Aussie Soundguy and his Toni Childs

Photo: Paul Harris courtesy Good Weekend magazine

Good Weekend magazine profiles audio guy and composer Mik Lavage and his wife Toni Childs – the American music identity.

Some relationships do happen between a performer and a backstage tech, and they tend to work well since both understand the space. CX knows of dozens –a famous ‘name’ married to one of our technical brethren.

The saddest part of being famous is the desolate loneliness.

“I’d had a meltdown in my car”, Childs says in ‘2 Of Us’ (SMH Good Weekend 23 March 2013). “You feel so sad and lonely and want to cry and no sound comes out”

She was due to tour Australia in 2010 and almost cancelled due to soft bookings. On a flight to Melbourne, she sat in the empty window seat, and Lavage came along and sat in the row. She suddenly just knew he was musical. They connected, despite both being exhausted. He didn’t know she was a famous musician, until at the baggage carousel people came to her.

It’s a lovely story. He went to her show and stayed afterwards. Then he followed her to Hawaii to see where she lived. Only someone working in the biz could understand the facades.

Without stealing too much from Stephanie Hunt’s article (available online), Childs and Lavage married and now live together at Byron Bay.

CX wish them all the very best. May the happy days roll forever!