In a multi-artist festival setting, nothing tests a production team’s mettle quite like the rapid-fire changeovers between sets. When dozens of bands or DJs are sharing the same stage in succession, every minute counts. One delayed changeover can throw an entire day’s schedule off, risking shorter sets, frustrated artists, and impatient audiences. The solution? One backline to rule them all – a shared festival backline that all acts use, carefully standardized to meet most needs without compromising the show. By providing a consistent set of drums, amplifiers, and direct inputs for everyone (with a few strategic exceptions), festival organisers can dramatically speed up changeovers while reducing technical headaches. As many veteran festival producers have learned, consistency and planning are key to keeping a busy stage running on time (festivalandeventproduction.com).
Standardise the Key Gear (But Allow Smart Exceptions)
The core idea of a shared backline is to standardise the essential stage gear – typically the drum kit, guitar and bass amps, and DI (direct input) boxes – so that each act plugs into a familiar setup. For boutique festivals and smaller stages, this is often a lifesaver. Festivals with short changeover times (say under 30 minutes) benefit greatly when bands share a common drum kit and amps, since there’s no need to haul entire setups on and off (festivalandeventproduction.com). It keeps the show on schedule and ensures a basic consistency of sound from act to act.
Drum Kits: Providing one quality drum kit for all drummers to use is a common practice. For example, an indie rock boutique festival might supply a reliable 5-piece drum kit (e.g. a Yamaha or Pearl set with a standard 22” kick, snare, two rack toms and one floor tom, plus hardware). Each drummer can be allowed to bring their own “breakables” – such as snare drum, cymbals, kick pedal, and drumsticks – since those personal items affect their playing feel and sound. By swapping only breakables, drummers still get some personalisation without needing a full kit change. This approach was used at the Glastonbury Festival’s smaller stages, where upcoming bands all played on the same house drum set, simply switching out their cymbals and snare. It not only saved time but also fostered a camaraderie among the drummers using the same base kit. Another case is the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, which partners with Yamaha to supply concert-grade instruments on every stage – from grand pianos to drum kits – ensuring artists have top-tier gear without the logistics of bringing their own (fr.yamaha.com).
Guitar and Bass Amplifiers: Key amps can likewise be standardised. A festival backline will often include a couple of industry-standard guitar amps – for instance, a Fender Twin Reverb (beloved for clean tones) and a Marshall JCM800 stack (for overdrive and rock power). These two cover a wide spectrum of guitar sounds. Many guitarists are comfortable finding their sound on one of those, or at least they know what to expect. Similarly, a classic bass rig like an Ampeg SVT with an 8×10” cabinet or a versatile combo amp can satisfy most bass players. By providing trusted, high-quality amps, organisers make it easy for artists to plug in and dial up their settings quickly. Consistency is key: when every band doesn’t bring five different quirky amp models, the sound engineers can manage levels and tone more predictably, and there’s less risk of unknown gear malfunctioning on stage.
Of course, there will be meaningful exceptions. Not every artist can use identical gear without compromise – and a good festival producer recognises when to bend the rule. For instance, a funk band with a signature organ sound might insist on using their vintage Leslie speaker cabinet, or a metal band’s guitarist might use an elaborate pedalboard that integrates best with their own amp head. These are reasonable exceptions if they’re vital to the performance. The goal is not to force a one-size-fits-all on every nuance of an artist’s sound, but to cover 90% of needs with standard gear and allow exceptions that truly matter. If a headline act or a specialist performer needs to bring a unique piece of backline, work that into the schedule with a slightly longer changeover or have their gear set up on a rolling riser beforehand. The key is to communicate and plan (as we’ll discuss later) so those exceptions don’t blindside the crew. A great example of balancing standardisation with flexibility was seen at Byron Bay Bluesfest in Australia – most bands shared the festival’s provided amps and drum kit, but when a blues legend requested his own vintage Fender amp for its distinct tone, the production team accommodated it by prepping his amp side-stage and slotting a few extra minutes into that changeover. The show maintained its sonic integrity and its tight schedule.
