Festival Backline Policy: Shared Rigs Without Sacrificing Tone

Introduction

Rock and metal festivals often feature dozens (if not hundreds) of bands on multiple stages. With changeover times sometimes as short as 15 minutes between acts (en.customboards.fi), efficient backline management becomes critical. A well-thought-out backline policy – essentially a plan for sharing amps, drums, and other gear among bands – can keep a festival running on schedule without forcing artists to sacrifice their signature tone. From the biggest metal fests in Germany to boutique rock gatherings in New Zealand, successful festival teams have learned how to standardise essential gear, streamline setups, and still keep every guitar riff and drum beat sounding authentic. This guide lays out battle-tested strategies (and real-world examples) to help festival producers share stage rigs seamlessly.

Standardise the Essential Amps and Cabs

One key to quick changeovers is providing a standardised backline that most bands are comfortable using. By having a consistent set of quality amps, speaker cabinets, and drum kits on each stage, you eliminate the need for every band to haul their entire rig on and off. Most rock and metal artists will accept a high-end house backline if it meets professional standards (festivalpro.com). For example, many festivals stock industry-standard guitar amps – think Marshall JCM800s, Fender Twins, Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers, or Peavey 5150s – along with 4×12 cabinets on stage. These classic models cover a wide range of rock/metal tones, from sparkling cleans to high-gain distortion, satisfying everyone from hard rock bands to death metal acts. Similarly, a powerhouse bass rig like an Ampeg SVT with an 8×10 “fridge” cabinet is almost universally appreciated in metal circles for its punch and depth.

On the drum side, festivals typically provide a professional drum kit (shells and hardware) that stays put all day. A common setup might be a 5- to 7-piece drum kit from a reputable brand (Pearl, Tama, DW, or Yamaha) with double-kick pedals or twin bass drums to accommodate metal drummers. The drum hardware is marked and memory-locked so it can be quickly adjusted but always returned to a baseline setup. Cymbals and snare drums are usually considered personal “breakables” – drummers bring their own, which can be swapped onto the house kit in minutes. This way, each drummer retains some of their unique sound (the snare and cymbals largely define a drummer’s tone) while the bulk of the kit (racks, toms, kick) remains the same.

Crucially, using standardised gear doesn’t mean settling for mediocre sound. Top festivals invest in backline gear that is as good as what touring artists carry, often renting from professional backline companies to get the exact models bands request. For instance, Wacken Open Air in Germany and Hellfest in France both provide top-tier gear on their stages – from Engl and Orange amplifiers to high-end DW drum kits – so that even picky headliners feel at home. Having reliable, great-sounding equipment pays off: it not only pleases the musicians but also makes the job easier for sound engineers, since they know the gear’s capabilities and quirks in advance (festivalpro.com).

That said, one size can’t fit absolutely everyone. It’s wise to offer a few standard options for guitar and bass amps (for example, a British-style amp and an American-style amp on each stage). At Bloodstock Open Air in the UK, the organisers typically have both Marshall and Peavey/EVH guitar amp heads available; at Australia’s now-historic Soundwave Festival, stages were equipped with Marshall stacks on one side and Mesa/Boogies on the other, giving guitarists some choice without needing a full swap. By limiting the variety to a couple of trusted amp models, you cover most tonal bases while keeping things consistent.

Communicate early: Make sure artists know up front in the advance what gear will be provided. The artist’s technical rider should be analyzed well before the festival (www.festivalpro.com), and any major discrepancies addressed. If a band’s rider specifies a very particular amp or synth that isn’t in the standard backline, you have time to either source it or negotiate a substitute. It’s best to negotiate backline terms during the booking process – clearly state what the festival supplies and what the band is expected to bring (festivalandeventproduction.com). This avoids misunderstandings on show day and gets everyone on the same page regarding shared gear.

Allow Critical Exceptions for Tone

Even with a top-notch shared backline, there will be cases where a band just can’t compromise on a piece of gear that defines their sound. A smart festival backline policy allows for critical exceptions – but manages them carefully. Identify early on which acts might need exceptions. Often, it’s the headliners or special acts with signature tones: for instance, a guitarist who absolutely must use their own custom amp head or a prog-metal keyboardist with a unique rack of synthesizers. Allowing these exceptions can keep artists happy and ensure the audience hears the true intended sound of a band. However, the key is to integrate exceptions without disrupting the efficiency of changeovers.

