Technical Advancing is the behind-the-scenes process of aligning every technical detail of a performance between a festival’s production team and the artists’ crews before show day. Doing this groundwork ensures that when an artist steps on stage, all the sound, lighting, and stage elements they expect are ready to go. Thorough advance coordination with performers prevents on-site surprises and is a hallmark of well-run festivals, whether it’s a small local event or a multi-stage mega festival.
Understanding Artists’ Production (Technical) Riders
An artist’s production rider (often called a technical rider) is a document that outlines all the technical needs for their performance. This typically includes requirements for sound systems, audio equipment, lighting setups, stage layout (stage plot), input lists, backline instruments/amps, power supply, and sometimes crew or staffing needs. Essentially, the technical rider is the artist’s wish list to ensure they can deliver their show as intended. Festival organizers must study these riders closely, as they form the blueprint for meeting each artist’s needs.
It’s important to differentiate this from the hospitality rider, which covers personal and backstage requests (like food, drinks, and comfort items). In this article, the focus is on the technical side – the gear and setup required on stage and around it. By thoroughly understanding every line in a technical rider, a festival production team can identify what is already available in-house and what might require special arrangements or rentals.
Example: A touring rock band’s rider might specify “four guitar amplifiers (Marshall JCM800 series) and a DW drum kit with specific cymbals”, along with a stage plot diagram showing the drummer on a 2-foot riser and the lead singer’s mic at center stage. If the festival’s house backline doesn’t include those exact amp models or drum brand, the production team knows early to either source them or propose a suitable alternative. Missing those details could mean a disappointed artist on the day of the show or a frantic scramble to find gear last-minute.
Reviewing and Interpreting Technical Requirements
Once the riders are in hand, review each one in detail. Seasoned festival producers approach this task like a checklist, making note of every requirement:
– Audio: PA system size and quality, mixer preferences, monitor wedges or in-ear monitor needs, microphone preferences, DI boxes, etc.
– Lighting: any special lighting cues or fixtures needed, whether the artist is bringing their own lighting designer, and if they have specific lighting programming requests or time-coded shows.
– Stage Plot: the layout and placement of each band member, instruments, and gear on stage. Check for dimensions – does your stage have enough space? Are there risers requested for drums or keyboards?
– Backline: instruments and amplifiers to be provided. Determine what the festival already has versus what needs to be rented or supplied by the artist.
– Power and Tech: any special power requirements (e.g., “2 x 50A three-phase power drops” or voltage needs), as well as things like rigging points for hanging backdrops or special effects equipment.
As you review, highlight anything that is unusual or beyond your standard provision. For instance, if an electronic artist requests a high-end laser projector or an uncommon piece of DJ gear, that should immediately stand out as an item to secure or discuss. Pay attention to details – sometimes artists include very specific requests or even odd clauses to ensure you’ve read everything (like the famous “no brown M&Ms” clause in Van Halen’s rider, which was actually a test to confirm that promoters had reviewed the technical specifications thoroughly!). The key lesson is that nothing in a rider should be overlooked. Every detail, no matter how small it seems, has a purpose.
If any part of the rider is unclear (maybe an acronym or a model number you’re not familiar with), reach out for clarification. It’s better to ask questions in advance than to guess and get it wrong. Keep a running list or spreadsheet of requirements for each artist so you can track which needs are covered and which require action.
Early Communication with Artists’ Teams
Advancing is fundamentally about communication. After digesting an artist’s rider, the festival’s production coordinator or stage manager should reach out to the artist’s production manager or tour manager well ahead of the event. Start the conversation by confirming receipt of their rider and asking any initial questions. This dialogue is the time to confirm what the festival can provide, what might need adjustments, and what the artist needs to bring themselves.
Be transparent about your festival’s in-house capabilities. For example, if your festival already has a top-notch sound system and standard backline gear, share that info (often festivals will send out a “tech pack” or advance sheet to artists with details of the stage dimensions, house sound system specs, lighting rig, and provided backline). Artists’ teams appreciate seeing the festival’s provided gear list; it shows professionalism and helps them decide if they need to request any changes or bring additional equipment.
If there are items in the rider that you cannot accommodate exactly, propose solutions early:
– Maybe the guitar amps requested aren’t available locally – suggest high-quality substitutes (and ideally provide spec sheets or reasons why the alternative is comparable).
– If an artist wants a massive lighting fixture that your rig can’t support, work with their lighting designer to find a creative solution using your existing fixtures.
