Who are you?
My name is Jen McEwan, I’m from Melbourne and I’m a Live Entertainment Industry Professional/Production Coordinator/Assistant in the live event industry. My responsibilities include tour logistics: liaising with TM/PM, booking accommodation, flights, ground transport, keeping tour books up to date, venue advances, organising riders, quoting and booking backline, LX, sound, video, crewing and FX.
What led you to your current work?
My first job after leaving school was booking studio time in a recording studio, which lead to working at The Corner Hotel in Richmond. There I assisted the booker while undertaking general venue duties, promotions and pre-production. I moved from there to the Palace Entertainment Complex in St Kilda for a year – before I took over the role of Venue Booker looking after all the live shows, club nights and functions.
Palace management bought the old Metro nightclub in Melbourne’s Bourke Street in 2007, where they stripped the club back to its bare bones and rebuilt it to become one of Melbourne’s most iconic live entertainment spaces. When that building was sold in 2014, I moved on to Live Nation in the Production Department. My duties covered immigration, booking accommodation, flights & ground transport, tour books, before being promoted to Production Co-ordinator.
What are the good things about your job?
The role is varied and interesting to me, I enjoy the process of seeing shows come together and the part I play in that. There are many fantastic things about this job, mostly the crew I get to work with.
What are the worst things about your job?
It does require long hours, and that can be exhausting. Being available any time, seven days a week can certainly take its toll, so lack of sleep has been a huge problem for me in the past. Covid-19 highlighted a massive mental health problem with many highly skilled personnel leaving the industry. While the last few years have hit many industries hard, live music has taken one of the biggest hits. I’d love to see bigger tours recognising that it’s extremely difficult to tour in this post-Covid-19 climate, and where possible, maybe hire a dedicated HR/Mental Health professional to go on tour and look after crew. Also very sadly, it’s no secret that pay equality and misogyny are still alive and well!!
What, so far, has been your career highlight?
Honestly, there have been too many to list here. All the good has outweighed the not-so-good, and I’m grateful to Palace management for taking a punt on me at a time when live venues were not predominately hiring young women. Taking on such a big role in one of Australia’s biggest and busiest live venues was very brave of them – but I was supported in every way to grow in my role organically and in turn, achieve the best outcome for the company.
One that springs to mind has to be booking Nirvana as one of my first shows at the Palace, a surprise Prince show and working production on one of Melbourne’s biggest Dance Parties RUN at the Palace.
Being part of turning the Metro Nightclub back into a live entertainment venue (shout to Tim Pittman for trusting me the venue would be ready and a wonderful live space) and having Sonic Youth christen the venue for two shows. In the six and a half years at Live Nation, I worked on hundreds of great shows – but working on Download Festival as the Production Coordinator was a high point. But after months of backbreaking work, in March 2020 Covid hit, and the week of the first show the entire festival was pulled. Heartbreaking.
What is the most blatant example of sexism you have encountered at work?
If I’m honest, in the early years I faced a few unfortunate examples of sexism, general unnecessary rudeness, unsavoury comments and sexual harassment. I learnt to have a thick skin, stand up for myself and stop it in its tracks. Again I was fortunate enough to have an amazing boss who backed me completely, more than once he noticed what was happening and jumped in to let them know it was unacceptable. There were numerous times when I’ve witnessed men with very little to no experience promoted to management roles above women with many years more experience. These hires are not good for any company, the staff suffer and bad decisions ensue.
What advice would you give to any woman thinking of a career in the entertainment industry?
The same advice I would give anyone. I always treated my job like being the perfect waiter, right there when you’re needed, disappearing when you’re not and don’t chime in on things that are out of your remit. I always try to go above and beyond, giving people what they need before they asked. Be helpful, be kind – all it requires is a good amount of common sense and an ability to read the room. Ask questions, never assume, no matter your experience you’ll never know everything and no situation will ever be the same. That’s part of the beauty, it’s ever-changing.
What is your career goal?
I’m extremely proud of what I’ve achieved, I feel I’ve done a good job and have made some lovely friends – that’s enough.