Schedule exceptions thoughtfully: If a band plans to use a lot of their own gear, try to position them in the lineup where a longer changeover is possible. It’s no coincidence that many festivals put bands with complex setups as the last act of the night or right before a major break – for example, giving a headliner extra time after the penultimate act to set up their full rig (festivalpro.com). When Slipknot headlined festivals with their elaborate percussion and custom masks, they weren’t slotted in a 15-minute changeover slot; they closed the night, ensuring they could use their own backline elements (and stage props) with sufficient setup time. Similarly, if a mid-day artist insists on their particular amp or drum kit, consider placing them just before a scheduled interval (like a longer dinner break or a planned video intermission) to buffer the extra setup duration.

Plan and rehearse the swap: Work closely with the band’s tech crew to figure out how to transition their special gear in and out as seamlessly as possible. Sometimes this means setting the custom gear on a rolling riser or marked platform offstage during the previous act. The moment the prior band finishes, your crew can wheel the prepared rig onstage (or swing it around, if using a turntable stage) in one go. This was a tactic used at large metal fests like Ozzfest – side-stage risers held the next band’s guitar cabinets and effects racks, so they could be moved in quickly. Rolling drum risers are especially helpful: at major concerts and festivals, it’s common to see the next band’s drum kit fully assembled on a rolling platform backstage while the current band is playing (gearspace.com). As soon as one act is done, the empty drum riser is rolled off and the next one rolled on with minimal fuss. This approach requires extra space and gear duplicates, but it can shrink a 30-minute changeover down to 10 minutes flat for even complex setups.

Limit the exceptions to what’s truly necessary: An exception policy works best if bands only replace what is essential for their sound. For example, a guitar player might bring their trademark amp head (maybe that hand-wired boutique amp that defines their tone) but happily use the festival’s standard 4×12 cabinet on stage to avoid moving speakers. In practice, many festivals allow “Bring your own amp head, use our cab.” Swapping heads is relatively quick – it’s a matter of a couple cables – and doesn’t involve heavy lifting or re-microphoning the cabinet (mics stay on the cab, capturing the new head’s sound immediately). Another common exception: drummers bringing their own snare drum and kick pedal to use with the otherwise-standard kit. The snare especially is a signature piece for drummers (just think of the distinctive snare crack in Metallica or Dream Theater’s music), so accommodating that goes a long way to preserving the artist’s sound. These swaps can be done in moments (swap the snare, swap pedal, and you’re set) and most festivals encourage it.

Be prepared for integration: When exceptions are allowed, your stage crew should assist with integrating that gear efficiently. That might mean preparing extra power drops and labelled cables at the ready for the guest equipment. If a band is bringing an extra guitar amp, have an isolated power outlet and speaker cable ready on that side of the stage, so the guest amp can be plugged in and connected to the cab in seconds. If a keyboard rig is coming, have a spare DI box and line cables already run to the keys position, so the musician’s own keyboard can jack right in. By anticipating the needs of those one-off pieces, you avoid scrambling during the actual changeover.

Finally, always have a plan B. If a band’s special gear fails or can’t be set up in time, be ready to offer the standard backline as a fallback. For instance, at one metal festival in Indonesia, an overseas band’s custom amp head was held up in customs, so the crew had a Marshall on standby which the band ended up using for the show. Thanks to clear communication, the guitarist had already dialed in a decent tone on the Marshall during soundcheck as a backup plan. Flexibility is crucial – both from the festival and the artist side – and the best festival producers foster a spirit of cooperation that makes artists feel taken care of even when compromises are necessary.

Pre-Patch Inputs with Colour-Coded Looms

One of the unsung heroes of fast festival changeovers is meticulous cabling. When you have dozens of microphones, DIs, and monitor lines on a festival stage, repatching everything between bands can eat up precious time and cause mistakes. The solution is to pre-patch as much as possible using colour-coded cable looms and multi-core snakes. In a nutshell, group your stage connections into bundles (looms) that match the typical band setup, and keep them consistent for every act.

For example, you might run a dedicated “drum loom” – a bundle containing all the mic cables for the drum kit (kick, snare, toms, overheads, etc.) – that stays plugged into the stage box at one end. Each drum mic cable in that loom could be labelled or taped with a specific colour (say, all drum mic XLRs have red bands). Likewise, a “guitar loom” could bundle the mic lines for guitar cabinets (coloured green), and a “vocals loom” could have all vocal mic XLRs (blue tape). By doing this, your stage techs instantly know which bundle of cables goes to which part of the stage, and they can disconnect or reconnect entire sections in one go.

