Festival question regarding stage/lights

[WolfgangVonPage]

I am going to use Wacken as an example. First of all , I am assuming you get asked to play Wacken and not that you ask if you can play.
So, who supply's the lights? Do you have to provide your own rig which I imagine would have to meet certain standards? Or is it provided?
How about amps?
To ease set changes between bands I would think this must all be supplied?

[EatNails]

Almost everything is provided by the festival.

The band provides a list in their tour rider of what they'll need to play. If they're coming from overseas, it's probably everything except guitars. Very expensive to move gear around the world.

Also, yea, cuts down on change-over time.

[cowpins]

Come on nails, don't fuck with him. No, every band has their own lighting rig, PA's, sound/light guy, back line, etc...that's why many festivals have multi stages to allow more time to take down each bands lights/sounds rigging, load out, etc...and then load in the next bands rigging, back-line, backdrop, visuals, lasers, pyro, dancers, laptops "to hit play", etc...before their 45-min sound check.

[WolfgangVonPage]

Almost everything is provided by the festival.

The band provides a list in their tour rider of what they'll need to play. If they're coming from overseas, it's probably everything except guitars. Very expensive to move gear around the world.

Also, yea, cuts down on change-over time.

Thank you sir.

[MetalSludgeCEO]

I am going to use Wacken as an example. First of all , I am assuming you get asked to play Wacken and not that you ask if you can play.
So, who supply's the lights? Do you have to provide your own rig which I imagine would have to meet certain standards? Or is it provided?
How about amps?
To ease set changes between bands I would think this must all be supplied?

""""""""""""""""Wacken""""""""""""" and this would include, most if not ALL festival style events.

This is pretty simple... outside of AC/DC, and the top 2 maybe 3 main bands... nobody is bringing ANY gear, other than guitars and basses.

Example... Yngwie, is pretty much a nutjob, so he might have it in his contract, that he can use his 24 different Marshshall heads, that nobody else will touch!

The festivals all hire pro companies, pro lighting, pro staging (rigging), and the rest. It's all very organized, and any acting like a Rock Star, and you're going to get your ass handed to you very quickly... they do not play on these next level events.

You are given a slot, and everything is clearly detailed. This is your dressing room from 1:30-3:30pm, you are on stage at 2:15, you are off at 2:45pm. Go more than 30 seconds over... and the sound, lights, and all will be turned off, and 20 guys will be picking up your shit and walking it off the stage! The dressing room will also be no longer yours as of 3:31pm, get your sh!t and leave or they will make it leave for you.

Most of those drum kits, even if different for each band, are the festivals supplying and the drummers are changing Bass Drum Heads, and maybe cymbals.

When TUFF played RockTember last year... there were 5-6 drum risers, all on the side... each had a Kit for each band.

Once a band is done, that riser is literally rolled away, and the next one rolled into place.

Back drop hanging gets lowered, and the next one gets raised. In and out, up and down,

Most amp lines, are set, and guys swap guitars, pedal boards, wireless rig, etc...

$tEvil

[WolfgangVonPage]

I am going to use Wacken as an example. First of all , I am assuming you get asked to play Wacken and not that you ask if you can play.
So, who supply's the lights? Do you have to provide your own rig which I imagine would have to meet certain standards? Or is it provided?
How about amps?
To ease set changes between bands I would think this must all be supplied?

""""""""""""""""Wacken""""""""""""" and this would include, most if not ALL festival style events.

This is pretty simple... outside of AC/DC, and the top 2 maybe 3 main bands... nobody is bringing ANY gear, other than guitars and basses.

Example... Yngwie, is pretty much a nutjob, so he might have it in his contract, that he can use his 24 different Marshshall heads, that nobody else will touch!

The festivals all hire pro companies, pro lighting, pro staging (rigging), and the rest. It's all very organized, and any acting like a Rock Star, and you're going to get your ass handed to you very quickly... they do not play on these next level events.

You are given a slot, and everything is clearly detailed. This is your dressing room from 1:30-3:30pm, you are on stage at 2:15, you are off at 2:45pm. Go more than 30 seconds over... and the sound, lights, and all will be turned off, and 20 guys will be picking up your shit and walking it off the stage! The dressing room will also be no longer yours as of 3:31pm, get your sh!t and leave or they will make it leave for you.

