half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

B

Blake Ross

Freshman
May 26, 2011
4
0
0
Central Alberta
Hi, a band I do sound for about once a month has a football half-time show at the end of the month, followed by another tow of the stage to a nearby outdoor beer garden for some post game fun.

They've asked me to do sound which is ok, but I have not read any accounts of how to get the portable stage into position, complete with power (from the portable generator) and FOH set up in the 5 minutes set aside for this task.

I have some ideas how to go about it, but I'd appreciate it if anyone with this kind of experience would share their thoughts (and no, I don't have access to a multi-pin snake :).

Thanks in advance for sharing your wisdom.
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

Blake Ross said:
Hi, a band I do sound for about once a month has a football half-time show at the end of the month, followed by another tow of the stage to a nearby outdoor beer garden for some post game fun.

They've asked me to do sound which is ok, but I have not read any accounts of how to get the portable stage into position, complete with power (from the portable generator) and FOH set up in the 5 minutes set aside for this task.

I have some ideas how to go about it, but I'd appreciate it if anyone with this kind of experience would share their thoughts (and no, I don't have access to a multi-pin snake :).

Thanks in advance for sharing your wisdom.
Click to expand...

You need a stage that is on wheels.
Set it up before hand, and when needed (slowly and gently) roll it in.
Easier said than done!
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

Assuming that you're using some kind of trailer for the band, set them all up beforehand making sure that everything is secured/weighted in place. You WILL likely be mixing from the stage, so dial in as good a mix as you can get, then power everything down. When the stage is pulled into position, hook up your power, turn everything on and go. If you need a reference from out front, have someone with a good set of ears, give them a wireless mic, then solo his/her channel and let then tell you what needs to go up/down. Absolutely everything should be on the stage. Not fancy but should work.
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

If you have a digital console, this would be a perfect solution to mix from a tablet or laptop. If you don't, and you have to pull front of house, you can take your snake and make a figure 8 wrap on the stage so that you can quickly pull it from the stage and drag your mixer to FOH, but in reality, that's probably going to make more work than it's worth for a halftime show.
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

Thanks for the great ideas.

The stage will be on a trailer of some type (that I will take a look at this weekend).

Dick, great advice on setting the mix at sound check, powering down and then connect to power once we're moved into performance position.

Brian, I did toy with the quick unwrap of the snake idea, but there seems to be so many ways that it could go bad in hurry, even using lots of bodies to string out the snake/FOH power.

I would love to buy a digital console to lighten up on the outboard and be able to remote mix, but there is other hardware ahead of that on the priority list :(.

I'll let you know how it goes.
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

Hello,

Insist on at least two helper/techs. Pre-set everything up as described by other posters. Use pipe strapping and tech screws (with gobs of gaff tape to prevent scratching gear) to hold down Mic stands and Drum gear. Gaff tape down all pre-set power and signal cables. No-one rides on trailer.

A couple of rehearsal moves are in order...just to ensure the time schedule.

"Good luck & have fun".... Tim McCulloch
Hammer
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

Thanks Charlie, I didn't think of pipe strap and gaff!

I'm feeling a lot better about the show with all the ideas you guys have given me.

Thanks to all!
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

Do you mean really, actually, literally 5 minutes? Not 10, 15, a half hour? Come on, guys, my bet is it ain't gonna happen!

Sorry for appearing so negative, but I am trying to be realistic. There are just too many things that can go wrong and it's going to all happen in front of a large crowd. You have more courage than I!

I hope you prove me wrong, let us know how it goes.
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

For a halftime show, yes, he means a 5 minute setup. Having things pre-set on the trailer and secured down can work quite well.

A figure 8 wrapped snake can easily pull out while being pre-patched to your board. Practice it a few times. After the show, you have to be able to wrap up quickly. For this, it can get a bit messy to bunch the snake on the trailer, but then you've got the rest of the game to get things set back up for the after show. If you have to unpatch the board, no big deal.

But really, for a halftime show, you'd probably be best just mixing on stage and dealing with it. Less chance of anything going wrong.
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

Chuck Simon said:
Do you mean really, actually, literally 5 minutes? Not 10, 15, a half hour? Come on, guys, my bet is it ain't gonna happen!

Sorry for appearing so negative, but I am trying to be realistic. There are just too many things that can go wrong and it's going to all happen in front of a large crowd. You have more courage than I!

I hope you prove me wrong, let us know how it goes.
Click to expand...

There is a lot you can accomplish in 5 minutes with an organized plan and enough help.
Make sure that everyone has a clearly defined task and make sure you have enough bodies.
Then keep them all calm and focused and you'll be fine.
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

Chuck Simon said:
Do you mean really, actually, literally 5 minutes? Not 10, 15, a half hour? Come on, guys, my bet is it ain't gonna happen!

Sorry for appearing so negative, but I am trying to be realistic. There are just too many things that can go wrong and it's going to all happen in front of a large crowd. You have more courage than I!

I hope you prove me wrong, let us know how it goes.
Click to expand...


Huh?

It's been done before..

We had a bigger trailer (flatbed semi) than the poster might be intending to use... but, we did it and it was without any incidents....

On the Staging area,(trailer platform) all of the band gear, floor monitors, mic stands, drum riser and kit were secured to the trailer. All gear was preset and in their show position. All snakes and power cables to the stage gear were coiled up neatly on the upstage edge of the trailer and were ready to be pulled into connect position. All of the system Amplifiers, small distro, and snake head were also on the upstage edge. All of the system speakers were also on the trailer at the far ends, and pointed toward to the bleachers on both sides of the field.

