anybody played on a semi trailer, Guitar Hero style?

[Jimbow]

Played an outdoor gig the other day on two adjoining trailers. One was a large flatbed semi trailer, the other was a much smaller trailer that could be pulled by a larger pickup. Anyway, it worked well. Drummer and I set up on top, singer and guitar set up down low. I had a good excuse to crank my rig, and the 810 got some room to breathe. Anyone else played on a semi?

[seventhson]

No, but I played on top of a speeding 18 wheeler, just like on Rockband!

[cavemanfr]

Semi trailers are a common stage. I used to belong to biker rights organization and our local annual party used a trailer for a stage. The state party thrown by this organization used several trailers as a stage. And earlier this year I was at an event where the band supplied their own trailer for the stage.

[jezh]

probably one of my favourite gigs ......

[txbasschik]

Yes, I have, but it wasn't a good experience. It was very hot (105F) and very windy. They'd put big white tarps over a PVC frame for shade, but the wind turned it into a giant sail. The trailer kept rocking and rocking, and nearly turned over once.

Maybe next time, I should just ask them to put us in a sailboat. Or at least have them supply rigging for those sails, so we can tack! LOL!

Cherie

[scootron]

Lots of times, sometimes covered, sometimes not. The worst were when they had put a metal back and top over us. Not only did that make it sort of an oven, but it made stage acoustics very challenging.

Also challenging is when there the trailers are totally in the open on a windy day. When the wind is blowing hard right in your faces, it is hard to get volume out to the crowd...a sound man's nightmare.

It can be nice, though, on a nice, calm night, with a clear starry sky and an appreciative crowd...so long as it is stable.

[stflbn]

Played on Semi flat-beds more times then I can remember, and being from the Mid-West originally I've played on even more Hay-Racks then I have Flat-Beds.

Oh my... the memories... hope I get through them all without needing more therapy.

[Eilif]

I've played on a couple of those portable trailer stages. Once I played on a stage that was just the back of a flatbed truck. I was sorely tempted to jump on top of the cab and rock out!

[fenderhutz]

Like 10 years ago. HA!

We used the raised area as a drum riser.

I gotta find those pics.

[Basshappi]

Yep, had fun doing it!

[drcool]

We did this a couple weeks ago at our local minor league ballpark after the game. Two flatbed trailers set up side to side. The drummer and I were on the back trailer and the singer and 2 guitarists were on the front. It worked out very well for us. Just gotta be careful you don't step in the gap between the trailers.

[Dave R]

Sure. They make great portable stages.

[megiddo]

We've played on a trailer a few times. Never two side by side, that would be sweet. Just eight of us real cozy without a lot of "me" room.

[2lim]

I have played on a MOVING flat bed lol. In my younger days, we won a contest to play in a local thanksgiving day parade. So we set up with a portable generator, and a small pa, and all our amps, and our drummer, on the back of a flat bed, that travelled about 3 mph through town.

All I gotta say is.... 3 mph ain't much until that thing has to stop...... lemme tell ya, MANY times we went running form the back to the front and back while trying to hold onto our set.

The funny part was.... we only took a 4 song "family friendly" set list with us, and by the time we were done playing through it, we were at a new part in town where they hadn't heard it, so we started again lol.

The semi driver commented that he couldn't get our beach boys meddley out of his head tho!

Simon

[dustdbass6]

I've played on two different trailers actually. Both were my band in high-school. The first was on a flat-bed in the Livermore Rodeo Parade being pulled by a dually Dodge Ram.

The second was for our senior-class homecoming float. The theme that year was board games and our class picked CandyLand. My band wrote a candyland song and then did a rock medley including our high school theme "Back in Black" by AC/DC . This is making me want to play another parade with a band.

[RedSubway]

I played a Fourth Of July show in this little town this last summer, they used a big flatbed trailer, it was under a large tent. No PA or anything, just a trailer and a tent haha. Paid very well though...

[thumpbass1]

Being from the midwest of the good old U.S.A. the flatbed trailer was and still is the state of the art mobile stage system in my region, and has been for decades. I've even seen some tricked out for being nothing but mobile stage systems by their owners, down to hardwired electrical hookups galore, and ingenious home designed overhead canopies. The old flatbed trailer is the easiest and fastest thing I can think of to use for outdoor gigs.

[rappa29]

Only once. Very weird set up because it was only 1 trailer and we were a 7 (drums, keys, 2 percussion rigs, bass, gtr, sax) piece band. Since the trailer was only so wide, we had to set up down the length of the trailer kind of side by side but staggered so we could have better visual contact with each other. So basically we were ALL frontmen that night! lol!

Pulled it off without a problem, but weird having to look sideways anytime to get eye contact with any of the band members.

[Jonyak]

I have done the exact same thing... it sure was interesting, after a while you get your trailer legs, and you don't notice the truck starting and stopping.

It was alot of fun.

I have also played on alot of trailer stages... its always a fun time.

Originally Posted by 2lim

I have played on a MOVING flat bed lol. In my younger days, we won a contest to play in a local thanksgiving day parade. So we set up with a portable generator, and a small pa, and all our amps, and our drummer, on the back of a flat bed, that travelled about 3 mph through town.

All I gotta say is.... 3 mph ain't much until that thing has to stop...... lemme tell ya, MANY times we went running form the back to the front and back while trying to hold onto our set.

The funny part was.... we only took a 4 song "family friendly" set list with us, and by the time we were done playing through it, we were at a new part in town where they hadn't heard it, so we started again lol.

The semi driver commented that he couldn't get our beach boys meddley out of his head tho!

Simon

[B.C.]