Some festivals invest in multi-pin stage box systems that take this to the next level. For instance, the Whirlwind PatchMaster or similar systems break the stage into several drop boxes (often colour-coded) that connect via heavy-duty multi-pin snakes. One colour-coded stage box might serve the drum riser, another for guitars, another for keyboards, etc. When a band finishes, the techs simply unplug the multi-pin connector for, say, the drum box and wheel the drum riser off. The next band’s riser (already set up with another mic’d drum kit) rolls on and its multi-pin snake plugs into the same stage box port. In seconds, all the drum mics for the new band are connected exactly as before. As MystiQue Sound Solutions notes, using colour-coded multi-channel stage boxes makes changing out mics blindingly fast – the exiting band unplugs and the new band plugs in, ready to play (mystiquesound.com). Even without fancy multi-pin gear, simply standardising the layout of your stage cables and marking them clearly can cut down confusion and debugging time.

Colour-coding doesn’t stop at audio lines. You can also colour-code power cables, pedalboard looms, and monitor sends. For instance, use different coloured tape on power drops for stage left vs stage right vs drum riser, so that when an amp rack is moved, the crew immediately sees which power cable goes where (reducing the chance of accidentally yanking the wrong cord). Similarly, instrument cable looms (like a bundle of cables for an entire pedalboard setup) can be pre-run and tagged, so a guitarist can just plug into a clearly labelled cable marked “Guitar 1 Input” instead of fishing around on the dark stage.

Maintain a “festival patch” where possible: Many veteran stage managers swear by using a master patch list (often called a festival patch) that doesn’t change for each band (gearspace.com). This means you assign channels for each instrument type (e.g., channels 1–8 for drums, 9 for bass, 10–13 for guitars, 14–16 for vocals, etc.) and try to get every band to conform to that input order as much as practical. Then, your mixing console layout stays the same throughout the day, and the engineers aren’t recalibrating everything on the fly. Minor patch adjustments will always be needed for unique setups, but if 90% of the bands can fit into a standard input template, your audio team can react much faster. In rock and metal, most lineups share the same basics – drum kit, bass, a couple of guitars, vocals – so a festival patch is very achievable. Communicate this standard patch to bands in advance through the tech rider and stage plot process. It might even influence where a band sets up on stage (e.g., if “Guitar 1” is always stage left in the patch, you’ll place whichever guitarist is the primary on stage left by default). This consistency greatly speeds up line checks and trouble-shooting because everyone knows “what goes where” without second-guessing.

Train the crew and label everything: Ensure your stage crew knows the colour code scheme and patch plan by heart. Every cable and jack should be clearly labelled (use durable labels or heat-shrink tubing for XLR connectors, for example). During changeovers, you don’t want a stagehand frantically tracing a cable to see if it’s the right one – they should spot the yellow tag and know it’s the bass DI, for instance. When communication is difficult amid loud environments, a colour-coded system becomes a universal language on stage. It also means you can confidently allow local crew or volunteers to help with simple tasks; if a cable bundle is marked and the snake stage box is numbered, even a less-experienced hand can assist by plugging X into Y as labeled.

Finally, keep the stage tidy with cable management. Use cable ramps, gaffer tape, or velcro ties to secure looms so that as gear is hustled on and off, nobody’s tripping or accidentally unplugging something. A well-organised stage not only looks professional but actively prevents delays (for example, a tangled mess of cables can slow down moving a heavy amp or cause a dangerous snag). By pre-patching and colour-coding, you create an environment where changeovers become almost plug-and-play, even in the chaos of a metal festival.

Enforce Reset Checklists Between Sets

When one band walks off and the next is waiting in the wings, the stage can become a whirlwind of activity. In those feverish 10-15 minutes, attention to detail is paramount. That’s where a reset checklist comes in – a step-by-step rundown of things the crew must reset or verify between every set. Instituting a discipline of following a reset checklist ensures that nothing critical is overlooked as you transition from one act to another. It’s like a pit crew servicing a race car: even under time pressure, certain basics must be checked every time for safety and performance.

Here’s what a typical between-sets reset checklist might include on a rock/metal festival stage:

• Amps and pedals reset: Dial guitar and bass amp settings back to a “neutral” starting point (or to the next band’s agreed settings if known). For shared amp heads, it helps to keep a reference of knob positions (some techs put small marks or use recall sheets). At minimum, ensure volumes are turned down or on standby before the next band plugs in – preventing any accidental squeals or pops. If a band changed any amp configuration (say, flipped the amp to a lead channel or engaged a built-in effect), switch it off so the next artist isn’t surprised. Likewise, check any shared effects units or stompboxes on stage (if, for example, an opening band accidentally left a delay pedal on a shared pedalboard, you’d turn it off now).

