Venue 'claw backs' from visiting productions

[GR1]

I date validate my riders with 'From' and 'To' dates. It's not rocket science and stops me getting what I don't what when venues use an old 'on file' rider.

[paulears]

No I meant the reverse - the production office supply a rider that the touring crew are totally unaware of - often when they change PA companies, who might be toruing line arrays and all digital, it asks about distance to the FOH control position, citing cable run lengths, asking for power feeds for FOH at say, Stage right - must be XAmps etc, then when they arrive they have a digital desk stage right, and you've fudged your LX power to the other side because they want power there, and they don't! Two risers for drums and keys, but on arrival they need a bigger one for the drums and the other one is no use because they plant a PA there? When you cleared them a space where the rider specified.

[IRW]

I'm very familiar with this situation, where the crew on arrival look at what they have and ask for all these changes. You show them the rider and they've never seen it before in their life. One even commented "this explains why everywhere were go the stage is littered with drum risers" - which they always require to be struck. The phrase "that's an old rider" should be banned. I can see the case for charges for these total wastes of time. From time to time you also get the reinstate requirement, where every show returns to what it was, when many times, the neutral state is never what anyone wants. Like where every lantern has lilac and steel blue, so everyone wants something else, but then they recolour back again, and again ........

 

I'd like to think most venues do it neutrally, but some just seem to be getting crafty.

 

We considered getting t-shirts printed with that on in one of the venues I worked at!

[nuttytechy]

Years ago at a different theatre I was working at, we had an touring company turn up and after going through their Tech Rider, Everything was totally different to what they wanted on the day.

 

It stated that they wanted a 13amp to 15amp lead for a lamp they used on stage.... This wasn't the case. They wanted a 13amp to 15amp so they could connect their light into the house rig. A cable had to be made up during their focus session.

 

They said they would only use a few lighting cues which would be done by them.... We had to employ a lighting tech to come in and run 90 odd cues for the show.

 

They said they would be bringing in a 500w fresnal being used as a foot lamp..... We had to supply a fresnal as their excuse was..."Its somewhere in the van"

 

Because I knew something would be dodgy, I wrote a contract up stating the stuff I had to do for them and got them to sign including myself so they knew where they stood and I knew that if they tried to fob us off then I had it in writing.... Luckily I did the right thing because they did try to deny their tech rider was wrong but because we sent them the contract which both I and they signed and we finally got our money for the "Extras" I did for them.

[kitlane]

At risk of derailing the thread, these days he'd be pushing his luck admitting in writing to moving an occupied tallie regardless how many crew were doing the moving wouldn't he? After all the debate a few years back I thought the HSE had ultimately come down firmly on the "nope" side and made it clear they'd be looking to prosecute in the aftermath of any accident involving a scope moved with someone in the basket.

 

Of course, as mentioned above, you don't need *any* crew around the base to use a scope in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions with brakes on and outriggers deployed. Should be perfectly feasible to focus a few specials without taking all day about it.

 

 

 

ABTT article on Tallescopes

 

CoP for Tallescopes PDF

 

HSE view

 

Health and Safety Laboratory study (PDF)

[Seano]

Ah, I was a bit out of date. Ta for the links.