You’ve Got Backstage Access — Here’s How Not to Lose It

There’s something undeniably exciting about being handed backstage access at a concert.

You’ve walked through the venue doors, collected your accreditation, photographed the support act, survived the photo pit and then somebody points towards that mysterious door marked:

BACKSTAGE — AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY

You show your pass.

Security waves you through.

And there it is.

The mysterious world behind the stage.

Except instead of finding Lemmy playing poker with Dave Grohl while someone wheels past a bath filled with champagne, you’re considerably more likely to encounter:

Flight cases.

Cables.

Crew members carrying equipment.

A tour manager staring intensely at a phone.

Someone desperately searching for gaffer tape.

A guitarist warming up.

And a bloke with a radio moving at approximately 900mph.

Welcome backstage at a concert. 🎸🔥

It’s exciting.

It’s fascinating.

But above everything else:

BACKSTAGE IS A WORKPLACE.

Whether you’re there as press, a photographer, interviewer or invited guest, you’ve been trusted with access to an area where artists and crews are preparing to put on a show.

So don’t become the reason someone regrets issuing your pass.

Here is The Riff Report Guide to Backstage Etiquette at Concerts.

🎟️ DO: Know What Your Pass Allows

Backstage access isn’t universal access.

Different credentials can mean completely different things.

You might have:

  • Photo pit access
  • Press access
  • Backstage access
  • Dressing-room corridor access
  • Interview-area access
  • Artist guest access
  • Side-stage access
  • All-access accreditation

Never assume one automatically includes another.

A photo pass usually means exactly that:

Photography access.

It doesn’t mean you can wander backstage afterwards looking for the band.

Likewise, backstage access doesn’t necessarily mean you’re allowed side-stage during the performance.

If you’re unsure?

Ask security.

That’s considerably better than discovering the answer while somebody escorts you back through the door.

🚫 DON’T: Wander Around Looking for the Band

You’re backstage for a reason.

Maybe you’ve arranged an interview.

Maybe you’ve been invited to photograph something.

Maybe you’re meeting a PR representative.

Go where you’ve been told to go.

Don’t wander through corridors opening doors trying to find the dressing rooms.

This isn’t Pokémon Go.

You don’t need to catch them all.

🤘 DO: Remember Everyone Is Working

A concert backstage area can be incredibly busy.

You’ve got:

Tour management.

Production crew.

Guitar technicians.

Drum technicians.

Lighting crew.

Sound engineers.

Venue staff.

Security.

Merchandise teams.

PR representatives.

Photographers.

Journalists.

Support bands.

Headline artists.

Everyone is trying to make sure the gig actually happens.

Don’t block corridors.

Don’t stand in doorways.

Don’t spread your camera bag across working areas.

And if someone comes towards you carrying an enormous flight case?

Move.

They have right of way.

Mostly because physics says so.

🚪 DON’T: Walk Into Dressing Rooms

Simple rule.

Never enter a dressing room unless you’re invited.

An open door doesn’t mean open house.

Artists may be:

Changing.

Eating.

Resting.

Warming up.

Calling home.

Preparing for the show.

Having private conversations.

If you’ve been told your interview is taking place in a dressing room, knock and wait to be invited inside.

Basic respect.

🎤 DO: Be Ready for Your Interview

Concert schedules can be ridiculously tight.

You might have been promised twenty minutes.

Then soundcheck runs late.

Meet-and-greet overruns.

Production needs the singer.

Suddenly you’ve got:

Eight minutes.

Welcome to music journalism.

Have your questions ready.

Know what you want to ask.

Know the artist.

Don’t waste precious interview time trying to remember what their latest album is called.

🎙️ DO: Check Your Recording Equipment BEFOREHAND

Before walking backstage:

  • Check batteries
  • Check storage
  • Test the microphone
  • Check recording levels
  • Put unnecessary notifications on silent
  • Carry backup recording equipment if possible
  • Make sure you’ve actually pressed RECORD

That final one is the killer.