• Microphones and DIs: Ensure all microphones are back in place, working, and correctly patched. Often vocalists may reposition mic stands or drummers might knock over drum mics in the heat of performance. After each set, reset mic stands to the standard positions (height and angle) or to marks taped on stage if you have them for the upcoming band. Replace any microphones that were intentionally removed (a guest vocalist might take a mic into the crowd – that mic needs to return to its stand or get swapped for a fresh one). Double-check DI boxes: if the previous band unplugged their acoustic guitar from a DI, make sure the cable is ready and the pad/ground lift switches are set as needed for the next input.

• Stage plot reset: Refer to the stage plot for the next band and quickly move any shared gear (like monitors, stands, or risers) to the indicated positions. Many festivals put tape markings on the stage for this purpose – for example, coloured tape or chalk marks indicating where the front vocal mic should be for each band, where the centre of the drum riser goes, etc. Use those guides now. Remove any extra items left from the prior act (spare guitar stands, stools, setlists, drink bottles). Essentially clear the deck of any clutter so the incoming band comes to a clean slate.

• Monitor and audio settings: Communicate with the monitor engineer and front-of-house that backline changeover is complete so they can do a quick line check for the next act. Many modern festivals use digital consoles that can recall each band’s monitor mix preset, but it still requires that all the correct mics are live and instruments plugged in. The crew should mute and un-mute channels systematically as they plug/unplug instruments to avoid loud bursts. Part of the checklist might be: “All monitor sends to drums muted before drum swap? Check. All wireless packs turned off, then on for next band’s frequencies? Check.” If the next band is using in-ear monitors that need a transmitter change, now is the time. Essentially, no input line or monitor line should carry over a rogue setting from the previous performance.

• Safety and functional checks: A festival stage can be hard on equipment. Use the changeover to quickly spot-check that nothing got damaged. Is the drum throne still tightly clamped? Are all cymbal stands still secure at the right height (memory locks help here)? Did any power cable get partly yanked out during the teardown? A quick visual scan and tug-test of important connections (power, speaker cables, pedalboards) can save the next band from mid-song failures. If the last band blew a guitar amp or fried a monitor wedge, now’s the time to wheel in the spare (more on spares next) and plug it up before the next band starts.

It helps to assign specific roles to crew members for the checklist. For instance, one backline tech focuses on the drum kit reset (he’ll re-centre the snare stand, swap cymbals if needed, ensure the drum mics are properly positioned), another handles guitar/bass world (power down amps, set knobs, bring out next band’s heads or pedalboards), and someone from audio team checks the patch and mics. Having these roles defined ensures the whole list gets covered quickly rather than everyone doing a bit of everything. Stage managers at top festivals often carry a printed checklist or a tablet with a checklist app, checking off tasks in real time – especially on complex stages.

By enforcing a reset routine, you minimise nasty surprises. There’s nothing worse than the next band starting their first song only to realise the previous band’s EQ settings are still dialed in on a shared amp, or a DI box was left on a 20dB pad and now the guitar is barely audible. Such issues can derail a performance and waste precious minutes to fix on the fly. A brief, well-drilled reset period prevents those embarrassing moments, giving the incoming artists a clean platform to shine.

Stock Spares Within Arm’s Reach

In a festival scenario, anything that can go wrong eventually will – a tube will blow, a string will snap, a cable will short out, sometimes at the worst moment. The difference between a hiccup and a show-stopping disaster often comes down to whether you have a spare ready to go. Seasoned festival producers live by the mantra: “two is one, and one is none.” This means you should have at least one backup for every essential piece of backline gear, and keep those spares close at hand (ideally on the stage or side-stage, within arm’s reach).

Start with the big items: spare amplifiers. If your festival backline includes two guitar heads and one bass head in use, have at least one additional head of each type warmed up and standing by. Many festivals will keep the backup heads actually powered on (in standby mode) and sitting right next to the main amps. If a guitar head suddenly dies mid-set (and yes, in the high-voltage world of tube amps, this happens more than one might think), the guitar tech can literally switch the speaker cable to the backup head or flip an A/B amp switch, and the sound returns in seconds. For example, at Download Festival 2015, when one band’s primary amp started smoking due to a voltage issue, the stage crew had a replacement head swapped in before the song even finished – the audience had no idea a crisis was just averted. Similar rules apply for bass amplifiers. Given how critical the low-end is in metal, many festivals put a spare bass amp or a DI preamp pedal on standby. In a pinch, a rugged bass DI like a SansAmp can substitute for an amp entirely, so having one ready can keep the show going even if the whole bass rig fails.

