A production manager working on global tours with rock legends Deep Purple has urged the next generation of music industry professionals to embrace “the hustle”, describing the intense personal sacrifices and rewards of life on the road.
Mike Airey, 46, who graduated from Buckinghamshire New University in 2003, now works behind the scenes on major international shows, including venues such as London’s O2 Arena.
Speaking about his career path, Mike said entry into the competitive live music industry is rarely a straight line.
“I think a lot of us thought we’d walk into something big straight out of university. You don’t. You start at the bottom,” he said.
For him, the early years involved driving vans, working festival shifts and handling merchandise logistics. He attributes his eventual breakthrough to a simple strategy: saying yes to every opportunity that came his way.
That willingness to take opportunities helped him build experience and contacts over time, eventually leading to work on major tours and being approached directly by artists, including Australian punk band Amyl and the Sniffers.
He said those moments – when work starts coming to you – are when it begins to feel like a career.
Despite the highlights, Mike is open about the harsher realities of the job. Touring, he says, is less a job and more a lifestyle, with long hours and extended time away from home.
That can come at a personal cost. He revealed he missed the birth of his son while working – something that underlines the level of commitment the role can demand.
Even so, he says the rewards outweigh the challenges, particularly the experience of seeing a live crowd respond to a show he has helped deliver.
While he is not on stage himself, he describes a strong sense of pride in making those moments happen.
Reflecting on his time at Buckinghamshire New University, Mike credits it with giving him a starting point in a competitive industry, where getting a first break is often the hardest step.
His advice to current students is grounded in that experience: persistence matters, rejection is normal, and opportunities often come from simply being willing to get involved.
“You’ve just got to keep going,” he said. “And say yes to things.”