Nothing quite compares with completing the best interview you’ve ever conducted, looking at the recorder and discovering:

00:00

That’s the sort of moment that makes grown journalists stare silently at walls.

🔴 DO: Make It Clear When the Interview Starts

Everyone should know when you’re officially recording.

Something simple works:

“Right, we’re recording whenever you’re ready.”

And when the interview finishes, make it clear the formal interview is over.

Don’t secretly leave the recorder running hoping somebody says something controversial afterwards.

That’s not clever journalism.

That’s a fantastic way to destroy trust.

🤐 DON’T: Publish Off-the-Record Conversation

You’ve finished the interview.

The recorder goes off.

Then the guitarist tells you something absolutely enormous.

Upcoming album.

Tour plans.

Band gossip.

Whatever.

If it’s clearly off-record?

It’s off-record.

Respect it.

The music industry is smaller than people realise.

Trust travels.

So does the reputation of someone who can’t be trusted.

📸 DO: Ask Before Taking Backstage Photographs

Your photo accreditation doesn’t automatically extend backstage.

Performance photography and backstage photography are different things.

Ask before taking photographs.

Especially around:

Dressing rooms.

Private artist areas.

Production spaces.

Family members.

Guests.

Pre-show routines.

Some bands love backstage documentary photography.

Others absolutely don’t.

Respect the difference.

🚫 DON’T: Secretly Photograph Artists

No hiding behind a flight case trying to capture a “candid exclusive”.

No photographing through dressing-room doors.

No catching someone halfway through changing.

No photographing somebody having a private or emotional conversation.

You’re not photographing wildlife from a hide.

They’re people.

Treat them accordingly.

📱 DO: CHECK THE BACKGROUND BEFORE POSTING

You’ve taken a brilliant photograph with the band.

Lovely.

Before uploading it…

LOOK BEHIND YOU.

Backstage walls and tables can contain:

Setlists.

Production notes.

Phone numbers.

Tour schedules.

Pass information.

Unannounced plans.

Personal belongings.

Information that absolutely shouldn’t be plastered across Instagram.

Zoom into the photograph before publishing.

Make sure you haven’t accidentally leaked half the band’s touring operation because you wanted a selfie.

🤳 DON’T: Turn Backstage Into Your Personal Meet-and-Greet

You’re allowed to be a fan.

We’re all fans.

That’s why we work around music.

But if you’re backstage professionally, behave professionally.

Don’t immediately start asking everyone for:

Selfies.

Autographs.

Video messages.

Signed albums.

Signed shirts.

Signed guitars.

Signed left buttock.

You’re there because somebody trusted you professionally.

Don’t turn that access into a personal autograph hunt.

👋 DO: Introduce Yourself

You don’t need a speech.

Something simple:

“Hi, I’m Michael from The Riff Report. Lovely to meet you.”

Perfect.

Friendly.

Professional.

Done.

There’s no need to explain every concert you’ve attended since 1987 while the drummer desperately looks towards the stage manager for rescue.

⏰ DO: Respect the Clock

If you’ve been given ten minutes with the artist…

You’ve got ten minutes.

Not:

Ten minutes plus another question.

Plus one quick thing.

Plus a selfie.

Plus asking whether they’ll sign your vinyl.

Tour schedules can be incredibly tight.

Wrap up on time.

Thank them.

Leave.

PR people notice journalists who respect schedules.

That’s the sort of thing that helps when you request access next time.

🍺 DON’T: GET HAMMERED

There may be alcohol backstage.

That’s not a challenge.

If you’re there working for a publication, you’re representing that publication.

A beer after you’ve finished?

Fine.

Turning up to interview the headline act after six pints and announcing:

“RIGHT BUTT, LET’S TALK ABOUT RIFFS!”

Probably not.

Remain professional while you’re working.

🍕 DON’T: RAID THE RIDER

See that fridge full of beer?

Not automatically yours.

See those snacks?

Also not automatically yours.

