'Get In'

[hookiefreak]

Hi,

 

I am new to working on touring shows as up-to-now I've only worked at a local high school. However, I am going to be working on at least 3 touring shows before christmas and was wandering what I should expect during the 'get in' for these shows.

 

Sorry if this seems a really simple or stupid question! :unsure:

 

Cheers,

Duncan

[hadyn]

Hi,

 

I am new to working on touring shows as up-to-now I've only worked at a local high school. However, I am going to be working on at least 3 touring shows before christmas and was wandering what I should expect during the 'get in' for these shows.

 

Sorry if this seems a really simple or stupid question!  :unsure:

 

Cheers,

Duncan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What kind of touring is it? Band or theatre?

 

As to a band load in, you should have a bunch of local crew to unload the truck, bolt truss together, stack boxes etc. You should be mainly supervisory during the initial bit, but then you will make the connections to dimmers, desks etc. and all the 'technical' bits.

 

Gig get ins tend to be quick and dirty, you should generally be able to build the entire production in about 4 hours or so, unless it's an arena size thing. Just be prepared to get a bit bored building the same thing day in day out.

 

But all in all, life on tour is great fun (or am I just slightly insane??), but hard work. But they do say Work hard, Play hard!!!! ;)

[gareth]

As Haydn asked, what kind of show? Theatre? Rock 'n' roll? One-nighters? Week (or more) runs?

 

Are you going to be working for the touring company, or for the receiving venue? What sort of scale? Arenas? Large (1000+ seat) theatres? Small theatres? Clubs? What's your role on the tour or at the venue?

[Rob_Beech]

You probably are slightly insane.

 

I mean, 2 hours sleep a night, nothing but junk food at awkward times. Bangs bumps bruises cuts scrapes all over you. Not to mention burns from soldering irons when you find that bespoke cable you need to run IEM's fails 10 minutes before doors on the first night)

Driving for hours on end in cramped conditions. poor loadins, breakdowns, arguments when we get over tired.

 

Yeah I'd say you're slightly insane.

 

I wouldn't change it for the world, I'm sure most here agree.

 

 

 

Rob

[mac.calder]

Some things to look out for:

 

Keep a close eye on where the gaffer tape is at all times - if you thought static show bump in crew was good at nicking it, local crew on a tour are 10 times worse.

 

Make sure local crew, during bump out, are competant at CORRECTLY coiling cables. They save hours when you arrive at the next place. When you open a road case to run those floor mics to the stage box and find cord soup, you can tell that it is going to be a long bump in.

 

Make up a list of exactly what needs to be done, and what order - mark on the list before hand which jobs YOU need to do, what jobs the local crew can do, and what jobs anyone else (ie the 'talent') can do. Distribute.

 

Ensure you have complete details on every venue. Keep it with you at all times. When touring, it is worth while splitting the prompt book (if you have one) into three folders.

1: Actors information

2: Venue specs and bump-in/out todo lists etc

3: Script and reports

 

Basically it separates into a folder used only in emergancies (number 1), a folder used at every bump in (2) and a folder used during the show (3)

 

For the duration of the tour, you will learn to live on caffine. It will be the only thing keeping you alive for the show, so ensure you can get it at all times.

[jajossif]

If this is a Rock tour you will have the time of your life:

 

The tour bus experiance is I think the biggest shocker of them all...

Keep lots of gaffer and you mini mag on you at all times.

 

YOU WILL need them.

[paulears]

People and expectations are the biggest hurdle. Local crew object to being taken for granted by the 'visitors', the touring crew expect the same standard of competence from the 'humpers' at every venue. In many cases this doesn't cause what might be termed harmony. Misunderstandings will be many. Some venues have their usual competent staff who also do get-ins, rather than pure humpers who leave when the get in is done. They get insulted by visitors treating them as paid muscle with no brain. The touring crew expect the house crew to understand that item x always goes stage left, despite the flighcase label saying FOH. They can't understand why the house crew don't realise it is a secondhand case with an old label. 'This way up' labels don't get spotted - slippy liquid falls out. Mixer flight cases may be thin bit down, lift off big bit, or the other way around. House crew won't know. House crew will not be aware that everyone arriving will not be assisting with the get-out. They will get pi**ed off at them sweating and someone else busying themselves with a small toolbox. House crew will heave the wrong place on a large case, unaware the heavy bit is one end, case will drop, voices raise. Touring crew won't realise that some items will be treated differently due to venue issues. Touring crew pile cases too high to go through small gaps, or up ramps meaning double handling.

 

It is a small battle with the two crews. In most cases, there aren't any winners and commons sense just prevails and everyone gets one. Sometimes tempers get really frayed and either one crew or the other becomes bolshy. If this happens, the whole day is rather unpleasant.

 

Mac Calder mentioned cabling. Always ask how they want it done. Pretty well everyone says coiled - but you might get coiled and taped, coiled and tied (with the end of the cable) coiled and cable tied - check releasable or not. I hate this one - cutting ties is a real pain. I had one who wanted all cables pulled out straight then halved and halved again and again then taped. Some venues supply tape - others always seem to have just 'run out'. Check the venues policy on cables crossing public and stage areas. On stage, some visitors want all cables gaffered down end to end, others want them just taped every foot or so. In the auditorium - check where snakes go, straight down an aisle, or around the edges - how do they cross doorways. The local crew know the answers to this one. If the touring crew have been unfriendly, then cable routes sometimes get more awkward.

 

It's a bit of a battleground, really. Very rarely totally friendly, but quite ok from both sides. Watch out for weird protocol issues. Like who is welcome in the crew room. Some venues have an open house, others a security lock. Knocking before entering if you are a visitor is nice, and always saying please works well. Coming accross as an 'I'm in charge' idiot is very simple to do. For a one day visit, relationships are difficult to make, so many just don't bother to try.

 

 

After all this, we still do it? Must be mad!

[TallPaul]

Totally agree Paul, a little bit of friendliness and politeness goes a very long way on either side. Also remember if you are part of the touring crew that you are guests in the local crews venue. Respect their space and they will respect yours.

 

Paul