Who are you?
Hi, my name is Mahalia Swinfield, or M if you’re on my crew (because ‘Mahalia’ is one helluva mouthful over a radio!). I’m a Tour Manager based somewhere between Australia and the US, and I operate as my company Third Rodeo (even if I’m too busy on the road to ever update its social media pages!).
Describe the work you do
I have some incredible, longstanding clients that I work directly for as a Tour Manager, and when I’m not on the road with them, I work as a Promoter Rep and Tour Manager for International acts touring in Aus / NZ / Asia and requiring local support.
What led you to your current work?
Probably like most of us in this industry, I grew up a fan! I knew I wanted to be a Tour Manager from a very early age, but I also knew the pathway wasn’t straightforward. I started out working in Venue Mgmt, then took a role working in Artist Management which built a really strong understanding of the mgmt / label side of the industry that I think can be lacking in the touring world. The acts I was looking after were on the road a lot so I was Tour Managing them, as well as looking after a few big touring projects through the company I was working for.
After 4 years of that I knew I belonged on the road, so I quit, started my own business, got booked on a tour the next day, and never ever looked back.
What are you working on now or about to start work on?
I’ve just finished 6 months on the road across NZ / Australia with Jimmy Carr on his ‘Laughs Funny’ tour for Bohm Presents, which saw us delivering Arena shows in the round. Jimmy and Bohm are some of my favourite clients to work with as they both do everything to the very top of industry standards. And that crew is small, but mighty, and I was really, really proud of those shows.
I’m back in Aus about to head out with Abbie Chatfield for her ‘Loves Men’ tour, then heading back to the US for a month before a September AUS/NZ run with Ashnikko then back to the US for a Fall tour. (I wasn’t joking about not knowing where I am half the time haha).
What are the good things about your job?
Gosh. So many things! Number 1 would have to be the people; they’re not just crew, or clients. They’re family.
When I started Third Rodeo my only mission was to work in touring and do it only with good people, and I’m really proud to say that’s exactly what I get to do and that’s never lost on me.
If you do it right, you’re always learning. I never take for granted that I get to work with some absolute legends in this industry (on the stage, but also in the crew) and I learn something from them most days that I get to take with me onto my next gig.
What are the worst things about your job?
The impact on family/relationships. I miss a lot of birthdays, anniversaries, family events, and that’s really hard. Touring can be cruel in the sense that you are NEVER alone, but you can quite often be lonely. And when you add back-to-back 20-hour work days, an incredible stress load, daily travel, and slipping self-care routines to the mix, you can easily end up in a dark place. I’m a lot better about it in my old age, and the culture is changing to the point where, as a crew, we can often feel comfortable talking to each other about these things. But it doesn’t make up for the fact that in those darker moments, you can often feel like you’re taking the next gig at the expense of your personal life.
What, so far, has been your career highlight?
I’m actually a second-generation Tour Manager (my Dad was a TM through the golden era of the 70s & 80s). I did a gig in Portland, Oregon, at a theatre where the Stage Manager knew my father from shows he’d done there too, and had recognised me by my surname. It was a really sweet moment for me. It was one of those days when I was reminded that the world isn’t so big and there’s always a friend around the corner.
What is the most blatant example of sexism you have encountered at work?
OK, this may be a controversial take, however I think as an industry we need to pull the focus away from the ‘blatant sexism’ and focus more on the incredible women that are working in this industry DESPITE the sexism we’ve faced coming up.
Of course, the sexism exists however in my experience, it’s increasingly rarely an issue these days, and that is because of the pathways laid by the warrior women who walked before me, and the ones walking beside me right now.
There are so many women I work with in this industry who are at the top of their game, and you mention their name in a room of (let’s be honest) mostly men, and there is nothing but respect and admiration observed.
Women like Charney Marshall, Amy Watts, Sahara Herald, Christie Stabb, Sophie Kirov, Lucille Serrant, Aisling Charlesworth, Leesa Ellem; are all heroes to me and out there on the road and in charge in their respective fields and because of the work we all do, it’s getting easier for everyone and I take a lot of comfort in that.
I also work with plenty of men who will be the first ones to correct someone on their bad behaviour on the road. There’s no place for that in today’s industry and you’re definitely an outlier if you think differently, and you’ll get weeded out REAL fast.
What advice would you give any woman considering a career in the entertainment industry?
My job got INFINITELY easier when I realised that I don’t have to be everyone’s friend, but I do have to be fair, and I have to be kind.
I think as women we have a natural tendency to want to make everything nice, and please everyone. But the reality is that you cant, and you won’t. It may get you branded as “hard work” but you’re not there to be everyone’s friend and I’d always rather be ‘Hard Work’ and respected, than someone who people think will accept poor behaviour. You’re there to do your job to the best of your ability, deliver a tour, and to be kind and fair to all whilst doing it.
Also, whatever you do; don’t study one of those Tour Manager courses at a private college. This isn’t something you can teach, but you can learn it by doing it.
Some practical tips:
* Get a job in a local venue, be a sponge,
* Email every promoter and artist mgmt you can and ask to shadow them on a gig.
* Get a job driving with one of the ground transport companies that look after us on the road (AXLE, Ground Control). Driving is a great way to get a sense of what being on tour actually looks like and to get a feel for the different roles.
But whatever you do, don’t sit in a classroom thinking you’re going to learn it there!
What is your career goal?
Without limiting myself, dare I say I’m already doing it? I get to go to bed at night utterly exhausted, but proud of the work I’m doing, and I think that’s all I ever hoped for. There are for sure some venues I’d love to see, but for me, it always comes back to how I feel when I get into bed at the end of the day. If I wake up the next morning and still want to be doing what I’m doing, then I know I’m in the right place.