See that suspiciously expensive bottle of whisky?

Definitely not yours.

A dressing-room rider belongs to the artist unless you’ve specifically been invited to help yourself.

Don’t nick anything.

You’re a journalist.

Not a raccoon.

🎸 DON’T: TOUCH THE INSTRUMENTS

This deserves enormous letters.

DO NOT TOUCH THE BAND’S EQUIPMENT.

Guitars.

Basses.

Drums.

Pedals.

Amplifiers.

Microphones.

Wireless packs.

Setlists attached to pedalboards.

Anything.

That guitar might be worth £10,000.

It might also be tuned specifically for the next song.

The guitar tech has spent hours getting everything exactly right.

They absolutely do not need a journalist picking it up and saying:

“Ooooh, nice Les Paul.”

Look with your eyes.

Not your hands.

📦 DON’T: Treat Flight Cases Like Furniture

Flight cases often look like convenient seats.

They aren’t necessarily.

They may contain extremely expensive equipment.

They may need to move in thirty seconds.

They may belong to another touring party.

Unless somebody tells you it’s fine:

Don’t sit on them.

🚧 DO: Keep Stage Access Clear

The area between backstage and the stage can become absolute organised chaos immediately before showtime.

Artists moving towards stage.

Guitar techs carrying instruments.

Security.

Stage crew.

Production.

Sound technicians.

People carrying equipment.

Don’t stand there chatting.

Don’t block the route trying to photograph something.

When the band is heading towards stage, get out of the way.

🔥 DO: WATCH OUT FOR PYRO AND STAGE EFFECTS

If you’ve got side-stage or stage-access permission, this becomes extremely important.

You may be close to:

Flame jets.

Pyrotechnics.

CO₂ cannons.

Smoke effects.

Spark machines.

Confetti cannons.

Moving equipment.

If security or production tells you to stand somewhere specific, stand there.

If they tell you to move?

Move immediately.

Don’t think:

“But this angle is amazing.”

That amazing angle might be directly beside a flame cannon that’s about to turn your eyebrows into history.

The crew knows what’s coming.

Listen to them.

🎭 DO: GIVE THE BAND SPACE BEFORE SHOWTIME

The final minutes before a concert can be intense.

Different performers prepare differently.

Some are laughing and joking.

Some are warming up.

Some are completely silent.

Some are stretching.

Some are pacing.

Some are doing vocal exercises that sound like somebody attempting to summon Satan through a kettle.

Whatever their routine…

Let them do it.

Five minutes before stage time is generally not when you should suddenly ask:

“Quick question about your second album…”

😅 DO: Give Them Space After the Show

They’ve just spent 90 minutes under hot lights performing at full intensity.

Give them a minute.

They’re probably:

Sweaty.

Dehydrated.

Full of adrenaline.

Exhausted.

Changing clothes.

Trying to cool down.

Unless an immediate post-show interview has specifically been arranged, don’t ambush them as they leave the stage.

🚫 DON’T: POST SPOILERS

This matters especially on tours.

You may see:

A setlist.

Stage production.

Costumes.

A special prop.

An encore surprise.

A guest musician.

Something fans attending later dates haven’t seen yet.

Think before posting.

Being first isn’t always worth ruining the surprise.

👥 DON’T: BRING YOUR MATES BACKSTAGE

Your pass is yours.

It doesn’t include:

Your mate.

Your partner.

Your cousin.

Your work colleague.

That bloke from the pub.

Someone you met in the smoking area who claims they were once in a band with the bassist.

Don’t put security in that position.

🔐 DO: LOOK AFTER YOUR PASS

Don’t lend your credential to somebody.

Don’t leave it sitting around.

And think carefully before posting detailed close-up photographs of current passes online.

Security systems exist for a reason.

Treat your accreditation responsibly.

❤️ DO: TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT

This is the easiest rule in the entire guide.

Treat the headline artist with respect.

Treat the support band with respect.

Treat security with respect.

Treat the runner with respect.

