From Butcher to Backstage: How One Tour Manager Found His Calling

It's not every day you meet a tour manager who started their career in a butcher shop. But for Matthias De Rocker, the journey from the food industry to the front lines of international touring wasn't just a career change—it was a calling. We sat down with him to talk about his unique path, his rapid growth, and how joining the LobbyCall collective helped him achieve some of his wildest dreams.

How it all started:

LobbyCall: You were working with a DJ back in 2022. What were your aspirations then, and what made you decide you wanted to transition to touring with live bands on an international scale?

Matthias: My background is actually far removed from the music industry. Both my parents and grandparents were butchers, which naturally led me to the food industry. But that always felt like a path that had been decided for me, not something I truly wanted to do. I’ve always been inspired by music and grew up glued to my Gibson SG. I was also fortunate to be surrounded by artists—mostly DJs—who were building a career in live music.

It all began as a friend on the road who helped out. As the DJ gigs grew bigger and spread across the world, that responsibility grew too. I had little to no formal training, but with every new show or problem on the road, I gradually grew into a tour manager rather than just a helping friend.

When COVID hit, I used the time back home to dive deeper into tour production and budgeting. The DJ gigs I worked on at the time usually involved smaller teams, but I thrive on social interaction and wanted the challenge of working with larger crews and more complex productions. Unfortunately, no handbook truly explains how it all works—it’s something you only learn by being out there on the road. Still, I knew exactly which direction I wanted to take.

The LobbyCall Connection

LobbyCall: What led you to approach LobbyCall? What were your expectations, and what were your initial impressions of the collective?

Matthias: Once the industry opened up again, I started sharing my ideas and heard people mention LobbyCall from every corner of the industry.  I knew that breaking into international touring wasn’t easy, and I needed a real network. As a solo freelancer, it’s tough to get an artist's management to buy into your vision. With LobbyCall, however, you have a full team with an incredible depth of knowledge and experience.. From the very first talk with LobbyCall, it immediately felt right. Their approach to live music was exactly what I wanted to grow into, so working with their team was the obvious next step.

First Steps on Tour & The Speed of Growth

LobbyCall: Describe your first tour with LobbyCall. What were the biggest challenges you faced moving from a DJ setup to a full band production, and how did the collective support you?

Matthias: Because I had the knowledge of touring within electronic music, my first gigs with LobbyCall were a mix of DJs and smaller production bands. The confidence I gained from touring with DJs helped me scale up to larger productions. From the very start, I communicated my intentions and goals, and the team provided the support I needed to grow in that direction.

The biggest challenge for me was growing into the production side of the shows. Suddenly, I had lighting designers asking for GrandMA instead of Chamsys, or sound engineers who insisted on not using an Allen & Heath console. To be honest, I knew very little about all of that. Luckily, the team had my back on every question.The lighting and sound engineers were happy to explain everything in detail, which was essential for my growth as a tour and production manager.

LobbyCall: It all went very fast for you. What was the key to adapting to such fast growth?

Matthias: I’m naturally a very calm person, so it's very hard to get me stressed out. Some artists even make a game of it—"Will we get him overstimulated today?"—but they also know it takes a lot to achieve that. On the rare occasions it does happen, they wouldn't joke about it, but step up. That’s the great thing about the trust and respect you create amongst each other.

Three different artists have come to me at the end of a tour with a similar note—that I brought calm back to their camp. For me personally, that’s the nicest compliment I could receive.

The Collective Advantage

LobbyCall: You’re now touring with a festival headlining band—a significant achievement in just three years! How has being part of the LobbyCall collective, as opposed to being a completely independent freelancer, impacted your career?

Matthias: It’s very straightforward: I wouldn’t be where I am today without LobbyCall. No matter how you look at it, getting started in this industry comes down to being trusted with the chance to prove yourself—and that’s exactly where LobbyCall made the difference. Did I make mistakes in the beginning? Yes. Do I still make mistakes every day? Of course—but that’s how you get better at what you do, day after day. And whenever things get difficult or a situation becomes complex, you’ve got this incredible team of Tour & Production managers just one phone call away, ready to step in and support.

LobbyCall: What’s a fun or special story from the road that will always stay with you?

Matthias: This must be the endless acoustic sessions with the Rancid camp around our buses after the shows. We were on the road with Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, and The Linda Lindas, and it somehow became a whole thing to pull out our acoustic guitars and start playing and singing along. It turned into the most spontaneous gathering of crews and bands, night after night. I remember one night where I mixed yogurt and peanut butter—something I eat almost every night before going to sleep—and Tim Armstrong wrote an entire song about it, called 'Yobutter'.

Advice and The Road Ahead

LobbyCall: What advice would you give to other freelancers who dream of touring internationally with major acts?

Matthias: The key is building your network and going far and beyond to get things done. Don’t be quick to say something isn’t possible—doing so is just taking the easy way out. I will always try to keep everyone around me happy and satisfied—which starts with clear communication. If something goes wrong and someone ends up disappointed, I talk to them directly and explain why. This builds trust and mutual understanding. And the most important thing: step away from the thought that touring is glamorous; It’s hard work 24/7.

LobbyCall: What are your personal goals for the future, and how do you see LobbyCall playing a role in achieving them?

Matthias: I’d love to continue growing at the same pace I have so far. Things have moved fast, but I’m definitely ready for whatever the future holds. Seeing the LobbyCall Tour Managers thrive and excel on such large-scale tours only makes me more eager to set my goals even higher.

The most important thing for me is that LobbyCall continues to listen to my personal goals. I’ve always set my goals high, and from the start, they’ve been there to hold me back when necessary—but now, they’re also there to challenge me and push me toward the level I want to reach.

Photo's 📸 @directorparada