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galapagos :: technical FAQ

1. What is Galapagos?
2. I’ve heard rumors about bad sound and lights.  What’s the deal?
3. What can I do to make my show run smooth?
4. Can we have a soundcheck?
5. Can we have a tech rehearsal?
6. Can we use your space to rehearse?
7. Can we store stuff overnight?
8. Do you have microphones, a projector, turntables, bass amp, etc?
9. Do you allow fire-breathing, sword swallowing, death-defying acrobatics?
10. Can we bring our own technician?
11. We are a band that runs all of our own sound from the stage.  Cool?
12. We are a theatre act that has a long run with a lot of complex and/or ambiguous cues.  Can we have the same technician for all of our shows?
13. We are a burlesque troupe that incorporates singing, props and projections into our show.  Can we accomplish this at Galapagos?
14. Can we use the projector?
15. I am a very important person who requires very special treatment.  Why won’t you acknowledge how important I am?
16. I’ve been told that my show ends at 9:30, but apparently the next show doesn’t start till 10:30.  Why can’t we extend?

1. What is Galapagos?

Galapagos is a multi-media venue dedicated to hosting the works and performances of diverse artists.  Galapagos programming is generally divided into two basic scheduling categories: EARLY SHOWS and LATE SHOWS, with 9:30pm-10:30 as the turnaround time between early and late. This schedule is 7 days a week.  Galapagos programming seeks out artists who are capable of producing an exciting multi-bill/extravaganza with running times anywhere from 2 to 4 hours in length. We rarely book random line-ups or short sets (the typical small music club arrangement). We prefer to present evenings that have a large scope and a focused aesthetic vision.  It is exactly because our programming is so diverse that, from a technical standpoint, we maintain flexibility by not being any one particular sort of venue.  That is, we are not entirely a theatre space, entirely a dance space, entirely a movie theatre, etc.  We morph as needed.  Please understand this when putting on a show at Galapagos.  We will bend over backwards to put on a good show.  But we won’t break our backs.  If your show requires weeks of rehearsal and state-of-the art lighting equipment, then look elsewhere.  But if you don’t mind working within reasonable limitations to put on a show at a unique and extremely artist friendly venue in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn then you’ve come to the right place. 

Below is some general information about our three rooms.  You can take a photo-tour here: http://www.galapagosartspace.com/phototour.html
The front room is 250 capacity with a 10x20 stage raised several feet above the ground best suited for bands and burlesque.  It has a sound system on par with the better Lower East Side venues such as Pianos and a lighting system better than any music venue of our size.  The back room is 200 capacity with a 30x20 stage best suited for bands, theatre, dance and film, particularly perfect for dance and theatre.  Its sound and lighting systems are also on par with most of the better venues of our size.  And of course our notorious pool, where performance art, exhibitions and installations take place in the mesmerizing reflection of the stygious water.  For specifics, please consult the tech specs.  Also keep in mind that performances can happen on the bar, in the bathrooms or in one of our mayonnaise tanks.  We’re game for anything…

2. I’ve heard rumors about bad sound and lights.  What’s the deal?

Many, if not all of those rumors carried a degree of truth up until the New Year of 2007, when Galapagos began completely revamping its sound and lighting systems and brought on board three highly qualified technicians, whose experience includes years of work at The Hook, Rothko, Warsaw, Continental and CBGB’s, among others.  Since this time, our crowd and artist response has been overwhelmingly positive.  Of course, the proof is in the pudding.  Before putting on a show, feel free to come by to see for yourself or just schedule some time with our Technical Director, Austin Duggan.  He’s very nice, and will quell all of your pre-show anxieties.  You can reach him at tech@galapagosartspace.com

3. What can I do to make my show run smooth?

This question is actually never asked.  But it should be.  If you want your show to run smooth, check the website to familiarize yourself with what we can and cannot provide.  Contact tech@galapagosartspace.com a few days prior to the show with one e-mail that contains all of the technical requirements, lineup and schedule.  Show up on time for load-in/tech time.  Be nice and don’t panic.

4. Can we have a soundcheck?

Yes, please.  All technicians are scheduled two hours prior to doors specifically for load-in and soundcheck.  As many of our nights have two shows per room (one right after the other,) we might not always be able to get a full-on soundcheck for everyone.  But if nothing else, we can backline your equipment and prepare for the night.  If you need more time, contact the Technical Director, Austin Duggan at tech@galapagosartspace.com  He will arrange something with you. 

