Gary James' Interview With The Author Of Memoir Of A Roadie
Joel Miller



Joel Miller worked as a roadie for some of the biggest Rock groups around, including Stone Temple Pilots, Guns N' Roses and Poison. And now he's put pen to paper to tell the world what that was like in his book Memoir Of A Roadie (Axl Said I Made A Great Cup Of Tea), Scott Weiland Liked The Carpenters, and Ozzy Drinks Rose). (Albion Entertainment Inc.) Joel's book was the number one release in Bios on Amazon and held down the number four slot on all of Amazon in the category of Bios Of Entertainers. Joel Miller spoke with us about his book and his life on the road.

Q - Joel, this book of yours has really done well for you.

A - Thank-you.

Q - Do you have any idea who's buying the book? Is it people who are thinking about pursuing a career as a roadie or is it people who are just interested in the stories you have to tell?

A - What I used to do with Stone Temple Pilots is I would go out into the audience and I'd look for a little kid who had the stars in his eyes and I would bring the little kid and one of his parents, who's ever with him, just pick one or they pick one, and I've never had an argument. One of the parents was always happy to go. It was never an issue, and I'd bring the kid up on the stage. I'd have the kid sit up in the wings for usually one song 'cause I don't have time to baby sit lots of stuff. But I do that intentionally with the hope that one day, which would honestly be right now, (laughs) that kid will say some roadie brought me onstage and I watched Scott Weiland and went, "Oh man, this is what I want to do in my life." I thought that was more interesting than all the girlie stuff that people go on and on about. I thought that would be more inspiring and cool. It's just that youthful look at you, that was an awesome thing. So, with that being said, I don't know, and I don't know because it's Amazon. I don't know what territories people are buying it from. Actually no, that's not true. I can see where the book is sold. It does tell you the countries. I think it's mostly music enthusiasts.

Q - What I've been hearing is that when the current pandemic ends, the people who were tour bus drivers, light men, sound men and roadies might not come back to those jobs. They've moved on. What are you hearing?

A - Newbies have left. Some of the newbies have gone on to do different careers. Guys who were doing it are eager beavers to be back. A lot of 'em are coming back as we speak. There's a lot of things going on in the music world and everybody is busy again. So, I don't foresee it as an issue. I think some people might disagree with me, but I don't think so. There's going to be a lot of touring. There's only so many venues. That means all those venues that exist are going to be filled 'cause all those musicians and roadies need to be back at work. You have your bills, but you also have a desire to get back to business, to do something. It's boring to sit home and catch up on Netflix after a year.

Q - It seems like you were on the path to be on stage in some fashion. You were a child actor and a model. Why did you go the route of a roadie?

A - My father was a car mechanic and a fella came and needed to get his car fixed. My father brought me into the garage. My Dad worked at home. They guy's like, "You had worked in the film industry for a few minutes." I said, "Yes." He said, "That's great. We need you again. You're going to come on tour with me." I said, "Uh Huh." I didn't really believe him. I think a week later I was on an airplane to Las Vegas to go work for a band called Stone Temple Pilots. I knew who they were. They were part of my Columbia House thing. I got their first album on there, but I didn't listen to it aggressively, but I had it. So when we went out on tour with them I didn't know it was going to be as cool as it was, to me. The first few shows you were just trying to hold on to the reigns 'cause I didn't want to let anyone down, including my parents or this guy who hired me or the people I'm meeting. I wanted to give it a good go. I wanted to see if this was going to be a cool career or not. I just didn't know. I'm only 22 years old at the time. So before I knew it, I just decided I had to give it my all. I really did. I hunkered down and I did the best I could and it developed into other things. It turned out to be a very exciting way to grow up.

Q - Who was this guy that stopped into your father's garage? What was his connection to the Stone Temple Pilots? What was his job in the band?

A - He was the Lighting Designer.

Q - What did he want you to do in the band?