Most of those drum kits, even if different for each band, are the festivals supplying and the drummers are changing Bass Drum Heads, and maybe cymbals.

When TUFF played RockTember last year... there were 5-6 drum risers, all on the side... each had a Kit for each band.

Once a band is done, that riser is literally rolled away, and the next one rolled into place.

Back drop hanging gets lowered, and the next one gets raised. In and out, up and down,

Most amp lines, are set, and guys swap guitars, pedal boards, wireless rig, etc...

$tEvil

Thanks Stevil.

[MetalSludgeCEO]

The answer across the board... from small clubs, to bigger clubs, to most theaters and festivals is often, that basic back-line supplied.

Unless it's a smaller town, tiny market... for clubs, etc... this is where the local "Tribute" or "Cover" band dominates. And these guys often have their own (small) P.A. and lighting, drums, amps, in a small white Box Truck and roll city to city, doing 2-3-4 nights at a pop, doing 2-3-4 sets a night. and they are hired by the bar and paid accordingly,

Steel Panther, pretty much fly in, with band, instruments and back-drop.

But, Hairball out of Minnesota, are rolling their own Tour Bus, crew of like 10-12+, a full semi of gear, lights, staging, pyro, and more. Their set up, is no joke!

But... you have to also know... that 97/100 bands that are on tour... do NOT bring this stuff or any of it with them.

There are few examples where it might differ... A. If you are a super small punk band, in a van, with a 3 piece drum kit, half stack, and small bass cabinet.

Or B. If you're on a real label, with management, and you're on a 30-40 date U.S. tour, and they're trying to break your band at radio, on the road and more. They might be rolling with stage gear, but Not a P.A. or lighting.

These situations, they have a Van and Equipment truck, or motor-home and trailer, and if there is serious money, a tour bus hauling all! Meaning "band gear", NOT a PA or lighting.

GWAR or these bands with crazy stage stuff, they likely have to have a truck, just for that whacky shit they use each night.

As you see, there is not 1 real answer for the question, there are like 10 ways to answer this, depending on the band, market and more.

The situations where they do have ALL, is when it's a huge headliner... ie: Gn'R, Crue, VH, and the biggest of headliners. Same would apply with the P.A. system (speakers) and staging.

These massive bands, getting 2-3 or $5M a nite, plaing 2-3 stadiums per week... they have 4-6 busses, and 8-12 Semi-Trucks, carrying the entire production.

And sometimes... those bands,, have "2 sets" of nearly identical gear. While the first set is ready for tonight's show in L.A., the 2nd set is already in PHX, setting up for a show 2-3 nites away.

Then when that show is happening, the first set, that is in L.A. today, is hop-scotching to Albuquerque for the show that is 4-5 days away, and so on.

Even then... the Lighting rigs, the staging, and pretty much all the vehicles, are all rented by companies that do this for bands, plays, car shows, pop, rock, rap, etc...

Pretty much 98% of any band discussed here... simply shows up with their basic gear (guitars, basses, and very basic back drops, drum heads, and maybe AMP cover or scims).

I would bet Bret Michaels show... is 95% rented gear, in each city. Outside of the band themselves, and their instruments. The backdrops, drum head and merch is all they bring. The rest is rented Pro backline, ordered and supplied to the specs on their equipment Rider, which is part of the actual Contract, supplied by the agent. And yes, there are other parts of the Rider too.. which can include "Must supply 4 Hotel Rooms, 1 Suite" and "Escalade style pick-up for Singer at Airport" and "Food, Drinks, Pizza, Catering" in dressing room, at Sound Check, post Show, etc..

A huge # of these bands, that are usually playing on the weekends only... are only bringing guitars, basses, pedals, sticks, strings, cords, and a back drop.

Examples are Great White, Slaughter, Warrant, Skid Row, etc... most of the time, each guy simply flys into the town, make their way (on their own) or via an arranged pick-up, to venue or motel, with their guitar or bass... and by the time they arrive, the basic stage is set... they or their stage hand, tweak amps, settings, drums and more.

