Stage plots
10 common stage plot mistakes bands make
Most stage plot problems are not artistic; they are missing facts. These are the recurring mistakes that turn a twenty-minute changeover into an argument, and what to do instead.
1. No sense of scale
A drawing with no proportion forces the crew to guess distances that decide cable runs and whether the kit fits at all. Draw on a stage with believable dimensions, and state the stage size you designed for.
2. Positions with no labels
A rectangle with nothing written on it is a rectangle. Label each position with role and instrument — "lead vocal / guitar", "keys / backing vocal" — so a visiting engineer knows who they are talking to.
3. Monitors left out entirely
Monitoring is the most common omission and the most expensive one. Number each wedge, say who listens to it, and state clearly if performers use in-ears and whether the packs are yours.
4. No power information
Amps, keyboards, pedalboards, laptops and in-ear systems all need mains power, and the crew decides cable routing from that. Mark where power is needed rather than leaving it implied by the instruments.
5. The plot and the input list disagree
If the drawing shows a second keyboard that the channel list does not, someone will find out during soundcheck. Every source on stage should have a channel; every channel should be findable on the drawing.
6. It is unclear what the venue must supply
"Drum kit" on a plot means nothing on its own. State what you carry and what you need provided, and give acceptable alternatives so a substitution does not require a phone call.
7. Decoration instead of information
Logos, colour gradients and photorealistic instrument art make a plot slower to read and worse to print. The plot is read in a dark room, often in black and white. Optimise for that.
8. Symbols with no legend
If you invent a symbol, explain it. A small legend costs one corner of the page and removes every guess.
9. No name, version or contact on the page
Plots get printed, forwarded and separated from the email they arrived in. Put the act name, a version or date, and a technical contact directly on the drawing.
10. An out-of-date plot still in circulation
The band changes something, but three promoters still hold last season's PDF. Fixing this by discipline rarely works. A shared link that always reflects the current version does: ArtistRider share links open in a browser without an account, so the venue is never reading an attachment you have since replaced.