financially anxious or stressed. Rachael has spent the last few years building the resources most of this industry never had — coaching tour managers, road crew, and music professionals through the unique financial chaos of feast-and-famine income, 1099 tax surprises, and the lack of a safety net most W2 jobs come with. This episode gets into the actual mechanics: how to handle 1099 tax planning, when to set up an LLC (and when not to), how to build an emergency fund big enough to handle the off-season, what order to put your money in (debt, retirement, brokerage), and why mental health and financial health are more interlaced than most people realize. What you'll learn: Why financial coaching is different from financial advising — and why most touring pros need the coach firstHow to plan for taxes when you're paid as a 1099 freelancerThe pyramid approach to where your next dollar should goWhy MusiCares now subsidizes coaching for industry pros who qualifyHow to use credit cards strategically (and when to cut them up)Why "spend less than you make" is still the simplest financial wisdom there isHow to build a plan that handles both the tour high and the off-season lowSponsor: MOC is looking for new volunteers to help share the joys of live music. Volunteer Guides are the friendly faces who host the programs as volunteer musicians perform hopeful songs to put a smile on the faces of hospital patients, families, and caregivers. To learn more about becoming a Musicians On Call volunteer, visit https://www.musiciansoncall.org. Find your next Gigg and join the #1 community for the live events industry: https://www.giggs.live/ Stay up to date: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.live Youtube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-live LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giggs-llc/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@giggs.live Host: Nikki Sanz

    49 min
  2. #59 Brandon "Fitz" Fitzgerald | Rigging Beyoncé's & Post Malone's World Tours

    MAY 5

    #59 Brandon "Fitz" Fitzgerald | Rigging Beyoncé's & Post Malone's World Tours

    Recorded live at Rock Lititz, Brandon "Fitz" Fitzgerald is back by popular demand after his previous episode (#19) became one of the most-DM'd conversations we've ever put out. One year later, Fitz comes back with a year on the road that includes Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, Post Malone's world tour, Playboi Carti, and a set up in New Orleans during the city's biggest snowstorm in 55 years. Fitz gets into what it was like joining a Beyoncé rigging team full of legends he watched as a 19-year-old stagehand, the mental upheaval of jumping camps tour after tour, and why sometimes the job means people stressed out crying in the corner 20 minutes before showtime but knowing you made it happen. He also gets technical in a way that's accessible: snow load, dynamic load, why a 101,653-pound show isn't always a 101,653-pound show, and why riggers carry legal liability most fans never think about. What you'll learn: What it's like to logistically pull off Cowboy CarterWhy mentor relationships are the currency of a rigging careerHow dynamic load and snow load can quietly threaten a showThe real mental health cost of going from camp to camp without a breakWhy riggers are "the bad guys" — and why that's a good thingThe two golden rules of rigging (and which one matters more)How memorizing your rig changes everything about how you problem-solve under pressureSponsor: MOC is looking for new volunteers to help share the joys of live music. Volunteer Guides are the friendly faces who host the programs as volunteer musicians perform hopeful songs to put a smile on the faces of hospital patients, families, and caregivers. To learn more about becoming a Musicians On Call volunteer, visit https://www.musiciansoncall.org. Brandon "Fitz" Fitzgerald bio: Brandon "Fitz" Fitzgerald is a tour rigger from Washington, DC, with deep roots in IATSE Local 22 and a foundation built across stagehand work, permanent installs, counterweight rigging, Vectorworks drafting, and the full breadth of touring production. Over the last year, he's worked as a production rigger for Playboi Carti, Post Malone, and Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour — joining a rigging team led by industry legends he watched as a 19-year-old stagehand. He's also crossed into creative production and one-off events, including a high-profile New Orleans gig that ran headfirst into the city's biggest snowstorm in 55 years. Fitz is a vocal advocate for mentorship, safety culture, and giving credit to the local rigging crews who keep this industry standing — literally. Find your next Gigg and join the #1 community for the live events industry: https://www.giggs.live/ Stay up to date: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.live Youtube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-live LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giggs-llc/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@giggs.live Host: Nikki Sanz

    42 min
  3. Giggs Rewind: Marty Hom | Tour Managing Legends… Rolling Stones, Beyoncé, Shakira, Olivia Rodrigo

    APR 28

    Giggs Rewind: Marty Hom | Tour Managing Legends… Rolling Stones, Beyoncé, Shakira, Olivia Rodrigo

