Re – laptop – depends what programs you’re wanting to run – but basically I’d have thought it would be OK.

Re – speakers – personally I’d use unpowered speakers and amps. That way you can upgrade / increase the size & power of your rig easily.

Re – how many and what size – that really depends on the size of the venue not how many people are there. Indoors would require less wattage than outdoors. You could easily get away with maybe a 2/3 k rig.

Re – generator – google or yellow pages – look under generator or plant hire. You also need a bit of excess in the genny – so a good rule of thumb is the genny should have twice the output of the total wattage of all your equipment. Also lights often draw more power than a rig – so their keep them to a minimum ( they can cause spiking of the genny which can damage your rig / equipment fatally ) or if you’re going to use a lot of lights – use a separate genny for them.

Re prices for all the above – you just have to shop around.

Hey DDP

Prices for venues vary wildly form place to place…this thread is currently in the free party section. Does that mean you are planning to foot all the costs yourself?

What follows below is a [very] rough guide to how to organise an event

Decide what you want to do [size, style, duration, target audience] – this enables you to choose a venue.

Venue chosen you then can work out what else you will need to arrange. Clubs and other indoor venues [licensed ones] usually have soundsystem, toilets, bar, basic lights, etc.
Fields will require all of these to be arranged [with the exception of the bar unless you want to get an alcohol license] plus generators and transport for the equipment and tents etc.
All other venues are likely to be between the 2 extremes.

Once you know what you are putting on and where it becomes a matter of sourcing and haggling for good prices on what you need, arranging to hire what you dont have and advertising the event as appropiate

Its hard to give you ballpark figures for these costs as location will play such a large part in them [the bigger the town for example, the more likely you will even find what you want to hire]

A network of contacts is really useful for these things and you should make every effort to develp one and then curry favour [by being a good customer and recommending the place to others and telling them you have done this] as good customers are always a valuable commodity. Also remember to ask for their advice if you get stuck as they too have contacts network and they will be people they like doing business with and likely worth knowing about:groucho:

we used to get our gennys from jewsons building yards, the guys in there do a good deal for us its around £35 – 40 a night and the promise itd come back safe … intact …

hire of a field … i dont no how youd hire a field … have you got a mate with a farm or something like? basically a lot of property …

hiring a hall all depends on the actual hall, what facilities it has and what the owners are willing to let out. in town theyll let out the hall to us for about a ton, thats a bouncer included …. best thing to do is get calling up … time of year can affect how much itll cost.

ask bouncers in town (not on a busy night! this is so you have time to give them enough details to bring them round an interest them, no bouncer wants you talking to him on a saturday night in birmingham!) if they wouldnt mind doing an evening for you, theyll rip you off in payment but their wont be any trouble at your gig. but as i mentioned in the hall comment, hiring of the hall may include their resident bouncer.

and promotion isnt my cuppa char, always been done with p.lines so i canni help you there

tomm digital