(© Joseph T Denyer, www.residentadvisor.net)
Working in events has certain perks, mainly going to the events the agency is involved with. I didn't have a ticket to Parklife (now in it's second year and again sold-out), but on Friday, I was asked if I wanted to help with data collection (conducting questionnaires)for a few hours on-site at Platt Fields Park. By the end of the day, my services were needed elsewhere, and I was given the chance to work back-stage as Assistant Stage Manager.
I accepted the role, excited and nervous as whilst I knew I would be under supervision, I had little technical knowledge of the tent and all the equipment within it and I didn't even recognise all the DJ's names on the line-up - what if I got people's names wrong!
Stage managing is mainly delegation and problem solving. There's lots of hands to make any job light work and specialists are on hand to give advice on subjects that need professional input but to ensure all this runs smoothly and impressively for the audience and also the artists behind the stage, constant focus and assertiveness is required and I saw the Stage Manager take precautions to avoid potential problems, deal with hiccups with ease and keep everyone happy, front and back of house.
On Sunday, unforeseen circumstances meant I ended up taking charge of the stage, which was the largest tent on the festival site. I was greeting headline artists, explaining timings and liaising with sound, lighting and video technicians. I dealt with security issues and was in direct contact with event control throughout the day, ensuring everything ran to plan, including a change over which saw the RNCM's 60-piece orchestra take to the stage in under ten minutes.
The music in my tent stopped at 2359hrs, perfectly in time with the 0000 curfew.
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