    We're bringing back one of the most popular conversations from the Giggs archive. Nikki Sanz sits down with Marty Hom — a true legend of the touring world with 40+ years of experience tour managing The Rolling Stones, Beyoncé, Fleetwood Mac, Barbra Streisand, Stevie Nicks, Shakira, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson, Van Halen, Olivia Rodrigo, Lionel Richie, and more. Marty started with Bill Withers in 1985 as one of the only Asian Americans in the industry. Four decades later, he's the guy making $150,000 calls in a control room during a Beyoncé stadium evacuation, canceling a sold-out Shakira show over a buckled stage roof, and staffing Olivia Rodrigo's world tour with a 49% female crew. This one is full of stories, hard-won wisdom, and real talk about what it takes to build a career, and a life, on the road. What you'll learn: How Marty got his first tour management gig with Bill Withers — and how his early mentor Howard Kaufman shaped his whole philosophyThe Beyoncé Renaissance Tour evacuation and the $150K decision made in a control roomWhy he canceled a 60,000-person Shakira show in Romania over a buckled stageHow touring has changed from pay phones and binders to today's massive productionsThe real challenge of work-life balance in a 40-year touring careerWhy work ethic and attitude beat experience every time when hiring crewHow the industry is (slowly) becoming more diverse — and why representation on tour mattersMarty's push for healthcare access for touring professionalsFind your next Gigg and join the #1 community for the live events industry: https://www.giggs.live/ Stay up to date: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.live Youtube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-live LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giggs-llc/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@giggs.live Host: Nikki Sanz

    1h 1m
  4. #58 Doug Wilson | From Van Driver to Tour Director

    APR 21

    #58 Doug Wilson | From Van Driver to Tour Director

    Recorded live at Rock Lititz, Nikki Sanz sits down with Doug Wilson — long-time tour manager and Director of Touring — for a grounded, honest look at what 20 years on the road teaches you. Doug's path started with a chance encounter with a tour manager in catering in Glasgow, Scotland. He bought a Sprinter van, converted it with his dad, and four months later was on his first US tour. From there: bus tours, arenas, eight years with Half Moon Run, world tours with Fletcher, and a final show that ended on March 11, 2020 — one day before the world shut down. Then he talks about his transition off the road, in LA, running touring and production for Black Ink Presents, a Sony Music Masterworks company that builds IP-based concert experiences (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beauty and the Beast, Ghostbusters, La La Land, Batman). This one gets real about perfectionism, the pressure of being the person who says no, the "off-ramp" problem for tour managers, and why getting off the road feels a little like kicking an addiction. What you'll learn: How to break in when you don't have a technical discipline (audio, lights, etc.)Why chasing perfection is the biggest mistake new TMs makeHow to grow with an artist from clubs to arenas — and what separates the crew that makes it from the crew that gets replacedThe hidden financial tradeoffs tour managers navigate when artists level upWhy lack of understanding of other people's jobs causes more tour drama than anything elseWhat the tour director role actually looks like — and why more management companies are building it in-houseHow to plan an off-ramp from touring before the window closesListen, follow, and leave a review if this one hits. Episode Sponsor: RoadCase has given Giggs listeners a free month of RoadCase Pro. Head over to https://roadcase.app/giggs for an exclusive discount. Doug Wilson Bio: Doug Wilson is a highly respected music industry professional with extensive experience in touring, concert production, and artist management. Having spent nearly 20 years on the road as a Tour Manager, Doug then transitioned to Director of Touring and Production at Black Ink Presents, a Sony Music Masterworks live event production company. Originally from Scotland, Doug now lives and works in Los Angeles, but still spends time on the road traveling to oversee events and check in on touring productions. Find your next Gigg and join the #1 community for the live events industry: https://www.giggs.live/ Stay up to date: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.live Youtube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-live LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giggs-llc/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@giggs.live Host: Nikki Sanz

