When high profile celebrities, athletes, rock stars and other prominent notables come to Boston, it’s important they have an incredible time in our city but remain safe and secure while doing so. That’s why they call RSIG Security in advance of their visit. Event security and private entertainment industry protection are the company’s specialties. To find out what it’s like to travel on the road with a rock star, we chatted recently with RSIG owner Tim Mazzie. Mazzie, who got his start in the security business while in college, quickly realized there was an opportunity in the private sector for personal security. “When we are asked to supply executive protection for a band, we assign one person to each band member, who stays within five feet of that person at all times,” Mazzie said. “At concerts, we make sure that fans don’t get up on stage and ensure that there is someone always around the celebrity.”
JustLuxe: What is it like working with celebrities on a day-to-day basis?
Tim Mazzie: When we are with a celebrity, we see him as a father or a husband. When the Rolling Stones were in Boston, we went on the road with them for a little over a year. They played at both stadiums and Fenway Park. It was interesting to see how the ownership of the Red Sox felt about them. John Henry called them and extended an invitation for the Stones to come out on his private yacht. Of course, Mick Jagger getting on a boat gathered a lot of attention but we kept it as discreet as possible.
Photo Courtesy of Robert Bowden Photography/Stellafly
RSIG employs nearly 300 trained professionals who are accustomed to working with high profile names.
TM: We make the employee aware of any well-known threats to the artist because there have been occasions where we have had to intervene. We do quite a bit of work with different artists. Most people who want to work at RSIG come with a high level of industry experience and have traveled around the world. Their passports have already been stamped 100 times so they know in advance how crazy the business can be. You could be on the road anywhere from three months to a full year.
Photo Courtesy of CameraJesus.com
JL: What are the cost for these private services?
TM: It can range anywhere from $3,500 to $6,000 a week depending on responsibilities.
Photo Courtesy of CameraJesus.com
Kellie K. Speed
Kellie Speed is a freelance writer with more than 20 years' experience writing for a variety of publications, including US Veterans magazine, DiverseAbility and BestReviews. She also contributed to Moon Metro's Boston guidebook published by Avalon Travel Publishing and can be reached at kkspeed@aol.com ...(Read More)