|
First time festival |
Post Reply 
|
Page <12 |
| Author | |
Plaguesguitarist 
Old Croc 
Joined: 30 April 2009 Location: Lincoln, Earth Status: Offline Points: 2238 |
 Post Options
 Thanks(0)
 Quote Reply
 Posted: 21 May 2019 at 10:31am |
|
It's probably teaching you to suck eggs but having done plenty of outdoor festivals there are a few key things - Common sense but if you don't know it the consequences can come back and bite you hard
Stage manager (as mentioned many a time) - The most important thingy you can have. If they know what they are doing then that's even better... Power - Make sure you have an adequate supply. If you are on a generator Double the capacity of what you think you need if you can. Provide power drops up to the point of Backline (13a sockets) Keep the stage as tidy as possible. This will help with the change overs - Use drop boxes (short stage boxes) if you have them with short XLRs. If you can't do that Label the microphone end of the XLR with what it is miking up with white tape ... Organise your cable runs so they are not in the walk in areas Try and make sure there is a drum riser... This will also help keep things tidier on stage I'm assuming you will have some form of PLI Insurance in place...
Edited by Plaguesguitarist - 21 May 2019 at 10:31am |
|
|
Why did the lampy cross the road?
To steal MY sharpie. |
|
 |
|
|
kevinmcdonough
Old Croc
Joined: 27 June 2005 Location: Glasgow Status: Offline Points: 3751 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 21 May 2019 at 12:03pm |
|
hey Yeah can confirm what people have said. Ideally you'll need 3 people as a stage/sound team to be able to run this (though you could manage with 2 experienced people). FOH guy to mix the bands (and do monitors, I presume you won't have a separate monitors desk), stage manager to round up unruly band members from the bar and have them at the side of the stage waiting to go on at their allotted time. Changeover guy to help get a band off stage, and move the mics around and sort things for the next band. Probably a good idea if the FOH guy is someone experienced, the others can be you/volunteers etc as long as they have at least a basic knowledge of what's going on. Make sure when the running order is sorted, you leave 15 mins between each band to get the previous band off stage and get the next one set up and ready. More if you're having to swap drumkits or there is a change of a lot of instruments and things. You'd be shocked at the amount of people that don't consider this. People sometimes program these events with one band playing from 1.30 to 2, then the next band from 2 until 2.30 etc etc, and don't leave time for people to actually get on stage and set up, swap cymbals, tune guitars, find out why their amp is making no noise etc etc. You'll want to get stage information from each band so you can see exactly what's needed and how to set it up. Hopefully they'll all be pretty similar 4 or 5 piece rock bands kind of thing, and you wont be massive differences, say going from a 3 piece punk set up to a 10 piece pan pipe band! (you may laugh, but I've had to deal with far worse, people planning the running order of the stage generally don't consider these things!) Once you see what's involved and what you need, and even more so if you can't get info for some of the bands, it might be best to do a "festival patch" which basically means put spare mics all over the stage to cover all eventualities. Full set of drum mics set up, two guitar mics and a bass guitar DI back left, 2 guitars and a bass di back right, 3 vocal mics across the front, and a few spare mics and DIs set up both on the left or right of the stage that you can just pull in for random keyboards, brass players, backing singers etc. That way everything is all set up and ready to go, and you just use what's needed for each band. And yeah, defo query power supply at your meeting. Make sure you have adequate power for your stage, and make sure that they're not also planning to hook up tea urns, burger vans, or other random stuff from the same power. k Edited by kevinmcdonough - 21 May 2019 at 3:45pm |
|
|
|
|
IainB
Registered User 
Joined: 25 November 2016 Location: Rushden Status: Offline Points: 422 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 21 May 2019 at 12:52pm |
|
A massive thank you to everyone who has responded to this, SO glad I asked the question now.
