Life on Tour and Mental Health with Mark Rivera

People glamorize life on the road. The loud crowds, flashing lights, sold-out venues. But behind all that are real people dealing with real struggles. This week on the Heavy Metal Therapist podcast, I sat down with my good friend Mark to talk about what it’s actually like working as a touring guitar tech, navigating burnout, and finding purpose when everything falls apart.

From Finance to Full-Time Tech

Mark didn’t start out in the music industry. For nearly 20 years, he worked in banking and mortgages. When COVID hit, mortgage rates dropped and business was booming. Then interest rates spiked and the layoffs came. He knew it was coming and had already told his wife to be ready for it.

So when he got laid off and Marc Rizzo (formerly of Soulfly and Ill Niño) hit him up for a tour gig, he was already on the edge of a major pivot. That same day, he had also interviewed for a paralegal job through a friend. It was one of those weird moments where life forces a decision. He took 30 minutes, thought about it, and messaged back: "I’m in. I’m going on tour."

He never looked back.

What Being a Guitar Tech Really Looks Like

Mark explained what life is like behind the stage. It’s not just tuning guitars. It's unloading the trailer, setting up amps, organizing the stage, fixing gear, checking in with other techs, running soundcheck, and being on standby for whatever chaos shows up. If you're lucky, you get five hours to breathe between soundcheck and showtime.

On smaller tours with tighter budgets, you're doing multiple roles. When we met, he was teching for two guitarists and a bassist all at once. Trial by fire.

Stress, Neurodivergence, and Support

Mark is neurodivergent and found out later in life. He talked about how hard it was navigating the social and logistical chaos of tour life without the coping skills that come easier to some. Early on, he made mistakes and took them personally.

One night, after messing up something small on a big tour, he called his wife in tears. She talked him through it. A bandmate later reassured him, saying, "We know you're new. You're learning. It's cool." That moment stuck with him.

Support makes all the difference, especially when your brain is your biggest critic.

The Power of Partnership

His wife is the real MVP. She never gave him a hard time about being on the road. No guilt trips. No ultimatums. Just, "Are you happy with the pay? Cool. Go do your thing."

They’ve been together for over a decade and married for five years. She held down the fort, cared for their dogs, worked full-time, and let him live his dream. That kind of trust is rare.

They even had what he jokingly calls a "separate honeymoon." He was in France for Hellfest. Two months later, her company sent her to Paris. Separate Eiffel Tower sightings, same support system.

Burnout, Loss, and Creative Recovery

Not everything was smooth. Mark shared a time in 2023 when he blacked out behind the wheel, crashed his car, and was told by doctors he needed to hydrate. No deeper medical issue, just straight-up exhaustion and dehydration.

With no car, no gigs, and bills piling up, he was desperate. A friend reached out and asked him to fill in on a tour. That temporary spot turned into a full two-week tour. When the original tech was let go, Mark got the offer to finish it.

That friend? He cut Mark off. Ego got in the way. Mark tried to explain, but sometimes people don’t want to hear it.

Later, Mark opened up about losing a bandmate to cancer. After that, he didn’t touch a guitar for three months. Couldn’t play, couldn’t listen, couldn’t even think about music. Eventually, he started going through rehearsal videos, reconstructing their songs, and teaching himself how to program MIDI drums.

It helped him heal.

Touring and Substance Traps

Touring comes with a different set of temptations. Mark talked about how easy it is to fall into the post-show bar scene. Everyone wants to blow off steam, but that stuff adds up.

He set a personal rule. One wild night per tour. That’s it.

If you’re waking up hungover, you’re not doing your job well. And in his words, "The crew makes the show happen." If the crew is sloppy, the show suffers. It’s not worth it.

Mental Health on Tour

Tour life doesn’t come with an HR department. If you’re struggling, you need to talk to someone. Tour manager, trusted crew member, anyone. If no one’s willing to support you, you’re on the wrong tour.

People love to act like missing holidays and birthdays is just part of the gig. But Mark made it clear: that doesn’t make your stress less valid.

Everyone has their own threshold. Respect yours.

Closing Thoughts

At the end of the day, Mark’s advice was simple. Stay healthy. Don’t fall into the trap of numbing yourself on tour. And if someone’s struggling, show up for them.

And if you can do just one thing right on the road?

Don’t be a dick.