ProgPower do's, don'ts

[shreddy]

There are lots of great suggestions here and lots of funny ones too (Kyle).

Really the thing is just get lots of rest, drink lots of water, and be prepared to smile a lot because your going to have a great time.

Our first couple of years we tried doing stuff before the fest, go to the mall, see the sites etc, we ended up missing the first bands a couple of the days, not suggested.

 

[DAVETHEMETALGUY]

DO bring hand sanitizer, you WILL be sick after the fest...

 

[Diamond45]

DO bring hand sanitizer, you WILL be sick after the fest...

One thing that's suprised me each time I go is the lack of restrooms at Center Stage. Only one set of mens and womens restrooms for the general public (I'm sure there are some backstage - but the vast majority of us can't use those!)

You would have thought for a place that seats around 1000 that they'd have more restrooms than that!

By the last day of the fest, they're pretty messy.... do I really want to take a crap on THAT toilet?

 

[sh0kr0k]

Also don't say that the guy behind the NIGHTMARE RECORDS vendor table looks allot like Lance King - Cause it is Lance King

Don't say Brazilians suck in front of anyone, cause we all Love specific Brazilians.

ROFFLL!! Yer kilin' me!!

 

[nailz]

Don't climb up the rooftop of the Granada with a Bible and some weird medicinal herbs. It gets you fucked up in the morning. *points finger at a very specific forum member*

You didn't have to eat breakfast with him....

 

[POZEST]

First time Progger here.

How exactly is the viewing/seating arrangement? Is their a standing area in front of the stage? Are there stationary rows of seats that incline such as at a basketball game, and then folding chairs on the floor? Is it all standing on the floor and stationary inclining rows of seats?

Sounds like people are allowed to leave the venue and come back during the same day. Ins n Outs if you will. Is that the case? That would be awesome to be able to buy goodies early on, then take them back to my hotel, and still be able to get back in the show.

The described restroom limitations do not sound cool.

I'm going solo to this show and I'm an introvert, so if you see me, say hi. I open up thereafter.

Good topic thread by the way.

 

[Diamond45]

How exactly is the viewing/seating arrangement? Is their a standing area in front of the stage? Are there stationary rows of seats that incline such as at a basketball game, and then folding chairs on the floor? Is it all standing on the floor and stationary inclining rows of seats?

There are folding cushioned seats, similar to that of a movie theater, that are arranged in a half circle around the stage. (It is VERY dark - be careful on the stairs!) There is a large standing area in front of the stage. Entrance to the seating area can be accomplished easily from the right side (stage left) or the center. I think you can also come in on the left side of the seating area (stage right) but not exactly sure.

Sounds like people are allowed to leave the venue and come back during the same day. Ins n Outs if you will. Is that the case? That would be awesome to be able to buy goodies early on, then take them back to my hotel, and still be able to get back in the show.

This is indeed the case. You get armbands when you come in, the color of which depends on if you're under 21 or 21 and over (there are several bars there). You also get a goodie bag with a 3 CD sampler. The vendors area is in a large room to the left with a bar area. In theory you could buy CDs and take them back depending on the hotel you're staying at. The Granada and Residence are close enough, the Super 8 is not.

The described restroom limitations do not sound cool.

It isn't as bad as I made it sound, but its not great either. I just wish they had MORE restrooms.

I'm going solo to this show and I'm an introvert, so if you see me, say hi. I open up thereafter.

Know the feeling. I'm going with a friend of mine. If I went solo and if it were my first time, I'd have those issues too. Feel free to say hello. We'll have a poster with people's pictures on there. I think they'll also have name tags as well. So if you see me, say hi.

Oh - another suggestion, bring ear plugs! I think there are a couple of posts on where to get some really good ones. I bought a couple pair of them, hopefully they'll arrive soon.

 

[AngraRULES]

You didn't have to eat breakfast with him....

True, and you don't have to see him on a regular basis...

 

[rockyracoon]

First time Progger here.The described restroom limitations do not sound cool.