– Perhaps the stage at your venue is slightly smaller than what a band is accustomed to – you might restructure the stage plot with them or adjust on-site by removing unnecessary decor to maximize space.
Always get these agreements in writing (email is fine). This way, on show day everyone is on the same page about what will be provided. It also gives the artist peace of mind to know their needs are understood, or time to adapt if something will be different.
Sound and Audio Equipment Coordination
One of the most critical parts of advancing is ensuring the sound system and audio gear meet each artist’s requirements. This covers:
– Front-of-House (FOH) Sound: Confirm that the festival’s PA system (speakers, subwoofers, etc.) is adequate for the artist’s genre and expectations. Large-scale festivals typically have high-end line arrays that can handle anything, but at a smaller festival, if a band’s rider calls for a much more powerful system than you have, you’ll need to arrange rentals or upgrades. Ensure the FOH mixing console meets the artist’s needs – some artists travel with their own console or prefer a specific model. If they plan to bring theirs, coordinate how it will patch into the festival system and allocate space for it at the FOH mix position.
– Monitors: Check if the artist uses floor monitor wedges or in-ear monitors (IEMs). If they use IEMs and carry their own wireless monitor system, you’ll coordinate frequency management (so it doesn’t conflict with other wireless devices on site). If they rely on festival-provided monitors, ensure you have enough mixes available on your monitor console and the right type of monitors. For example, a singer might request a specific brand of wedge or an ear-monitor setup with ambient mics.
– Microphones and Inputs: Review the input list that usually comes with the stage plot. It tells you exactly how many channels and what instruments/vocals need mics or DI boxes. Make sure you have all the microphones and direct boxes they list, or acceptable substitutes. High-profile artists may request particular microphone models for vocals or instruments. If your audio vendor doesn’t have those, discuss alternates or arrange a rental for those mics. Also verify you have enough channels on your snake and console to accommodate the largest band’s input needs.
– Soundcheck/Line Check: As part of advancing, clarify whether the artist expects a soundcheck. Festivals often have tight schedules that don’t allow full soundchecks for every act (except perhaps headliners early in the day). Communicate the plan: for instance, “We will do a quick line-check 15 minutes before your set.” If a headliner is adamant about a soundcheck, try to schedule it in (perhaps in the morning before gates open). The key is to set expectations so the act isn’t surprised on show day by a lack of soundcheck.
By covering these audio details, you prevent situations like an artist arriving to find the console is incompatible with their show file, or that there aren’t enough monitor mixes for the band – issues that can derail a performance if not addressed in advance.
Lighting and Visual Effects Requirements
Modern festival performances often come with elaborate lighting and visual requirements. Most festivals provide a standard lighting rig on each stage, but artists may have specific needs:
– Lighting Design: Some artists travel with their own lighting designer (LD) who may request certain fixtures or configurations. When advancing, send the festival’s lighting plot to the artist’s team so their LD can see what’s available. They might ask if the rig supports a particular effect or color scheme. In many cases, an artist will adapt to the house lighting rig but might ask for tweaks (like focusing certain lights on a disco ball they plan to hang, or programming a special strobe sequence for a song).
– Special Lighting Gear: If the artist’s rider calls for special lighting equipment not already in your rig (anything from extra moving-head lights, lasers, UV lights, to followspots), determine if you can source it. If budget or logistics don’t allow adding it, discuss alternatives. For example, if lasers are requested but not permitted due to safety regulations, let them know early so they can plan a different visual element.
– Video and Visuals: Many artists incorporate video content or live camera feeds. Check if they require LED video walls or projectors. If your festival stage has video screens, provide specs (resolution, dimensions, media formats supported). If the artist is bringing custom video content, ensure your tech team knows how to integrate it (e.g., will they bring a media server or just need a laptop input?). Also, confirm any special aspect ratios or if they need a preview monitor backstage.
– Special Effects: Riders might include requests for haze machines, CO2 jets, confetti cannons, pyrotechnics, or other effects. These require careful coordination. Pyrotechnics in particular involve permits and licensed operators – if an artist wants to use pyro or open flames, make sure you know well in advance to get approvals (or inform them it’s not allowed at your site if that’s the case). Even effects like heavy fog or confetti can have cleanup or safety considerations; plan out how you’ll handle those and communicate any restrictions to the artist.
Just as with audio, all lighting and visual requests should be confirmed in advance. It not only ensures you have the right gear ready, but also helps avoid safety issues. For instance, if an artist expects to black out the entire stage at a certain moment, you’d want to warn other crews or ensure it doesn’t conflict with emergency lighting.
