Peter Hendrickson
By Manus Hopkins
One might think with the live entertainment industry still largely inactive , someone like Peter Hendrickson wouldn ’ t have a lot to do these days . That couldn ’ t be further off — the Tour Tech East director hasn ’ t been staging stadium concerts for tens of thousands of people as per usual , but he has plenty of tasks he ’ s finally had time to get out of the way . It might not all be as exciting , but it is crucial work , like re-soldering over 1,000 mic cables from his company ’ s extensive inventory .
“ There were a lot of projects that were never properly completed that now I ’ ve been able to go back and put the finishing touches on ,” he says . “ I ’ ve had an opportunity to do that quite a bit this last year .”
Established in Nova Scotia in 1981 , Tour Tech East has become a frontrunner in Canadian production companies , doing lighting , audio , video , and even power supply for all kinds of events , from concerts to spoken word tours to movies and TV shows . Hendrickson had always hoped his company would make it to where it is now , as he never wanted to do anything else with his life . He ’ s only ever had one other job , at a grocery store when he was 15 . He lasted just six months , and had moved on to handling stage production for a local Halifax-area band called Titan by his final year of high school . The band would pick Hendrickson up every Thursday , then play a high school dance that night , and another on each of the next two nights . Hendrickson stayed with Titan from 1975 until 1981 , when he left to work for another local act called The Oakley Band , and start his own stage production company .
The Oakley Band was doing well in those days , with a record deal and a cross-Canada tour ready to launch , so it made sense for Hendrickson to level up and join their team . He ’ d amassed an impressive amount of lighting equipment by this point as well , which he was able to make money renting out to other bands in the region . This was one of the reasons he started Tour Tech East , while still working for The Oakley Band .
“ I decided I wanted to separate myself from the equipment ,” he says , “ so I got paid a fee to work for the band , and I got paid a fee for renting the lights .” In 1984 , The Oakley Band broke up , and Hendrickson feared he wouldn ’ t be able to find another steady gig like it . This fear was shortlived though , as he started getting calls from promoters asking him to supply equipment for world-class country acts like Johnny Cash , Waylon Jennings , and Mel Tillis . Soon enough , Hendrickson had three house lighting rigs set up at some of the biggest concert bars in Halifax . He realized his business could benefit from having some audio gear as well , so he started investing in that , building his arsenal even more .
One fateful day in the late 1980s , Hendrickson got a random call from British heavy metal act Iron Maiden ’ s tour manager . Their gear was stuck in Germany , and they needed a huge amount of equipment on extremely short notice . The next morning , Tour Tech East was setting up Iron Maiden ’ s show . From there , Hendrickson went on to work with other largescale acts , Bon Jovi , David Bowie , and Rod Stewart among them . As the company ’ s reputation grew , the company itself grew too , hiring more and more employees and offering additional services like staging and video .
HENDRICKSON AND HIS DOG , TEDDY
“ That ’ s how we became sort of an all-encompassing company ,” says Hendrickson .
Being able to provide a multitude of services has kept Tour Tech East consistently busy and coveted enough to be hired by giants of arena rock like The Rolling Stones , AC / DC , Metallica , and Aerosmith , which Hendrickson says was a career highlight . It ’ s a satisfying feeling for Hendrickson seeing shows like these , after the long hours of hard labour and careful work that go into putting them together .
“ You actually get to see your end creation ,” he says . “ With television , you can cut and edit and reshoot , but with live shows , you get one shot and that ’ s it .”
Another aspect of his work Hendrickson is proud of is his role on the board of directors for the Parnelli Awards . Since 2001 , the Parnelli Awards have recognized “ the people behind the scenes ,” as Hendrickson puts it , giving out awards for lighting , audio , staging , and more . Hendrickson was the first Canadian to join the board , and is passionate about giving industry professionals the recognition they deserve . There ’ s a real comradery in the business , Hendrickson says , which he partially attributes to the fact that most people are in it because of passion , not money .
To Hendrickson , it is important to recognize the work people in the music and performance industry do , and each of his employees who stays with Tour Tech East 10 years is gifted a Rolex . This isn ’ t because Hendrickson has the money to give away expensive watches all the time , but because he cares about showing his employees how valued they are .
Though he ’ s been in the stage production business for 45 years – almost his entire life , Hendrickson says he still has lots to learn , and is doing so every day , even from his younger employees .
“ There ’ s nothing wrong with not knowing something ,” he says . “ There is something wrong with not asking .”
Manus Hopkins is a freelance writer based in Whitehorse , YT and a former Editorial Assistant at Professional Lighting & Production .
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