| Performance FAQ |
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| Written by Alicia Miziolek | |
| Thursday, 05 April 2007 | |
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Please read the basics before reading this or contacting anyone for further questions. It will give you a better feel for the nature of the event. Please read the entire faq before asking questions and contacting representatives as described herein.
Q: What is the Stage? A: The stage is a juiced up performance space for music, readings, experiments and tomfoolery. If you'd like to perform and you need access to electricity or just the psychological boost of being on a raised structure, the stage is your venue. Q: What kind of performances are you guys interested in? A: Pretty much anything that doesn't involve human blood or animal cruelty is welcome at Playa del Fuego. We would love to have all types of musicians (DJs, live bands, solo instrumental/singer, drum circle, didgeridoo, experimental, etc.), spoken word, performance art, dancers, fire play and anything else you can think of to do on a stage. If you can simultaneously keep in mind respect for your fellow burners and their experiences, and explore the boundaries of creativity, cause others to transcend to a squishier and more passionate mind state, or just plain rock out....we want you! Q: So, what's your setup like? A: We have one stage (approx. 12 ft. x 25 ft. with a roof and solid back) with electricity (approx. 12 outlets). The stage has space in front of it for dancing and you can be as loud as your equipment can handle until 1 am when the stage will close to accommodate the few interested in sleep. If you have a purely visual performance that wouldn’t wake the dead (invoking is ok) you may be able to use the stage after 1am. The electricity from the stage is for STAGE USE ONLY, meaning no extra long extension cords to your margarita blender. There will be a PA system set up on the stage for open use. This will include: Rack with compressor, active cross over and amps. Two 18" EV subs, two high packs, two stage monitors. Got anything you want to loan? Not included is what we will need for a minimal band set up: extra cables, microphones & stands, etc. If you are in a band, please bring this equipment, as it will not be provided. Q: Can I get up on stage any time I want? A: Absolutely not! All stage performances must be coordinated beforehand. For the upcoming Burn, the stage will be 'open' from 10am-1am, Friday-Sunday. The stage will not be open on Monday. If you wish to perform on stage, you must schedule your performance before the event, in order to guarantee your time slot. Q: Must I perform on the stage? What if I do not want to perform during the stage time allotted to me? A: There are almost no restrictions on performance. Anyone can perform at any time almost any place. However, you must bring ALL of your own equipment. If you need electricity you will need to bring it with you in the form of a generator or batteries. If you request and are granted a stage time slot, please be prompt and ready to perform when you are scheduled and limit your performance to your pre-allotted time slot. Performers who are not prepared, cancel their performances at the last minute or fail to finish when they are supposed to may be unwelcome on the stage at future Burns. Please have respect for other performers! Q: What's this I hear about Domes & DJ’s? A: Several Theme Camps will be hosting various kinds of open performances including but not limited to areas catering to DJ’s & electronic musicians. Please check the Theme Camp section of the website or join one of the many mailing lists on our Website, to find out more information. Q: I'm a DJ. What kind of equipment should I bring? v A: Please see the previous question and decide whether or not the stage is even where you want to be. If you decide you'd like to play on the stage assume you need to bring everything, except a PA & Speakers or contact Monk E at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . Q: I'm going to bring my own equipment and I don't want anyone else to use my stuff. Is that cool? A: Yeah, that's cool. But you are responsible for your own stuff, so if you don't want anyone to use it, put it away when you're not using it. Neither Playa del Fuego nor the Stage Crew is responsible for your equipment, you are. Sharing is awesome, and strongly encouraged, but if you are going cry or throw things if somebody breaks your stuff, you probably shouldn't share it. It is up to you to decide. Q: I have extra equipment that I'd love to share with people. How should I go about doing that? A: Awesome! Please contact me at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it and tell me what you have, and when you can bring it. Things we are especially interested in are: band equipment (especially a PA mixer, mics, and cables). Keep in mind before you volunteer your stuff that there is always a chance that something might get damaged and we will not be responsible, so only share stuff with which you are willing to take that chance. Q: I don't have any equipment, but I really want to perform. What should I do? A: Read in detail the answer to the set-up question. All equipment described will be for open use, however you will be expected to describe your set-up needs before you are booked in a certain time slot to make sure if you need assistance, it can be provided for you. If you share others equipment, please keep in mind how cool it is that people let you use their stuff so that you can impress us all with your vast talents. Be nice to it. Pretend it belongs to your parole officer. After all, if you aren’t nice to shared stuff, there will be no more shared stuff for anybody, and that would suck, cuz shared stuff kicks ass. If you need equipment that is not described above, you may contact me to see if I can obtain it for you or direct you to another source. This faq will be updated if people volunteer more equipment to the shared stuff pile, so check back. Q: My band is very prestigious and cool, and we have a world wide following. Will we be compensated for our performance? A: Nopeity-nope nope nope. Not that we don't want desperately to experience your very cool performance, but this is a Volunteer Created Event, which means nobody gets paid. Not even me. One reason is to foster the spirit of No Spectators, which seems to shrivel up and whine when group A pays money to see group B perform. It makes group A feel like they don't have to do anything but sit there and be entertained by group B. Which leads to a kinda lazy not-interactive experience. We want people to work for their fun! Another is that dealing with ideas like "art that deserves to be paid for and that that doesn't" and "what is art worth when it's money between friends" makes us feel kind of icky. And yes, we are charging for tickets for this event, but all money raised will just cover the costs for insurance, wood, the land, porta potties, and other necessities. Rest assured, none of us personally see one red cent. So if you can deal with that, then you should definitely perform. Wait, I lied, you will assuredly be compensated for your participation, just in a way that’s a little more nebulous than hard cash. Q: But surely my group won't have to buy tickets, right? We are, after all, providing a service... A: Actually, this is FALSE. All attendees of the PDF burn are required to purchase a ticket, even performers. Everyone is providing a service here, that's what the whole thing is about. As mentioned above, this is not a conventional event with the standard audience/performer dichotomy. The mantra of NO SPECTATORS! is very basic to our philosophy, and as everyone is a participant, we will not value one sort of participation over another by waiving anyone's costs. EVERYONE (except small children) pays. I had to buy a ticket just like all of you. And if you don't buy into event philosophy, think of it this way: we have a lot of costs, and we need the money. So please don't whine about your $30 or $40 donation. Feel free to organize a personal fundraiser in your hometown if you need help getting yourself & your gear to PDF. We hope you'll understand that everyone who is working on this burn is doing it out of love, and you will too. It will definitely be worth it. Q: I don't have any talent, but I really want to perform. What should I do? A: Do it anyway! Everybody has some talent even if it’s only oddly bordering on disturbingly entertaining. Spawn a new idea and get some friends or area weirdos to help you make it a reality. I mean, if you are completely tone deaf and can't carry a tune to save your life, please don't regale us with a 45 minute long solo a cappella selection from Cats (at least not on-stage). But there is most likely something interesting that you can do, and we want to see it. If you are still shy and unconfident about your performance abilities, but think that after enough 80 proof coaxing you may want to perform, read the answer to the question below about the necessity of pre-registering. Q: For how long can I perform? A: That depends on the nature of your performance and how long you want. Generally, performances are limited to ½ an hour to 1 hour, however if you have a large band or other complicated performance that requires a lot of set-up and break-down time, arrangements can be made. We don't discriminate towards 'quality' or 'interesting and non-painful' performers at the stage in order to let anyone who wants to perform (and can make a request before the deadline) do their thing. However, this also leaves the door open for 'experimental' or 'vomit-inducing' performances that only appeal to a small audience, which sometimes consists of only the performer themselves. My thinking is that you can stand to listen to or watch anything if it’s only for an hour, and if you can’t; you can go do something else. Hence the time limitation. Also it depends on the volume of parties interested in stage time, which I don’t know right now. Keep reading to the contact question, and we'll work something out. Q: I'm not sure I'll be able to come. Will I still be able to perform if I don't pre-register? A: There is a good chance the schedule will not completely fill up. The best thing to do is check the events board, at the pavilion, which will have a copy of the stage schedule and sign your self up to your desired slot. If you know you will need technical assistance you should find Monk E or Malcolm so we can be certain to help you. Q: I'm not much of a performer, but I’d still like to help with the stage. I am, however, reliable, helpful, and good at getting stuff done. Is there anything I can do to help? A: Oh my, yes. See once we get out there, we want everything to run as smoothly as possible, meaning people taking and leaving the stage on time and getting help set up and broken down. Frankly, I don't want to spend the entire event trying to rouse people out of the smoke in their tents so they can take the stage or dragging people off after their time is done. So I will need a crew of stagehands to help me manage this business. As well as people with creative ideas for stage décor. If interested, please contact with the subject 'I want to be a stage hand' and tell me who you are and when you will be willing to work, or what you want to help with. This is not hard, but serious, so don't volunteer unless you are really willing to spend that time helping the performers, and have some sort of time piece to which you can refer. Q: Wow, this sounds cool. Who do I contact to sign up? A: Send an email to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it please put "pdf performance request" as the subject to your email. In the body of the email, identify yourself, give a brief synopsis of the nature of your performance, and give a realistic time range for your performance, including setup and breakdown. By range I mean tell me the absolute shortest amount of time for which you could perform to the longest that you would want to if we have the time, keeping in mind, we probably won't. Also please give a wishful approximation as to the day and time of day you want to perform. Please be flexible, We will schedule basically first come, first serve, so if you have a very specific time you want to be on stage, email us now (and I can tell you now that Saturday and Sunday night time is going to go first)! Also, and this is important, If you are not going to attend the entire event, tell us when you won't be there! Because we will try to schedule people as close to the time/day that they want, but if we can't, we don't want to schedule you for a time you won't be there! We will try to be as accommodating as possible, but please don't yell at us if we can't get you what you want. Once the schedule is figured out, emails will be sent out telling you, your time slot, and we will at least tell you we got your email as soon as we get it. Once we get out there please be as punctual as possible and play nice with the other performers. I will kick you off stage if you are exceeding your time slot, or being an asshole. We all want to have a good time. See you all there. Q: Who wrote this stupid, lame-attempt-at-being-funny faq, anyway? A: Alicia Miziolek, Its not THAT lame. and I revised it Malcolm Pettus. Thanks for reading through this long FAQ, I hope to see you all there. |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 18 April 2007 ) |
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