This is another question we often get asked for Summer gigs (and sometimes winter ones believe it or not!). The answer to this is pretty simple – of course we can! What fun! However we do bring along a LOT of expensive gear and so have to have a few rules in place (get ready for the serious bit):
- The staging area must be covered and shielded from all elements. This means a covering for the top, and the sides, and with a front ‘flap’ that we can pull down if the rain starts to come down heavy. I know this seems like a bit of a pain, but it can get pretty dangerous with all our electrical equipment and we simply cannot risk it getting rained on.
- We don’t usually ‘demand’ a stage (we’re no divas, haha), however if the event is outside, we do need to request this. Our musicians use a lot of floor pedals, and if we were playing on a non-raised floor, rain water could wash into the staging area and not only blow up our equipment (meaning we were unable to perform) but also be very dangerous.
- We would highly recommend using a generator if your event is outside. We’ve played at far too many events where people have tried to cut costs and brought their power from a nearby building, and sadly this tends to lead to a lot of power problems. There’s nothing worse than putting on an awesome party but having all the power cut, so not only are your band unable to play, but any caterers etc will also struggle. This goes for marquee events too!
Please don’t take these rules/regulations as a downer on the idea though – some of the best events we’ve done have been outside. There’s always a fantastic vibe, playing in the great outdoors, and we love it! We just have to be super careful with safety and protecting our equipment.