Backline security...

[Big Hoss]

The topic was brought up somewhat indirectly in the Fender Rumble Club thread in the Amps forum. People were debating advantage of this or that configuration, and drink spillage onto / in to an amp was brought up as a problem.

This got me to thinking beyond my sarcastic / facetous response, about situations that I hadn't considered... Non band and non crew personnel having physical access to the backline area while the gear is there and the performance is taking place / being set up / taken down...

I know a lot of the membership here has far more on stage gigging experience than I do. I have only "gigged" for a few small house parties, more of a jam session / party with friends, and everyone there was respectful of our equipment.

However, I have up until the problems with my back getting worse, I had previously done a considerable amount of work doing effectively roadie / backline security work for friends bands since my late teens (which I passed up decades ago...).

How common is it for bands to be gigging where non band members / band crew members have physical access to the backline where the amps, cabs, cabling connections etc... are?

The risks of some tipsy idiot with a full margarita near the mixer, or your amp, or just simply kicking your connections apart while walking in the area would seem to me more than enough motivation for any reasonable band to make a concerted effort to control physical access to the backline.

So for those of you that are gigging, do you have any means of providing security / limited access to the sensitive backline area and if so how do you manage given different situations? If not, why or why not?

 

[s0c9]

In my case, security is generally provided by the house "bouncers", and they (or him) are often standing on stage before the set and during breaks.
When we do double-headers (most weekends) at same venue Fri/Sat, I take all my electronics away (wireless and mic) then throw a black sheet over my rig.
That will not prevent deliberate theft of gear, but will prevent "opportunity" situations as there's nothing to see.

When opening for national acts (at the one venue we play that has them), security is much tighter (obviously) and if we hadn't had our gear already on stage from the prior night (we do Wed-Sat with headliners [if there are any] on either a Fri or Sat - or both - nights), it would take an act of Congress to get it there.. kidding.. the security staff are mostly venue provided and know who WE are, but it does present challenges with having our spouses around.. we usually keep them away from backstage on headliner nights.

For Festival-type gigs, security is up to us and our "close friends", as the usual melee occurs when bands are swapping out.

 

[Gaolee]

I'm not a pro by any stretch, so there are a lot of situations I haven't been in, but there's still a level of paranoia that happens when you are loading in and out in a sketchy neighborhood. There's that part of security, but that's not what you asked about. If at all possible, make sure there's some kind of wall or other barrier behind the backline. If people can get back there, they will, and they will trip over things. I have been in situations where the "stage" if you can call it that, was powered by a series of extension cords to wherever. those can get kicked or tripped over, so taping them down or securing them some other way is important. A roll of duct tape is always good. My amplifier is solid state and doesn't have vents. That makes it far less likely to be damaged by a drunk, but it's not out of the question it could happen. My amp is big enough and heavy enough that anybody trying to steal it would be pretty obvious. I keep the little stuff like tuners, the power conditioner, cables, etc. in a bag that I can carry with me. I don't remember the last time an instrument left my sight. Other than that, it's just a matter of relying upon each other to keep on top of things. You have to know who will keep an eye on things and who will get distracted.

 

[Big Hoss]

What's interesting, is I see a lot of you guys talking about going between bands, swapping out etc... The shows I have worked have all been single band gigs, parties, bars that sort of thing. Oddly enough the bars are MUCH harder to keep things under control than a block / house party ever is... It would seem people feel more free to become an A-hole at a bar and start pushing limits. Good thing is on the two occasions when drunks were getting out of hand / trying to push into where they didn't belong, bar / club security stepped in and physically removed them from the venue. You'd think that the jerks would be the younger guys with something to prove to their buddies or girls, not quite...

The 2 that have gone too far (never been me, the guy working the other side got pushed down once, punched another time) have been by...

#1. 45 year old professional. Some kind of medical guy. I don't think he was a Dr. but more like the X ray guy...
#2. 50 year old refinery worker.

Both married guys having a night out with their wives, too much to drink, and had the "nobody is going to tell me what I can't do" attitude sunk in to their pickled brains...

 

[Gaolee]

Swapping out gear is chaos. That won't ever change. So far, I have been lucky enough to have avoided violent drunks, but there was more than one occasion when we formed a security patrol around our singer when there as a drunk who was a little too aggressively interested in her. The singer I'm working with now won't have that problem, most likely, but you never know what goes on in the minds of a person who is drunk enough.

 

[Big Hoss]

Yeah, load in / out can be a security problem too. Typically when we have done it, one person stays with the van / truck / trailer, while another stays near the stage / backline. Everyone else does the packing / hauling. The stay-ee has usually been somebodies wife /girlfriend. Having a set of eyes on the stuff typically is enough to discourage theft...

 

[Gaolee]

That's sometimes enough, but there have been a couple instances where we had the meanest looking one of us stay with the van. It seemed like a far better idea than leaving a wife or girlfriend out there. The other option is to lock the van after every trip. That's a PITA, but sometimes you do what you have to do.

 

[DirtDog]

"Backline area" at a bar gig? You mean the wall with the dartboards?!? Lol! Seriously, any poopie that happens usually happens right out front of you as opposed to the side or back. It's not something I worry about too much. A little situational awareness goes a long way.

Large stage is a different story - you might not be right near your equipment, but you've potentially got more eyes. In a place like that, I'd be more worried about someone lifting the wallet out of my coat in the green room than I would about a spilled drink or someone tripping on a cable. Any drinks that have spilled on equipment were usually my own.

As for your last question, every band I've played in over the 15 years has had at least one cop as a member, so our "security" is built in. And none of us are what you'd call "small guys".

 

[troy mcclure]

I play cover gigs at bars. No security. Nothing keeps anyone from walking off with gear or messing with knobs. If their is no raised stage it is worse. Most people are courteous...but some ugh.

 

[portpc]

The newest trend I've noticed playing gigs at anywhere from Receptions to Apple Orchards is the "I-Phone needs a recharge, I'm gonna plug into your outlet strip just becuz it's there" freaks.
They walk right up to your gear, plug into your power strip & leave their phone there to charge ...

 

[bolophonic]

I keep a tight watch on my bass, but it would be difficult for someone to walk out with a bass cab unnoticed, so I don't stress too hard about it.

 

[OOD]

The newest trend I've noticed playing gigs at anywhere from Receptions to Apple Orchards is the "I-Phone needs a recharge, I'm gonna plug into your outlet strip just becuz it's there" freaks.
They walk right up to your gear, plug into your power strip & leave their phone there to charge ...

What free iphone!?!

 

[Jools4001]

I play cover gigs at bars. No security. Nothing keeps anyone from walking off with gear or messing with knobs. If their is no raised stage it is worse. Most people are courteous...but some ugh.

This.

We've been lucky enough not to have anybody walk off with any of our gear, but that 'luck' may have something to do with the fact that nothing is unattended. When we're loading in or out, or when the band is not 'on stage' we always make sure that someone is watching.

That doesn't guarantee that stuff doesn't get messed with...on Saturday's gig one of the self appointed sound engineers in the audience stepped up to my rig and started out to mess with the controls. I stopped him before he touched anything and asked him *** he thought he was doing, so he told me that my bass sounded muddy so he'd come to turn the bass down and add a little treble, leaving aside the fact that my tone is always quite bright so his opinion was completely unfounded, I still had to tell him, quite forcefully, to get back in the audience.