Before downbeat...

[Marko 1]

Being the PA guy, I have additional time, often reorganizing the trailer a bit for the next gig (different packs for inside and outside gigs, including bass rigs),

and day of the gig, loading my basses and the keyboards rig into the Suburban, and hooking up for the ride.

After the gig I pull straight into the driveway (I'm happy, but pretty beat down), then the next day turn it around, situate, and unhook, then pull the basses and keyboards rig back into the music room (ground-level fortunately).

I also bring in pieces from the trailer into the music room for (typically weekly) rehearsals, then back to the trailer.

Fortunately I'm retired and have plenty of time for such things.

 

[Pocket Dave]

Everyone chips in to some degree helping get everything loaded in, setup, torn down and loaded out.

We try not to overthink it; Someone needs help with something, we help - We're all grownups and we try to act like it.

 

[pepj]

I show up at the practice spot. Two people help load things into my trailer. I get to the gig almost 3 hours early. I unload everything, because my PA in now in the back of the trailer. I set up the PA. Everyone shows up and starts setting themselves up. I then plug them in, run their monitors, set their mixes, answer the same exact questions that they ask me every single time we play, back and forth through the whole band, then finish setting up the PA. I set up my rig, and go to do a sound check, but no one is there. I run around to find them all to get a sound check going. I then grab my tablet and set gains one by one. I tell them repeatedly to keep going as they stop each time they hit a note and tell me, "I've got nothing. I don't hear anything" "I know, keep going"

I then finish the last requests of my bandmates before we start. They start the intro, and I set the mix. I bring my bass in to it, and we play.

Pretty much reverse all that for closing

You get paid over and above for this, right?

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

You get paid over and above for this, right?

No

 

[thenazz]

I'd gladly help with PA set up but our guitarist who owns the PA is big-time anal-retentive and insists on doing it all himself because the other guys would do it wrong. Wrong being cables wrapped counter clockwise instead of clockwise, cables taped to the stage at even spaces and 90 degree bends, etc.

 

[Pocket Dave]

I'd gladly help with PA set up but our guitarist who owns the PA is big-time anal-retentive and insists on doing it all himself because the other guys would do it wrong. Wrong being cables wrapped counter clockwise instead of clockwise, cables taped to the stage at even spaces and 90 degree bends, etc.

I can relate to the cable-wrapping part since I'm the guy who has to uncoil the knots. Over-&-under, "ShowCo" wrap or kindly let me do it.

But cables taped?? Damn.

On a weekly residence gig where I bring PA every other week, I like to run cables around the base of the stage where there's the least foot traffic, but taping them down? My personal goal is to get setup and torn down as quickly as possible. From arrival at the curb to ready-to-play in 45 minutes for bar gigs where I have to haul a vocal & kick PA. Sometimes it takes an hour to reverse the process at the end of the night if there are stragglers to deal with; Even then I've learned to tactfully guide them off stage - "Stand here and we can talk while I pack".

And when it's my night to haul PA, you want to grab a cart and help me haul stuff in and out? Most certainly, thank you.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

I'd gladly help with PA set up but our guitarist who owns the PA is big-time anal-retentive and insists on doing it all himself because the other guys would do it wrong. Wrong being cables wrapped counter clockwise instead of clockwise, cables taped to the stage at even spaces and 90 degree bends, etc.

I worked with my bandmates on the cable wrap thing so it's done right and not a headache at the next gig.

When a stage isn't provided for us, most of the time around here, we do tape cables but I'm not measuring the distance between pieces of tape or the angles