Festival Main Stage Advice

smudge_lad

Hey guy, I’m playing my biggest stage so far next weekend at the Gateways Festival in Skipton and looking for any advice for how to prep, what to take with me and anything that I should consider for backstage before the set.

I’ll have 2 guitars, pedalboard, amp head and 2x12. Not too much stuff but enough to mean that I definitely need a hand getting stuff organised quickly onto the stage. 

Im gonna remove a couple of pedals from my board that I won’t really use, to minimise potential issues/cabling etc. 

Hopefully I’ll get a quick chat with the sound tech before we go on.

Possibly thinking about a last minute wireless purchase so I’m not rooted to my boars and take advantage of the bigger stage. Recommended? 

Also, what in the event that it’s pissing down, any recommendations for keeping pedals dry/clean. I guess changing into a clean pair of shoes just before going on stage? 

Anything else I should consider?

Stratavarious

I’d avoid more extra/new tech.   If you have a multifx, take it as a backup or for a quick setup. They may have a spare amp or backline to use but I always take a second amp for festivals and leave it in car/van.

I’d assume they have cover over the stage.  Tent groundsheets and heavy duty rubble bags sheets will do in an emergency in case of a cloudbreak. 

Monitoring is usually the issue if bands are swapping quick with no rehearsal.  So make sure you can all hear and cue each other if it is less than optimal.

shoes... neat thought.  Usually had duckboards where mud was an issue. But you never know.

smudge_lad

Yeah, stage is covered. I’m sure it’ll be a pretty decent pro-setup. Feeder and Razorlight are a couple of the bands playing, which is why I want to try and be as prepared as possible.

Good shout about using some new and unfamiliar tech. I was actually looking out for the same wireless I used to have, but can’t find one anywhere. I might not bother going down that route for this one.

I’ve got an SD170 power amp to take along as a backup too

fastonebaz

Slip a couple of picks in Yr pocket in case you move away from the mic and in the excitement of a big solo toy Drop your pick you can reach in your pocket for a pick instead of dashing back across the stage to the mic.

Make sure your cables from pedal board to amp are long enough to trail across the stage. 

Take some duck tape to keep your set list in place.

Zip up Yr kit bag after setting up to reduce Temptation for sometime to pinch something in it. 

Take a backup strap. The little things failing cause big issues. 

Think about your outfit.  You'll be in loads of photos, maybe some pro ones, what message do you want to convey?

In the mad rush of loading in,  always take 60s slow deep breaths by your amp to make sure you're happy with the nob positions and speaker out cable ohm port so you're not distracted by worry just after starting the set. 

And finally,  remember shove a decent cucumber in your pants for good effect.   

bluechargeboy

- Be courteous to the sound guys and stage manager, I have seen people get a bit snippy when they are nervous!

- Be sober

- Be there in plenty of time

- Check any batteries with multimeter or use new ones (and check them too)

- Remember to big up your merch and website towards the end of the set

- Have a last-minute toilet trip

- Zip up fly after toilet trip  

Lestratcaster

Take spares, stuff will break and go missing at shows.
Keep setup simple an quick to set up - festival changeovers tend to be quicker than indoor venues with fewer bands.
Make sure your rig is ready to get on stage to setup during the band before you's last song. Obviously wait for them to get off first before you load on.

merlin

fastonebaz said:

And finally,  remember shove a decent cucumber in your pants for good effect.   

Wrapped in tin foil. 

Danny1969

Load in  / off generally has to be quick so simpler the better, like amp, guitar, pedal board and 2 cables. Wouldn't bother with wireless as going wandering will move you from your monitor mix into someone else's  

If it's sunny then it's really hard to see a digital tuner but you can make a little sun shade for it so you can see it. 

Take a small mains reel to power your pedals ... there's normally loads of power at the back for backline but there might not be any where you put your board

Festival stages are generally bigger than you might be used to, drums disappear outside, basically go dead sounding and quiet as there's not many reflections off anything. Ask for hi hat in your monitor so you can stay locked in with the drummer

Have a beer, look up and engage with the audience. Playing at this kind of things is one of the best things about being a muso so enjoy it. 

smudge_lad

Lestratcaster said:

Take spares, stuff will break and go missing at shows.
Keep setup simple an quick to set up - festival changeovers tend to be quicker than indoor venues with fewer bands.
Make sure your rig is ready to get on stage to setup during the band before you's last song. Obviously wait for them to get off first before you load on.

The places I usually play expect 15 min changeovers so I’m used to having stuff ready and then rushing about daft after the previous band are off.

However we have been asked to take EVERYTHING - full drum kit etc, so I’m expecting slightly longer to get set up

FarleyUK

merlin said:

fastonebaz said:

And finally,  remember shove a decent cucumber in your pants for good effect.   

Wrapped in tin foil. 

Like an armadillo?

CarpeDiem

FarleyUK said:

merlin said:

fastonebaz said:

And finally,  remember shove a decent cucumber in your pants for good effect.   

