Hot Steve - Once in a lifetime...

Today is a very special day my friends. Today we pay tribute to the nameless heroes of Rock and Roll. The dudes that tune the guitars, lift the amps, score for the band, and provide 'backup support' in... handling groupies.

Yes, my friends... Today is International Roadie Day. 12th December 2012 or rather 1-2, 1-2, 1-2.

On such a solemn day, a day which will not be repeated for another 100 years, I would like to pay tribute to all those fine men and women who - through a combination of hard work, diligence and supernaturally resilient livers - managed to get the job that I always dreamed of.

Sadly it would be impractical, nay impossible, to list the thousands of remarkable individuals that we respect to today but I don't want to let such a magical day pass without giving at least some kind of individual recognition and therefore my efforts today shall be dedicated to my own personal roadie hero - the ace guitar tech for the Wildhearts/Ginger - all hail 'Hot Steve':

Like all the best things, Hot Steve is actually a bit of an enigma. Googling him reveals glimpses of his true importance but no real information as such. And yet there he is at every gig, the genius behind the scenes but at the same time somehow integral to the show - like the one stable element in a the otherwise ridiculously dangerous chemistry experiment that is the Wildhearts.

Steve, I salute you, enjoy your day.