Crew Chronicles: Albert Moshard – Merchandise Manager

Mar 21, 2026   »   interview   »   U2603

text: Kiss Daniella   
»   photo: Alan B. Evans

Crew Chronicles pulls back the curtain on the people working behind the scenes – the crew who make every show happen. Their stories reveal their craft, the challenges as well as high points of touring, and the real life that unfolds beyond the stage. Can you introduce yourself and tell us what your role is in the music industry? „My name is Albert, and my primary role is working as a merchandise manager, but in reality, I do a bit of everything. I sell merch, handle logistics, and jump in wherever I’m needed. Touring is very much a team effort, so if there’s something that needs doing and I can help, I’m there.” How did you first get involved in touring? „When I was a kid, listening to music and going to shows, I didn’t even realize this kind of work existed, but I knew I wanted to be part of the industry. So when I got the chance to go on tour at just 16, I jumped on it. A friend’s band was heading out on a five-week tour, and somehow I managed to convince my parents that it was a good idea to let me go. The band was called In Control, and that experience dropped me straight into the punk and hardcore scene. I worked with them for a few years, and from there it was all about meeting people, building relationships, and gradually branching out into different scenes and bigger tours. I even had the opportunity to work with Neil Young, which was a truly special experience. He introduced himself to me and couldn’t have been kinder— as a longtime fan, that moment meant a lot. I was working for Warner Brothers at the time, which led me to this opportunity, and after a few unexpected coincidences, that’s how I eventually ended up working with Halestorm as well. During COVID, when hardly anyone was working, I got a call asking if I was available to work for Dashboard Confessional. I said yes, packed my bag, and booked a flight to Nashville, but their singer Chris had just been in a motorcycle accident, and the tour was cancelled, so I was free again. The next day, I got a call asking if I could be in Nashville on Tuesday, and I told them my flight was already booked for that day, suitcase packed and ready to go. That’s when they said it was for Halestorm. It was an incredibly lucky situation. I was originally just filling in because their merch guy had to go home after his mother passed away, but he decided to stay with his family, and they asked me to stay on, so I’ve been with them for over four years now. They’re such an amazing camp.” What does a typical day look like for you on the road? „A typical day on the road really depends on the tour, but for headliners, mornings usually start around 8 or 9. I grab some coffee or breakfast and head straight to the merch truck to sort boxes and prep for the day. There’s a lot to coordinate — checking in with the venue, counting inventory, setting up — and once that’s done, you might get a little downtime before circling back throughout the night to make sure everything’s running smoothly. It’s a lot of hurry-up-and-wait, and long days — sometimes we’re up at 7 a.m. and not in bed until 3 a.m., or even later if you really want to punish yourself. (laughs) Show days are mostly locked in at the venue, so there isn’t much chance to explore. Though on days off, especially in Europe, we do make time to get out. As soon as we get to the hotel, we drop our stuff, hit the streets, and don’t come back until bedtime.”

What are the best and hardest parts of your job? „The best part is getting to travel the world and knowing that every day is different, even though the routine is similar. With Halestorm especially, we have an amazing crew and band, and it never really feels like work — it feels like hanging out with friends. The hardest part is definitely the long stretches away from home. Last year we toured from the end of May until early December, hopping between continents, sometimes coming home for just four days before heading back out on another six-week run. So you get tired, but there's no calling out: you're on, no matter what.” What’s one thing you wish more people understood about your job? „That it’s not easy and that merchandise is actually what keeps many tours running. People in the touring community sometimes think, ‘He’s just the T-shirt guy, he doesn’t do anything.’ But, oddly enough, without those merch sales, many bands simply couldn’t afford to tour — especially nowadays, when records don’t make the money they used to in the ’90s. A lot of bands rely heavily on merchandise to make it all work.” What advice would you give to someone who wants to do what you do? „Work hard, don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know something, and always ask questions. Pay attention to the people helping you, and always be willing to lend a hand to someone else — you never know where it might lead. Being reliable and genuinely nice really goes a long way. Touring isn’t easy, but if you choose something you love, all the hard work is worth it.” Speaking of advice, what are three must-haves to survive a tour? „Plenty of clean socks and underwear, great coffee, and a good attitude. A bad attitude can make days feel longer and life on the road harder, not just for you but for everyone around you — and nobody wants to be stuck on a bus with a miserable person.” (laughs) What’s the best memory you’ve had on tour so far, or a funny one you can share? „Honestly, there are a million tour memories, but most of them I can’t tell — there’s just so much that goes on. (laughs) One that always makes me laugh comes from my first tour with Mogwai. Their keyboard player, who’s one of my great friends now, was drinking pretty heavily, and I was messing with him all night. While on the bus, I snuck into his bunk and pulled everything out — mattress, pillows, everything. When he jumped in his bunk to go to sleep, he landed straight on the hardwood and yelled, “For fuck’s sake, where did my bed go?” Poor guy took a pretty hard hit. (laughs) But one of the best and most unforgettable memories has to be Back to the Beginning this summer. Seeing Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath was incredible — they were some of the first bands I ever got into. The first CDs I ever owned were Ozzy and Sabbath when I was eight or nine, so they were huge influences on me and, obviously, on so many others. The whole day was completely surreal. Everyone was hanging out in the same area, walking around, no egos, no incidents. I even snuck on stage to watch Guns N’ Roses, and everywhere I looked, there were people whose music I grew up loving — Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Travis Barker, and James Hetfield, who was right behind me. I also got to see Slayer with my friends, which was amazing. Slayer absolutely ruled, Metallica killed it, and every band brought their A-game. Everyone was insanely nice, and the backstage team had everything running perfectly, smooth, efficient, and without any chaos. The event ran flawlessly from start to finish. It was epic and one of the craziest experiences of my life.” If you could tour with any band in the world, who would it be? „Honestly, Halestorm is the most ideal situation for me, but if I had to pick someone else, it would definitely be Oasis. I almost had the chance to tour with them, and that would have been incredible. When it comes to bands I grew up listening to, it’s a bit tricky because, unfortunately, in this industry, some of the people you love musically aren’t always the easiest to work with, and that can make life on the road difficult. That said, if I had another choice, I’d go with Johnny Marr from The Smiths. I’m definitely a pop guy, and UK bands are the ones I love most, so touring with him would be a real bucket-list moment for me.” Finally, what’s next for you and the band? „Halestorm already have their year planned out. They’re doing some one-off shows, heading to South America, and playing Download Festival, which I won’t be on. I’ll be in the States doing another tour until we hit the road with them again later in the year. I actually just got asked to do an Ariana Grande tour, which is wild. That’s the beauty of this industry, you never know who you’ll end up working with next. As for me, I really love what I do. I’ve done a bit of everything in music, from tour managing and guitar tech work to even being a drum tech for Halestorm in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. That was fun, but that kind of work comes with a lot of pressure. When the show relies on you, even a small mistake can hold everything up, and that stress isn’t really for me. Tour managing can be even more intense. You’re essentially babysitting a group of grown adults, solving everyone’s problems on top of your own while keeping the show on track. I have huge respect for the tour managers who do it with a good attitude. Luckily, Halestorm’s tour manager is absolutely amazing, one of the best humans out there. Sometimes I enjoy jumping into different roles when I can, helping out with little tasks to make other people’s days easier, but at the end of the day, I love that I can do my own job without the pressure of everything depending on me.”

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