Streamlined Resets with Colour-Coded Looms and Labels
Having uniform gear is the first step; resetting the stage swiftly between acts is the next big challenge. Professional festival crews approach changeovers like a well-oiled pit stop. One of the best techniques is using colour-coded cable looms and clearly labelled equipment to make re-patching and setup almost foolproof.
Colour-coded looms: Rather than a tangle of individual cables being unplugged and replugged chaotically, cables can be bundled into looms (groups) and colour-coded by section or instrument. For instance, all the drum microphones could run into a single stage box or sub-snake, wrapped in red tape; the guitar and bass inputs might be on a loom marked with blue tape; the vocal mics and DIs on a green-coded loom, and so on. With this system, when one band wraps up, the stagehands instantly know which bundle to disconnect and which to plug in next for the upcoming act – just follow the colours. It minimises guesswork and errors. It’s a trick often seen in large multi-band festivals: Download Festival (UK), for instance, has been known to use sub-snakes for different sets of instruments, so crews can swap a whole band’s mic package in one go. By labelling each cable and connector at both ends, there’s no confusion about what goes where (www.cordial-cables.com). If the yellow tape bundle is for the drum kit, anyone can identify it at a glance and handle all drum mics together, drastically speeding up teardown and setup.
Pre-labelled stands and marks: Similarly, labelling microphone stands and marking stage positions in advance pays huge dividends for quick resets. Each stand can have a tag or coloured tape indicating its purpose (e.g. “Lead Vocals”, “Guitar Amp Mic”, “Overhead Mic L”, etc.). When it’s time for the next band, crew members grab the stands they need and place them at the pre-marked spots on stage. Many stage managers use chalk or tape marks on the stage floor – often in different colours for different bands – to outline where drum rugs, mic stands, monitor wedges, and musicians should be. At a busy city festival in New Zealand, the crew might mark the stage with a blue X for the singer’s spot for Band A, and a red X for Band B’s singer, and so forth, based on the stage plots received. Pre-labelling and colour-marking means everyone on the crew knows instantly how to set up the next act’s configuration. Rapid resets become almost automatic: as soon as one band is off, the team moves the labelled stands to their coloured marks, connects the pre-coloured looms for that setup, and the stage is ready in minutes.
Real-world example: Jazzfest in Montreal utilised this approach on their secondary stage, where local jazz combos rotated in and out quickly. The stands were numbered and tape-marked according to the band’s input list, and the stage floor had discreet colour-coded tape for each combo’s layout. Audiences were amazed to see a full five-piece group clear out and the next set of musicians ready to play in under 10 minutes – a result of meticulous labelling and stage prep. By eliminating random cable runs and unlabeled stands, the crew reduced the technical risk of a mis-patched mic or missing stand, and kept the music flowing smoothly.
Keep Spares Handy and Use a Reset Checklist
Even with standardised gear and careful prep, things can go wrong. Cables fail, drumsticks break, amps overheat – especially with the nonstop workload of a festival day. That’s why seasoned festival organisers always keep spares within arm’s reach and follow a reset checklist between sets.
Spares at the ready: A good production team operates on the mantra “If it can fail, have a backup for it.” (www.cordial-cables.com) Spare microphones, instrument cables, DI boxes, amplifier tubes, and other critical components should be on standby just offstage. If the bass amp blows a fuse or a guitar cable starts crackling, the techs can swap in a replacement in seconds rather than scrambling to find one. It’s common to see a spare SM58 vocal mic prepped on a stand by the monitor desk, or a second guitar amp head warmed up and ready in case the main head falls silent. For drums, keep a backup snare drum and kick pedal nearby – drumheads can snap or a pedal spring might fail under heavy use. In one memorable instance at a festival in Mexico, a drummer broke his snare head mid-song; the stage crew immediately handed him a fresh snare that was sitting off to the side, and the music barely paused. That kind of preparedness only comes from anticipating problems and staging spares in the wings.