Treat the cleaner with respect.

Treat the guitar technician with respect.

Treat venue staff with respect.

The person sweeping the corridor deserves exactly the same basic courtesy as the person headlining the arena.

Don’t become somebody different because you’ve got a laminate around your neck.

🙏 DO: SAY THANK YOU

Before leaving:

Thank the artist.

Thank the PR representative.

Thank the tour manager.

Thank security where appropriate.

Thank whoever arranged your access.

People don’t have to give publications backstage opportunities.

Appreciation goes a long way.

📧 DO: FOLLOW UP AFTER THE CONCERT

This is one of the easiest ways to build good relationships.

When your interview, review or photographs are published, send them to the relevant contact.

Thank them again for arranging access.

Keep it simple.

Professional relationships in live music are built one interaction at a time.

Do a good job tonight and you may be invited back next tour.

❌ THE RIFF REPORT BACKSTAGE DON’T LIST

Keep this somewhere in your brain:

  • DON’T enter dressing rooms without permission.
  • DON’T wander around restricted areas.
  • DON’T secretly photograph artists.
  • DON’T secretly record conversations.
  • DON’T publish off-record comments.
  • DON’T block corridors or stage access.
  • DON’T touch instruments or equipment.
  • DON’T raid riders.
  • DON’T get hammered while working.
  • DON’T bring uninvited guests backstage.
  • DON’T leak private information.
  • DON’T spoil tour surprises unnecessarily.
  • DON’T interfere with crew.
  • DON’T ignore security instructions.
  • DON’T assume your pass gives you access everywhere.
  • DON’T turn professional access into a personal meet-and-greet.

And above everything else…

DON’T BE A BACKSTAGE GOBLIN. 😈

✅ THE RIFF REPORT BACKSTAGE DO LIST

Instead:

  • DO know what your accreditation allows.
  • DO follow security instructions.
  • DO introduce yourself professionally.
  • DO arrive prepared.
  • DO respect interview times.
  • DO ask before taking photographs.
  • DO give artists privacy.
  • DO keep working routes clear.
  • DO watch for pyro and stage effects.
  • DO respect instruments and equipment.
  • DO stay professional.
  • DO treat every crew member properly.
  • DO protect confidential information.
  • DO thank the people who arranged access.
  • DO send published coverage afterwards.
  • DO enjoy the privilege without taking advantage of it.

🎟️ The Golden Rule: Access Equals Trust

Ultimately, backstage etiquette comes down to one thing:

TRUST.

Someone trusted you with access.

The venue.

The promoter.

The PR representative.

The tour manager.

The artist.

Sometimes several of them.

You’re entering an area that ordinary ticket holders aren’t allowed to enter.

Respect that.

Because the live music industry is considerably smaller than it appears.

People talk.

If you’re friendly, reliable and professional, people remember.

And if you’re an absolute nightmare?

Oh, they’ll remember that too.

🎸 Final Thoughts: Be the Person They Invite Back

Backstage access should still feel exciting.

Absolutely.

If you’ve spent your life loving live music, walking backstage at a concert is always going to give you that little:

“Bloody hell, this is brilliant.”

moment.

Enjoy it.

Take it in.

Have a laugh.

Meet people.

Talk about music.

Conduct the interview.

Get the photographs.

Tell the story.

But remember that the pass around your neck doesn’t make you more important than anybody else in the building.

It simply means you’ve been trusted to be somewhere most people can’t go.

Respect the band.

Respect the crew.

Respect security.

Respect the venue.

Respect people’s privacy.

And when somebody says:

“The band’s going onstage — clear the corridor please.”

Move, butt.

Because if you do things properly, hopefully the next time that band rolls into town and accreditation requests open, somebody sees The Riff Report on the list and says:

“Yeah. Get them back.”

And in music journalism, that’s one of the best endorsements you can get.

The Riff Report

Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Zero Apologies. 🏴🎸🤘

See you backstage, butt — provided we’re on the guest list. 🎟️🔥