Important Festival Kit

[tolley1466]

Water-proof walking boots work well for me at festivals.

 

Cable ties are another usful tool, if there's a backdrop etc being used and is attached to the stage's trussing/frame or whatever, if there's a bit of wind, they'll snap before the whole stage gets blown back.

 

A desk lamp also for mixing in the dark and also some white gaffer for marking the edges of stageing etc

[mac.calder]

small butchers hooks

 

http://www.foodutensils.com.au/images/294TBH-012003_Butchers_Hook_SS.jpg.

 

I have about 30 of them that I have sprayed black - need to run cables over head? hook over a pipe, cable in other end. Need to quickly hang a banner from some pipe-and-drape? hooks through the eyelets, then onto the drape.

[Simon Lewis]

• Good communications... if the site's big enough, walkies etc. can really help.
  
• Good lines of communication. At church events, there isn't always an effective chain of command, and thought may not have been put into basic risk assessment or who gets to pull the gig if an impending weather front turns nasty. Incidently, just because they're church volunteers doesn't mean that they are not "employees" in the sight of the law.
  
• Good portable gazebos - for FOH on a sunny day or even to provide shade to amp racks that otherwise bake in the sun.
  
• Good supply of drink, a runner for those little tasks, prior agreement from the local EHOs to make a noise, plus goodwill of the local residents (you are inviting them?), rubber matting strip to cover cable runs that can't be flown...
  

Simon

[hounsome]

black bags for rubbish and to split if you are digging in the multicore it will save someone hours of cleaning mud off and a charge if it is hired.

[Simon Lewis]

black bags for rubbish and to split if you are digging in the multicore it will save someone hours of cleaning mud off and a charge if it is hired.

 

If you do have to dig in the multi, get a long roll (catering pack) of clingfilm, roll it out, put cable on top, wrap, leave in fridge until ready to eat. Saves even more time!

[HolyPhish]

thanks for all the posts, keep them coming!

 

stuff like bin bags and radios is all sorted (we even know who is allowed radios and who isn't!)

 

its things like the butchers hooks and wrapping the multi in cling-film that im looking for.

 

stuff u only really pick up from others that are quite sensible when u think about it but u would never really think about it.

[Rob_Beech]

Working lights, on something other than 13A. If you're there in a van/truck and have the space, a very small generator of your own or working lights with good batteries. They WILL turn off the generators as soon as they can to save on their fuel bill, regardless of whether that leaves you in the dark.

[Stuart91]

If you're responsible for multiple venues with any distance between them, bringing a bike can be a great way to cut down some of the foot-slogging.

[kerry davies]

I am enjoying this topic, Simon and Mac reminding me of stuff I take for granted. Rob mentions gennies going off at inappropriate moments also reminds me of yet another dance school that removed an extension lead from a socket in a church to use for a last practice with their ghetto blaster. The chip van full of bubbling deepfryers being suddenly plunged into darkness was a little hairy moment. Try to ensure that you have control of any flying extension leads, they will get unplugged even if the WI has to remove layers of gaffer to make the tea.

Other things which I keep forgetting that are always on the van are:

Reflective vests for steward identification.

Drum carpet.

Hazard tape, sticky and non.

Double-sided tape for carpets, notices etc.

Rather than using string I always have lengths of para cord, 1/4 inch blue rope and a really long 1/2 inch rope for use with road pins as boundary marker.

We use a lot of the perforated plastic roadwork fencing with road pins for protection around cricket pitches, water hazards etc.

If you use a gazebo (preferably a real instant pop-up, not one from Argos) be sure it is secured, they fly away in relatively gentle breezes and always, always land on the oldest person available.

A bullhorn for emergencies when the power/PA fails.

Water standpipes and the necessary keys.

Variety of loadstraps, all sorts of uses.

A really solid table (for DJ's etc. though we now have a Stanton DJ station as well as our own DJ kit)

Spare chairs for the crew.

Traffic bollards for roadside gigs as well as BT-type gate barriers for gennies.

Club hammers and sledgehammers.

A list of "emergency" contact numbers and specific instructions as to who calls the emergency services (having four ambulances turn up at once is embarrassing, not to say wasteful and dangerous.) The local police, fire and ambulance services often turn out as PR excercises and can be added attractions which support the event whilst providing a service. (Less SIA staff needed, etc)

A fully charged mobile phone.

Spare CD's (that I hate) for NTWICM type backing/interlude tracks. And one or two for MEeeee!

A camera (which mostly doesn't get used but can be handy for evidence)

Bottled water for hot days and yet another flask of tea/coffee.

A couple of 500W floodlights in case it gets dark (to go with the spare suitcase genny)

5 gallon jerry cans, with locks, for the fuel.

 

That's enough for today, but I have a friend who, on larger/longer events, has his own handwashing cabinet, fridge, electric kettle and microwave in his kit along with his laptop, printer and GPS. Too much for a church fete but useful in fields while building bigger events.

[themadhippy]

The largest sealable bottle you can find,and if necessary a funnel,nothing worse than being stuck at foh on your own, miles from a bog.

[hounsome]

Simon I have never had luck with the cing fiilm as it keeps getting stuck to itself. but thats just me thats why I use black bags

[leofric]

Remember to provide toilet and hand washing facilities from the moment the first person contactor is on site, the number of cheap arse promoters who think that these things are optional extras till the EHO arrives is increadable.

 

One even told me once there was nothing provided because it would get dirty before the event aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

[willdart666]

Lots of spare socks.

A rubber mallet....for hitting things. (Perhaps not for making people see things your way though.)

Lots of bottled water. A festival I did last year figured it was fine to just provide a water tank thing, it tasted horrible, did nothing to quench thirst and probably cost more than just bulk buying cheap water bottles.

[lightsource]

Sun Cream, and your favourite painkiller, if it's a summer day job.......

 

Nothing worse than running around like a headless Chicken, with a headache and looking like a beetroot :)

[pisquee]

If it's a summer event...

More effective than sun cream, and highly recommended, is a hat (as long as you remember to wear it, it doesn't need topping up)

sunglasses

A large parasol - the kind that you use above a garden/pub table that sits in the ground and stand tall and is big - a useful thing to have to quickly put over something that is getting too much sun (which can include you if no gazebo has been provided - you will need to keep moving it around to follow the sun though.