Dome Stage in Action
I thought I would write a quick blog article about the hard work that goes into setting up and managing a stage for our customers. Most people only see the end product and it occurred to me that there is so much work that goes on in the background that nobody sees. So if you are interested in Stage Hire Aylesbury, here is the process!
We bought our first inflatable dome stage 5 years ago wanting a solution for all the stage hire Aylesbury jobs we have where the stage needs to be up and down in the same day. We work a lot with local councils and community events where we are blocking main roads and the option to set up the day before is not possible. So after much research, we decided an inflatable dome stage would be a quick and easy answer. We were wrong on so many levels. Yes it does look awesome, it is fairly quick to get up, I think we can be fully up and running and at soundcheck stage within 2-2.5 hours….but the dome is huge, bulky, hard to move, requires its own trailer, own storage, is a nightmare to get packed away after a long day, especially if its rained. We have to get the dome out to dry it, requiring a large amount of available clean space to do this. It needs annual maintenance checks, safety checks, and the usual PAT testing.
So the dome is really good for ease of use on the day but takes a lot of work behind the scenes which has to be factored in. Below are photos from the last weekend of us setting it up. We worked at this event now for 5 years running. The stage is sited on the road, with grass to one side for tethering but nothing to the right, so we have to use a vehicle to secure the dome to. This is not ideal, ideally, we would site the entire dome on grass, so we have to pay extra attention to the weather forecasts on the run-up to the event, primarily looking at wind speeds.
We start by unrolling the dome and determining which way it needs to face, dragging it into position as required
We site the fan, ensure all the deflation vents are closed and inflate the dome. We need several people at this point to keep the dome in shape, to ensure it doesn’t splay out. As you can see on the photos below, when it spreads too much the Velcro on the back section has a tendency to un-attach itself, and needs to be reattached afterward.
The dome is then secured and anchored with ropes and tethering stakes. We then carry the stage frames in and add the tops on. Each section needs leveling and securing with ratchet straps from underneath.
The PA is then set up. Adam is our PA expert and has been sound engineering and working in studios since he was 14. His dad ran a studio called Leyland Farm Studios recording albums for Marillion, John Otway, and Willie Barratt, later running Trak Easy studios with Tim Archdeacon recording many local bands like Threeway Jam and Sid Twynham. Adam set up his first studio at age 16 and alongside this has been playing live music and teaching guitar ever since. He now runs all our main PA systems as well as DJs and plays guitar locally. One of the reasons we set up our business together was due to his love of live music, and a desire to provide excellent sound quality at events that we would want to attend ourselves.
We believe that the most important quality to have for running stages is to be good with dealing with people, as we meet people from all walks of life, and to have a plan B and C. Planning beforehand is essential but we always have to plan for the unexpected…like last summer when a singer turned up with all her music on a DVD! We had a DVD player with us because you just never know!
We provide several sized stage options and can cater for crowds of up to 5000. We offer stage hire Aylesbury & around the UK.