5. Can we have a tech rehearsal?

Yes, of course.  But keep in mind that a tech rehearsal is just that: we are not a rehearsal space.  Your technician is scheduled two hours prior to doors to help load-in, setup lights, sound and run the cues for your show.  If you need more time, contact the Technical Director, Austin Duggan at tech@galapagosartspace.com  He will arrange something with you.  If you need to rehearse, see question 6.

6. Can we use your space to rehearse?

Almost certainly not.  With four shows a night, our schedule is tight.  We occasionally give long-running theatre pieces a few extra hours here and there.  But for the most part we expect that you will do as all musicians, dancers, dj’s, etc do: rehearse on your own time at your own rehearsal space. 

7. Can we store stuff overnight?

No.

8. Do you have microphones, a projector, turntables, bass amp, etc?

We are a legitimate venue with proper sound and lights.  We have most of what you need.  But not everything.  Our Technical Director sifts through upwards of 50 emails a day, many of which ask the asinine question “Do you have ________?”  The answer is universal: check the tech specs.  If it’s not on there, we don’t have it.

9. Do you allow fire-breathing, sword swallowing, death-defying acrobatics?

Yes.  You just have to convince us that it’s safe and then sign a waiver while sober.

10. Can we bring our own technician?

Yes.  If your technician is a professional, then by all means bring them in.  We look forward to working with them. Just keep in mind that we oftentimes get “technicians” whose expertise extends only as far as the Mackie board in their home studio or the clip lights that they used on a video shoot.  We reserve the right to say no if we feel that your technician is unqualified. 

11. We are a band that runs all of our own sound from the stage.  Cool?

Very absolutely not cool.  Using a submixer for keyboards is one thing.  Trying to run mics and instruments together from one mixer on stage is quite another.  I have never, in my ten years as a technician, heard a band sound good by doing this.  If you are confident with your setup, then we will oblige your request to do this, but pretty please with sugar on top consider giving our FOH engineer a reasonable degree of control. 

12. We are a theatre act that has a long run with a lot of complex and/or ambiguous cues.  Can we have the same technician for all of our shows?

It is very difficult to schedule the same technician for several days of a theatre run.  Likewise, with the amount of time allotted for tech rehearsal, it is unlikely that our technician can keep on top of complex or ambiguous cues.  Complex would be several cues in succession that involve sound and lights simultaneously and an example of an ambiguous cue would be “after George pretends to inhale cue the gunshot.”  We will, of course, do our best to follow your instructions, but if this is the nature of your performance, then please very seriously consider bringing a technician that has rehearsed with you.  We want your show to be right.  So we will do everything that we can.  But we also can’t hold it against our technicians for being imprecise with a complex work that they are unfamiliar with. 

13. We are a burlesque troupe that incorporates singing, props and projections into our show.  Can we accomplish this at Galapagos?

Easily.  We love burlesque.  Our space is above and beyond most other spaces that host burlesque.  Our dressing room is a bit cold, but other than that you won’t have any complaints.  But please, show up at least an hour BEFORE you’re scheduled to go on.

14. Can we use the projector?

Of course, but please e-mail before your show to let us know your requirements.  We have a projector in each room that is connected via a standard RCA video cable to a DVD player and projects onto the back wall of the stage.  The projector accepts composite, s-video and vga connections.  If you require s-video or VGA you will want to bring your own cables. 

15. I am a very important person who requires very special treatment.  Why won’t you acknowledge how important I am?

Because we respect humanity too much to unduly aggrandize any particular human.  We’re all in this together.  Get over yourself.  Now, let’s put on a good show.

16. I’ve been told that my show ends at 9:30, but apparently the next show doesn’t start till 10:30.  Why can’t we extend?

Chances are you’re asking a technician this question as they’re telling you that it’s time to get off the stage, which is ironic.  If you were fortunate enough to have read this prior to putting on your show, you wouldn’t be asking the question in the first place because you would know that our end times for early shows are invariable.  You can start whenever you feel like it, but you must end when you are scheduled to end.  We desperately need time between acts for changeover.  Asking us to let your show run late is unreasonable.  Don’t believe us?  Ok.  Re-arrange all of the furniture and contents in your apartment in such a way that is pleasing to the eye while still being entirely functional.  That is equivalent to what we have to do between most shows.  Alright, now do it all in ten minutes.  That’s what you’re asking us to do when pushing the time limit.  So don’t push it.