Stage Plots and On-Stage Setup
The stage plot that comes with a rider is your map to how the stage should be arranged for that act. It shows where each member stands or sits, where each piece of equipment goes, and often where monitors should be placed. Use these plots to plan your stage setup for each set:
– Layout and Space: Compare the stage plot to your actual stage dimensions. If a band’s setup is very large or spread out, verify that it physically fits. For example, if the plot shows a 5m x 8m required area but your stage is only 6m deep, you may need to adjust placement and let the band know your stage limits. It’s better to inform them, “Our stage is a bit smaller than your diagram, we will make it work by slightly overlapping some areas,” than to surprise them on show day.
– Risers and Platforms: Many artists request risers (e.g., drum risers or keyboard risers of certain heights). Plan to have those ready. If you have multiple bands back-to-back that both want drum risers, see if you can use the same riser and just swap the drum kits, or have two sets if quick changeovers are needed. Advancing is the time to figure out how many rolling risers you might need to efficiently swap gear between sets.
– Shared Backline vs. Custom Setup: At festivals, it’s common to provide a house backline for certain instruments (like drums, bass amp, guitar amps) to speed up changeovers. During the advancing process, clarify with each act if they are okay using the provided backline or if they insist on using their own gear. Smaller acts often are fine using a high-quality house drum kit or amps, whereas bigger acts or those with endorsements might carry their own. If an artist plans to bring and use their own backline gear, factor that into the schedule (they will need time to load it on and off stage). One success story from a past festival was coordinating with three different indie bands to use one shared drum kit – because this was agreed upon in advance, the stage crew saved significant time between sets, and each band still got the sound they needed after a brief line check and minor adjustments.
– Signage and Labeling: Mark the stage or use tape to outline positions for each set. During the advance, some teams send very detailed plots even indicating cable runs and monitor placements. Make sure your stage crew has those details so they can pre-label the stage (e.g., put down tape markers where the mic stands for the lead singer or the edge of a keyboard stand should be). This makes the changeover faster and more precise.
By planning the on-stage setup for every artist ahead of time, you minimize confusion on show day. A well-advanced stage plot means the crew isn’t asking “Where does the bass amp go?” while the artist is walking onstage – they’ll already know.
Backline and Instrument Rentals
The term backline refers to the musical instruments and amplifiers that artists don’t carry with them and expect the venue or festival to supply. This often includes drum kits (shells, hardware), guitar amplifiers, bass amplifiers, keyboards, and sometimes more exotic instruments. Advancing backline needs is a critical budgeting and logistical task:
– Inventory What You Have: If your festival or your hired sound company provides some standard backline, make a list of those items (including brands and models) to share with artists. For example, “Festival provides a Fender Deluxe Reverb and a Vox AC30 guitar amp, Ampeg SVT bass rig, and a Yamaha Stage Custom drum kit with Zildjian cymbals.” This gives artists a starting point to see if that meets their needs.
– Identify Gaps and Source Rentals: When an artist’s rider calls for something you don’t have, you have a few options: rent it from a local backline rental company, borrow from a partner, or ask the artist to bring it (if feasible). For instance, if a pianist on the lineup requires a specific model of grand piano, you’ll likely need to rent one and have it delivered and tuned. High-end or unusual instruments (vintage amplifiers, specialty percussion, etc.) might require contacting niche suppliers. The farther in advance you arrange these, the better – it gives time to find the best deal and ensure availability.
– Budget Considerations: Always factor the cost of rentals into your budget planning. Sometimes the aggregate of all artists’ backline requests can become significant. If you’re working on a tight budget, consider negotiating with artists early: some may agree to use a more readily available piece of gear to save cost or if the exact item can’t be sourced. However, be careful with headliners or detail-oriented artists – if it’s in their contract/rider, you’re obliged to fulfill it unless they consent to a change.
– Spare Gear and Redundancies: Festivals are live events, and gear can fail. Part of advancing is identifying critical gear and ensuring there’s a backup plan. If a guitarist is using a single amp provided by you, have a spare amp or at least a direct amp simulator pedal ready in case it blows out. If a DJ is relying on your provided turntables, have a backup set or spare parts (needles, etc.). These precautions, while hopefully unnecessary, can save a show if something goes wrong. An example from experience: a festival once had a keyboard sustain pedal break during a performance – fortunately, because the production team had read the rider and knew the keyboard setup, they had a spare pedal on hand and swapped it out within seconds, and the show continued without a hitch.