Unless you're looking to have a serious cocaine party/ecstasy gangbang in the bathrooms, I'm sure you will find them to be more than accommodating.


Seriously though, I've never found the bathrooms to be an issue, aside from the insidious odor that embodies them. However, if you need to take a heavy-duty shit, I'd recommend going elsewhere.

 

[sh0kr0k]

Seriously though, I've never found the bathrooms to be an issue

Agreed. The women's room is more than accommodating, and there is even a wonderful attendant who keeps the place clean and stocked, for at least 6 years now! Occasionally I have to wait in line, but big deal.

And there IS another set of bathrooms :Smug: In the back of the Vinyl bar.

 

[Diamond45]

Agreed. The women's room is more than accommodating, and there is even a wonderful attendant who keeps the place clean and stocked, for at least 6 years now! Occasionally I have to wait in line, but big deal.

And there IS another set of bathrooms :Smug: In the back of the Vinyl bar.

Never knew they had bathrooms in the Vinyl bar. You mean where the vendors room is, correct?

I don't like the whole "attendant" thing. Yes they had one in the men's bathroom too. I don't like them looking at you "doing your business" and when you go wash your hands - they hand you a towel. I can do that myself without anyone's help. Do they expect me to tip them?

 

[kellsco]

Never knew they had bathrooms in the Vinyl bar. You mean where the vendors room is, correct?

Yeah. Right behind the bar area.

 

[sh0kr0k]

Never knew they had bathrooms in the Vinyl bar. You mean where the vendors room is, correct?

I don't like the whole "attendant" thing. Yes they had one in the men's bathroom too. I don't like them looking at you "doing your business" and when you go wash your hands - they hand you a towel. I can do that myself without anyone's help. Do they expect me to tip them?

Yep, back by the vendors and the pool tables. They are much smaller and cleaned less frequently, but they are updated with nicer floors and sinks. *shrugs* Regardless of the mountain of wet paper towels and wading through the pool-players to get there, it's a preferable option when hanging out in Vinyl.

Yeah, it's probably much different for the men than the women as far as the attendant "watching." I don't really need someone to hand me a paper towel either but it's nice to not have to touch the handle or wait with dripping wet hands while the women in front of me feels the need to stand directly infront of the dispenser and meticulously wipe every inch of her barely-washed hands. :zombie: Plus, the attendants do more than just hand out towels. They are the ONLY reason those bathrooms aren't horrific and out of tp & towels half way through the day. Plus they have the amenities like gum, hair products, and cologne for our use.. and for good reason! Sweaty metalheads begin to ripen if not properly maintained, lol! I don't mind dropping them a few bucks throughout the weekend. I am definitely thankful for their service, even if they hand me a paper towel

Oh yeah - POZEST, just for saying you're an introvert, I will make it a mission to hunt you down and help throw you in the midst of the party! Be prepared!

 

[AMBR]

I don't like the whole "attendant" thing. Yes they had one in the men's bathroom too. I don't like them looking at you "doing your business" and when you go wash your hands - they hand you a towel. I can do that myself without anyone's help. Do they expect me to tip them?

That is extremely common in NYC and it CAN be annoying sometimes, since tipping is expected. But at ProgPower it's a godsend in the Ladies room. The place is clean and stocked at all times and for a buck or two it's worth not having to yell out for paper when you're stuck in a depleted stall.

 

[BlackRoseMetalHeart]

A bit of advice for the ladies that I've learned over the years - shoulder/hand purses are more of a pain than a necessity! Put your belongings in a purse with a long strap that you can put across yourself or a backpack-like bag that goes over both shoulders. We all want to carry stuff, but it's a pain in the but to carry a regular handbag. Large crowds, hands in the air, juggling drinks, a sore shoulder.. it's just easier to put it across yourself or on both shoulders and forget about it until you need it. It will always be with you, it will be safe (most backpack bags have a latch or zipper that you could feel being undone if someone wanted to help themselves... *grr!*), and t will be out of your way. If you only want to carry small things like cash, your ticket, ID, and a credit card then you can find small pouches with long straps at Wal-Mart, Target, or sometimes the local Dollar store! Maybe it's not essential, but this simple change has made my experience much more pleasant the past 2 or 3 years.

