#35 Michael Strickland | 50 Years of Lighting Up Stages & Advocating Behind-The-Scenes
Michael Strickland is the Founder and Chairman of Bandit Lites. He started the company at 12 years old, grew it while working as Kenny Rogers’ production manager, and turned it into a global leader serving artists like Queen, Aerosmith, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, and hundreds more.He’s also an advocate for the live event workforce—testifying before Congress, leading pandemic relief efforts, and helping pass the Save Our Stages Act. Michael is the only non-musician to ever receive both a CMA and an ACM award, and he’s also earned everything from Pollstar’s Heroes of Live Award to the Parnelli Lifetime Visionary Award.Find your next Gigg: https://www.giggs.live/Stay up to date:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.liveYoutube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-liveHost: Nikki SanzProducer: Annabelle Wiedower
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#34 Ryan Whelpley | Kip Moore’s First Crew Member to Red Light’s Touring Director
Ryan Whelpley is a Touring Director at Red Light Management with over 20 years of experience in live production. He started out mixing front of house at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon, then hit the road full-time tour managing the Gin Blossoms. For The Lost Trailers, he did it all—tour manager, front of house, production manager, merch, van driver. He ran pre-show, carpentry, and automation for Tim McGraw, then spent nearly seven years as Kip Moore’s tour manager. These days, Ryan oversees budgets, vendors, staffing, advancing, routing—anything and everything touring—for a roster of artists at Red Light.Find your next Gigg: https://www.giggs.live/Stay up to date:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.liveYoutube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-liveHost: Nikki SanzProducer: Annabelle Wiedower
Tiffany Kerns is the Senior Vice President of Industry Relations & Philanthropy at the Country Music Association and the Executive Director of the CMA Foundation. She leads strategic programming for CMA’s 6,000+ members and drives over $30 million in music education funding across all 50 states. Whether it’s mental health support, DEI initiatives, or national advocacy for the next generation of creatives, Tiffany is doing the work that makes a real difference.Find your next Gigg: https://www.giggs.live/Stay up to date:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.liveYoutube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-liveHost: Nikki SanzProducer: Annabelle Wiedower
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#32 Tate Henshaw & Farrah Usmani | Music Money: Tour Budgets, Contracts & Hidden Costs
On this episode, we’re diving into the side of the industry that keeps everything running—business management and entertainment law. Tate Henshaw and Farrah Usmani break down the hidden costs of touring, must-know contracts, when to bring in a lawyer, and why ChatGPT shouldn’t be your legal team.Tate Henshaw is the Co-Founder of ARC, a business management firm based in Atlanta. He works with everyone from Grammy-winning musicians like Ne-Yo to NBA All-Stars like Blake Griffin, helping them navigate financial planning, taxes, royalty tracking, tour budgeting, and long-term wealth strategy. Named one of the Top 40 Accountants under 40, Tate is shaping a more transparent, tech-forward future for creatives.Farrah Usmani is an entertainment attorney based in Nashville who advises everyone from indie artists to chart-toppers on how to grow their careers without giving away their rights. She’s negotiated with every major label and music publisher, worked on major touring and streaming deals, and has been featured in Billboard, Variety, and The Tennessean for her work on everything from tour contracts to AI voice protection.Find your next Gigg: https://www.giggs.live/Stay up to date:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.liveYoutube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-liveHost: Nikki SanzProducer: Annabelle Wiedower
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#31 Toni Globis | Wardrobe, Props, Lighting & Pyro: The Touring Swiss Army Knife
Toni Globis—stage manager, lighting tech, production lead, and all-around road warrior. With 25 years of experience across theater, touring, festivals, and stadium shows, Toni has done it all—from running lighting for Coachella and Bad Bunny to stage managing 3 Doors Down and working pyro for Pitbull. She’s a problem-solver, a calm presence in chaos, and someone who’s literally worked with everyone from royalty to rockstars.Find your next Gigg: https://www.giggs.live/Stay up to date:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.liveYoutube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-liveHost: Nikki SanzProducer: Annabelle Wiedower
The Giggs Podcast, hosted by Nikki Sanz, Founder & CEO of Giggs, the professional career platform for the live event industry, dives into the world of touring and live events to share the good, the bad, the ugly, and the unbelievable moments of gigging life, along with invaluable lessons learned on the road.We’re here to fill the gap in content about what it truly takes to work on the road. Our episodes explore every discipline within the live event industry, showcasing big wins, hard-learned lessons, and everything in between. We honor the pioneers of this industry, offering invaluable insights from the older generations who shaped modern touring.Whether you’re an aspiring tour manager, a seasoned backline tech, or just passionate about the live event scene, this podcast is for you. Join us as we take you behind the scenes to explore the highs and lows of gigging life.
New Zealand