Power Supply and Technical Infrastructure
Without adequate power and infrastructure, even the best equipment can’t run. Advancing should cover the electrical and structural needs of each artist:
– Power Requirements: Verify the power needs on each rider. Some artists travel with high-draw equipment (large guitar amp racks, powerful lighting props, etc.) that might require dedicated circuits. Ensure your stage power distribution can handle the combined load of the festival plus any artist-specific gear. If an artist calls for something like “2 dedicated 20A circuits at stage right,” make sure your electricians or power supplier can set that up. For outdoor festivals running on generators, double-check that you’ve allocated enough generator capacity and fuel. Power issues can literally pull the plug on a performance – advanced planning prevents overloading and blackouts.
– Voltage and Plugs: Pay attention if artists are coming from overseas. A European DJ flying in for a U.S. festival might bring equipment that runs on 230V. You’ll need to provide step-up transformers or confirm they’ll bring voltage converters. Similarly, ensure you have the right plug adapters if any gear has different plug types.
– Rigging and Structures: If an artist’s show includes hanging elements (banners, aerial performers, heavy lighting fixtures they bring), confirm your stage structure can support it. This may involve sharing the stage’s rigging plot and weight limits with the artist’s production team. It’s much safer to resolve any rigging questions in advance than to discover on show day that a truss can’t handle a piece of gear the artist brought.
– Safety and Compliance: Some technical requirements have safety implications – for example, pyrotechnics (as mentioned earlier) or even something like a request to turn off limiter settings on the sound system (which some engineers ask for). Work with your safety officers and sound engineers respectively to ensure any such requests are vetted. Some might not be allowable by law or insurance (like exceeding noise curfews or using certain effects). Communicate clearly what the festival’s constraints are.
Covering these infrastructural details means that when the day comes, every artist’s gear can be plugged in and powered up without blowing a fuse. There’s no worse surprise than an artist arriving with their gear and finding there’s nowhere to plug it in or insufficient power, so double-check this area thoroughly.
Logistics, Scheduling, and On-Site Coordination
Advancing technical needs isn’t only about gear – it’s also about logistics and scheduling to make everything run smoothly on site:
– Load-in and Set Times: Use the advance process to inform artists when and how to load in their equipment. For a festival with tight schedules, artists should know their load-in window (e.g., “Band A, please arrive at the stage by 2:00 PM for a 4:00 PM set to load and set up your gear”). Coordinate with your stage crew so that they are ready to assist at those times. Stagger load-ins if multiple acts are on the same stage back-to-back. If an artist is late or early, have a communication channel (like an artist liaison or stage manager’s phone) to manage it.
– Changeovers: Festival sets often have short changeover periods. During advancing, discuss with each artist’s team how the changeover will work. For example, if one band ends at 6:00 and the next starts at 6:30, that 30 minutes is critical. If the incoming band has a lot of gear, consider doing partial setup side-stage in advance or using rolling risers (so one drum kit can be wheeled off and the next wheeled on). Let them know how many stagehands you’ll provide to help, and if there are any special backstage areas to pre-stage their equipment.
– Crew and Contacts: Provide artists with a list of key on-site contacts as part of the advance. Typically, they should know who the stage manager or production manager is for their stage, and that person should have the artist’s crew contacts as well. This way, on show day if something is needed last-minute (say an extra mic stand or a slight schedule delay), the communication is direct and fast.
– Reconfirm Details Closer to the Event: Often, initial advancing starts months out and finalizes in the weeks leading to the festival. It’s wise to send a reminder or an updated confirmation a few days before the show – including finalized set times, any changes in provided equipment, and weather advisories if it’s an outdoor event (for example, “Note: it may be cold at night, and we’ve added heaters side-stage per your request.”). This keeps everyone aligned and confident.
Effective logistical advancing means that on the festival day, artists and their crews are showing up where they should, when they should, with realistic expectations. It transforms the festival day from a potential chaos of moving parts into a well-choreographed production.
Adapting to Festival Scale and Type
Advancing technical needs can look a bit different for a small community festival versus a giant international festival. Yet the core principles remain:
– Small-Scale Festivals: Often, a smaller festival will have a lean team – maybe one production manager handling all stages, and limited gear on hand. In this case, advancing thoroughly is even more critical because there is little room for error or backup. You might coordinate with local bands to share amps or use the house drum kit, and communicate clearly that your resources are limited but you will meet their basic needs. Artists playing these festivals might not have expansive riders, but it’s still important to ask for any technical requirements they do have (don’t assume a small act doesn’t need anything special – even a folk duo might badly need two DI boxes for their guitars, for example).