Once the trailer was in place...there was only 5 or 6 cables need to be pulled off of the trailer and connected....power and snake to Foh (which was pushed to the field while the truch entered the endzone).

It probably took longer for the band to get their asses on the stage than to set the Foh and connect the cables.

It can be done...it has been done... and is done at Football Games every year

Hammer

ps..and ...the massive superbowl halftime stage is assembled in less that 11 minutes ...which also includes lighting, special effects and multitudes more cable connections.
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

"the massive superbowl halftime stage is assembled in less that 11 minutes"
Yeah, I know, but that's not being done by anyone who has to come here for advice.
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

Chuck Simon said:
"the massive superbowl halftime stage is assembled in less that 11 minutes"
Yeah, I know, but that's not being done by anyone who has to come here for advice.
Click to expand...

But it's been done by people who are here to give advice.

Mac
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

Chuck Simon said:
"the massive superbowl halftime stage is assembled in less that 11 minutes"
Yeah, I know, but that's not being done by anyone who has to come here for advice.
Click to expand...

Hello,

Everyone can learn something new...or, at least "re-learn" something... I've done thousands of shows, in all types of venues, with unknown musicians and the best known musicians in the World....and I learn from others that post here. (I'm sure many, bigger-well known Sound Techs monitor this site for additional suggestions, tips, info, etc...but, keep anonymous, for whatever reason)

Just maybe... the poster had done this type of gig before, but, was looking for additional suggestions... maybe not...but, should he not take on the challege?

Hammer
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

O.K. I'm convinced! He's gonna pull it off and it will be a total success. Sorry I said anything.
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

Chuck Simon said:
O.K. I'm convinced! He's gonna pull it off and it will be a total success. Sorry I said anything.
Click to expand...

Hello,

I don't know the original poster, but, If he's "prepared", he will "pull it off and it will be a total success"...and that's the point of this whole thread.

Sometimes playing the devil's advocate IS what is needed...to make sure everything IS covered.

Thanks and don't be sorry.

Hammer
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

Charlie Zureki said:
(I'm sure many, bigger-well known Sound Techs monitor this site for additional suggestions, tips, info, etc...but, keep anonymous, for whatever reason)
Click to expand...

Our ratio of registered, logged in users to anonymous viewers hangs around 10:1. According to Google Analytics we have over 11,000 unique visitors a month, not including search engines etc. Certainly some of those are not pro audio people but considering we have less than 1,000 registered users that is a lot of people who don't log in!

As I have said in private to a few people, the real audience of this site is that group. Many other sites (just look at Harmony Central!) have a lot (a LOT) of "question people", which is great, everyone needs questions to be asked at any level of the industry. The value of this site is that it attracts a lot of "answer people". The two groups cannot live without each other, but I believe to run a high signal to noise site with useful information the challenge is to interest and retain more of the latter.
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

Bennett Prescott said:
Our ratio of registered, logged in users to anonymous viewers hangs around 10:1. According to Google Analytics we have over 11,000 unique visitors a month, not including search engines etc. Certainly some of those are not pro audio people but considering we have less than 1,000 registered users that is a lot of people who don't log in!

As I have said in private to a few people, the real audience of this site is that group. Many other sites (just look at Harmony Central!) have a lot (a LOT) of "question people", which is great, everyone needs questions to be asked at any level of the industry. The value of this site is that it attracts a lot of "answer people". The two groups cannot live without each other, but I believe to run a high signal to noise site with useful information the challenge is to interest and retain more of the latter.
Click to expand...

+1

Hammer
 
Re: half time show portable stage set up in 5 minutes?

I work part time for a company that does this type of thing, so I'l share my experiences. We do after game shows for minor league baseball teams, and hockey teams. It takes us 15 minutes from when we are allowed on the field to the downbeat. 10 minutes of that is the slow drive on the plywood road (the local grounds crew lays that out for us). We coil the snake and power for FOH separately, b/c unless they are taped together if you try to lay them in 1 figure-8 it will form a big knot and ruin the timeline. We always do a full sound check somewhere else on the site before the stadium opens for the game so that we have verified that everything is fully functioning. Depending on the stadium, it may be 50+feet to the first audience member. You may need more rig than you think. We have been using 5 Cobra4Far per side for 7k seat baseball stadiums, and it it is barely enough. We also have 2 2 ton cranes and outrigger built into our custom stage so that we lift the PA off the deck and fly it without having to re-patch the hang.

You need to contact the grounds crew before hand. Many won't let you on the field without a plywood road to protect the playing surface. This takes time both on the in and the out.

If it has rained that day, don't drive out onto the field. If it looks like it will storm, call the show early and get off teh field quickly. You don't want to be stuck or tear up their field. If that happens, there will never be another half time show. Also if the field is soft, I would cancel on the event, unless they want to lay plywood down. You don't want to be the one that everyone feels is responsible when the star player break his ankle on one of the tire ruts. If in doubt make sure some one else makes the call.

If you want FOH to be in the coverage of the speakers, make sure you have everything on a cart so that you only have to patch the snake and power. You don't want to have to repatch the power supplies/outboard come showtime. The cart needs to have big tires so it doesn't sink into the field.
 


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