10 Things We Learned Backstage at the GRAMMY Rehearsals: What’s really going on behind the music.
During THE 57th ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS rehearsals, we had the opportunity to go behind the scenes. We snuck around, checked out restricted areas, and found some awesome clues that can only mean that this Sunday’s THE 57th ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be epic!
1.You really have to watch where you’re going.
There are stagehands, managers, security, artists, and production running everywhere. There are wires, cords, speakers, cameras, and tape running along the ground and climbing up the walls. Oh, and if you aren’t careful, you might just walk right into a celebrity’s interview.
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2. AC/DC is going to shake us all night long with the amount of juice they’re packing.
AC/DC has not one, but two, sets of amp walls. Each are four deep and stacked three high; these gods of rock are guaranteed to blow out your eardrums during their epic set.
3. Something’s going to blow.
We spied 11 different tanks in a variety of sizes and, if this “Pyro Zone” sign tells us anything, it’s that Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj’s nominated hit isn’t the only thing that will go Bang Bang on Sunday!
4. There are going to be so many surprises!
The backstage area is a labyrinth of hallways and rooms labeled with coded numbers and letters. Who knows what (or who) is behind those doors.
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5. Beck and Hozier have the coolest drum sets.
The two sets were perched side-by-side on moveable platforms, accompanied with mixers, cords, and something that should not be tipped. Beck is rocking a bass drum, a snare drum, a floor tom-tom, middle and high tom-toms, and ride, crash, and hi-hat cymbals. Oh, and an extra snare drum and crash symbol for good measure.
Hozier’s set had a runaway snare!
6. The GRAMMY Awards are a well-oiled machine.
Everywhere you look you see people in all-black, moving with purpose, and chattering away on walkie-talkies. Sneaking into the production room, we found out just how seriously they take communication: the minute one of the walkies runs out of power, it’s switched out with a fully-charged one so that no one misses a beat.
7. The best food is in the production office.
We managed to hunt down some grub while cruising backstage. Things looked pretty bleak aside from three vending machines, but we knew we hit the jackpot when we hit the production office for an interview.
With a huge variety of snacks and beverages, the consensus was that the popcorn was addicting, gummy bears are the backstage candy of choice, and that we shouldn’t feel guilty about snacking because we had a few veggies and dip.
8. The views at the THE 57th ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be spectacular.
We counted six different camera cranes swiveling about overhead, offering panoramic views of the stage, pit, and audience. With the superb maneuvering that these cranes offer, viewers won’t miss closeups of a winner’s reaction, or the full effect of a performance.
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9. Purple is the go-to color.
Purple shirts. Purple shirts everywhere!
10. The performances on Sunday will be unreal.
We managed to catch an act’s rehearsal and it blew us away. The combination of beautiful vocals, a chamber orchestra of 11 violins, 2 cellos, and 2 upright basses, and the talented choir that joined the performance filled the huge auditorium with sound. Even in the back of house, the music was loud, clear, and absolutely beautiful.
