Meet the CrewCare Team
The CrewCare board of directors is a collective of caring, like minded volunteers. The Board comprises twelve seats: three positions for Founding Directors; two positions for Member Directors and seven positions for Appointed Directors. Founding Members are nominated by the board. Member Directors are elected by the CrewCare membership at the AGM. Appointed Directors are selected by the Board of Directors. All directors are appointed for a three year term and are able to serve a maximum of three consecutive terms. All directors are unpaid and give their time voluntarily.
Ewen Craig has over thirty years of experience in the Australian concert industry as an accounting specialist, having worked with industry stalwarts such as Michael Coppel, Paul Dainty, Michael Chugg and industry giants, Live Nation. Ewen has also worked with major corporations such as Disney and Coca-Cola, engineering their brand activations in and around live events, music and sport. In February 2023 he switched to the venue side starting with Cedar Mill Group as Director of Commercial Operations.
Ewen was honoured to be nominated to join the board by a fellow member having been aware of the work CrewCare are doing.
Also having been around concert touring for over 30 years he has seen the grind and demands on touring crew as well as the sense of satisfaction it can bring.
Ewen is pleased to bring his particular skill set on board to be a part of providing support outside of the gig.
Backstage Coordinator / Artist Liaison / Site Management / Event Manager
With 25 years of experience in the music and events industry, I’ve worked in diverse roles for major stadium tours and festivals, including U2, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Elton John, RHCP, ACDC, Fridayz Live, Parklife, and Big Day Out.
During the winter months, I Event Manager Lightscape across Australia on behalf of Sony and Culture Creative.
I am passionate about fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all crew members from all departments, with a strong commitment to advocating for women and LGBTQI+ crew. My focus is on improving safety, support, and recognition for marginalized voices in the industry. Having personally faced the challenges women encounter, I’m dedicated to driving meaningful change through reforms, fundraising, and mentorship, ensuring that current, past, and future generations of crew can thrive in a safer, more equitable environment.
Lighting Designer
Mark is based in Tasmania and has been in the entertainment and events industry for 37 years as a lightning designer, operator, lightning systems crew.
His touring work has taken him numerous times around Australia many USA tours and shows through Asia.
Mark has also taken many roles throughout his career in the industry including driver, stagehand, loader, runner, crew chief, production manager (towels and water), stage manager and catering officer.
Production Manager
Matthew ‘Jensy’ Jens is a highly skilled production manager, with extensive experience in festival production management throughout Australia. He understands the importance of project systems and is an expert at devising and executing delivery plans to manage high-level touring production.
Matthew’s company, Gig Control, strongly focuses on crew well-being and management, intending to break the cycle of championing unhealthy lifestyles within the music industry. Gig Control also prioritises making gigs more inclusive and accommodating for all attendees, advocating for accessibility at live music events. Matthew's extensive work with the Dylan Alcott Foundation aims to ensure that everyone can enjoy gigs together, no matter the circumstance.
Head of Production | Second Sunday Event Services
Brendan has over 20 years experience in both Domestic and International touring and has worked with some of the biggest Entertainment Brands in the world. He has worked in all size and scale of shows ranging from intimate showcases in 50 seat rooms to 34 truck International Tours.
As Global Head of Production for Nitro Circus Brendan developed the show from a local 5 stop Australian Capital City tour to a Global touring property spanning the globe and running concurrent tours.
Domestically Brendan’s career spans a broad section of the Entertainment Industry including Music, Live Broadcast Events, Theatre and TV. This broad experience means that Brenda has seen some of the industry wide and more genre specific challenges that faces crew today.
Brendan is excited to be on the crew care board in 2023.
Tour and Production Services
Christian McBride has over 20 years experience in production and before that over five years in performance and teaching drums after attaining a certificate in Music from AIM 1993. In 1999 he began working at Billy Hyde Stage Systems in the hire department and continued in that role as assistant manger until 2004.
