Festivals

Stage Conduct & Guidelines

⚠️ Safety First – ALWAYS!

Please make your own safety and that of others your top priority at all times.

At Sound Alliance, we’re here to help you deliver your best performance. To make things run smoothly for everyone, please read and follow these important guidelines:

🎤 Gear & Equipment
• We provide a full range of professional microphones and stage monitors. Vocal mics are sanitised, EQ’d, and patched into the PA system before your arrival.

• Due to tight festival schedules and time constraints, we cannot accommodate setting up other personal microphones (including wireless) or in-ear monitor systems.

• Backline gear. You must bring your own (I.e. amps, cabs, instruments, etc.) and also ancillaries such as; straps, batteries, plectrums, jack leads, drum sticks. We do not provide these. We do provide mic’s, stands, mic leads and DI boxes for connection of your equipment into our PA system.

• Ensure all your equipment is fully working before arriving. Bringing faulty equipment, for instance; noisy pedals or broken jack leads, can cause serious delays.

• Acoustic Guitar players: we urge you to fit a rubber sound hole cover, doing so significantly reduces the risk of feedback.
• Drummers: If we’re supplying the drum kit, please bring your own breakables (I.e. snare, kick pedal, cymbals, sticks, etc.).

💧 Drinks on Stage
• Only bottled water is allowed on stage – no exceptions.
• Drinks in glasses, glass bottles, cans, or open containers will be removed immediately.
Spills and breakages can damage expensive equipment and create hazards for you, other performers and our crew.
Drinks must not be placed on our speakers.

⚠️ Respect the Equipment
• Please do not stand on the monitors. They’re not footrests – they’re high-end, fragile, and very costly. Any damage and subsequent repair costs will be your responsibility.

🕒 Be Punctual & Prepared
• Arrive early and introduce yourself to the crew – we’re a very friendly, approachable bunch.
• Remove all bags and cases from the stage as quickly as possible after setting up.
• Tune your instruments off-stage before (and in good time for) your soundcheck.

🔈 Soundcheck Etiquette
• Soundcheck is NOT a rehearsal. It’s for checking levels and EQ, setting monitors and solving any technical issues only.
• When the engineer asks you to play, please do so until asked to stop. Others: no noodling during this time. Listen to the sound engineer.
• Know what you want in your monitor mix – it will be controlled from FOH.

🎧 Backing Tracks
• If you’re using backing tracks, bring your own playback device (laptop, tablet, phone, or CD).
• We have various cables and DI boxes, but it’s safest to bring your own.
• Your playback device must be operated by you on stage.

🛠️ Tech Specs & Requests
• If you have a tech rider or specific requirements, send them to us well in advance. Last-minute requests may not be possible.

🎚️ Guest Engineers
• Competent guest sound engineers are welcome to mix with support from our FOH engineer.
• Inexperienced or unqualified sound engineers will not be allowed on the desk. Past incidents have resulted in damaged equipment and poor sound.

🎆 Special Effects
• Planning to use pyro, confetti, or cold sparks? These must be approved in advance by both the venue and our crew.

👥 Respect the Crew
• Absolutely no abuse toward the crew, photographers, or production team. It will result in your performance being stopped.
• We’re here to help you succeed – please treat us with the same respect we show you.

🎥 Photographers & Videographers
• If you’re bringing photographers or videographers, coordinate with us in advance – especially if you have choreography, lighting cues, or stage exits that could impact crew or equipment placement.

⚠️ Electrical Safety: Trailer stages are open to the weather, any mains operated equipment such as plugboards and amplifiers can become dangerous if they get wet. For everyone’s safety, performances may be delayed or stopped if it rains.
COME PREPARED

Festivals are long, demanding days – especially for the crew and organisers, who arrive early and stay late. Let’s work together with kindness, patience, and professionalism.

Don’t hesitate to talk to us – we’re musicians too, we get it!

LET’S MAKE A GREAT EVENT and a sound alliance

For circulation to all performers

SOUND ALLIANCE
Mike – Owner & Sound Engineer
Tiny – Stage Manager

📱 t. 07875 869939
✉️ e. mike@soundalliance.co.uk
🌐 www.soundalliance.co.uk