Tour Tales | Malcolm Allen says Bow Wow is one of the best stage performers ever
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Over the years, production manager extraordinaire Malcolm Allen has arranged enough shows for the likes of Carl Thomas, Charlie Wilson, New Edition, and Bell Biv DeVoe to know what they need to put on their best performances. He’s also witnessed the camaraderie older artists have with one another.
“I’ve spent the last year rocking with Charlie Wilson, and when we do shows, all the artists seek him out,” Allen tells REVOLT. “I’ve done stuff with Kirk Franklin, walked out of Charlie’s dressing room, and had Kirk look at me saying, ‘I have to see Unc.’”
In this installment of “Tour Tales,” Allen explains why he had to cancel a New Edition show, what Carl Thomas needs after every set, and how he balances fatherhood with touring. Read the exclusive chat below.
What was the first traditional tour you worked on as a production manager?
I did several dates in the early days with Carl Thomas with his Bad Boy run. New Edition was my first arena tour. I’m a production manager. I combine all the elements to create the show — everything from light, sound, video, and tech. But then, I also dip into logistics in terms of tour buses, trucks and all of that.
That means you have to be able to adapt. What are some audibles you’ve done to keep the show going?
Everything can be fixed with Gaff tape (laughs). On New Edition’s “The Culture Tour,” one of our motors broke on the LED wall that was supposed to raise and lower. I had to call for my guy to go up and unhook the chain to drop the rest of the wall down, so it sat evenly on the floor. I’ve had a situation where I had to make the call to cancel a pretty major show. We were in Chicago for a show with New Edition, Babyface, and Teddy Riley with Blackstreet and his whole team. We were at a university arena with a big storm outside. The maintenance crew did not clean out one of the drains, and it flooded the entire arena floor.
So, when you walked onto the arena floor, there was a literal field of water with our wires and everything for a sound system sitting in that water. We had to cancel the show. So I’m in Chicago, and I have to go over to a comedian from Chicago and tell them, “Hey, man, I need you to make an announcement to the entire audience. I’m going to put it on a piece of paper, and then you read it. You let me know what you think.” I wrote out that we were canceling the show. By the time I was halfway down the hallway, he poked his head out of his dressing room and yelled at me. He said, “Man, what the hell?” But that’s still under litigation because it was the venue’s fault that we couldn’t have that show.
You’ve toured with so many legends; have you seen camaraderie backstage?
I’ve spent the last year rocking with Charlie Wilson, and when we do shows, all the artists seek him out. It doesn’t matter if it’s the youngest, latest and greatest person, gospel, or whatever. I’ve done stuff with Kirk Franklin, walked out of Charlie’s dressing room, and had Kirk look at me saying, “I have to see Unc.” I’ve also seen some pretty neat things with Keith Sweat when it comes to New Edition. Keith, New Edition, and Johnny Gill are a brotherhood.
How have you turned artists’ visions for their shows into reality?
The first “Millennium Tour” when Gary Guidry from G-Squared Events called me and said, “We’ve got B2K, we have to figure out how to put a show together.” At the time, B2K was four individual guys. I had to call them individually, and they all had their own individual ideas. What I normally do is draw out the layout of the stage, and then I have different elements. I make a list of the different ways they can enter because it’s important how you enter and how you present yourself to the audience. I’ll write a list that says they can fly in from the top and come in from the bottom, left, and right. I flew to California, sat down with Omarion and his team, and had the other guys on the call. We walked through it, drew it out along with Ray Dixon over at Elite Audio Visual Elements. We came up with a killer package that won awards.
You’re also a father. What are some key moments in life that you had to sacrifice to be on the road?
I’ve missed quite a few family events, but I missed my youngest daughter’s graduation because I was out of the country with Charlie. That happened recently. But God has been good to me. My schedule has always worked out for major life events, and I’ve been able to make amends or get people to cover for me. I have a daughter who plays basketball. She now has a full scholarship at Howard University and plays at Howard. I haven’t missed games. I’ve made almost every one of her home games. I live in North Carolina, so I have to travel there, and I’ve been able to make it. It’s hard sometimes because the industry can be tough; if you miss a show or some dates, you feel like your job is on the line. That’s just the reality.
What are some riders you’ve worked on?
Artists are very keen on their health, so they’re very particular about what they want on that rider for food. We have to have a vegan option. Some artists have to have a particular type of pound cake. If they don’t have that pound cake, it ain’t no good for the show (laughs). Carl Thomas needs a Pinot Grigio; if he doesn’t have that Pinot to have after the show, it’s a wrap. I remember a couple of times we’ve asked, “Where’s the Pinot?” They tell us, “Oh, we don’t have it.” All I say is, “Oh, no. We have to get that.”
You mentioned you worked on the first “Millennium Tour.” How have you seen Bow Wow’s live show improve over the years?
Bow Wow is one of the best stage performers in the industry, period. He knows his show. He’s been raised in the game, but he’s got this natural energy with him, and the level of professionalism that man carries is strong. We’ve had our back and forth about production stuff — design and stuff like that. He headlined our last run, so we had to make sure he had what he needed, and we got to a place where he was good with it. But he said to me one day, “Malcolm, at the end of the day, if that mic is rocking and my sound is good, we are having the concert. All the other bells and whistles are great, but give me my mic.” He’s right. He gets that mic, and I’ve seen crowds go from zero to 100 with him running things. I love that man.
What were some last-minute guest appearances you helped facilitate?
Once, Bow Wow was going on stage, and his manager tapped me to say, “Hey, Breezy’s in the building.” He didn’t say it, but he gave a head nod. So I went to my sound guy and said, “We need an extra mic.” Snoop did the same thing. Robin Thicke came to a couple of shows with a whole other set of music. So, then the DJ has to make their adjustment.
What do you have planned for the rest of 2023?
When we get to the latter part of the year, it becomes a planning year for 2024. We’ve got a few shows left with BBD. There are conversations with G-Squared Events and The Black Promoters Collective on putting other shows, tours, and festivals together. That’s really where I like to live — looking at an event in totality. Production isn’t what you see on stage. It’s what is the patron’s experience as soon as they hit the door? How does it look? How does it feel? Do they feel safe because there’s enough security? Are there enough signs to guide them to the right locations? Is merch properly positioned? All those things matter because if you do them right, when they step into the arena or the stadium, they’re ready for a show, which helps with the energy.
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