I talk to a lot of promoter reps, and they explain that the lack of advance info just kills them at times. There’s a lot of hack LDs out there who can’t be bothered on their off afternoons to advance their gig. Festival lighting is always a race for time and space. It’s imperative that the local stage manager knows exactly what you are bringing in the way of floor lights and risers ahead of time so he has a plan for set change. They need your power requirements as well as spotlight gel colors. They need to make considerations for your 10-foot-wide motorized drum riser with the 200 LED fixtures that will not fit, let alone hide anywhere on stage prior to your band’s performance. They make tight schedules and keep the bands on time. If you show up day of show with some big ass lighting props, they will ask you point blank why you couldn’t have been a pro and send them a list of what you were bringing when they asked.
—From “LD-at-Large” by Nook Schoenfeld, PLSN, Oct. 2015