– Large-Scale Festivals: Big festivals usually have dedicated teams and vendors for each aspect (audio, lighting, stage management). Here, advancing can involve multiple people. The festival might use an online portal where artists submit their riders and input lists. There could be nightly meetings with stage managers to go over the next day’s requirements. In such scenarios, communication within the festival team is as important as with the artists – everyone backstage should have access to the latest info on each artist’s needs. The advantage at large festivals is you often have more gear and redundancy available on-site, but the challenge is coordinating it across dozens of acts. A tip from experience: hold a production advance meeting a day before the festival starts, where all stage managers and department heads quickly run through each act’s key needs, to ensure nothing is overlooked among the many performers.
– Different Genres, Different Needs: Tailor your advancing to the type of performers. An EDM festival might have to focus on DJ mixer models, massive subwoofers, and LED walls, whereas a metal festival might be more about guitar amps, double-kick drum rigs, and lots of monitor wedges for loud on-stage sound. A pop artist might come with choreographed dancers and need clear stage space and extra wireless microphones for them. Always consider the nature of the act – that will guide you on what aspects of the rider require extra attention. If your festival spans multiple genres, be ready to handle a wider variety of gear and technical setups.
– Audience and Venue Considerations: The nature of the festival (indoor vs. outdoor, daytime vs. nighttime, family-friendly vs. 18+) can also influence advancing. For example, outdoor daytime shows might require different lighting approaches (like making sure LED screens are bright enough to be seen in sunlight and that acts have adequate shade on stage to see their instruments). Family-oriented festivals might restrict certain special effects or content, so if an artist’s production includes something that might not fit the event’s atmosphere or rules, that’s a conversation to have early.
Regardless of scale or type, the goal is the same: no matter if 200 or 200,000 people are attending, each artist should feel that the festival was prepared for them. Scaling up or down simply means adjusting how you manage resources and communication, but the diligence in advancing remains constant.
Learning from Successes and Challenges
Every festival producer accumulates stories of things that went great and things that went wrong. These experiences are gold mines for learning:
– Success Example: At one multi-artist concert, a headlining singer’s team was impressed that the festival had even the small details ready – they requested a specific type of microphone stand (one that telescopes for an acoustic set) in their rider. Because the production team caught that detail early and acquired the stand, the artist breezed through their performance comfortably. The singer even praised the festival for its professionalism. This kind of success boosts an event’s reputation among artists and fans alike.
– Facing Challenges: Conversely, a cautionary tale comes from a regional festival that did not thoroughly advance a particular band’s technical needs. The band arrived to find incompatible power connectors for their equipment (they had assumed the festival knew they were bringing European Schuko plugs, but the stage only had standard U.S. outlets available). The result was a frantic search for adapters minutes before the set. The performance was delayed and stress levels were high. Afterwards, the organizers made it a point to add a checklist item for “international power adapter needs” to all future advance discussions. The lesson: learn from every hiccup and improve your advancing process continuously.
Sharing these kinds of stories among production teams or with newcomers helps everyone understand why so much effort goes into pre-production communication. Behind every smooth show, there are usually dozens of potential issues that were averted by proactive coordination.
Key Takeaways
- Thoroughly review every artist’s technical/production rider well in advance. Don’t skim – check all details related to sound, lights, stage, backline, and power.
- Communicate early and clearly with each artist’s crew about what your festival provides and any limitations. Confirm agreements on substitutions or special arrangements in writing.
- Make sure all sound and lighting requirements are met or planned for – from consoles and mics to lighting fixtures and video screens – and that artists know what to expect on stage.
- Advance the logistics: set times, load-in schedules, soundcheck plans, and changeover procedures should be discussed so artists and their teams can prepare accordingly.
- For gear or instruments you don’t have in-house, arrange rentals or sourcing well ahead of time. Have backup equipment available for critical items to avoid show-stopping failures.
- Adapt your advancing process to the festival’s scale – whether it’s a single-stage boutique event or a massive multi-stage festival, ensure no artist’s needs slip through the cracks.
- Always have a contingency plan for technical issues (extra power, spare cables, backup amps, etc.) and keep open lines of communication up to and during the event.
- Remember that thorough advancing leads to a smooth show day – when artists feel taken care of and everything works as planned, the performances shine and the audience goes home happy.
25th August 2025