The laminated “reset” checklist: During the chaos of a quick changeover, even the best crew can overlook a detail. That’s where a simple checklist becomes invaluable. Many top stage managers use a laminated checklist (taped to the backstage or monitor world) that they tick through after each performance. This checklist might include items like: Amps set back to preset levels or standby, all knobs and settings returned to neutral, drum throne and hardware back to standard positions, all mics placed for next band, phantom power settings checked, tuners or DI boxes reset, and clear away previous band’s setlists and gaffer tape. Laminating it means it survives the whole festival (even if drinks spill or rain comes) and can be reused for every changeover.
Following a reset routine ensures nothing is forgotten in the rush. Imagine the horror if the next band starts playing and the keyboard DI was never reactivated, or a mic was left muted from the previous line check – these slip-ups can and do happen. A reset checklist, diligently used, is the antidote. For example, the production crew at Singapore’s Baybeats Festival credited their strict changeover checklist for a flawless weekend of shows – even when one act’s setup was particularly complex, the crew methodically went through their laminated list and caught a missing patch before it became an onstage issue. The checklist acts as a safety net that catches human error and keeps technical risks low.
Communicate Constraints Early and Clearly
No matter how well everything is standardised and prepared, success hinges on artist cooperation. Surprising a band on the day of show with “Oh by the way, you all have to use our amps and kit” is a recipe for conflict. The solution is to communicate all backline arrangements and constraints to artists well in advance – ideally during the booking and advancing stage.
When booking artists for the festival, organisers should include a technical specification outline of the provided backline. This means sending the bands a detailed list of the gear they can expect on stage: the make and model of the drum kit, the exact guitar amps, the number and type of DI boxes, microphones, etc. If there are any limits (for instance, “no guitar cabinets over 2×12 on stage due to space” or “pyrotechnics not allowed”), spell those out early. By doing this, artists have time to digest the setup and raise any concerns weeks or months before the festival, not on the day.
Effective communication involves a two-way dialogue. Encourage artists to send their stage plots and input lists well before the event. The production team can cross-check those against the house gear. If a band’s rider calls for something unusual (say, three kick drums or a specific boutique amp), that’s the time to discuss compromise or see if an exception can be made. Many festivals solve these issues by working with artists on slight adjustments – e.g. convincing a band to use the house Fender amp instead of their own similar model, in exchange for a brief extra soundcheck or assuring them it’s been recently serviced and sounds great.
By communicating constraints early, bands also have a chance to prepare. An artist who knows the drum kit is a different brand can bring their favourite kick pedal or cymbals to replicate their sound as closely as possible. For instance, before SXSW showcases or Reeperbahn Festival in Germany (known for tight multi-band schedules), artists are informed that only limited backline will be available. This forces touring bands to pack light and be flexible – many actually appreciate not having to lug heavy gear. The key is no surprises: one can imagine the frustration if a DJ arrived expecting CDJ-3000 decks and finds only older CDJ-2000s because nobody told them in advance. Prevent such issues by aligning expectations early.
As part of artist advancing, it’s wise to have artists sign off on the shared backline plan. Not in a legalistic way, but an email confirmation like, “We’ve received the tech specs – we will use the festival-provided drum kit and amps as listed.” This paper trail ensures everyone remembers the agreement. It’s also helpful to share a stage schedule showing the short changeover times, which underscores why the shared gear is necessary. Most artists, when they see a festival’s tight timetable, understand the logic – they’ve been at gigs where one tardy band derailed the whole night. Clear communication turns potential complaints into cooperation, as bands realise the shared backline isn’t about limiting them, but about giving everyone a fair shot to perform on time with minimal fuss (festivalandeventproduction.com).
Adapting to Different Festival Scales and Genres
The approach to a shared backline can vary depending on a festival’s size, genre focus, and audience expectations. It’s important to scale the strategy to fit the event.
