Meet Sam - My SXSW experience

Tell us about your role at SXSW?
My role at SXSW was quite diverse, as I ended up doing a lot of different things, but my main one was as Lighting Operator on the ALT Stage as part of the British Music Embassy stages. The other roles included LX 2 for the mainstage, as well as changeover crew.

What did a typical day look like for you? 
We were in Austin for nearly 2 weeks, and a typical working day started with a 9 or 10 am call time, as most days had afternoon sessions consisting of bands/artists and conferences. This gave us time to set up and prepare for the day ahead, making sure to get stocked up on food and remembering to drink enough in the heat! 

Afternoon sessions would run until around 6 pm, giving us then about an hour or so to reset the stage and prepare for the evening shows, grab a quick bite to eat and then straight into the evening shows starting at around 7 or 8 pm. The last act would finish at around 11 to 11.30 pm, so we would then go straight into weatherproofing both stages in case of rain overnight. We'd have a quick de-brief as we walked back to the hotel and could be in bed around 12.30 - 1 am.

What did you like most about your work experience opportunity at SXSW?
The incredible team spirit! Being part of a professional and such well-oiled crew was a treat, everyone looked out for each other, making sure we put on the best shows we possibly could.

It was very surreal to be a part of the SXSW experience, getting to work on such a large, well-known and recognised production, which has been going for a number of years. Being trusted to put my skills to the test operating lights on the ALT Stage was a huge responsibility and I am pleased that it went as well as it did.

What was your most memorable moment at SXSW? 
For me, the most memorable part about SXSW was when we had KILLOWEN on the ALT Stage. It was the last night, so by this point Euan and I had perfected how we ran the stage and got our show files to a really good place. The act had really good energy, so we had a fun time operating it, and when it was over it was just one of those gigs where we just knew it had turned out exactly how we wanted it to.

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