    31 min
  5. #57 The Future of Virtual Production | Kingfisher by LEO Events

    APR 7

    #57 The Future of Virtual Production | Kingfisher by LEO Events

    Recorded in Nashville, TN, this special docuseries episode of The Giggs Podcast steps inside Kingfisher Production Studio, the new virtual production offering from LEO Events. Nikki Sanz walks through the space and talks with the team behind it to see how virtual worlds are built, lit, filmed, and finished. This episode is worth your time if you work in production, post, creative, live events, or brand storytelling and want to understand what virtual production actually takes. The team breaks down how Unreal Engine, motion tracking, lighting, editorial planning, and post all work together to create worlds that feel real on camera. You’ll also hear why this kind of studio can open new options for corporate shoots, music content, branded storytelling, and location-based concepts without the same travel, permitting, and logistics challenges of a traditional shoot. We highly recommend watching this one on video on either Spotify or YouTube for the full episode experience. What you’ll learn: How Kingfisher uses virtual production to build believable environmentsWhy lighting and motion tracking matter as much as the digital world itselfHow Unreal Engine fits into the production pipelineWhat post-production teams receive after a virtual shootWhy pre-production planning still matters in a “limitless” environmentHow this workflow can save time, travel, and location costsWhat kinds of skills help people thrive in studio, animation, and editorial rolesAbout Kingfisher: Kingfisher by LEO Events is a virtual production studio based in Nashville, Tennessee, built to help brands, creators, and clients tell stories in flexible digital environments.  In this episode, Nikki Sanz talks with members of the team behind the space, including Stacey Ladd, Sr. Director of Media Production, Brett Clark, Director of Studio & Editorial, Tyler Montanino, Video Production Specialist, Matt Dimodica, Senior Media Animator, and Josh Ickes, Senior Editor. Together, they walk through how Kingfisher blends creative development, lighting, motion tracking, Unreal Engine, and post-production to turn ideas into polished visual stories. To learn more about the Kingfisher Production Studio and LEO Events, visit https://leoevents.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kingfisher.made and https://www.instagram.com/leoevents/ Find your next Gigg and join the #1 community for the live events industry: https://www.giggs.live/ Stay up to date: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.live Youtube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-live LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giggs-llc/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@giggs.live Host: Nikki Sanz

    46 min
  6. #56 The Music Industry’s Health Crisis | Theresa Wolters (MusiCares)

    MAR 31

    #56 The Music Industry’s Health Crisis | Theresa Wolters (MusiCares)

    What does real support for music professionals actually look like when the gigs stop, the bills pile up, or the stress gets too heavy? In this episode, Nikki Sanz sits down with Theresa Wolters, Executive Director of MusiCares, to talk about the health, financial, and emergency realities facing people across the music industry. They get into the gap between how glamorous the industry can look from the outside and how vulnerable it often feels from the inside. Theresa shares how MusiCares helps with rent, therapy, medical bills, substance use treatment, and disaster relief, and why better data is finally helping the industry confront what so many people have lived for years. This conversation also digs into the Wellness in Music Survey, why preventive care and health coverage remain major issues for freelancers and touring professionals, and what meaningful change could look like from here. What you’ll learn What MusiCares actually does day to day for music professionalsWhy so many people in music still lack stable health and financial supportHow MusiCares responds to emergencies, from lost gigs to natural disastersWhat the Wellness in Music Survey is revealing about stress, money, and healthWhy Theresa believes sustainability is now one of the biggest issues in music careersHow friends, coworkers, and managers can help someone reach out before things get worseTake the Wellness in Music 2026 survey: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8718804/scs-2026-Wellness-in-Music The survey is completely anonymous, and participation directly contributes to shaping resources and support for the community. The survey is open from April 6 – 17th. Qualifying music professionals can reach out to MusiCares for support at any time at https://www.musicares.org/get-help A minimum of five years employment in the music industry (three years for disaster relief), OR six commercially released recordings or videos (singles) For more information on MusiCares or to donate, please visit www.musicares.org Theresa Wolters bio: Theresa Wolters is the Executive Director of MusiCares, where she leads the organization’s mission to provide a critical safety net of health, human, and social services for music professionals. She joined MusiCares in 2022 as Vice President of Health and Human Services, a role that built on her two decades of global leadership expanding access to health, financial, and emergency services. Find your next Gigg and join the #1 community for the live events industry: https://www.giggs.live/ Stay up to date: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.live Youtube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-live LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giggs-llc/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@giggs.live Host: Nikki Sanz

    49 min
  7. #55 Patrick Ledwith | Building Stadium Tours for U2, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Beyonce

    MAR 24

    #55 Patrick Ledwith | Building Stadium Tours for U2, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Beyonce

