MMM

I haven't really been deeply researching the motives behind the recent strikes, but in my limited knowledge:

I sympathize with the writers

but the stagehands can eat a dick.

Every since I began playing in the larger halls in NYC, the only real culture shock (a la "you're in the big leagues now boy, get used to it!") has been dealing with the stagehands. They are the most joyless, spoiled, bureaucratic stagehands I have ever met. Each time I play a venue outside of New York I am shocked at how down to earth and easy to work with the stagehands are. I have gotten used to the mentality of not being able to move your own stand and speaking through 4 people to get anything done, not to mention the surly attitudes and the fact that there are always extra stagehands present at almost every gig getting paid to literally do nothing.

But not to unfairly disparage the production level of things, the musicians union is nearly as bad. There I said it.