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Old 12-18-2010, 02:53 PM
vbakh vbakh is offline
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Default On-stage tips & tricks

I participated in a small concert yesterday and the performance wasn't well-organized. There were about 20 participants there - several solo singers/guitarists, several guitarist + singer duos, a few guitaris/singers duos, a small choir with two guitars etc. We didn't take into account small things like sitting/stayings preferences, places for each performer per song, who helps to adjust microphones for guitarists, how to change the places for microphone between the songs quickly etc.
I am looking for tips & tricks, articles, books about how to prepare small musical concerts with 20-30 participants, such as rehearsals organization, performance organization, stage management etc. I believe it is some combination of producing and stage (or on-stage) management things.

Thanks!
Vlad
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Old 12-18-2010, 03:20 PM
shawlie shawlie is offline
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Great topic - I know what you mean, but don't have a lot of advice (hope to read some of the more experienced people's replies).

One thing that does always seem to be the same when things go smooth - you are there hours (and hours) beforehand. Everyone is, and you do the show way before it starts. If we have to play at say 9, we have to be there at 3 or something, and they go through every act down to the last detail. Something's still bound to go wrong - but the sound people and stage management work it all out the whole afternoon with everyone who is going to play. No chair, cable, mic or anything is overlooked and they write it all down.

It saves a lot of problems, I find - but can be very boring. Hard not to have a beer too many while waiting around for hours.
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Old 12-18-2010, 05:16 PM
guitarisrshevy guitarisrshevy is offline
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It depends on the concert size and the venue. Most gigs i sound-check half an hour before doors open. I send a tech-spec sheet (which and how many mics, number of guitar D.I's, do i need an XLR lead or a chair ect...) this way most sound men can have an idea of what i need.

For festivals often i get told my sound-check time, its usually in the morning if the program starts at 12:00 and lasts about 20 mins or so and as shawlie says it covers most things. I think going through the whole show four hours before would be hellish, just my opinion.

It helps to know basics as well. How to adjust a mic stand, learn the sound guy's name and if there is an engineer for monitors on the side of stage make sure you get his/her name too, it all helps.

If your running or organizing then get some of this stuff published. Set a time for each soloist/band to turn up and sound-check and let them know when they should turn up. Get every performer to send you a techspec sheet well before the gig so you can accommodate any requirements.

You'll learn as you go.
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Old 12-19-2010, 07:56 AM
Kurt Kurt is offline
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That's a lot of folks to orchestrate, coming and going, so it's no wonder it feels a bit like organizing chaos.

We have a folk fest in my neck of the woods, and one thing we do is create two staging areas -- one that can be quietly prepped while the other one is being performed in. We organize a "needs" list prior to the event so we have the required equipment on hand and within reach when the time comes. Not sure if you have the space for that, but along with the good ideas listed here, it's something that's worked for us.
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Old 12-19-2010, 10:24 AM
donh donh is offline
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First and foremost you need a sound crew that knows how to set up and operate their gear. This is difficult to find, and I leave that up to you. They need to know their gear, be able to communicate to the artists what gear is available, and be creative in applying a fixed amount of gear to a changing set of artist's needs. Hire a crew with two-way radios.

No more than 3 mics for drums! One overhead, one kick, one snare/hi-hat. There is no time for more.

Shows of this kind usually have a set schedule. Make the setup and break-down times be reasonable, and delegate someone to inform each act when they are near the end of their timeslot. I suggest a certain time for both setup and sound-check. This rewards the groups that get set up quickly.

Set the stage area up so acts can line up on one side and exit the other. There needs to be adequate space for this on both sides. This is not a choice, it is totally necessary. Break-down and set-up can be achieved simultaneously with proper choreography.

Then you ask for a full list of each act's personnel and their instruments. You will never get a full list, but it's a start.

Delegate a person to chase down each act as they enter the grounds and find out their personnel and instrumentation. While asking, be upbeat and tell the group that the soundcrew is there to help them play their best and it'll be fun. This info needs to be entered on two lists, one for stage-crew and one for the mixboard personnel. This way, the sound crew can be thinking ahead and acting as proper support for the artists.