A - I'm going to say I was a grunt really. So, in the beginning I was setting up all the back drop. In the music world all of the back drops are done by a carpenter. So I was working as a carpenter and I was also working as a lighting guy. He helped with the lights and I helped with the lights. We'd get 'em all set and I'd go to sleep more tired than I'd ever been in my life and I'd wake up and do it six hours later again. Then we stopped doing radio shows and we started touring with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. At that time they brought in a lighting guy and I focused more on being a carpenter. Then I pretty quickly changed up to being a stage manager and a carpenter. And that was my first tour. So I think a lot of the guys took me under their wing and they gave be that direction I was trying to find, whether I knew it or not.

Q - They liked your personality.

A - Yeah.

Q - "Let's get him on the road with us."

A - It wasn't just the guys in the crew, it was also a lot of the stage hands, the locals at the venues. If you keep your mouth shut and you listen to some of them, they do it every day for different bands. They're used to different set-ups. They'll teach you the world if you listen. So, a lot of the local stage hands taught me and then a lot of the crew taught me, but the biggest thing was I had respect for all these guys and I wanted to learn. I wanted something to do. I didn't know what I was going to go do. I wanted to do something cool. Cool means so many things. What does that mean? Does cool mean make a lot of money? Does cool mean be a Rock star? What does it really entail? I didn't know. (laughs) But I knew I liked what I was doing. I knew I liked being around the people I was around.

Q - You went to college and got a degree in Art History. What did you think you were going to do with that degree? Be a teacher maybe?

A - It's funny. The answer is absolutely nothing. I felt that if I was going to go to college and pay for it, which I did, I wanted to study something I liked. In the classes I was taking there was fantastic opportunity. The teachers at UC Santa Barbara were so good. It was such a great experience to sit in a room and listen to somebody who really, genuinely knew, and I enjoyed it a lot. So, with that being said, I graduated in three years. I was in and out of there quick because I was paying for it. If I had not been paying the bill I think I maybe would've gone on a little longer. I would have double majored or triple majored, but I didn't. I went to work in the film industry and I went to work in the Art Department. I thought that would be a fit. I didn't like the Art Department. So I went on my way after being a roadie, and we don't talk about it in the book, I became an art dealer and I'm a big memorabilia dealer.

Q - Are we talking Rock memorabilia?

A - Recently, yeah. So, I have the original handwritten sheet music to Pink Floyd's "The Wall" right now. Michael Kamen and Bob Ezrin's sheet music for the whole album. I sold Robert De Niro's boxing gloves for Raging Bull. I sold Willie Shoemaker's Breeders Cup trophy. I sold the first letter ever written for the American Revolutionary War stating that the British were coming. I have Mr. T's boxing trunks from Rocky right now. I sold Clark Gable's jacket from The Misfits. On and on and on.

Q - You're dealing with high end merchandise, but there's already guys out there who are doing the same thing you're doing. You must have some high level connections to get it to begin with.

A - Yeah. It's not what you sell it for, it's what you bought it for. My margins are small often, so you have to have a lot of turnover. The hard part of that industry is you have to have a pretty good cash roll because your inventory makes you zero dollars until it's sold. I sell most of my stuff on auction and that will take about a year. So best case scenario, it's about a year until you make your money.

Q - And then the auction house takes a percentage.

A - They do. They sure do.

Q - So, by the time you give them their percentage what are you really making?

A - You had to get it for a good deal. So a lot of the time I was robbing Peter to pay Paul. I would buy from one auction house and I'd sell it at a different auction house. A little easier with art, which is where I started. With memorabilia often times the collectors don't care what I paid for it, they want it. So, you'll make a couple of bucks and move on.

Q - Besides The Stone Temple Pilots, you went on the road for who?

A - Guns N' Roses, Poison, The Cranberries. I did a music video for N' Sync. Those are the ones I was on their payroll and they actually paid me. Then there's a slew of other bands that were out with us on tours.

Q - Did you like all the groups you worked for and did they like you?