Since then he has worked in a wide variety of roles as a backline tech, stage manager, tour manager and promoter representative with a wide variety of local promoters and local/international artists including Paul Kelly, Icehouse, The Whitlams, Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry, Frontier Touring, Secret Sounds, Feel Presents and numerous others. He has toured extensively overseas in the North America, , South America, UK, Europe and Asia as a tour manger (US artist Deerhunter 2009) and backline tech with a variety of artists including Kimbra, Boy and Bear, Cut Copy and Paul Kelly.
He has worked on most of the major Australian festivals as a stage manger and/or backline manger at Bluesfest, Splendour in the Grass, RnB Fridays, Parklife and numerous other events.
Whilst continuing to work in these roles he has also participated in industry events and advocacy including Mental Heath First Aid training and in the Collarts Music Masters online panel event in 2021.
Tour and Production Services
Christian McBride has over 20 years experience in production and before that over five years in performance and teaching drums after attaining a certificate in Music from AIM 1993. In 1999 he began working at Billy Hyde Stage Systems in the hire department and continued in that role as assistant manger until 2004.
Since then he has worked in a wide variety of roles as a backline tech, stage manager, tour manager and promoter representative with a wide variety of local promoters and local/international artists including Paul Kelly, Icehouse, The Whitlams, Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry, Frontier Touring, Secret Sounds, Feel Presents and numerous others. He has toured extensively overseas in the North America, , South America, UK, Europe and Asia as a tour manger (US artist Deerhunter 2009) and backline tech with a variety of artists including Kimbra, Boy and Bear, Cut Copy and Paul Kelly.
He has worked on most of the major Australian festivals as a stage manger and/or backline manger at Bluesfest, Splendour in the Grass, RnB Fridays, Parklife and numerous other events.
Whilst continuing to work in these roles he has also participated in industry events and advocacy including Mental Heath First Aid training and in the Collarts Music Masters online panel event in 2021.
Venue Manager
Andrew has worked in the live performance industry for 30 years, and has performed a variety of roles in that time.
He started out working as a stagehand for Gig Power, working as a lighting technician and fulfilling various roles in stage, production and site management for major tours, concerts, festivals and suppliers.
Andrew has now specialised in the provision of temporary structures – mainly outdoor staging - for the past 14 years. Currently managing the staging division at Clifton Productions he is responsible for building and managing project teams to deliver outdoor stages for major concerts tours, events and festivals throughout Australia and abroad.
Sharyn began in the industry with The Paul Dainty Corporation as computer network supervisor and programmer, working in accounts and other areas on national concert tours, theatre productions at the Comedy Theatre, publicity, design, merchandising and music publishing. Some of the many national tours during this period were Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Santana, Phil Collins, Mick Jagger.
With Richard East Productions she worked with the Australian and UK offices in Artist Management, Concert Tour Promotions and Music Publishing.
At award winning Fender Katsalidis Architects, Sharyn worked in accounts and HR in the architecture/property development businesses. Major projects included Eureka Tower, Bendigo Art Gallery, Ian Potter Museum of Art, Republic Tower.
BrandMark Multimedia
Tony started his career as a photographer and graphic artist with advertising institution Omega Graphics, before running his own successful photography business.
Drawn by a love of music, he began work within the divisions of A&R and Publishing for companies including Richard East Productions, Bright Spark Music, Image Music and Fable Records. His work encompassed artist management, tours, music publishing, publicity and promotion. Tonys’ roles afforded him the opportunity to work with a number of major international and local artists.
His experience has gained him connections and close relationships across the music industry, keeping Tony very much invested and attentive to the physical and mental health issues that have arisen across the sector.
BrandMark Multimedia
Tony started his career as a photographer and graphic artist with advertising institution Omega Graphics, before running his own successful photography business.
