Inside the Clair Global Archives with Joe Stolarick

In this short, audio-only solo talk, Greg McVeigh shares stories from his career in concert sound and production, focused on his early-1980s work with popular Australian bands. The stories include a wireless mic test with Air Supply, a Men at Work saxophone solo, and a very long night with INXS.In this episodeGreg's early-1980s job at a North Hollywood company, Audio Services (now Location Sound), which sold film sound gear such as shotgun mics, boom poles, and the Swiss-made Nagra tape recorderHis involvement, thanks largely to Delicate Productions, with Australian bands including INXS, Air Supply, Mental as Anything, Midnight Oil, and Men at WorkColin Hay of Men at Work, the documentary Waiting for My Real Life, and the question Greg put to Hay in his book Just 100 QuestionsA Grammy-related show at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, where Delicate's Chris "Smoother" Smythe asked Hay whether he'd wear his very large cowboy hat during the gigTesting Nady wireless mics with Air Supply singer Russell Hitchcock at SIR, and what Greg learned about how well pop singers hearBuilding a Vega wireless system for Men at Work's saxophonist, the late Greg Ham, and its first use at the Universal AmphitheaterA late-night INXS rehearsal at SIR with drummer Jon Farriss's Rototoms and singer Michael Hutchence, followed by a rough drive homeTimestamps(0:00) Intro and what the bonus episode covers (0:47) Working at Audio Services and the Nagra recorder (1:47) Getting involved with Australian bands through Delicate Productions (2:15) Colin Hay, Waiting for My Real Life, and the Just 100 Questions book (3:12) Smoother, Delicate, and the cowboy hat standoff at the Shrine Auditorium (3:39) Nady wireless mics and the move to testing them with artists (4:09) Air Supply at SIR: Russell Hitchcock compares wired and wireless mics (5:06) Why singers deserve more respect: no vocal backing tracks, and Greg's drummer bias (6:34) Moving on to Men at Work and the Vega wireless system (7:31) Greg Ham's walk through the Universal Amphitheater during "Who Can It Be Now" (8:33) INXS at SIR: Rototoms and Michael Hutchence's bottle windmill (10:00) The 3 AM CHP stop on the 405 and pushing a VW Beetle to a gas station (10:58) Closing and thanksNotable quote"Weaving within my lane? It's just what we do."ClosingGreg says his book Just 100 Questions can be ordered at guesthouseprojects.com and is also available on Amazon, and that a follow-up book is in the works. He also points listeners to the Roadies and Rebels YouTube page for in-depth interviews with friends in the business, and thanks Heil Sound and the Ace Hotel Palm Springs.

Clair Global is marking 60 years in concert sound and touring with the launch of its archives website. Company archivist Joe Stolarick joins Greg McVeigh to introduce the archive and explain how the company is preserving its history.Keywords: Clair Global, Joe Stolarick, Roadies and Rebels Podcast, concert sound, live sound, touring, rock ’n’ roll, music history, concert production, touring industry, company archives, archival preservation, Clair Global Archives, 60th anniversary, Lititz PennsylvaniaMany of the guests on this podcast are featured in my "Just 100* Questions" book. For purchasing please visit Guesthouse Projects. Also available on Amazon.

Host Greg McVeigh sits down with Kelly McGuire for a wide-ranging conversation about his path through audio, live production, and the tribute band world. Kelly shares how he built a career across studio work, TV post production, concert mixing, and teaching, while reflecting on what it takes to keep artists, audiences, and sound systems all working together. They also dig into Kelly’s deep connection to the Eagles ecosystem through family, including his cousin Glenn Frey, and why older artists still touring can feel both inspiring and complicated. It is a practical, personal look at music, pressure, and the realities of working behind the scenes. Many of the guests on this podcast are featured in my "Just 100* Questions" book. For purchasing please visit Guesthouse Projects. Also available on Amazon.

