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?
Comments
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.
shoes... neat thought. Usually had duckboards where mud was an issue. But you never know.
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
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.
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.
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.
However we have been asked to take EVERYTHING - full drum kit etc, so I’m expecting slightly longer to get set up
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.
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 .
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
If its after dark, take a clip on light for your pedal board and attach to mic stand.
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.
Trading feedback here
Just an observation really, but it was interesting and noticeable.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
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.
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