PAC Australia Member Feature: Stewart Holmes from Burnie Arts and Function Centre
Stewart is the Technical Operations Coordinator at Burnie Arts and Function Centre, Tasmania. We asked Stewart for some of his best work hacks, tips and tricks.
Q: What’s your best work hack?
Gaffer tape. And if that didn’t fix it, use more…
But on a more serious note, labels. This helps organisation and most importantly, troubleshooting. Also remember that saying ‘future me will thank me for this’ applies to most things. Oh, and never update a console’s firmware on show day!
Q: What makes your venue special?
We get to work with a wide range of artists, community groups, and touring productions, so there’s always something new happening. One day it might be a corporate event, the next a band, the next a musical, it’s a lot of fun. We’ve also just come straight out of renovations, this included a major technical upgrade, we are just loving all the new goodies that we’ve chosen for our venues. Making workflow easier, safer and most importantly fun!
Q: What made you want to become a tech?
I like problem solving, live music and controlled chaos, so it turns out, that’s basically the entire job. Also getting to work with some of the best acts in Australia is a nice touch.
Q: Any work rituals or habits?
- Coffee
- Always line check your audio before soundcheck
- Always do a final walk-through stage before the house goes live
- More coffee…
- NEVER say ‘we are going to be out the door so fast tonight’…it never happens.