Spare instruments and parts: Though bands bring their own guitars and basses, it’s wise to have a plan if an instrument breaks and the artist doesn’t have a backup on stage. Encourage (or even contractually require) bands to have spare guitars/basses tuned and ready to grab. In the chaos of a festival, sometimes an artist might forget to prep a backup – so house crew should be ready to hand them one of their own or a rental if absolutely needed. A generic Stratocaster or Les Paul-style guitar kept backstage, strung with medium gauge strings, can fill in for an emergency (it might not be ideal, but better than stopping the show). At minimum, stock spare strings, drumsticks, drum heads, and picks at the side of the stage. Drum techs often keep an extra snare drum pre-tuned and sitting off to the side; if the drummer breaks a snare head, they can swap the whole drum out in under 30 seconds. An extra kick pedal is also a must-have – double-kick metal drummers abuse their pedals, and those springs or chains do snap. Having a similar model pedal ready to slide in keeps the double bass barrage going uninterrupted.

Cables, cables, cables: These are the lifelines of your stage, and they will fail eventually. For every critical cable in use, have a spare coiled nearby. This includes XLR mic cables, instrument cables, speaker cables, and power cords. If a vocalist’s mic cord shorts out (perhaps from being yanked or stomped on), a stagehand should be able to grab a labelled spare XLR and swap it out on the next beat – ideally, spares are already plugged into the stage box and just muted until needed, to save even more time. Colour-coding helps here too: if all your vocal mic cables are blue, have a couple of blue-coded spares taped to the mic stands or lying at the foot of the stage ready to swap. Same for guitar cables – tape a spare to the back of the amp or the side of a wedge so it’s right there if the guitarist’s lead fails (some festivals literally Velcro a spare cable to the amp handle for instant access).

For power, keep spare power strips, extension cords, and international plug adapters (if you have bands from abroad) on hand. A blown fuse or tripped circuit might knock out a power strip feeding half the pedals – rather than debugging it on the fly, sometimes the quickest solution is to grab a fresh power strip and move the plugs over.

Spare backline components: If budget allows, have backup drum hardware (an extra cymbal stand or snare stand in case one’s adjuster strips out), extra guitar amp tubes and fuses (with a technician who knows how to swap them safely), and even a spare monitor wedge or two. While replacing a floor monitor during a 15-minute changeover is tougher, the point is to anticipate any single point of failure. At the Montréal Heavy Montréal festival, for example, the crew keeps a “spares trunk” at stage side with everything from extra mic clips to replacement amp valves, knowing that quick access can save a set (festivalpro.com).

Location of spares is critical: “Arm’s reach” truly means within a few steps of the performing area. It’s no use if your spare guitar amp head is 200 yards away in a production truck or if the extra drum cymbals are locked in a case somewhere. Set up a tech station just offstage (often between the monitor world and the backline area) where the backups live. You might have a small rack or table with the spare amp heads powered on, a workbox with tools and parts, and a line of sight to the stage. That way, when something happens, the tech can practically reach over and grab what’s needed immediately. This station can also hold quick-fix tools: gaffer tape, drum keys, screwdrivers, flashlight, extra batteries (for active guitars or pedals), and even a soldering iron for emergency cable repairs. Festival crews at events like Glastonbury or Coachella have legendary “guitar tech tables” that resemble mini workshops, ready to mend or swap any broken gear on the fly.

By having robust spares and backups, you also instill confidence in artists and stage crew alike. Musicians perform more freely knowing that if a string snaps or an amp blows, someone has their back instantly. And for the production team, spares are a safety net that turns potential show-stoppers into minor blips. In the end, fans might never realize that anything went wrong – all they see is a seamless show, which is exactly the goal.

Consistency Speeds Up Changeovers (and Keeps the Show on Time)

Every point we’ve covered – from standardising gear and colour-coding cables to reset routines and spares – boils down to one core principle: consistency. When you create a consistent system for backline setups, you transform the frantic between-band changeover into a routine set of tasks. The more consistent and practiced your process is, the faster and smoother each changeover becomes, keeping your festival running like clockwork.