A - So, funnily enough I got lucky in that I can honestly say yes. I didn't just like 'em, I loved 'em! I was a huge Guns N' Roses fan. The first CD, I'm the tape generation going into CDs, it was the first CD I ever bought. I listened to "Appetite For Destruction" more times than a few of us could count. (laughs) Working for them was a big feather in the hat. I was excited. Things were going so quickly. I wasn't just jumping that ladder. I was jumping tiers on that ladder! This was neat. When I began to work for Guns N' Roses I just wanted to keep it together and I loved hearing them. I loved working for the and. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and appreciated the opportunity. And then from there I did Poison. I wasn't into Poison. I didn't care about 'em. I actually shaved my head onstage every day in revolt of the long-hairs. (laughs) But I changed my mind quickly because there were lots of women. A lot of ladies like them. There were a lot more females than on a STP (Stone Temple Pilots) show. That being said, I actually enjoyed the show too. I began to like the band. They're fun. They're not trying to be Led Zeppelin. They're not trying to be anything but a good Rock band that's fun, and they are fun. If you take off your music critic hat and just go enjoy a show, I don't know how you wouldn't have a great time. I became a Poison fan pretty quickly. I do like them and their music. As far as guys not liking me, none that I can think of. I make a mention that Axl Rose fired me, but I don't think it was a big deal. (laughs)

Q - Would there have been some things you left out of the book simply because you thought it would get you in trouble or you'd be sued?

A - No. I didn't care. Everything's in there what was me. With that being said, I didn't get into all the sordid bits and pieces of stuff. I'm not that guy. I never was that guy. So if you want to hear all the nasty shenanigans, read the Motley Crue book, which I'm told is fantastic. I'm humor based. My book is pretty funny. I think you'll get a good laugh. If not, I did not get what I wanted. But that was the intention of the book, to get a bit of a laugh out of people.

Q - Did you also do an audio version of your book?

A - Yeah, and it's out. You can get it now. It was a lot of work. It's available on Amazon.

Q - Who's the publisher of your book?

A - Me, Albion Entertainment Inc is my company. I wasn't interested in finding a book deal. What were they going to do for me that I couldn't do for myself? After it went on Amazon it was the number one new release in Biographies on Amazon. It's still on Amazon's Best Seller list now. But what are they going to do for me? I think the answer is not a lot. So, after it went out I got tons of e-mails. I got some phone calls fro distributors wanting to distribute it, but a little late. (laughs) What do I need you for? So, I didn't even look for one. Made no effort at all. I just did it myself and I'm glad that I did.

Q - Sure. Why not? Keep all the money yourself.

A - Yeah. With that being said, you're not looking at a lot of money either, but it's my passion project at the end of the day. That's my story so I wanted to do it for me.

Q - The title of the book, Memoir Of A Roadie is a unique title. It'll catch your attention.

A - Funny you say that because the initial title was Axl Said I Made A Great Cup Of Tea. My graphics designer guy said, "We thought it was great." I called Dizzy, who's in Guns N' Roses, and I wanted him to give me a quote for the book. He said, "What's the title of your book?" I said, "Axl Said I Made A Great Cup Of Tea." He's like, "What?" I'm, "Yeah. That's kind of like the only conversation I had with him. 'Can you make some tea?' So I said yeah. Later he said, 'That sure was a great cup of tea.'" Dizzy's like, "Well, that would be one conversation." I'm like, "No, no, no, no. It was later that he said that was a great cup of tea. That would be two conversations." He was like, "Okay. You need to come up with a better title." So I did Memoir Of A Roadie 'cause it explains a little more about what you're reading. I still think Axl Said I Made A Great Cup Of Tea is a great title. (laughs)

Q - It would've been a great title if you were a Guns N' Roses fan. If you weren't you just move on.

A - It's true.

Q - Memoir Of A Roadie grabs your attention.

A - It sounds a little more official, yes. It sounds like there might be some better content, I don't know. But either way it worked out.

Q - You're through with your life as a roadie then as we speak?

A - Yeah. I wouldn't tour again. That being said, I don't think anybody would want me to. I'm a dinosaur. I don't know the world anymore. I started this podcast and I've been interviewing lots and lots of roadies and having them tell me their stories. A lot of these guys I know pretty well. They explain to me how the industry has changed so dramatically since I was there. It's very different than what I know.

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