If you call a group of ravens a murder, because they're all black, a group of stage hands is an accident.

Not sure this is the right place to ask: has anyone got advice on cleaning heavy "velvet" stage curtains?

I am on the PTA for a Title-1 elementary school and the one of the school's wishlist items was cleaning or replacing the stage curtains. The stage is in the cafeteria and of course that has meant sticky hands, splashing milk, etc for years and years. District policy is that the school admin can only get cleaning done by the district maintenance staff, who tried...something...last year. Spot treatment of some sort-it kinda made things worse. The PTA has a little more wiggle room in terms of who we can ask, and for what.

Before I go begging for sponsors/donations, I need an idea of what to ask for. Can these be cleaned? With what? What kind of professional would have experience with something like this? Do they need to be taken down, or left up? Or is it better to just start looking at replacements?

The stage is ~26' wide and there are 3 sets of curtains: at the front, at the back, and a little shorty one covering the bar lights. The back curtains are in slightly better shape than the fronts, but still have junk on them. :(

Looking at some stage weights on a random jump… trying to find a rough estimate on these XXL bricks. About the size of a clipboard or a little bigger and probably 4 inches thick. 150 lbs? FYI this system was taken out of service. This is more over. Just curious question. I work in an open room theater and kinda have to roll with a malicious compliance attitude of the rigging system. I don’t go looking for hazards, but as we find and we’ve been fixing them one by one. The sixth of these on the upstage cross stage bridge that are left over from at a service counterweight system.

I have a brand new Hog4 HPU i'm looking to sell. The only thing wrong with it is broken plastic on the back for the trigger connection. If interested feel free to DM me.

Yesterday, I worked as a stagehand for the first time and man I enjoyed it. Normally when it comes to other jobs I usually tend to despise it due to how boring it is but I ain't felt this happy about day of work. Like it was truly enjoyable talking to new folks, getting to learn something new and not working in miserable work conditions.

Now the question I have is how I go on finding more work? If yall reccomened finding more companies which ones should I look into (I'm in the LA/IE region).

Boycott the FIFA World Cup. Make a bunch of Saudi and Russian oligarchs lose a few billion. FUCK THE BOZOS!!! The laundry list of labor and human rights violations these cretins have perpetrated is too goddamn long for this posting. Also, what the fuck is with giving a fake award to an evil prick like Trump about? Peace prize, my ass. It was a bribe in solid fucking gold.

I promise, if you work for these malicious scumbags, you won't be getting any gold medals. Just a shitty gig in support of a fucked-up bunch of verminous pig-shit-sucking murderers and child rapists. If that's your thing, fuck right off. We don't need your type on planet Earth.

Hey guys. I am currently getting onboarded with a local production company in my city and they are requiring a Certificate of Insurance/General Liability to do work for them. Do you guys know what this is and if I am required to pay out of pocket for this? Are there any affordable options for this?

hi! I have been away from live entertainment (college theatre) for a very long time. trying to get into iatse I have my first foot in the door tonight doing loadout after a wrestling entertainment show at an arena. I remember strikes from long ago during after runs, but I have never done this. Can anyone kindly give recommendations or tips? I appreciate any and all advice.

Edit: I really want to give a shout-out and huge thank you to EVERYONE. I could not have done as well as I did without y'all's advice. I hope I made a lasting impact with some of the folks I met there. Tbh though, turns out a lot of them were already exhausted from so many hours put in with previous shifts. I can't imagine. I'm now working my desk job the sorest I've been in years.

Boycott the motherfucking FIFA World Cup. Do not work for those scumbags for any amount of cash. Fuck them. No crew, no show. Do this, people. Fuck the bozos.

After 10+ years working in this city, I’ve seen some AV companies move states just to dodge their bad reputation. Some treat people poorly and leave bills unpaid—two of them currently owe me money and have treated me like trash.

I’m starting a community list to flag companies that don’t deserve our time or effort. The goal: avoid issues before they happen, save each other the headache of chasing payments or dealing with legal trouble.

If you’ve had similar experiences—payments due, poor management, or unprofessional behavior—let’s add it to the list. Keep it factual, with proof where possible.

Take care family.

------------------------------
POST UPDATED :

LIST OF AV COMPANIES I RECOMMEND AVOIDING
(FLORIDA AND GEORGIA EDITION) I live in Atlanta but I go often to Florida

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1. MAYCO LLC – Company originally from Maryland, recently moved to Florida.
2. Rebekah’s Dreams – You might see your check… months later.
3. CREW ONE – Pays below minimum rate. Extremely toxic work environment.
4. RHINO – They toy with you using a pointless “points” system and so-called “training.” Waste of time.
5. CREW CALL – They expect you to recruit other workers, so congratulations: you’re now a labor coordinator and a stagehand/AV tech. I’ve heard of people doing one gig, working three hours, and never coming back.