Small Boutique Festivals: At a small boutique festival – say a folk and acoustic festival drawing a few hundred people – budgets and stage space are limited, so a shared backline is almost a necessity. Here, standardising gear can also be a cost-saver: instead of renting ten guitar amps for ten artists, the organiser might rent two good ones and reuse them all day. Artists at grassroots festivals are often more accustomed to using house gear or even sharing among themselves; there’s a spirit of cooperation. The production team can leverage this by encouraging a community vibe (“we’re all using the same drums, let’s take care of them together”). One example is the Woodford Folk Festival in Australia, where multiple singer-songwriters used the same keyboard and drum setup on a stage – it created a seamless flow of music and a sense of unity, as if everyone was jamming in the same living room, despite being separate acts.
Major Festivals and Tours: For larger international festivals with big-name acts (Coachella, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury main stages, etc.), a one-backline-for-all approach might only be feasible on smaller stages or for earlier-in-the-day acts. Headliners and large touring acts will almost certainly carry their own backline to maintain their signature sound and because they have the crew and budget to do so. In these cases, festival organisers often strike a hybrid approach: they might provide a default backline for openers and mid-tier acts, but allow headliners their own rigs with longer changeovers. Even so, the principles of consistency still apply. For example, on a secondary stage at Primavera Sound in Spain, local bands might all use the festival’s drum kit and amps, but when an international headliner takes that stage later, the organisers plan for a 40-minute changeover to swap in the band’s gear. They still mitigate risk by using festival crew to help set that up, ensuring it integrates with the house system smoothly. Meanwhile, on the EDM stage of a large festival, every DJ is likely playing on the exact same Pioneer CDJ setup provided by the festival – a form of backline standardisation that the electronic music world expects as standard. In fact, festivals like Tomorrowland or Ultra Music Festival always have identical DJ mixers and decks for each artist, so transitions are literally as simple as one USB stick out, the next DJ’s USB stick in.
Different Genres, Different Needs: Genre plays a role too. A boutique jazz festival might prioritise a high-end piano and a great jazz drum kit as shared gear, while a metal festival will ensure a powerful double-kick drum set and heavy guitar cabinets are available. The concept of a shared backline is flexible – it doesn’t mean the exact same gear works for every genre, but rather that within a given stage or genre, festival organisers select gear that suits the majority of artists. It’s about finding the common denominators: in a reggae festival, that might be providing a couple of Fender Twin amps (reggae guitarists love clean tone) and a large bass amp, plus a house drum kit with sturdy hardware to handle intense grooves. In a techno stage scenario, the ‘backline’ might be a standard table setup with specified mixer models and monitor speakers. Festival organisers should understand their genre’s typical gear demands and standardise around those, then fine-tune for any outliers.
No matter the size or style, the benefits of a well-implemented shared backline system remain consistent: faster changeovers, fewer technical issues, and a more professional, seamless experience for performers and the audience. When done right, artists of any genre will appreciate that they can focus on performing instead of wrestling with gear, and audiences will enjoy nearly continuous music with hardly any waiting around.
Key Takeaways
- Standardise core festival backline gear: Use one set of quality drums, amps, and DIs across acts to streamline changeovers (especially on tight schedules).
- Allow critical exceptions: Be flexible for artists’ truly essential gear needs – accommodate unique instruments or amps if they’re vital, but plan those exceptions in advance.
- Colour-code and label everything: Mark cable looms, inputs, and mic stands by colour or label so stage crews can execute rapid “plug-and-play” resets with minimal errors.
- Keep backups close by: Have spare cables, mics, drum parts, and even amp heads on standby just off stage. Quick access to spares can save a performance if something fails.
- Use a reset checklist: Develop a short, laminated checklist for changeovers to reset gear and settings to baseline. This ensures no steps are missed in the hurry between acts.
- Communicate with artists early: Advance all technical details with performers – let them know what gear is provided and what the constraints are long before show day. No surprises leads to better cooperation.
- Consistency = speed & reliability: By reducing variables on stage and having a well-drilled crew, changeovers become faster and technical risks drop. A consistent shared backline keeps a festival running like clockwork, to the benefit of artists and audience alike.
27th September 2025