How Bob Heil opened doors across rock touring and pro audio. Greg McVeigh shares how a half-formed artist relations idea turned into his first client, and how one chance conversation with Bob Heil at NAMM reshaped his career. This episode traces the practical side of relationship-building in pro audio, from gatekeepers and handlers to the artists and crew who make endorsements and touring connections actually happen. Key topics:Greg explains his early career in pro audio sales and marketing at Soundcraft, QSC Audio, Crest Audio, and MeyerSound, and why he wanted to move into artist relations.He describes pitching a product-visibility strategy based on getting well-known acts to use gear on camera, and how that idea was mostly rejected at first.A chance meeting with Bob Heil at NAMM becomes the turning point that leads to Heil Sound becoming Greg’s first client and the launch of Guest House Projects.Greg breaks down why singers were especially valuable in artist relations, since they were visible in TV and video shoots and literally held the product.He shares how Bob Heil’s direct relationships with artists like Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh, Charlie Daniels, and Pete Townshend helped Greg work through layers of managers, handlers, and gatekeepers.Greg reflects on the mindset shift of treating Bob Heil as “my artist,” which helped him approach gatekeepers as collaborators rather than obstacles.He tells the story of meeting Smokey Wendell, Joe Walsh’s longtime security chief and road manager, including an awkward dressing room encounter that nearly went sideways.He recounts how Bob’s team made artist access work in practical ways, whether through a quick approval chain with Peter Frampton’s team or a simple instruction from tour management: if Peter wants to stop and talk, he will.The episode highlights Bob Heil’s long-running ties to the talk box, especially through songs like “Rocky Mountain Way” and “Do You Feel Like I Do.”Greg also mentions Bob’s work on The Who’s Quadrophenia tour, where he helped design and build an early four-channel live sound system.The story closes with Greg reflecting on Bob Heil’s impact as a mentor, connector, and sometimes prickly but deeply valuable force in his career.Timestamps00:00 - Greg’s early career in pro audio and the urge to move into artist relations00:33 - Why product placement through famous acts felt like the right strategy01:32 - Searching for opportunity while “unemployed” at NAMM02:02 - First seeing Bob Heil draw a crowd at a small booth02:31 - The book that “ruined” Greg’s life and the first NAMM introduction03:00 - Bob Heil becomes Greg’s first client and launches Guest House Projects03:30 - Why singers are the “money shot” for endorsements and visibility03:59 - How Bob’s artist relationships created new access to major acts04:25 - Working through gatekeepers by saying Bob had already called04:52 - Treating Bob Heil like Greg’s own client to stay on equal footing05:22 - Smokey Wendell’s role as Joe Walsh’s bodyguard, friend, and road manager05:49 - The first uncomfortable encounter with Smokey at the casino venue06:20 - Getting caught in the dressing room and trying to recover fast07:16 - Peter Frampton, Lisa, Donnie, and the simple rule for fan interactions07:46 - Escorting Peter to the Heil Sound booth at NAMM08:17 - Bob Heil’s role in the talk box history of Joe Walsh and Peter Frampton08:48 - Bob’s work with Pete Townshend and the Quadrophenia tour sound system09:16 - The 2016 Maximum Rock and Roll podcast series and its origin09:32 - Footage from the night Keith Moon passed out at the drum kit10:03 - Bob Heil’s connection to Charlie Daniels and Bob Workman10:31 - Greg’s earlier podcast episode with Bob Workman on Roadies and Rebels10:58 - Fin

You Had to Be There: New Orleans, Jazz Fest, and a Few Stories Too Good to Forget. Greg kicks off this bonus episode with a disclaimer about memory, then uses it to launch into a story-rich ride through New Orleans, Jazz Fest, and the musicians and moments that shaped his experiences there. It is part travelogue, part music memoir, and part backstage confession, with stories tied to George Porter Jr., Jimmy Buffett, Aaron Neville, Daniel Lanois, and more.In this episode:Greg frames the series as a personal, audio-only bonus to Roadies and Rebels, inspired by his book Just One Hundred QuestionsHe explains the new theme music for these bonus episodes, including a tribute to the late Rick EliasHe shares how first visiting New Orleans in 1985 hooked him on the city through food, music, and atmosphereHe describes the scale and sound of Jazz Fest, from zydeco and brass band to gospel, rhythm and blues, and moreHe names key Louisiana artists he fell in love with, including Zachary Richard, Wayne Toups, Dr. John, Irma Thomas, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and the Neville BrothersHe tells a family story about taking his daughter to see Aaron Neville and her shocked reaction to meeting him backstageHe recalls how New Orleans music seems to take over your body, even if you are not a dancerHe reflects on his many messy, unforgettable nights in the city and gives credit to friends who helped make them happenHe shares the story of first hearing George Porter Jr. in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band and being stunned by that swampy, funky bass soundHe recounts an all-night hang at Tipitina’s involving Jimmy Buffett, Ed Bradley, and a very bad bodyguard planHe describes an evening at Daniel Lanois’s studio listening to unreleased music and fighting the giggles over a family story about an upside-down American flagTimestamps:00:00 — Opening disclaimer and the “unreliable narrator” setup00:30 — From Just One Hundred Questions to the Roadies and Rebels bonus series01:28 — Theme music for the bonus episodes and a tribute to Rick Elias01:58 — First trip to New Orleans and the food that made it unforgettable02:27 — Jazz Fest and the global mix of sounds in one place02:56 — The Louisiana artists and bands Greg kept returning to03:25 — Taking his daughter to see Aaron Neville and her backstage reaction04:23 — Why New Orleans music makes even non-dancers move04:53 — Losing his mind in New Orleans and why he keeps going back05:22 — The friends who made the adventures possible05:51 — Meeting George Porter Jr. and hearing his bass rig in person07:08 — “How a beach became a swamp” and the sound that stuck forever07:35 — A drunken Tipitina’s night with Jimmy Buffett and Ed Bradley08:09 — Hanging at Daniel Lanois’s studio and hearing unreleased music08:37 — The upside-down flag story that broke the tension09:08 — Closing thoughts, New Orleans advice, and the urn joke09:37 — Where to find more from the show and the bookMany of the guests on this podcast are featured in my "Just 100* Questions" book. For purchasing please visit Guesthouse Projects. Also available on Amazon.

