Bringing the outdoors in

 

Festival fever is soon to hit Britain again and giant steel constructions are soon to be erected at a field near you. When summer comes around, mobile stage construction engineers are never busier. MICHELLE MANNING-WAREHAM investigates what’s up in mobile stage construction.

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Mobile construction companies need to offer a large range of different solutions for outdoors events, from stages of different sizes to roofs that protect equipment from which ever direction the weather may take. Event Stage and Structures are a team of stage builders who create all sorts of solutions at every corner of the UK. We spoke to Laura Swanwick, business development manager for the company, to find out more. “Our biggest client is SJM, the UK’s number 1 concert promoter,” she said. “All year round we provide crush barriers and stages for their events. We have also done work for the BBC at the Proms, Glastonbury Festival and Leeds Festival.

For gigs anywhere, barriers, staging and roofs can be provided. “Some examples of the stages that we supply are Orbit roofs ranging from 12m to 18m, rapid roofs and basic steel deck (kwik form). We also supply crowd control barrier, crush barrier, PA wings and equipment for front of house/mixer desks,” she added.

Steeldeck is a solid tough and durable frame that is long-lasting and requires little maintenance. It is a staging solution designed to be flexible enough to adapt to any indoor situation. For example, a stage could be flat to create a small stage area or runway; tiered for seating, or ramped to become a modular walkway to high stages.

And the second type of decking is specifically designed for outdoor events: Kwik form. It is scaffolding that reaches a lot higher than steeldeck making is more suitable for the large crowds that outdoor events attract in the summer. The flexibility of kwik form can see a stage adjusted so it could be used on uneven grounds or those that slope. Kwik form can also hold a greater weight than its indoor counterpart.

Orbital roofs

The orbit stage system is in demand for many outdoors gigs around the country as well as some festivals. Apart from providing protection for the performers, crowds and electrical equipment, the roofs can also be beneficial to the sound.

Swanwick explained why orbital roofs are a familiar sight at gigs: “Orbit roofs are a popular choice for many of our clients as they are extendable, durable, straightforward to construct and aesthetically pleasing. The orbit roof provides great acoustics for artists and a good sound for the crowd. They provide a form of shelter from the elements should it be required. We can provide 12m, 15m and 18m orbits to suit all of our clients needs.”

For those not on stage

Separating you from the artists – and usually attended by burly bouncers in between – are the steel-constructed barriers relieving the performers of crowd pressure and movement. There are many different kinds of barriers for different kinds of events: pop concerts, fireworks displays, film sets and others.

Another consideration for a gig is the front of house area where the sound desk is situated. This has its own requirements as a sound desk is a large, heavy piece of equipment delivering one of the most important functions of all – to allow all instruments on stage to be heard by the crowd. Event Staging and Structures provide the modular protection that area needs, while giving the lighting and sound engineers a full view of the stage while controlling the show.

Swanwick explained what processes are involved with tackling the inside of a gig: “Ideally, the front of house should be 25m from the stage to ensure a good sound is received from the stage so that the sound technicians can do their job. We take into consideration the size of the mixer desk and build the front of house accordingly, the position of the stage and clients requirements.”

Unusual set ups

In the time Event Staging and Structures has been in operation, they have been challenged with some unusual requests, such a setting up a stage on the river in Liverpool for a Swiss company or constructing a structure allowing a large aeroplane to fly through a wall of paper at Manchester Airport for the launch of the Club 18-30 group. Nothing, it seems, is impossible.

A legendary Glastonbury mainstay – the Pyramid stage – is something the events company can do for a client if required. A Pyramid stage is a popular at festivals as it is versatile enough to be set up on any terrain without encountering problems.
 
A Pilton villager - Bill Burroughs  - deigned and built the latest Pyramid Stage for the Glastonbury Festival after the original one, built for the 1971 festival, burned down just before the 1994 festival. The new pyramid design was based on the Great Pyramid at Giza, Egypt and still brings magic to the event.

How do they do it?

Setting up the modular staging for an indoor or outdoor gig requires the know-how only an experienced company can provide. Swanwick explained the process the company undertakes when approaching an event. “For every stage we construct we follow our tried and tested process to complete the construction. This applies to all stages from an 18m orbit to four pieces of steel deck. We must decide the optimum crew for the project, what equipment is required, logistics and the best way to tackle the project. We ensure that the construction is done quickly and efficiently and that the client is satisfied with it.”

Setting up the modular venues is not a matter of just erecting scaffolding for the performers to jump around on – although Event Staging and Structures do take the performers, band or artists’ plans into account. “Every stage solution that we supply is something to be proud of as ultimately what we do brings joy to others, whether this is the artist or band performing on the stage or the audience.

“Overall the job that the team are most proud of is supplying the stage and decking for Channel 4’s TFI Friday. This was a great job to be involved with as TFI Friday was such a success. The team felt proud to be involved with this.”

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