Imagine a scenario: It’s Day 2 of a loud rock festival, and 30 bands have already been through the main stage. By now, the stage crew is practically moving in sync, like a well-oiled machine. They know exactly which microphone goes where, which amps to swap, and which drum adjustments to make, because it’s the same general setup each time. This familiarity breeds speed. Repetition is key – after a few bands, even local stage hands start anticipating needs (they see that every band’s bassist uses that same DI and that the next vocalist always likes that centre mic stand a bit higher). With a standardised backline and patch, your crew can preemptively do half the work before being asked.

Consistency is also crucial for keeping audio consistent. If the same amps and drums are used throughout, the front-of-house engineer doesn’t have to reinvent the mix for radically different gear each set. They know how the house Marshall will sound when cranked, or how the shared drum kit’s tuning resonates. This means the mix can come together faster for each act, often with only minor tweaking during the first song. The result: the band sounds better, sooner – which the audience definitely appreciates. It’s a win-win: the band gets more of their allotted time to actually play music (not fight technical gremlins), and the fans get what they came for without long waits or awkward sound hiccups.

Large festivals have proven that tight consistency can dramatically speed up changeovers. Some European metal fests like Belgium’s Graspop or Czechia’s Brutal Assault boast changeovers as low as 10 minutes, even with heavy gear, thanks to relentless planning and uniform practices. At Wacken Open Air, they even take consistency to a structural level by using twin stages side by side – while one stage is playing, the other is being set up for the next act (www.tpimagazine.com). This “leapfrog” method nearly eliminates downtime and is the ultimate example of designing for consistency (though it requires doubling a lot of equipment!). Even if you don’t have the luxury of dual stages, you can emulate the concept by having duplicate backline setups for alternating acts, or simply by running a tight ship on one stage with the methods we’ve discussed.

Consistency also extends to your communication and team coordination. Make sure every department – audio, backline, stage management – is synced on the plan. Regular production meetings or quick huddles at the start of each day or stage shift can reinforce the standard operating procedure. If something isn’t working (say one type of amp is causing delays because it’s fiddly), the team can adjust proactively across the board (maybe decide to use only the simpler amp for remaining bands). Keeping things consistent doesn’t mean never adapting – it means when you do adapt, you roll out the change universally so that the new approach becomes the standard for the rest of the event.

Finally, consistency breeds safety. A predictable changeover means fewer last-second scrambles, which means fewer accidents on stage. When crew know the dance moves by heart, they’re less likely to trip over cables or drop equipment. This keeps everyone – including the artists – safer and more focused on performing.

In conclusion, a solid backline policy at a festival isn’t just about gear – it’s about process. Standard gear choices, clear exceptions, organised cabling, thorough resets, and ready spares all work in harmony. Together, they create a reliable system that honors each band’s sound without compromising the festival’s schedule. Nail your backline strategy, and you’ll see the payoff in stress-free changeovers, on-time sets, happy musicians, and an energized crowd that never has to wait too long for the next face-melting riff. As the world’s most experienced festival producers will attest, when the backline runs smoothly, the whole festival rocks harder.

Key Takeaways

• Standardise the Backline: Provide high-quality standard amps, cabs, and drums that most rock/metal bands are willing to use. This reduces setup complexity and keeps sound consistent across acts.
• Allow Essential Exceptions: Let bands use critical personal gear (unique amp heads, snare, etc.) if it’s vital to their tone – but plan those exceptions carefully so they don’t derail the schedule. Typically, schedule bands with extra gear needs in slots with longer changeovers (e.g. last in the night).
• Pre-Patch and Colour-Code: Use pre-patched cable looms, stage boxes, and labelled connectors to make changeovers plug-and-play. Colour-code cables by instrument or stage side to avoid confusion and speed up reconnections.
• Use Reset Checklists: Implement a strict checklist for the crew between sets – reset amp settings, reposition stands, clear the stage, and do a quick line check. This ensures the next band starts fresh and avoids technical carry-overs from the previous act.
• Keep Spares Ready: Every crucial piece of gear should have a backup within reach. Spare amps (powered on), extra cymbals and snare, spare cables, power supplies, and more should be on standby to swap in instantly if anything fails. Preparation prevents small glitches from becoming big delays.
• Consistency is King: Develop a repeatable system for changeovers. When everyone follows the same process every time, changeovers become faster, smoother, and almost automatic – keeping your festival on schedule and your artists and audience happy.