Sean ‘Motley’ Hackett started his career in live entertainment back in 1979 when he was the backstage tech for a Scout Gang show.
He toured the world as a Vari*lite tech and was crew chief for many large tours; first with Jands, then Bytecraft and eventually PRG.
As a lighting designer, Motley has worked for a host of national and international acts such as INXS, Savage Garden, Noiseworks, Jimmy Barnes, as well as lighting major events like the Commonwealth Games Entertainment stage.
Since 2009, Motley has been kept busy by KISS as their long-term lighting designer and operator.
What would you normally be doing this time of year?
I should be in Europe continuing the two and a half year final KISS world tour that just stopped one morning mid-March like all other shows. We had done 123 shows with 100+ to go.
What’s a fairly normal day at the moment for you?
I don’t really have any normal, it varies, but I am staying at home a lot, lying low due to CoVid-19. I have no real schedule.
Pretty much trying to stay focussed on any positives I can find in these crazy times and catching up on things that were never done as I was rarely here in the past few years.
I have been going through over 40 years of collecting hard rock old vinyl records and various other items.
Are you learning anything to improve your skills set?
Trying to keep up my MA console knowledge with MA PC and 3D plus& keeping up with Vectorworks.
I always said to my wife ‘I am going to have a gap year as I never had one after school so here I go 39 years later’!
What bad habits have you slipped into?
Enjoying being lazy with is not good I need more exercise.
I had a lot more bad habits when I was younger as did most of the touring industry in the ’80s and ’90s!
How are you coping financially?
I have saved money from touring so am living off that at the moment.
When do you think live entertainment with return and in what format?
Slowly bit by bit from small shows to large.
Some of the medium size venues may find a way of social distancing and less capacity.
Hopefully, our creative Australian artists can make some money with concert hungry audiences before we start bringing in big overseas acts to OZ.
The promoters in the USA and Europe are rescheduling tours for next northern summer 2021.
Of course, I would like it all to be a dream and wake up on the tour bus and walk into an arena in the USA or Europe and for everyone else to be employed again
Let’s hope there is a vaccine that works as it will be very hard to do large shows without it.
But my crystal ball, like most peoples, is very cloudy and I don’t really know. I can’t put a time frame on it.
Do you have any words of encouragement?
It will get better, try and learn as much as you can to make you more employable when this is all over.
They never had YouTube when I was young – there is so much learning material out there now.
Don’t end down some rabbit hole full of conspiracy theories or turn to drugs and alcohol. They may make you feel better for a while but eventually will do your head in.
As history has told us, this pandemic shit has happened before and will happen again in some form.
If you think this is crap just think how bad it would be having your home blown up and living in a refugee camp, we’re are not that bad off here.
With every world disaster, there are always opportunities for people to shine at the other end so use your imagination and take a chance.
What makes you happy at the moment?
My family are safe and I live in a country with leaders that care about its people.
The sun is shining here in QLD and its warm – sorry VIC the sun will shine again.
Knowing that the tour I was on will continue one day.
Monty Python singing Always Look on the Bright Side of Life while being crucified – now that is optimistic.