This is a great recommendation for me since for the past for years, I've been trying to either fit too much stuff in my pockets, or I've ended up with sore shoulders from the things you mentioned ("Large crowds, hands in the air, juggling drinks," etc.).

Just double-checking, but are bags like these actually allowed? I thought there was a ban on back-packs, but maybe since these are more like purses they are OK to have. I would think something like this would be alright, but does anyone know for sure? Tammy, I'm guessing maybe you've used a bag like this previously, but I just wanted to be sure. I have a messenger bag I was considering using this year, but I wasn't sure if that fell into the category of back-pack or purse.

 

[Cheiron]

I think thats a negatory, but I hope Glenn says I am wrong. I think he banned anything non-film for this year, sponsors included.

Yah. Glenn said that next year VIPs 'only' will be allowed digital cameras. He didn't say anything about their capability to record. But I don't think that Glenn is too concerned about his VIPs going behind his back to bootleg.

 

[kittybeast]

I'm going solo to this show and I'm an introvert, so if you see me, say hi. I open up thereafter.
Good topic thread by the way.

If we manage to find each other I'll introduce you to as many people as I can!! Just don't stay in the bar too long like you did at the Heaven & Hell show!!

 

[yardleybates]

That is extremely common in NYC and it CAN be annoying sometimes, since tipping is expected. But at ProgPower it's a godsend in the Ladies room. The place is clean and stocked at all times and for a buck or two it's worth not having to yell out for paper when you're stuck in a depleted stall.

Yep, back by the vendors and the pool tables. They are much smaller and cleaned less frequently, but they are updated with nicer floors and sinks. *shrugs* Regardless of the mountain of wet paper towels and wading through the pool-players to get there, it's a preferable option when hanging out in Vinyl.

Yeah, it's probably much different for the men than the women as far as the attendant "watching." I don't really need someone to hand me a paper towel either but it's nice to not have to touch the handle or wait with dripping wet hands while the women in front of me feels the need to stand directly infront of the dispenser and meticulously wipe every inch of her barely-washed hands. :zombie: Plus, the attendants do more than just hand out towels. They are the ONLY reason those bathrooms aren't horrific and out of tp & towels half way through the day. Plus they have the amenities like gum, hair products, and cologne for our use.. and for good reason! Sweaty metalheads begin to ripen if not properly maintained, lol! I don't mind dropping them a few bucks throughout the weekend. I am definitely thankful for their service, even if they hand me a paper towel

Yep, in general I find these attendants annoying, like when going to Mokena or HoB for a regular show, but when you're there for a fest, it's a true blessing to have her in there keeping things straight. I can't comment on the state of the guys' bathroom, but she really keeps the ladies room up over the weekend. I'm very thankful for her help every year.

And, I have never found the lack of restrooms to be an issue, I have to wait in line occasionally, but it's not generally a long wait, and it's just another chance to meet more metal heads from who knows where.

I do admit, it's kind of funny to see the guys line longer than the girls sometimes.

Unless you're looking to have a serious cocaine party/ecstasy gangbang in the bathrooms, I'm sure you will find them to be more than accommodating.


Seriously though, I've never found the bathrooms to be an issue, aside from the insidious odor that embodies them. However, if you need to take a heavy-duty shit, I'd recommend going elsewhere.

for real? This is an issue for you guys? I'm sure EVERYONE would appreciate if you would refrain from doing this there. :zombie:uke:

 

[lady_space]

Thanks to everyone for posting all of this info. This will be my first ProgPower, and am really getting pumped. I was getting a little worried that going solo would be boring, or intimidating. But based on the info in this thread, it sounds that it will be completely the opposite. I'm looking forward to meeting as many people as I can.

Just 2 weeks away

There's no such thing as going solo to PP!! At least not for long.

Shaye

 

[Magius]

I believe that both back packs and large carry bags are both banned.