|
I would enjoy nonchalantly drinking an iced tea while swa(y) did his level best to give me a sound thrashing.
Seriously though, is this just a "plot of land" thing?
If so, it will be difficult to make it free unles you can bamboozle some friends into lending you a really kickass sound system. Outdoor sound can be difficult to manage, and you will need more wattage than for indoors. You should also procure or build some kind of stage, as the ground may be uneven, wet, muddy, etc. And there's the weather to consider, so having some kind of alternative building or a really good party tent over the area is a good idea. If it rains, the whole thing could go south fast. If you're starting from scratch, there are costs associated (sound and stage as I already mentioned, but then there is lighting, which has to be done even minimally if this thing goes on after dark, and of course you will need to arrange some kind of bathroom facilities as well), and a cover charge aimed at breaking even based on CONSERVATIVE audience estimates would be advisable.
Also, get your bands confirmed way early and get on your press contacts and messageboards and whatever else on a regular basis, leaning heavily in the month or six weeks preceding the event.
I also recommend that when dealing with the musicians, be sure and get a list beforehand of each act's configurations, how many mics they will need, how many amps, how many DI lines, etc. That way you or whoever you can trick into doing sound for you will have fewer surprises.
Also, have set times clearly mapped out. Five or ten minutes lags on each act can make the schedule get behind very fast, and if you have any kind of mandatory cutoff time, the last act or two could really get the shaft.
Have a stage manager to deal quickly with changeovers, helping the bands get their stuff on and offstage, setting up mics for the sound person, rounding up bands who will be on next, that sort of thing.
Make sure you have people to work the entrance, have some kind of liquid refreshments available, a merch table for the bands and a person to run that for them, and some kind of minimal "security." Even though most crowds are pretty mellow, it's good to have a couple of people on hand to difuse any unfortunate situations that can arise.
A dedicated between-acts DJ with good taste and stamina is highly recommended. A lot of people are willing to do that for the fun of it.
I'll post more when I think of more....
Good luck to you. These things are a lot of work, but they can be very fun and rewarding.
|