Having worked for multiple years in the live events sector, Simon James and Tim Roberts joined forces with Dick Tee and Mike Richmond to form The Event Safety Shop (TESS), offering support for concerts, tours, technical providers and festival organisers as a ‘Creative Safety’ partner. With some of its first clients in the early 2000s being big names such as The Rolling Stones, the company was quickly elevated to the international events scene. Its list of clients now reads like a who’s who of headliners, having provided their services for the crew of AC/DC, Genesis, Green Day, KISS, Queen + Adam Lambert, Madonna, Roger Waters, Harry Styles, Shakira, U2, among others. The company regularly consults with Glastonbury, Leeds & Reading Festivals along with some major brands, including Red Bull.
In the early days of TESS, it was a bootstrap operation with James and Roberts being the primary members of the company out working on these high-profile acts. “In the beginning we decided who would work on a particular job came down to who picked up the phone first,” laughed James, reminiscing on the early years of the company.
The Creative Safety brand has certainly expanded since then, with bases now in Bristol, UK, Austin, Texas and Hong Kong as well as working on multiple projects in the Middle East.
“These days Tim tends to work on the large projects which sees him often spending a great deal of time in areas such Somerset, Saudi or Las Vegas, whereas I tend to manage the day to day running of the business back in the UK,” explained James, emphasising how the two of them still both held the title of MD with all decisions “made jointly.” As the MDs looked back at the two and a half decades of business, they were both keen to highlight some individuals that were incredibly helpful in the initial stages of the company.
“We have to name-check Jake Berry and Wob Roberts who brought us on for some of their biggest shows,” reflected James. “Chris Kansy and Tony Gittins were two others who have really aided in the overall consideration of safety in the industry.”
Roberts added: “I’ve got to include Jim Digby on this list. We still work closely with him on Linkin Park and other projects – and Jim has been a major instigator and collaborator with his ground-breaking work on the Events Safety Alliance (ESA). As well as individuals we also had the privilege over time to work with suppliers like TAIT who have really set the benchmark in planning and delivery of exceptional hardware. Huge thanks are also due to Michael and Emily Eavis at Glastonbury for showing faith in us for so long, and to Melvin Benn at Festival Republic.”
Along with providing safety advice for tours and festivals through the years, both MDs have also aided in the creation of safety guides that are still held in high regard by the industry. Roberts was very involved in the HSE when they still published the document which became the Purple Guide. The purple-covered HSG195 provided reliable guidance for event organisers, suppliers, and local authorities alike. Meanwhile, James was involved in the PSA Safety Passport while also sitting on the Institute of Structural Engineers, who often examine cases where something goes wrong at events.”
Having had their finger on the pulse of event safety for two and a half decades, TPi was keen to hear some of the changes they have witnessed first-hand in the work they consult on. “When it comes to live events and touring, risks and hazards have not changed; gravity is still gravity and electricity still hurts,” laid out Roberts, bluntly. “The fundamentals of physics and harm have not changed, but what has is the way we tackle them and the expectations of venues, promoter, vendors and the public.”
James added: “The technology and the size of tours has certainly expanded during our time in the business. I look back to one of my first shows in the ’80s – Tina Turner – and that was her biggest tour ever at the time with five trucks. There are now some shows that tour that size on an academy level. Compare that to the Sabrina Carpenter show we just worked on, which was 20 trucks.”
While the size of the shows has increased so, according to James, has the professionalism. “Crews want to go home sane and in one piece after a tour; it’s no longer just a case of partying around the world. You can see the professionalism in all the tours and events that we’re involved in.”
The two also explained how the scope of what is covered when it comes to safety has expanded with more productions considering crew welfare and mental health. “There has been a substantial recognition of human frailties that affect us,” stated Roberts. “It’s not all just about accident prevention, but the notion of well-being. There has also been a real change in access and equality, for example making sure women are welcomed and respected and not subjected to sexual aggression.” Needless to say, the ‘safety’ elements of TESS’ consulting with tours has gone far beyond hard hats and harnesses for those working on site.
A point that the two also impressed was the confluence of live events experience and the more academic knowledge of health and safety regulation. “There has to be a real combination for the knowledge of how a show works and comes together as well as the law behind good risk-management practice,” mused Roberts. “The law is clear when it comes to what is required is for people to be ‘competent’ in the work they are undertaking – from driving a forklift to being a safety advisor of a large-scale event.” And according to the MDs this meant needing a good grounding of knowledge in the inner workings of live shows. “That’s not to say that someone working in safety has to have unloaded 500 trucks over the years, but they must have a practical understanding of safety measures and mitigations.”
Although TESS themselves do not award any certifications they do put on several training activities and in fact, to mark its anniversary year, the company has even launched a new campaign to try and expose youngsters to the live event space. Under the moniker of 25 in ‘25, TESS are looking to bring 25 individuals who are interested in working in the live events sector and showcase the full extent of opportunities in the industry.
“The idea came after we spoke to Hannah Eakins from Production Futures,” stated James. “We don’t want to give these 25 individuals a dry health and safety talk, but more an ‘Inspiration Day’ to showcase some of the amazing career opportunities the live event sector has to offer – many of which aren’t immediately obvious if you simply attend a festival or show.
“You don’t see all the production, logistics, design, catering, artist-liaison or safety management options when you’re starting in the industry. Not everyone is going to be a FOH Engineer, but there are so many other ways to make your life in live events.”
The event is going to be hosted at the company’s base in Bristol in October this year. “The goal of the project is not to take on the top applicants at TESS,” stated Roberts. “I would be happier if in 10 years, I bumped into someone backstage who came to our 25 in ‘25 event and was inspired to find a career path through our glorious crazy business.”
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