Drawn by a love of music, he began work within the divisions of A&R and Publishing for companies including Richard East Productions, Bright Spark Music, Image Music and Fable Records. His work encompassed artist management, tours, music publishing, publicity and promotion. Tonys’ roles afforded him the opportunity to work with a number of major international and local artists.
His experience has gained him connections and close relationships across the music industry, keeping Tony very much invested and attentive to the physical and mental health issues that have arisen across the sector.
BrandMark Multimedia
Tony started his career as a photographer and graphic artist with advertising institution Omega Graphics, before running his own successful photography business.
Drawn by a love of music, he began work within the divisions of A&R and Publishing for companies including Richard East Productions, Bright Spark Music, Image Music and Fable Records. His work encompassed artist management, tours, music publishing, publicity and promotion. Tonys’ roles afforded him the opportunity to work with a number of major international and local artists.
His experience has gained him connections and close relationships across the music industry, keeping Tony very much invested and attentive to the physical and mental health issues that have arisen across the sector.
BrandMark Multimedia
Tony started his career as a photographer and graphic artist with advertising institution Omega Graphics, before running his own successful photography business.
Drawn by a love of music, he began work within the divisions of A&R and Publishing for companies including Richard East Productions, Bright Spark Music, Image Music and Fable Records. His work encompassed artist management, tours, music publishing, publicity and promotion. Tonys’ roles afforded him the opportunity to work with a number of major international and local artists.
His experience has gained him connections and close relationships across the music industry, keeping Tony very much invested and attentive to the physical and mental health issues that have arisen across the sector.
Production Manager
Colin Rendell has extensive experience in the events industry with over 20 years of experience working in corporate and touring. He owns and operates his own organisation providing specialised technical services for events, proudly having grown an organisation with an exceptional work culture which receives regular positive feedback from its employees.
Colin has a logical and fair approach to challenges that incorporate strong ethics and emotional intelligence that could be valuable to assisting with or creating new CrewCare initiatives.
Academic | Business Owner | Music Industry Professional.
Katy is a live music professional with over 25 years experience.
In 2010 when Katy became a single mum and could no longer tour, she became the founder and director of Ground Control Event Services which provides professional event staff in roles such as artist and crew ground transport, production runners and VIP teams on concerts and festivals around Australia.
Ground Control provide crew for many promoters including Live Nation, Frontier touring, Chugg, TEG Dainty and Adrian Bohm to name a few.
Katy is also a university lecturer in Music Business and Tour Management and empowers her students to be the change makers of the Live Music scene and hopes her influence and the work opportunities Ground Control provides will see a more diverse and inclusive music industry for futures to come.
Academic | Business Owner | Music Industry Professional.
Katy is a live music professional with over 25 years experience.
In 2010 when Katy became a single mum and could no longer tour, she became the founder and director of Ground Control Event Services which provides professional event staff in roles such as artist and crew ground transport, production runners and VIP teams on concerts and festivals around Australia.
Ground Control provide crew for many promoters including Live Nation, Frontier touring, Chugg, TEG Dainty and Adrian Bohm to name a few.
Katy is also a university lecturer in Music Business and Tour Management and empowers her students to be the change makers of the Live Music scene and hopes her influence and the work opportunities Ground Control provides will see a more diverse and inclusive music industry for futures to come.
Academic | Business Owner | Music Industry Professional
Katy is a live music professional with over 25 years experience.
In 2010 when Katy became a single mum and could no longer tour, she became the founder and director of Ground Control Event Services which provides professional event staff in roles such as artist and crew ground transport, production runners and VIP teams on concerts and festivals around Australia.
Ground Control provide crew for many promoters including Live Nation, Frontier touring, Chugg, TEG Dainty and Adrian Bohm to name a few.
Katy is also a university lecturer in Music Business and Tour Management and empowers her students to be the change makers of the Live Music scene and hopes her influence and the work opportunities Ground Control provides will see a more diverse and inclusive music industry for futures to come.