Chances are that you have heard of Victoria Monet and heard her music. Monet’s debut EP “Nightmares and Lullabies” broke the one-million streams barrier quickly and announced this Sacramento, California native (although born in Georgia) as a singer, songwriter, and dancer who was ready to take the big stage. Her credits include Fifth Harmony, Kanye West, Chris Brown, and Diddy, but Monet’s opening slot on the Ariana Grande “Dangerous Woman” tour (one of the biggest money making international tours of 2017) gave international fans the opportunity to witness her remarkable performances first-hand.  

Dubbed the “Tribe” concert tour, Monet performed a forty-minute set of her own R&B/Pop compositions while on tour with Ariana Grande. Victoria’s presentation casts off the status quo of a large ensemble and back up dancers, choosing instead to manifest an intimate vibe while retaining a high production sensibility. Extremely well-produced backing tracks are used instead of a live band. Intricately designed lighting in conjunction with gorgeous costume changes created a sense of movement and energy that is unique in the current live music setting. Monet is the type of artist who seeks to connect with the audience in a unique way from night to night rather than going through the motions, as evidence by her lack of monitors. Being “in the moment” seems paramount for this singer.

 Witnessing Monet live, what is most striking is the confidence and relaxed demeanor she possesses. Performing at stadiums and arenas in front of thousands of Ariana Grande fans might be nerve racking for some but Victoria seems as comfortable as the attendees of her shows. This is likely due to her commitment to maintain her instrument, which prohibits partying or even loud talking. Add to this a pre-show warm-up routine of more than an hour prior to each night’s performance. Some of these facets require careful attention by Victoria’s Tour & Production Manager which she happens to share with Grande. Doug Middlebrook had the dual task of being tour and production manager for both Victoria Monet and Ariana Grande on the “Dangerous Woman” and “Tribe” tour. 

For most professionals this might be unthinkable but Middlebrook has worked with Grande (whose “Dangerous Woman” tour was one of 2017 highest earners, beating out The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga, and others) on mammoth productions like the One Love Manchester benefit concert (with over 55,000 attendees and millions of TV and online viewers), as well as a number of other established artists. 

He relates, “It is not common to tour manage both the headliner and the opening act. These are usually jobs done by separate teams, let alone one single person. I ended up doing both because I had close associations with both artists prior to the tour. I agreed to work with both of them as we would all be under the same roof. It was a huge amount of work but I love both of these performers and their shows very dearly. It ended up being work that I was passionately invested in. The most rewarding part of my involvement was seeing an artist like Victoria meet, interact, and perform live for fans in parts of the world that she hadn’t visited before. This was so special. The internet can only tell you a certain amount of where your fans are but it is the physical connection that can’t be recorded or seen experienced through Instagram, iTunes, Twitter, or Facebook. To see Victoria perform for people who love her so much from all over the world was truly wonderful. As a tour manager this is something I could only wish for all artists.” 

Victoria Monet recently released her newest project “Life After Love Pt 1”, featuring her hit single “Freak”.