Most of these events supply a pro level back-line for the bands to use. And if it's a 3-4 or 5 band bill, often it's a variation or stuff,,, perhaps the Headliner gets their stuff, and sets up first. Then the support band (if another "name" band) sets up in front of headliner... and then, they make the local 1-2 bands, share their own, lower level (3rd tier) set of gear, set in front of them.

Then as the show happens, after each band, or set, the stage crew, simply peel away, that gear, and quickly move it to the back or side of the stage. Meanwhile, the next band's members or crew, are already dialing in their amps, tweaking mics, and cymbal stands... and usually a quick 15 minute change, and the music should be ready to go.

Here are a few examples... of Good and Bad!

When we flew to Australia, for the Glam-Fest dates, ALL bands, played on the same basic back-line. Drum kit, guitar stacks, bass rigs, etc...

The gear was all top notch, and I honestly was shocked at how well it worked, how fluid, and professional it was handled, with 6 International bands, plus locals. Like 8-10 bands per day.

And to my recollection, no arguments, no fights, nobody went over, and if they did, it was by 30 seconds or a minute.

Hate to use Rock N' Skull as a (bad) example (RIP Justin Murr), but his events were a cluster-f#@k almost every time. Complete sh!t show from the checking into the hotels (Staff: "Yes, We see the reservation, but these are not paid for" happened to almost everyone), through the show itself, to getting paid... all reasons why "fans" and "fanboys" should not try and promote shows.

Similar nightmare stories happened with FarmRock promoter, Freddy Stahmer. Asking fans to go get $3k out of their bank, so he could pay a band's balance, and then he'd promise them backstage passes, and lifelong tix to all his events. This happened multiple times.

Basically from the first RNS we attended, I saw the Set Times, and he was giving the very first band, at 12:00, a full set, like 45 minutes or more. Bands that almost nobody came to see, and each one soaked up an hour with change over. And then this band went over with their encore, and this one started late, because the one before them ran over, and then the next band couldn't figure out their wireless system, and on and on it went.

And then, having a "stage manager" who was every band's buddy does hot help...or a guy worried about texting and posting FB updates and talking to girls, and then some joker band asks him:  "Hey man, is it okay if we have a bunch of back-up dancers come up for our last song?" and he replies... "Sure... why not."

Then the band spends 7-8 minutes introducing every dumb bitch in a bikini from Sh!tsville Illinois. This nonsense went on all afternoon, and by dinner time, the event was an hour plus behind schedule, with 5-6 more bands to go, and soon it looks like the headliner is going on at 1:00am... and so on.

Add on curfews, and fans are going "We gotta drive 2 hours home" and soon the whole nite is a mess for all involved.

That's when the few 'main' acts of the nite, or their TM (tour manager) says: "We don't give a F#@k what you do in the next 3 hours... but at 10:45, that stage is ours and we're setting up for a 90 minute headline show that will start at 11:00pm sharp!"

I recall Murr going to each band and asking everyone: "Do you guys wanna play tomorrow now, instead...? I need to get >so and so on<" .... it was ridiculous.

I told him well in advance... the first 3 bands, should get 30 minutes... and at the 25 minute mark, your stage manager tells them "This is your last song." I

Ithey keep playing after 30 minutes... the P.A. is turned off, and the crew begins to dismantle their gear. No time to talk, not excuses, none of that is to be heard or had.

A pro show is run by pros, and goes off accordingly. I cannot tell  you how many of these lower end events are just full of idiots, and while they have good intentions, it's almost always a complete day of F#@kery.

M3, RockTember, the 2 Live Nations events out here (Hair Nation and Cathouse Live) and all the MORC cruises, all = awesome

I've done a few in Germany, also well done... Australia, great, but there have been some stinkers too and it's a bummer.

Same with club shows, there is a right way to do it, and a wrong way... it's very apparent, very early if it's a mess... you can just tell... usually the guy that says he's in charge, is taking pics with every band member and if you asked him, "Can we get a Donkey in the dressing room for the Meet & Greet photos?"... usually the idiot promoters will say "Sure" and try to make it happen.

$tEvil

[BernieTaupson]

JFC the longest message in Sludge history. Cant wait for someone to quote it.

[WolfgangVonPage]

I was going to quote that just to see Bernies head explode but I won't
Thanks again Stevie.
A guy knows there is a lot going on to put on a show but you really put it in perspective.