Summary
Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
Affiliations
Timeline
Generic

Jay Matthews

Hereford,Herefordshire

Summary

Experienced backstage manager with strong team management and coordination skills, demonstrated at the Breaking Bands Festival 2025. Adept at working both independently and collaboratively, with a solid understanding of health and safety requirements gained through a Level 3 Diploma in Music Technology and Work within the live music industry. Skilled in build and break processes, as evidenced by contributions to Breaking Bands Festival 2024 and 2025, as well as StoneDead Festival 2024. Excellent communication abilities, with experience interacting with colleagues and the public at various shows. Proficient in reading tech and hospitality riders, following stage plots, and maintaining good timekeeping across all festival engagements.

Overview

1
1
year of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education

Work history

Line cook

Loungers
Hereford, Herefordshire
05.2024 - Current
  • Preparing and cooking food to order
  • Following written and verbal instructions
  • Working to short timeframes
  • Following health and safety regulations
  • Meeting customer standards
  • Maintaining good hygiene and housekeeping standards
  • Ensured freshness of ingredients by proper storage techniques.
  • Managed effective coordination with front-of-house staff during busy meal services.
  • Followed recipes meticulously for consistent taste and quality of dishes.
  • Provided assistance in food plating, ensuring attractive presentation to enhance customer satisfaction.
  • Ensured timely preparation and setup of stations before start of each shift.
  • Prepared sauces, soups and salads for a range of menu options.
  • Assisted in inventory management for efficient replenishment of kitchen supplies.
  • Prepared ingredients prior to service hours through efficient mise en place techniques.

Back Stage Manager

Breaking Bands Festival
Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire
05.2025 - 05.2025
  • Following written and verbal instructions
  • Issuing verbal instructions
  • Managing crew
  • liaising with bands
  • Reading Tech Riders and Stage Plots
  • Working to short timeframes
  • Following health and safety regulations
  • Meeting client (bands) standards
  • Interacting with the public
  • Relaying information concisely
  • Good housekeeping
  • Setting up and moving equipment safely
  • Setting up speaker arrays on stage
  • Setting up decking (staging)
  • Working with the sound technician and production manager to organise the patch bay
  • Ensured swift transportation of set pieces between scenes minimising delays during shows.

Stage hand and loader

Mayors Fest
Wolverhampton
04.2025 - 04.2025
  • Following verbal instructions
  • Working to short timeframes
  • Following health and safety regulations
  • Meeting client (bands) standards
  • Interacting with the public
  • Relaying information concisely
  • Good housekeeping
  • Setting up and moving equipment safely
  • Ensured swift transportation of set pieces between scenes minimising delays during shows.

Stage hand and loader

StoneDead Festival
, Nottinghamshire
08.2024 - 08.2024
  • Following verbal instructions
  • Working to short timeframes
  • Following health and safety regulations
  • Meeting client (bands) standards
  • Interacting with the public
  • Relaying information concisely
  • Good housekeeping
  • Setting up and moving equipment safely
  • Setting up speaker arrays on stage

Stage hand and loader

Breaking Bands Festival
Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire
05.2024 - 05.2024
  • Following written and verbal instructions
  • Working to short timeframes
  • Following health and safety regulations
  • Meeting client (bands) standards
  • Interacting with the public
  • Relaying information concisely
  • Good housekeeping
  • Setting up and moving equipment safely
  • Setting up speaker arrays on stage
  • Setting up decking (staging)
  • Conducted routine inspections on stages to detect potential malfunctions or hazards early on.
  • Provided comprehensive backstage support to actors, aiding in successful performances.
  • Ensured swift transportation of set pieces between scenes minimising delays during shows.

Stage hand and loader

Mayors Fest
Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton
04.2024 - 04.2024
  • Following verbal instructions
  • Working to short timeframes
  • Following health and safety regulations
  • Meeting client (bands) standards
  • Interacting with the public
  • Relaying information concisely
  • Good housekeeping
  • Setting up and moving equipment safely
  • Ensured swift transportation of set pieces between scenes minimising delays during shows.

Education

A-Levels - Digital Futures and Interactive media

Herefordshire College of Arts
Hereford, Herefordshire
09.2020 - 07.2023

A-Levels - Level 3 Music Technology

Herefordshire Ludlow and North Shropshire College
Hereford, Herefordshire
09.2023 - 07.2025

Skills

  • Team Management- Backstage manager at Breaking Bands Festival 2025
  • Team coordination- Backstage manager at Breaking Bands Festival 2025
  • Problem solving- Sorting issues that occurred backstage at Breaking Bands festival 2024 and 2025
  • Working well within a team and independently- Every festival I have attended as crew
  • Good working knowledge of health and safety requirements as related to live performance- Knowledge acquired through my level 3 diploma in music technology, and put into practice at every event I have attended
  • Good time keeping- Every festival I have attended as crew
  • Build and Break knowledge- Breaking Bands Festival 2024 and 2025, StoneDead Festival 2024
  • Good communication skills- Interacting with colleagues and the general public at shows
  • Ability to follow instructions, Verbal and Written- Every festival I have attended as crew
  • Reading tech and hospitality riders- Breaking bands 2024 and 2025
  • Understanding and following stage plots/layout- Every festival I have attended as crew

Affiliations

  • Live music and theatre
  • Watching new and classic films and TV shows
  • Playing and designing games/Tabletops
  • Historical research

Timeline

Back Stage Manager

Breaking Bands Festival
05.2025 - 05.2025

Stage hand and loader

Mayors Fest
04.2025 - 04.2025

Stage hand and loader

StoneDead Festival
08.2024 - 08.2024

Line cook

Loungers
05.2024 - Current

Stage hand and loader

Breaking Bands Festival
05.2024 - 05.2024

Stage hand and loader

Mayors Fest
04.2024 - 04.2024

A-Levels - Level 3 Music Technology

Herefordshire Ludlow and North Shropshire College
09.2023 - 07.2025

A-Levels - Digital Futures and Interactive media

Herefordshire College of Arts
09.2020 - 07.2023
Jay Matthews