Steve McGuire has spent a lifetime making big rock shows sound massive, from David Lee Roth and The Cult to Bowie tributes, but the real story is how a shy Detroit kid became the kind of front-of-house engineer artists trust with the whole room. This conversation goes way beyond gear and gets into the grit, obsession, and hard-won perspective behind a career built on music, timing, and survival. Greg and Steve trace the path from Detroit basements to New York clubs to the biggest stages in the world, where Steve learned to hear music like a mixer and think like a musician. Along the way, he shares the unlikely origin story of his sound obsession, the homemade tricks he used to create reverb and stereo width before he even knew the names for them, and the early punk-era chaos that helped shape his approach. You'll hear about: The Detroit roots that turned a shy kid into a bass player and eventually a world-class live engineer The Traitors era, including the wild local-TV takeover that helped create a scene What it takes to mix legacy acts like The Cult and David Lee Roth in front of massive backline and huge expectations Why Steve approaches front of house like making a record, not just turning things up. The brutal honesty of sobriety, relapse, rebuilding, and what it really takes to stay in the business Steve also opens up about the people who changed everything for him, from mentors such as Don Was, who gave him a shot to his father, whose pride meant more than any headline gig. And in a music industry full of noise, cynicism, and ego, he makes a clear case for why the best engineers are still the ones who serve the song without losing their own voice. If you care about live sound, tour life, Detroit rock history, or the human story behind a career that refused to quit, this one delivers. Essential listening for engineers, musicians, road crew lifers, and anyone who loves hearing how the real work gets done.Many of the guests on this podcast are featured in my "Just 100* Questions" book. For purchasing please visit Guesthouse Projects. Also available on Amazon.

Discover the journey of Russ Long, a versatile sound professional whose career spans studio engineering, live sound, and his impactful work with Yamaha Pro Audio. This episode dives into lessons learned, industry insights, and personal stories that highlight the importance of adaptability, business skills, and passion in a dynamic industry. #yamahaproaudio #Rivage #sixpencenonethericher #Rickelias #nashvillemusic #riversidefm #amygrant #vincegill #thesphereMany of the guests on this podcast are featured in my "Just 100* Questions" book. For purchasing please visit Guesthouse Projects. Also available on Amazon.

Courtney Gladney shares his journey from church volunteer to touring sound engineer for major R&B acts including behind-the-scenes of the Queen's Tour, stage rotation technology, and arena setup. Hear Courtney and host Greg McVeigh discuss the influence of gospel music on R&B and soul. The impact of specific microphones and equipment choices on live sound as well as the evolution of audio technology, including digital consoles like the #wavesaudio LV1 and #digico. Courtney discusses the reason for choosing certain microphones. Finally, the relationship between character, talent, and longevity in the music industry and Courtney's efforts to inspire the next generation through college advising and mentorship. Many of the guests on this podcast are featured in my "Just 100* Questions" book. For purchasing please visit Guesthouse Projects. Also available on Amazon.

By his estimate Buford Jones has mixed 32 Platinum recording acts in concert during his storied career. Join us as he takes a deep dive into his early days as well as a look at a secret or two in his technique for getting great sound. Did you know that he worked with Eric Clapton on the first MTV Unplugged show?Many of the guests on this podcast are featured in my "Just 100* Questions" book. For purchasing please visit Guesthouse Projects. Also available on Amazon.

Tour veteran Jim Runge and his wife Stacy join host Greg McVeigh for a revealing conversation about the couples journey. From touring with top bands and artists worldwide to having to stop due to Jim's Parkinson's diagnosis, their story is poignent and compelling.Many of the guests on this podcast are featured in my "Just 100* Questions" book. For purchasing please visit Guesthouse Projects. Also available on Amazon.