Howard Ungerleider
Howard started out playing in a band when he was at college, but he also worked for the Student Union. “I was always the guy who put the lighting together,” he says. In this role he happened to cross paths with Sean Laroche, a big-shot agent who included The Who on his roster. “I asked him what it took to get a deal.” A short while later, Howard quit University and went to New York in search of a record deal for his band. The first place he targeted was Sean’s offices, but he couldn’t even get past the reception desk. He waited for his opportunity, watching for when the secretary took her breaks. It was this, second meeting with Sean that really set Howard on the right track. “You’re never going to get a deal,” said Sean, “Knuckle down and learn the business.” Sean gave Howard six names of people in the business; one of these was Jeff Franklin, who ran a company called Action Talent.
Howard called Jeff and he was offered a job, right at the bottom of the stack. He quite literally worked in the mail room and made the tea. Audacious as ever, he took his chance at a big break when he overheard Jeff trying to book a certain date for Fleetwood Mac. A few phone calls later, Howard had secured a spot at the Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, for double the money, and his agency career was on its way.
Howard went on to book a number of bands, including Blue Öyster Cult, through whom he met Elliott Krowe of See Factor. Officially he was working on the contractual side, but he kept his hand in on the lighting, learning on the job from the old hands that he met in the venues. When Rush was signed with ATI, Howard was sent to Toronto by Ira Blacker to work with Ray Danniels on the band’s very first tour. Before long Howard left the agency and went to do the lighting for Rush. By ‘Fly By Night’ he was referred to as “Road Master”, and the following tour he earned the nickname “Herns” and took the dual roles of road manager and lighting director.
From 1981, Howard started managing the band Boys Brigade which later signed to SRO (and had Geddy as producer for their 1983 debut album, ‘Into The Flow’). After the ‘Presto’ tour, Cliff Burnstein’s company QPrime offered Howard the opportunity to work with Def Leppard (on the design of the ‘Hysteria’ tour), Queensrÿche and Tesla. “Howard is fantastic”, says Cliff. “I always loved Howard.”
At this point Howard left Rush’s books and set up his own company, Production Design International (PDI www.pdifx.com), to take the Queensrÿche gig, working with Brad Madix (sound engineer) and Dan Braun (production manager) amongst others. Unexpectedly Queensrÿche had a hit single ‘Silent Lucidity’ in the middle of the tour, which immediately was extended, from seven to what eventually became 16 months – Howard’s Rush tour management role was taken by Liam Birt.
Meanwhile, Howard continued to sub for QPrime between Rush tours, including being tour manager for Metallica’s ‘Ride The Lightning’ tour. “I wanted to do lighting for them but they wouldn’t let me – their loss!” When working with Def Leppard, he met with Robert Scovill. Howard has carried on as lighting designer and director for Rush until the present day. He is also managing a band called Transient Noise. “Alex has produced three tracks for me last year,” he says.