Oxygen Security

Johnaldinioh

Well i was just wondering if anyone has an idea of how to apply to be a steward at oxygen, electric picnic etc etc . i have both my security licences and apparently if you have these you are guaranteed work as a steward. Any help would be much appreciated thanks.

seamus

I imagine MCD just contract a company in who have a number of people on their books for casual stuff like this.

You see a lot of bouncers in Dublin and elsewhere are involved in this stuff. If you know anyone else in the industry, see if they know who to talk to?

penexpers

I think stewarding is different to security. At EP, the stewards are provided by Oxfam (I think) and they are all volunteers. The security is usually provided by Specialised Security from Scotland (or at least it was a couple of years ago).

For Oxegen, MCD use a few different companies, one of them is Sword Security.

Gavin "shels"

Word of advice, don't work as security for Oxegen. Done it a couple of years ago, €9 an hour, 12 hour shifts (I had 8pm to 8am), then it took a few months to be paid. Got it through a mates mate, think that's how it's basically done with everyone.

connundrum

The best thing to do (if you really want to work this particular gig) is to apply to the security companies who will be contracted to the event.

Usual suspects include:

http://www.fsg.ie/
http://www.swordsecurity.com/ireland/homepage-ireland.html
http://www.synergysecurity.ie/

They may insist that you have a PSA license before offering you work, but also may not.

Be aware that the legal rates of pay for static security are:
€10.01 per basic hour
€10.75 per basic hour (with 3 years proven security experience)
Additional €16.80 per overnight shift
Additional €3.44 per hour for hours worked on a Sunday (12 midnight to 12 midnight).

Wear comfortable shoes, bring your own food and be prepared to be extremely underwhelmed by the experience.

Best of luck

leggo

Great money in it (as long as you look out for yourself). Mental working hours, I'd never do it again, but I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a few bob and an experience they'll tell the grandchildren about. Forget 12-hour shifts, I worked 20-hour shifts when I was there. But you get through it and the paycheque is handy. Give Sword Security a call, let them know you're licenced and interested and you should be good to go.

Noxin

I did it two years ago and wouldn't do it again.

Whatever they said they would pay, they didn't. Ended up getting ripped off big time. (I was employed by Sword)
Loooong hours. I worked 16-18 hour shifts each day with 3 breaks. One was 15 min. The next was 30 min. And the last, again 15 min.

Depending on where you get placed is a big part of it. The first day I was stuffed out the back of the main stage and holy crap it was the most boring experience of my life. Seriously. All I got was people bitching about this gate that had to be kept locked.

The second and third day I did ended up a lot better as I was working on the Heineken bar that had been set up right in front of the O2 stage. Basically just doing the normal bouncer stuff. Checking ID at the entrance. Keeping an eye out on the floor making sure nobody was acting the mick. However I did get some nasties there too. Some bloke who proceeded to approach the bar, only to take out his pecker and piss all along the counter. To which he got collared by the scruff of the neck and chucked out. Plenty more that I wont get into.
One nice thing about that place (from a working perspective) was that the bar closed early enough so afterwards we just had to sit around watching the entrances to make sure nobody tried to get in. Also the crew that were working there was a great laugh.

Overall a good experience but the long hours and feck all sleep in between was just too much for me. That and being told at the end of the Sunday night that there was a lock down on the Security car park and we were not allowed to leave until everyone else had left which would take hours. Ended up scaling the fence and getting in my car to leg it. Was far too tired to hang around for another 3-4 hours.

pben

I filled out an application form 2 weeks back, dropped into thier Limerick office.
If I get a call from them I think i'm gonna blow them out, wont work all the hours to be rippped off and to be chasing money.

Johnaldinioh

got job with sword today have induction tommorow. Any advice from anyone ??? Also how do you get paid ?

pben

I got phone today to work at oxygen today but I'm gonna pass on it, going by the posts looks to be a lot of hassel with Swords outfit. Not going to bother coming over from the mid-west to do mad hours and chasing them for wages.

Gavin "shels"

Johnaldinioh wrote: »

got job with sword today have induction tommorow. Any advice from anyone ??? Also how do you get paid ?

Advice = loads of coffee. I got paid by cheque.

RedXIV

+1 on the coffee. and bring extra t-shirts and stuff, it pissed rain when I did it and i was freezing.

They used to pay right into my account but I used to do all their concerts, not just oxygen

Johnaldinioh

im going up to westlife now tommorow. Just wondering what happens in regard to getting paid while on social welfare. What do i do . do i tell social welfare or what happens ???

El_Drago

Johnaldinioh wrote: »

im going up to westlife now tommorow. Just wondering what happens in regard to getting paid while on social welfare. What do i do . do i tell social welfare or what happens ???

Well you'll be working tomorrow,won't you!?Of course you tell social welfare unless you want to risk losing it altogether.

leggo

Yep, you'll have to change to the casual welfare now though. In other words, you get paid for the days you don't work.

Once you get set-up: Pop into the office once a week, fill out the days you have and haven't worked, get them to stamp it, drop the slip up to the welfare (you just drop it into the letterbox, no queuing) and you'll get a cheque sent out to you the following week.

Just a word of warning, working the gigs can be quite irritating and dodgy after a while. I hated it personally. The novelty wore off fast and you're just a random person filling a blank there. None of my actual security skills were used and I felt treated like dirt and completely mismanaged at times (they're good guys but even the supers have a massively hectic job and crazy hours). It's also VERY sporadic, hours-wise...as you only get work when there's actually gigs on. Your best bet is to use the experience here to get your foot in the door with a security firm that can give you full-time work.

If you're with SEGI, then ring them every few weeks and see if they can put you on a specific site. I got O'Reilly Theatre when I was with them, which was 3-4 days work every couple of weeks and kept me going. There's also the hotels, colleges and retail sites. Just make sure you're calling regularly letting them know your availability and eagerness so that you're the first name they think of when someone pulls a sicky, leaves etc. Job are few and far between but if you hustle it's doable.

donkey balls

connundrum wrote: »

The best thing to do (if you really want to work this particular gig) is to apply to the security companies who will be contracted to the event.

Usual suspects include:

http://www.fsg.ie/
http://www.swordsecurity.com/ireland/homepage-ireland.html
http://www.synergysecurity.ie/

They may insist that you have a PSA license before offering you work, but also may not.

Be aware that the legal rates of pay for static security are:
€10.01 per basic hour
€10.75 per basic hour (with 3 years proven security experience)
Additional €16.80 per overnight shift
Additional €3.44 per hour for hours worked on a Sunday (12 midnight to 12 midnight).

Wear comfortable shoes, bring your own food and be prepared to be extremely underwhelmed by the experience.

Best of luck

jaysus when i started working doing gigs 20 years ago i was getting £5 an hour,and about £60 for a show.

donalgeraghty

Was at oxegen this year with one of the Voluntary Ambulance Services.Was talkin to one of the security people(in green bib)as far as i could see they were all from the UK.Mostly students,un trained in security.(this was in the campsite)as far as i no sword security cover the arena.