how are the smaller stages run?

[daveinafield]

probably a question for Neil or someone with festival work experience question - how are the smaller stages run? I believe Avalon is its own organisation as is C/Neuf, Strummerville, Club da da and Leftfield. Are they just organised like Market traders - like book your pitch - What about places like saddlespan etc? After working at Strummercamp i am even more keen to get involved in festival work. wonder how it is getting job - could efestivals for example get a stage together - how would we do it? - do they pay the artists or the main festivals? do they pay Mike or does Mike pay them? just interested

[TalkShow Bob]

I know all the areas are run by there own teams. But I dont know how you get a slot. I presume you tender a bid and the big E and his crew decided what they like?

[eFestivals]

probably a question for Neil or someone with festival work experience question - how are the smaller stages run? I believe Avalon is its own organisation as is C/Neuf, Strummerville, Club da da and Leftfield. Are they just organised like Market traders - like book your pitch - What about places like saddlespan etc? After working at Strummercamp i am even more keen to get involved in festival work. wonder how it is getting job - could efestivals for example get a stage together - how would we do it? - do they pay the artists or the main festivals? do they pay Mike or does Mike pay them? just interested

each stage (or perhaps area, it depends) are run as their own little independent 'empires'.

Each stage sort-of books its own acts, tho I believe it's the case that the programming of all (or nearly all?) stages is centrally co-ordinated in some way ... for example, last year I understand that Jazzworld had some acts put upon it that the Jazzworld bookers weren't too keen to have and wouldn't have been their own choice.

Each stage or area is given its own budget plus a number of staff/performer passes I believe, which they have to get the stage production out of, and the acts (I'm unsure how it works if/when an act is put onto that stage that wasn't booked by that stage).

All of the market stalls at Glastonbury are centrally co-ordinated, with no control of those by any of the venue 'empires'.

eFestivals was offered official involvement in a very small venue a few years back, but wasn't given any info about it (despite continual requests) until less than a week before the festivals started, which simply wasn't enough time so we had no involvement. (I'm under the impression that this was the result of a deliberate stitch-up [tho it might have been simply gross incompetence] by the person responsible for that venue - the guy responsible is no longer involved with the fest at any senior level [i heard recently he's working as a steward this year ])

TBH, as time has gone on, my desire to have efests involved in any fest at that sort of level - where efests is responsible for what's on a stage - has lessened (not that it was ever big). eFestivals tries to cover fests of all shapes and sizes and styles, and trying to present that comprehensiveness on any stage would be near impossible.

eFestivals sponsors some stages at some festivals - summer sundae, guilfest, wychwood (this weekend - come along ) as well as general sponsorship of other fests (endorse it, Lounge on the Farm), but with those stage sponsorships we decided to sponsor comedy rather than music as it avoids pigeon-holing efests with any particular type of music. We also have no involvement in the programming or running of those stages - we give those festivals some money towards the stage (efestivals gives around 10% of its turnover back to festivals in sponsorship), and let professional teams run the stages to great success.

As I understand it, Glastonbury is always open to approaches with new ideas - if you could convince them ('the festival', or a stage/area 'empire') that what you were offering was something that would enhance the fest, they'd give that idea an amount of support - either with facilities, or perhaps a cash budget. However, from what I understand, budgets are always very low and tight compared to what might reasonably be expected for another fest.

An example: around 12 years ago, my ex and me approached the Kidz Field organiser and offered to help establish a new facility in there, something we felt (from experience) it was lacking. The idea was accepted as a good one, and the Kidz Field provided a tent for this thing while my ex and me provided (for no money) the stuff to fill the tent; for doing this we were provided with staff passes (and nothing more). This thing is still run on the same basis by my ex - I've not be involved with it since we parted.

[daveinafield]

thanks for that detailed reply Neil - so are the 'empires' more like departments in a company rather than individual organisations - i know that c/neuf tours for example, i think

[Chris12345]

Cool... cheers for that!

[eFestivals]

thanks for that detailed reply Neil - so are the 'empires' more like departments in a company rather than individual organisations - i know that c/neuf tours for example, i think

it varies - things like c/neuf is a thing in its own right that happens to include Glasto in what it does, as is the small world stage and probably a few other things.

Things such as Jazzworld are a Glasto-only thing, where the team (which isn't fixed, it changes personnel sometimes, with Michael appointing the 'boss') comes together each year and does it; many of the people doing the professional type roles are music freelance industry professionals who include working at Glasto as a part of that (tho Glasto isn't well paid; they do it for the love and the qudos I guess)

[TalkShow Bob]

thanks for that detailed reply Neil - so are the 'empires' more like departments in a company rather than individual organisations - i know that c/neuf tours for example, i think

[paulo999]

It's a strange microcosm. An old hand explained to me a little while back... For many, they only see each other at festival time. Which means minor rifts can drag on for years, and conversely relatively 'untested' friendships can last decades.

I seriously think that, if it were ever to finish, there'd be some people - veterans in the 'family' - that would be left with a very big hole in their lives, much more so than us on the fringes, enjoying it as spectators.

[TheGreenDropsRule]

each stage (or perhaps area, it depends) are run as their own little independent 'empires'.