    Recorded live at Rock Lititz, this episode features Patrick Ledwith, Managing Director of North America for ES Global, reflecting on a career that spans nearly four decades across touring, staging, and large-scale live production. Patrick takes Nikki Sanz from his start as a 17-year-old stagehand in London to building stages on U2’s Joshua Tree run, managing major tours, and eventually stepping into executive leadership. Along the way, he shares what has changed in live events, what has not, and why fan experience still sits at the center of great shows. For anyone working in touring, production, project management, or live entertainment, this conversation is a grounded look at how careers are built over time. Patrick talks about problem solving, leadership under pressure, the evolution of stadium-scale production, and the values that still matter when the trucks get bigger and the timelines get tighter. What you’ll learn: How Patrick got his start as a stagehand and found his path into touringWhat it was like building stages during U2’s Joshua Tree eraWhy the best artists stay obsessed with fan experienceHow production managers think about responsibility, morale, and problem solvingWhat separates entertainment builds from traditional constructionHow tours like Iron Maiden and Beyonce scale from creative vision to live executionWhat legacy means after a lifetime on the roadPatrick Ledwith Bio: With nearly 40 years in the events, music and film business Patrick amassed a wealth of experience working on numerous different large scale projects and ceremonies around the world. Patrick’s structural and technical background in the business has set a solid foundation for a career as a Production/ Project Manager and Technical Director working with many of the largest production companies in the world including, Balich WS, Five Currents and ES GLOBAL. After working for ES GLOBAL on and off since the 1980’s it was an easy decision to join the company full time. Touring work in the entertainment business has, among others, included world tours with the U2, Van Halen, Grateful Dead, David Bowie, Rolling Stones, Scorpions, Metallica, Guns n Roses, and Iron Maiden. Find your next Gigg and join the #1 community for the live events industry: https://www.giggs.live/ Stay up to date: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.live Youtube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-live LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giggs-llc/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@giggs.live Host: Nikki Sanz

    32 min
  8. #54 Kyana White | From WME Intern to Tour & Production Manager

    MAR 17

    #54 Kyana White | From WME Intern to Tour & Production Manager

    Recorded live at Rock Lititz, this episode features Kyana White, a tour manager and production manager whose path into touring did not start on a bus. It started in TV, in internships, in low-paid PA work, and in learning how major productions actually come together behind the scenes. Kyana walks Nikki Sanz through the real story: how she went from the WME mailroom and award show production into touring, how cold outreach helped her land opportunities with Janelle Monáe’s camp, and how those early one-off gigs turned into bigger roles with Ari Lennox and beyond. This one matters if you’re trying to break in, level up, or understand what separates people who stay stuck from people who create their own lane. Kyana gets specific about preparation, advocacy, transferable skills, and why calm leadership matters so much in live production. What you’ll learn How Kyana moved from TV production into touringWhy cold emailing and using your network still worksWhat transferable skills matter most when changing lanesWhat a small touring crew actually needs at the club and small-room levelWhy being both a tour manager and production manager can be such an advantageWhat Kyana is learning now as she looks toward arena and stadium-level productionKyana White bio: From Atlanta, currently residing in New Orleans, Kyana’s start in touring was unconventional. She got her start in entertainment when she landed the WME Mailroom gig in 2013 the summer before graduating from UAB. She returned to LA summer of 2014 and landed an internship at Octagon Entertainment where she worked on a tv pilot there and decided she wanted to do tv. In the summer of 2015 she did her last internship with Jesse Collins Entertainment on the BET Awards. From there she worked as a PA, coordinator, and Executive Producers Assistant on award shows (Grammy’s, Hip Hop Awards, Billboard Awards, Emmy’s, Oscars, etc) until 2018. She decided to leave LA because she had set a goal to buy a duplex by 30 and realized moving up in tv wasn’t going to happen fast enough to achieve that in LA. She started sending cold emails out to people in touring and this woman named Kim responded saying she loved her resume and wanted to keep in touch. She had ties to Janelle Monae’s camp and in fall 2018 Kyana did her first one off touring gigs in Janelle’s camp as a PA. Early 2019 she was back working on the Grammy’s when she got a call to work a 2 week underplay tour as a coordinator with Anderson.Paak so she quit the Grammy’s and went on her first bus tour. Summer 2019 she became road manager for Ari Lennox and by end of 2019 she was her Tour & Production Manager. She’s been a TM+PM ever since and she currently works with Tank & The Bangas, noname, Kiana Ledé, and Samara Cyn. Find your next Gigg and join the #1 community for the live events industry: https://www.giggs.live/ Stay up to date: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.live Youtube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-live LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giggs-llc/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@giggs.live Host: Nikki Sanz

    39 min
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out of 5
6 Ratings

About

The Giggs Podcast, hosted by Nikki Sanz, Founder & CEO of Giggs, the professional career platform for the live event industry, dives into the world of touring and live events to share the good, the bad, the ugly, and the unbelievable moments of gigging life, along with invaluable lessons learned on the road.We’re here to fill the gap in content about what it truly takes to work on the road. Our episodes explore every discipline within the live event industry, showcasing big wins, hard-learned lessons, and everything in between. We honor the pioneers of this industry, offering invaluable insights from the older generations who shaped modern touring.Whether you’re an aspiring tour manager, a seasoned backline tech, or just passionate about the live event scene, this podcast is for you. Join us as we take you behind the scenes to explore the highs and lows of gigging life.

Information

  • Creator
    Giggs
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    74
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Giggs Podcast
  • Show Website
    Giggs Podcast

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