Organizing a festival from a promoter's perspective

We’re already more than halfway through the Stars and Thunder Festival.

And while we’ve heard a lot from the perspective of Timmins Mayor Steve Black, fans and performers, the promoters have an interesting tale to tell too. After all, they’re the ones hired to be hands on and on the ground floor.

Keith Sharp is the head of Word Travels Fast Consulting, the company tasked with booking acts.

He says he remembers first starting the plans back around August 2016 in a meeting with Manager of Timmins Tourism Guy Lamarche. Sharp adds he’s thrilled by the reception by the local community.

“I’m just amazed at the crowds you’ve got,” he said, “We had envisioned that to pull this festival off, you’d need a provincial turnout to have the staff for each night’s concerts,” he said, “And then when we announced that Keith Urban was playing in Boots and Hearts, (I thought) ‘Oh, you’re going to lose your draw from outside of this area.’ But what you’ve got is everyone whose here is absolutely supporting it.”

“It’s almost kind of like a bond happening between the artists and the public,” Sharp continued, “I think people said this is maybe a one-off, so it’s special that they may never see again and I think they’re here regardless of whose playing.”

“The people have been amazing, Steve Black’s been amazing, the crowds been well behaved, all the artists are walking around going ‘This is great, we’ve got to come back,’ so that’s really what you want at the end of a festival is people to go ‘good one, coming back.'”

Sharp credits Black for “going for it” and pushing to get the festival approved.

“Initially, we had a one day thing planned July 1st and the original idea was Shania Twain, Johnny Reid and The Box,” he said, adding Shania couldn’t commit due to her upcoming album. From there, Urban’s name came up and he was put in Shania’s place.

But Black had bigger plans…much bigger. Eight days worth of music and a fireworks competition.

“I’m going ‘You’ve got to be joking! A show every single night?'” Sharp recalled, admitting he had concerns such as who would show up on weekdays for a concert.

“(The city) didn’t know what they were really doing,” he adds, going on to say that’s why they got an “absolute veteran” in Gold & Gold Productions’ Ron Sakamoto involved.

“(Sakamoto) brought the stage, he brought the personnel, the planning behind it and we were able to come up with the majority of the bands and I know (City Communications Coordinator) Heather (Duhn) got thrown into the mix and she’s been amazing so I think everyone’s kind of learning on the go but having said that, it’s come together very well.”

Sharp adds that it’s great Timmins has embraced the festival, and is hopeful the weather holds out.

Especially for Canada Day, where an “absolutely amazing show” is anticipated.

Mother Nature hasn’t been Timmins’ friend as far as the fireworks portion is concerned. Team Finland was delayed for the third straight day.

LOOKING AHEAD
Day Six will see a stacked lineup with the inclusion of Alyssa Reid. It’ll start at 3:45pm with The Shaftmen, followed by Reid, The Box, Alan Frew and headliner April Wine.

And Team Finland’s fireworks will continue to collect dust and hopefully will be able to set off for a Thursday show.