Each stage sort-of books its own acts, tho I believe it's the case that the programming of all (or nearly all?) stages is centrally co-ordinated in some way ... for example, last year I understand that Jazzworld had some acts put upon it that the Jazzworld bookers weren't too keen to have and wouldn't have been their own choice.

Each stage or area is given its own budget plus a number of staff/performer passes I believe, which they have to get the stage production out of, and the acts (I'm unsure how it works if/when an act is put onto that stage that wasn't booked by that stage).

All of the market stalls at Glastonbury are centrally co-ordinated, with no control of those by any of the venue 'empires'.

eFestivals was offered official involvement in a very small venue a few years back, but wasn't given any info about it (despite continual requests) until less than a week before the festivals started, which simply wasn't enough time so we had no involvement. (I'm under the impression that this was the result of a deliberate stitch-up [tho it might have been simply gross incompetence] by the person responsible for that venue - the guy responsible is no longer involved with the fest at any senior level [i heard recently he's working as a steward this year ])

TBH, as time has gone on, my desire to have efests involved in any fest at that sort of level - where efests is responsible for what's on a stage - has lessened (not that it was ever big). eFestivals tries to cover fests of all shapes and sizes and styles, and trying to present that comprehensiveness on any stage would be near impossible.

eFestivals sponsors some stages at some festivals - summer sundae, guilfest, wychwood (this weekend - come along ) as well as general sponsorship of other fests (endorse it, Lounge on the Farm), but with those stage sponsorships we decided to sponsor comedy rather than music as it avoids pigeon-holing efests with any particular type of music. We also have no involvement in the programming or running of those stages - we give those festivals some money towards the stage (efestivals gives around 10% of its turnover back to festivals in sponsorship), and let professional teams run the stages to great success.

As I understand it, Glastonbury is always open to approaches with new ideas - if you could convince them ('the festival', or a stage/area 'empire') that what you were offering was something that would enhance the fest, they'd give that idea an amount of support - either with facilities, or perhaps a cash budget. However, from what I understand, budgets are always very low and tight compared to what might reasonably be expected for another fest.

An example: around 12 years ago, my ex and me approached the Kidz Field organiser and offered to help establish a new facility in there, something we felt (from experience) it was lacking. The idea was accepted as a good one, and the Kidz Field provided a tent for this thing while my ex and me provided (for no money) the stuff to fill the tent; for doing this we were provided with staff passes (and nothing more). This thing is still run on the same basis by my ex - I've not be involved with it since we parted.

[BinThereDrummedThat]

Neil summed it up really.

Each stage is booked individually, although it would appear that the larger stages have much more influence from FR/The Eavises, leading to what Neil described, sometimes acts being booked that "arent wanted".

For example - this year we booked throuhg Circus and Theatre. They have their own booking website, their own director, their own everything. Same with the other sections. ME probably knows nothing about us, and neither do many people outside the T+C fields.

At other festivals, such as Latitude, its alot less "stage" based - generally just with 1 large booking organisation, minus exceptions, who handle bookings for the festival.

http://theatreandcircus.com/

No I'm not telling you my username and password!

Edited May 29, 2009 by BinThereDrummedThat

[eFestivals]

Each stage is booked individually, although it would appear that the larger stages have much more influence from FR/The Eavises, leading to what Neil described, sometimes acts being booked that "arent wanted".

FR have no role in the bookings for Glastonbury, tho they do perhaps (I don't know) have a role in the contractual side of those bookings, so that they can make savings for both Glastonbury and their own fests by making two bookings in one go at a reduced price.

Melvin (rather than FR - I understand that he works for Glastonbury as an individual and not thru FR) does I believe have a role in overseeing who plays where and when, to ensure that no stage has too big a draw on compared to what's on the other stages at that same time, to ensure that the crowds are properly spread around the site at all times - it's a safety issue if everyone were to go to one stage all at the same time.

[daveinafield]

FR have no role in the bookings for Glastonbury, tho they do perhaps (I don't know) have a role in the contractual side of those bookings, so that they can make savings for both Glastonbury and their own fests by making two bookings in one go at a reduced price.

Melvin (rather than FR - I understand that he works for Glastonbury as an individual and not thru FR) does I believe have a role in overseeing who plays where and when, to ensure that no stage has too big a draw on compared to what's on the other stages at that same time, to ensure that the crowds are properly spread around the site at all times - it's a safety issue if everyone were to go to one stage all at the same time.

[Innana]

talking to some of the technical guys at strummercamp there is a lot of anti glasto feeling as apparantly the pay is very bad compared with other shows, some alledging that ME gives less than minimum wage -

[lofichic]

An ex of mine used to work for the agency that were responsible for bookings at the Acoustic stage, not sure if its the same people still, but a quick glance over the line up this year seems to suggest it is.

As a performer, you don't tend to get a generalised "backstage" pass, but ones covering that particular stage, and the places you actually need to be able to access. New stages are appearing all the time, it's one of the things I enjoy about Glastonbury - that decentralised booking and specialised focus on each area.

As for not paying well - well maybe this is true. A lot of bands that play just get passes for themselves and a sound guy/tech etc, and others manage to get slots on smaller stages because they're going to be there anyway - either because they've purchased their own ticket or because of "free" ones from larger stages. I wouldn't know how that works for the logistical side, but from my experience, festival work isn't generally well paid anyway.

Edited May 29, 2009 by lofichic