This last point is very important. The sound crew's job is to support the artists. Shows like this can be both efficient and fun, as long as the support crew has the proper attitude.
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Last edited by donh; 12-22-2010 at 06:37 AM.
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Old 12-21-2010, 11:59 PM
endpin endpin is offline
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Many great directors and conductors became authoritarians to counteract this tendency of creative and otherwise intelligent people to slide hopelessly into total chaos when assembled in large groups.
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Old 12-22-2010, 06:43 AM
RustyAxe RustyAxe is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by guitarisrshevy View Post
It depends on the concert size and the venue. Most gigs i sound-check half an hour before doors open. I send a tech-spec sheet (which and how many mics, number of guitar D.I's, do i need an XLR lead or a chair ect...) this way most sound men can have an idea of what i need.

If your running or organizing then get some of this stuff published. Set a time for each soloist/band to turn up and sound-check and let them know when they should turn up. Get every performer to send you a techspec sheet well before the gig so you can accommodate any requirements.
^ This. I run a monthly acoustic showcase ... 4 invited performers, a feature performer, then a few open mic slots to end the evening. A requirement is that each performer provide me a list of their requirements. The only real soundcheck I do is for the feature, everyone else I wing it (but I've done it enough that I get in the ball park real quick). Some acts don't give me a sheet beforehand, in which case they may not be invited back again. And yes, I do have everything published and it gets emailed to invitees prior to the event, and is available to the open mic participants at the event when they sign up.

I should mention that it's an acoustic showcase and I don't deal with drum kits, backline amps (maybe a bass amp), pedal boards, loopers, etc.
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Old 12-22-2010, 08:11 AM
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Bob Womack Bob Womack is offline
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I work with this sort of thing fairly regularly and do it within the framework of network TV production. There are some lessons to be learned from this framework. First off, we use multiple non-performing people (techs and production people) to pull off the smooth operation. Basically, other than your P.A. operator, you need a stage manager, a stage tech, and the program producer. As others have mentioned, we don't leave anything to the last minute and we do get lists o fequipment needs, often in the form of riders.

The stage manager and the program producer work together, with the producer handling the long-range (strategic) decisions and the stage manager handling the short-range (tactical) decisions. The producer is free to leave the stage area to go scout-up a missing act or get on the phone and call for any additional things that are needed. He can also flit from stage to FOH to communicate as needed and be responsible for liaison with the venue or house. He funnels the acts to the stage as their performance time approaches, making sure there isn't a gap in the supply of acts but there aren't too many people in the vicinity of the stage causing confusion. At the stage, the stage manager is responsible for getting the acts on and off, maintaining the schedule, and communicating changes with FOH and stage tech. The stage tech provides and sets-up the mics, chairs, monitors, and power needed for each act and does so while protecting the P.A. operator by coordinating with him so that he always knows what mic or line input is flowing up what line to his console. You'll want a routing system so that there isn't a bunch of switching between channels.

Communications between the production crew can be a real pain. We've tried everything from Intercoms to Instant Messaging to cell phones and have found that once the music starts, it is hard to communicate due to the noise and hard to break through to the FOH P.A. position. Between acts it can be hard to communicate because people can be so busy that they are distracted from the communication devices. The four factors that contribute the best to success are:
1. Planning
2. Rehearsal of the transitions
3. A well-defined authority structure in the team
4. Empowerment of the individuals to "own" their jobs and make decisions within their own sphere without undue "horning-in"

Plan everything, then expect the plans to either change or fall through. Do a rehearsal. Failing that, do a walk-through of the changes. Failing that, at least do a verbal walk-through while reading from the night's run-down so that your team can trouble-shoot the transitions. Be open to suggested adjustments from your team members. Have an authority structure that everyone understands. The authority should flow from producer, who is understood to "own" the show, to stage manager, to FOH P.A. operator and tech. There will have to be a certain amount of triangulation between the stage tech, who really is responsible to the FOH operator, and the stage manager, who is physically closest to the stage tech. Unless you have ironclad communication between your posts, you can't isolate the stage tech from the stage manager and make him only responsible to the FOH. Things come up and the stage manager needs the tech to be able to adjust first and explain later. With cooperation and an understanding of submission, the stage manager or producer also have the ability to serve as an assistant to the tech and help him hustle the needed stuff on and off the stage. Here is where cooperation really helps. As long as everyone takes care of the FOH's needs, it works.

Those are the basics. There can be flexibility (the stage manager can be the producer and he can have an assistant handle getting the acts to him) and there is scalability (there can be whole crews for each of the named positions for a large gig, or functions can be combined for a smaller gig) but these are the basic functions that need to be filled.

Have fun putting it together!

Bob
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