Lighting Designer’s Front of House Kit

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    When we’re spending all day at that console or at front of house with our programmer, there’s always that “little black bag” full of survival gear that we need to have to “survive.”

    You know what I’m talking about.

    It’s that kit that you never forget to put into your suitcase or laptop bag, and sometimes it’s a large portion of the suitacase or laptop bag – full of flash drives, console software, 1.44 floppies (if you’re a Hog guy like me), gum, granola bars, etc.

    What’s your lighting designer/programmer kit made up of?

    Mine is sometimes complicated, sometimes simple.  I have one large group of stuff that I try to modify for each away venue if I have the luxury:

    • Chewy granola bars, the peanut kind
    • 2 X 1GB and 2X 2GB flash drives, with my WYSIWYG and Vectorworks dongles
    • USB Lava Lamp, because it rocks
      It’s the one that ESP Vision was giving away at 2006’s LDI in Vegas
    • 2 yellowpads for notes, lots of fine point sharpies
    • Nalgene bottle
    • Coffee mug
    • various cables – USB, FireWire, iPhone/iPod charge cable and adaptor, network cable
    • iPod and iPhone
    • laptop and charger, obviously
    • 40GB USB HDD
    • The Pill Pack:
      Ibuprofen for the headaches
      Naproxen for the backaches
      Melatonin for when you HAVE to sleep, under the FOH riser
    • an LED gooseneck lamp – like the one they sell for clamping onto a grill
    • converted LED Maglite
    • Ginseng

    How about you folks?  What’s your FOH kit like?  Please, post in the comments below.  I really want to know!
    Extra points for images of your FOH kits’ contents.  Email me, I’ll throw them into a post.

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    3 COMMENTS

    1. I was intrigued by your list. I’m not a lighting designer, by any means, (I actually work at the company that produces VectorWorks). I do have my own version of my kit, and it includes Olbas Oil for an aromatherapy refresh, TeaTree oil toothpicks for those nervous moments when my x-smoker status wants something to hang on, and Trader Joe’s all-natural beef jerky.

    2. Ah, ex-smoker status. I hear you there. The one thing I forgot was every flavor of Altoids… I used to get the most work done with a Camel screwed into my lips!

      So, what’s your list for, Jess? Where do you use your kit?

    3. Oh, Jim. My list? My kit? A sore subject between Me, Myself and I. I have the Suburban Syndrome bad. See, it seems I can’t leave the house for even 20 minutes in the heat of August without packing as though I might just get caught in an arctic storm and be holed up for 3 weeks.

      Truth be told, I’m just a PR gal, working at a software firm (Nemetschek NA). I ain’t be knowing too much about the technicalities and deep details to which you and your colleagues must tend. In responding on your blog, here, I simply found myself compelled to align with anyone who had a “kit” of things they always/often had with them. Capiche?

      Camels? Hmm. I smoked Smokin’ Joes, red pack. Loved ’em!

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