Meet Delta Crew's Max Honeyman
If you have been to a live music event this summer there's a high probability that Max and his crew kept the show running smoothly.
It feels like the summer of 2019 was back to back with great music festivals and the South West was home to some major events. It's easy to overlook just how much work takes place behind the scenes to ensure the stages are safe and secure, the lighting is impressive and that the sound is perfect. We catch up with Delta Crew's Max Honeyman to explain his role and give an insight into the industry.
Hi Max, please introduce yourself.
My name is Max Honeyman, I am one of the Managing directors for Delta Crew and Impact Sound & Light.
You have been at most of the South West’s biggest events - What is it you actually do?
I’ve been working in the events industry for over 20 years now, most of which was spent working with Impact, however I did work for other companies down here in the South West during that time. In 2016 I became a director of Impact Sound and Light and shortly after this, myself and business partners realised there was a big gap in the crewing market down here – and thus, Delta Crew was born. Using our knowledge and experience within the events industry as well as a large talent pool of crew, we supply man power and tech staff to major festivals across the UK and Europe. This is usually anything from Stage Managers to Stage Crew, Sound and Light Technicians to Specialist Drivers (Forks, Plants etc.)…the list could go on! Impact Sound and Light supply the production, boasting a massive catalogue of sound, lighting and stage along with years of experience. More recently, Impact has completed a merger with SPS Productions(a local stage and stage cover provider), to allow us to expand our stage resource (now over 500 staging units) and cover more events not only in the South West, but the UK and Europe also.
What are the major events you cover?
Black deer festival 2018
Mercury music price 2018
Cisco barcalone party 2019
Cornbury festival 2019
Peaky blinders festival 2019
WOMAD2019
Greenbelt 2019
Nass festival 2019
Lost village 2019
End of the road festival 2019
BBC introducing tobacco dock 2019
Tunes in the dunes 2019
Larma tree gardens 2019
Lusty glazes sessions
Chagstock 2019
Bath festival
Sailsbury armed force day
Bohnams car auctioneers
Porthleven food festival
St Ives food festival
Masked ball summer and Halloween
Kneehigh
Bath uni summer ball
Sink the pink 2019 UK tour
Festival of light tour 2018
Spring break Amsterdam 2018
Were you involved in this year’s Boardmasters? If so, how near to completion did you get before you found out that it was cancelled?
Impact and delta were heavily involved this year as we have been for years now, we work very closely with Vision 9 on the majority of their projects. We began building stages the week before the event was cancelled - right up until late Tuesday night when we found out, as everyone did, that the event was no longer going ahead. We were fully completed and ready to go which made it all very sad when we heard the news, but we stand by their decision and believe it was completely the right thing to do. People's safety is of the upmost importance.
Some new stages are very impressive with their designs and equipment - can you explain how an idea comes to reality? How long are you on site for?
Your major festivals such as Glastonbury, NASS and Boardmasters will all begin pretty much the day after their most recent festival ends. For events like these we would usually be on site a good month before hand, but with weeks of prep work done before this. Then depending on our role at the festival we would usually be on site for the duration and ready for the ‘out’ almost as soon as the last act has played their final song.
"If someone came to me with a passion for the events industry and willing to get stuck in and be part of a great team, I would definitely give them a shot."
How would somebody enter this industry
and what skills are desirable?
Nowadays there are loads of courses running (sound courses, events management, lights tech etc.) all these can really help getting into this line of work. If someone came to me with a passion for the events industry and willing to get stuck in and be part of a great team, I would definitely give them a shot. We pride ourselves in the technical abilities of crew members at Delta, but hard working and eager individuals will also thrive in this environment.
Where do you see technology and stage design in the future?
Everything nowadays is so immersive and it will continue to develop that way. Look at Elrow, or Boomtown for example, people need to feel like they are part of the theatrics of it all. Not only do they want to be able to look and hear, but they want to feel like they can actually touch and the atmosphere around them. Eric Prydz is blowing people away at the moment with his holo-ball show, this guy keeps pushing boundaries and am looking forward to seeing what’s next from him.
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