Wrapped in tin foil. 

Like an armadillo?

Did you mean Armoured Dildo?

p90fool

Don't forget to wallow in the applause at the end, and live in the moment while you're playing. 

I have pics of gigs I've done where the audience are all waving and cheering after the last number, the rest of the band are all drinking it in and I have my back to the audience, already breaking down gear to make way for the next band. 

Keep the gear simple and bring longer leads than usual if you're used to pub gigs. 

ICBM

smudge_lad said:

Feeder and Razorlight are a couple of the bands playing, which is why I want to try and be as prepared as possible.

I would recommend a silenced rifle, and look for a slightly elevated area with a fence in front of it within view of the stage and a good escape route behind. That's the professional approach.



Otherwise, what everyone else has said. If you don't want to bother with wireless then don't assume a 20' lead will be enough - outdoor stages are often a lot bigger than they look. Don't forget that you need the same length for the guitar lead as for the pedalboard to amp, or you won't be able to go back and adjust the amp. There is a reason I know that .

MikkiMcMurderer

Your amp will sound really small and quiet but don't turn up too much from normal, get the monitors to do the work. If you turn up too much you may distort your power section making your sound different to what you expect from rehearsals during the gig I.e. no clean sounds.
If its after dark, take a clip on light for your pedal board and attach to mic stand.

Trude

Do a mental "dress rehearsal" of all the logistical stuff you'll need to do when setting up.  Make a list of every step and every bit of kit, so you know exactly what to do and in what order when you spring into action.  You won't have the luxury of time to set up in a relaxed way and it's very easy to get flustered under the pressure of what you're about to do.  The same applies for breaking down the gear and getting it organised and tidied away quickly.  Maybe even go out in the garden and practice setting up your rig in a similar size footprint to the stage you'll be playing, just in case this teases out any gotchas you might not have thought about (the lead length issue is a classic one, as well as pedal LED/LCD visibility)

Print out a tech spec and stage layout so you can give the sound guy a copy in advance.  Make friends with the monitor guy while you're at it (or at least find out who he is and get his name).  Be nice to this person.

Make sure every bit of kit is labelled with your band's name (ie cases etc) as the backstage area will likely be chocka with multiple band setups.

When doing a line check, don't say "more monitor".  Tell him exactly what you want more/less of.  

Make sure you have fluids within easy reach if you're singing.  Very easy to get stranded out there with a parched throat because you were so busy doing everything else.

Try to keep calm - it's easy to get carried away and play too hard/fast because you're so hyped by the moment.  

If crowd-surfing, try to do it face-up.

ESBlonde

On big stages it pays to clump your backline together like it would be in a typical indoor gig. That way you can stand/wander toward the kit and get a comfortable familiar(ish) sound. Try and just play your normal balanced levels which make the sound dudes job easier, if you each keep turning up he has a fight that's not needed. 

ICBM

I was at a fairly big outdoor festival last weekend with about twenty guitarists playing with various types of bands and styles of music. In general, the players using digital direct-to-PA setups sounded better than the ones using traditional amps. There was a fair amount of overlap, but the best sound was digital and the worst a big valve amp. Obviously I have no idea what it sounded like on stage - most of the acts were using IEMs.

Just an observation really, but it was interesting and noticeable.

MikkiMcMurderer

@smudge_lad how did the gig go?

borntohang

Don't screw around setting up and be aware the stage crew will happily cut your PA if you run over; if you take five minutes over the mark to set up then it's coming out of your stage time. Expect average sound at best if you're not taking a sound tech and your first song will probably be your 'soundcheck'.

On a second note say hi to Andrew Cushin if you get chance - he's a nice lad and been doing well since we toured with him.

Musicwolf

We played our first post lockdown gig a couple of weeks ago.  Not a festival but last act up on an open-air stage at the back of a pub - the same principals apply.

At our last practice, rather than all setting up as we would normally as we arrived, we piled all the gear up at one end of the room then tried to set up methodically.  The singer helped carry the drums whilst the drummer set up his kit and I sorted out the PA / mics.  Once the singer / guitarist had plonked his amp and effects down, rather than then messing about for 10 minutes completely screwing up some new piece that he was learning, we politely got him to fuck off out of the way so that others could get on with things.

It worked very well.

smudge_lad

MikkiMcMurderer said:

@smudge_lad how did the gig go?

It went well, thanks mate. A lot less “glam” than I had expected, but the crew were sound and it was good to get a hand on/off stage with all my gear.

Stage was plenty big, got my amp quite far back so I could hear it properly, and was encouraged by the sound tech to get it cranked up - didn’t need to ask me twice! Sounded glorious!

The only downside was that the opening band had some issues and didn’t play, so we ended up being the first band on which meant there was hardly any crowd there when we started. Once we got going it drew more people in, but it would have been nice to be the second band on

Here’s some pics and a wee video