A VT 20-20 FPVL featured as the centrepiece to the event, the main stage. With the recognisable T in the Park scrims, the stage acted as the settings for bands including The Coral, The Darkness, Supergrass, the Cardigans and headliners, Coldplay and REM. The stage measured 47.5m wide and 17.5m high to the apex with a 2.5m stage height.
The NME stage was a newly enlarged Vertech design by Star Hire; the VT 15-15 FL was introduced at T in the Park this year, in place of the StarStage used in 2002, to allow a 225sq.m performance area on stage for artist changeovers. The NME stage featured Underworld, The Ravonettes, The Music, The Streets and Polyphonic Spree among its eclectic line up for the festival.
Pete Holdich was Project Manager for Star Hire at T in the Park, he explained: "With our experience on previous years' T in the Park, we have made improvements to the systems we put in this year. The new VT 15-15 was more applicable as a second stage for these types of gigs; it gave the smaller acts a performance area which wasn't too big, but provided enough space for the stage technicians to achieve the multiple changeovers."
Star Hire constructed the two outdoor stages for the production rehearsals, with their trained crew on site for 10 days. As well as the wheelchair platforms and on-stage camera runs, Star Hire also provided their Clearspan front-of-house towers for the festival. These offer technicians' better sight lines and a less obstructed environment in which to work. The BBC Scotland camera towers and structures, from which live and video footage was taken, were also constructed by the team. Star Hire also supplied the five indoor stages in the five tents plotted around the site. For these tents Star Hire brought in Concept staging, specialists in modular systems. The stages varied in size for each tent and had inbuilt capacity for lighting and PA rigging.
Star Hire's continued involvement at T in the Park is a testament to their professionalism and the quality of their staging. Paul Ludford was the 'promoter's co-ordinator' for the festival, heading up the team responsible for managing the production, the site, transport, the campsite and Health & Safety. He commented: "This tenth year was the best T in the Park to date, the atmosphere in the audience was fantastic. The production suppliers have developed a real team spirit over recent years and worked together incredibly well, so it was a very relaxed atmosphere. Star Hire are a key part of the team and their new VT- 15-15 FL stage was ideal for the NME stage, it made the stage managers life much easier."
(Lee Baldock)