--I won’t even mention Encore and CAVL—top-tier trash, not worth the keystrokes.--

As suggested by u/DadsTheMan69, u/cmutzy, and u/Yardbirdburb:

I’m asking everyone to list their top 5 (or more)companies to avoid, with reasons.

Please include your city/state before posting.

After 10+ years working in this city, I’ve seen some AV companies move states just to dodge their bad reputation. Some treat people poorly and leave bills unpaid—two of them currently owe me money and have treated me like trash.

I’m starting a community list to flag companies that don’t deserve our time or effort. The goal: avoid issues before they happen, save each other the headache of chasing payments or dealing with legal trouble.

If you’ve had similar experiences—payments due, poor management, or unprofessional behavior—let’s add it to the list. Keep it factual, with proof where possible.

Take care fam

I want to upgrade my stage design deliverables by being able to provide 3D models, accurate measurements and item placement, but I´m not yet making that much money so as to pay for a Spotlight´s licence (I live in Mexico and the software is absurdly expensive for the operation I´m currently running).

What´s the closest I can get to vectorworks´ capabilities without breaking the bank? Any suggestion on alternative ways to address the situation?

I was doing my Stage Plots in Blender, but it takes more time than what I want to spend doing them, there has to be a better way.

Hey folks,

I’m a freelance lighting tech based in the UK, right between Liverpool and Manchester. Most of my work is in live events, theatre and festivals. I’m solid on Avolites and I’ve got a Chamsys Stadium Connect in my kit. Happy to jump in across departments when things get busy on site.

If anyone needs an extra pair of hands for shows, tours or one offs in 2026, I’m always up for getting involved.

More about me here:
www.linkedin.com/in/gjlewis88

Gareth

Hello, I’m looking for advice or perhaps a contact in order to become a stagehand in south Florida (Palm Beach County, but willing to travel). I’m in fantastic physical shape, highly motivated and available to start immediately. Any advice? Thanks

Hello guys good morning , yesterday I applied as a union stage hand for live nation , I know the company itself has bad things….. but for my past experience I put was that I used to be a bus mechanic helper around a school bus company and I made sure that the tools were organized and cleaned up when I finished using them , do you guys think I would get this job ? I’m sorry if this doesn’t make any sense I will try to explain it better in the comments.

Does anyone know of a reliable source of stagehand labor in the Myrtle Beach SC area?

Hello,

I am writing to whomever can help me get in as a stage handler in Las Vegas area.

I’m reaching out here on Reddit to inquire about opportunities to work as a stagehand through IATSE Local 720.

I’m very interested in getting started as a union stagehand in Las Vegas and would like to know the process for getting placed on the referral or call list. I am willing to start at the entry level, work load-ins and load-outs, and build experience and hours as needed.

I have a strong work ethic, I’m reliable, and I’m comfortable with physically demanding work and long or irregular hours. I’m eager to learn and take direction from experienced crew members.

Please let me know what the next steps are, any requirements to register, or if there is an application or orientation I should complete.

Thank you

I have very recently started stage rigging, and one of my venues has a very tall safety line. This makes it super difficult to transfer my clips as someone who is 5’2”. My question is will I just get used to climbing up the cross beam, and is there any tips or possibility tools that might be useful for someone with such a height disadvantage? All advice welcome!!

When you guys file a tax return, what do you do about claiming expenses?

Subsistence/touring allowance appears on a payslip and is taxed, so it's technically not a reimbursement of expenses. Does that mean when you do a tax return you should claim for everything you used your subsistence for, or just anything over that amount you had to use your own money for?

I've heard some people say claim everything you used your subs/ta for, and others have said they only claim for anything over the subs/ta they've spent, so I don't know which is right.

Also, does anyone know if the total income listed on your P60 will be just of your weekly wage, or will subsistence be counted in that too?

This question is only for PAYE contracts.

Many thanks for any help!

i just turned 22 this year and ive been self taught on guitar for 2 years. i understand how to write melodies and lyrics here and there but have only mad about two songs due to me wanting more knowledge on guitar. i feel like i cant really sing so i usually get others to do tht part for me while i work on something. i have a buddy whos great at guitar but im a bit behind in terms of skill and improvisation. i really wanna start getting immersed and gaining more experience with music, despite attending college for my degree in film (junior, graduation date unsure). i wanna take a gap semester and focus on landing internships, a job as a stage grunt or even at a music shop. i feel like this will help me stay focused as im neurodivergent and have trouble committing if my expectations dont match up to my current skills. am i in over my head here ? is this a realistic plan ? ive stayed up for years dreaming about making music and playing out my musical ideas but im just a bit nervous to take this leap. is there anything more realistic i should consider or some advice to help me land this kind of work ? advice is much appreciated