Im compiling a list of questions to take with me tomorrow, as im guessing they also haven't considered this with it being the first festival they have organized. This has been a total eye opener for me, a few things I had considered but a hell of a lot I haven't, but at least I am a little more prepared now, my first thing after the meeting is to find someone who knows what they are doing!
|
|
|
|
|
citizensc
Young Croc 
Joined: 16 October 2015 Location: Perth,Australia Status: Offline Points: 532 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 21 May 2019 at 12:53pm |
|
This may sound dumb, especially to you UK folk but have a plan for HEAVY rain. First festival we ever did, we brought some tarps etc. in case it rained, we felt we had it covered. Lack of prep bit us pretty hard.
Edited by citizensc - 21 May 2019 at 12:53pm |
|
|
|
|
toastyghost
The 10,000 Points Club 
Joined: 09 January 2007 Location: Manchester Status: Offline Points: 10919 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 21 May 2019 at 1:13pm |
|
If your speakers can't get wet, then you probably shouldn't be doing festivals...
|
|
|
|
|
jacethebase
Old Croc
Joined: 23 September 2009 Location: Somerset Status: Offline Points: 5699 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 21 May 2019 at 5:29pm |
|
Don't worry about a tarp for the speakers..... Bring a spade to dig a moat around dimmer world under the stage.
|
|
|
www.wedding-production.co.uk
www.stage2sound.com |
|
|
|
|
citizensc
Young Croc
Joined: 16 October 2015 Location: Perth,Australia Status: Offline Points: 532 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 22 May 2019 at 12:09am |
They can get wet but there were strong winds that blew rain in to the mid horns, getting watter on the cones. This wasnt a bit of drizzle, it was a full on thunderstorm. The other factor was that the stage was setup on a dried out creek, it didnt stay dry... water was flowing from the dancefloor, under the stage. All the lighting gear etc. was wrecked (we didnt do the lighting thank god). For day two we moved the stage to a large tent (no sleep for us) and it was fine. This was like 4 months in to us running a sound system, we learnt a lot, we dont do festivals now unless there is adequate shelter, eg. a tent.
|
|
|
|
|
Phil B
Old Croc
Joined: 21 November 2004 Location: Melbourne Status: Offline Points: 2328 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 22 May 2019 at 4:28am |
|
Good points so far ...
Other things to consider... Foh Mixing position ? Where will you be? If it's out in front of the stage who is providing the tent , cover? You'll need cable tray / matting to cover your cores going to stage..again who's providing ? Power... what power is provided.. what outlet are you getting ( gonna presume a powerlock or 125/3 Ceeform might be a bit over-spec for you !), make sure you request what you run your system off . Are you sharing power with lighting / stall holders / the general public , having stall holders trip the power with massive coffee barristas / deep fat fryers is a common occurrence ! Noise limits.. Is the council going to be monitoring, have the organizers got a noise plan in place, is there a licence ?? You'll be the one in the firing line as the one in charge of the system. Are you going to get a break at some point ? Sounds stupid but the amount of gigs I've done where I get trapped at FOH or stage as it's just band after band ? Maybe consider rotating a extra capable crew around the positions to give everyone at least a meal break ? Talking of meals...are they going to feed / water you ? If not bring eski's of grub for everyone and water bottles ( re-usable with a big water container !!) .p. |
|
|
|
|
monkeypuzzle
Young Croc
Joined: 25 January 2005 Status: Offline Points: 924 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 22 May 2019 at 6:56am |
|
Check the festival has insurance, adequate stage security, especially overnight and get EVERYTHING that is agreed in terms of what the festival will supply in an email trail. Not Facebook or whatsap. Basically, after the meeting, write up what you will supply and what they will. Send that as an email to more than one of the promoters at least
|
|
|
blah blah blah blah blah......
|
|
|
|
|
Earplug
Old Croc
Joined: 03 January 2012 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 7216 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 22 May 2019 at 9:15am |
OP says that gig is in a marque, so that shouldn´t be a problem. One (other) thing that happens here all the time, is that the organisation will stick a bar in somewhere, often just where, or close to where you want to put the desk. Worth checking that as well. Last thing you need are punters spilling beer on the desk.  EDIT: And, of course, get some barriers to put around the desk. Edited by Earplug - 22 May 2019 at 9:16am |
|
|
Earplugs Are For Wimps!
|
|
|
|
|
Post Reply
|
Page <12 |
| Tweet |
| Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |
Topic Options
toastyghost wrote: