I'd have probably stopped mid song, and asked him if he was ready. When he replies, say "thank you now let the professionals work"
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Gig Etiquette Rant...
- Thread starter neddyrow
- Start date
In my last band, we were frequently complimented by event organizers for being on time and set up, sound-checked and ready well in advance of show time. With our day jobs, all but our singer were involved in sales/marketing and we were treating this with a business ethos as well as simply loving to play out. We did a lot of shows over 10 years (200 or so). Lots of repeat gigs.
That being said, one show comes to mind where our drummer wanted to move everything about 30 feet from our trailer to 10 feet from the stage. The vibe I got from him was that he was attempting to get the duo playing at the time to wrap up early. It wasn't our time yet and I didn't want to see that happen. It was a lot of griping back and forth between him and me, and he couldn't rally the other band members. I finally got him to stop by pointing out that if I am picking up equipment, I am only moving it once, and 40 feet isn't that much different than 30.
That being said, one show comes to mind where our drummer wanted to move everything about 30 feet from our trailer to 10 feet from the stage. The vibe I got from him was that he was attempting to get the duo playing at the time to wrap up early. It wasn't our time yet and I didn't want to see that happen. It was a lot of griping back and forth between him and me, and he couldn't rally the other band members. I finally got him to stop by pointing out that if I am picking up equipment, I am only moving it once, and 40 feet isn't that much different than 30.
It feels even worse when you get told by the festival organizers that they need to cut your and the next band’s scheduled slots to 25 minutes each because the previous four bands took so long to get on and off stage that they were running late for the headliner’s start time.
It got even more annoying when the “manager” of the band after us (another nobody band just like ours) came over and insisted we give up our slot so his band could play a full set because they had “family” at the show.
I don’t get it. All the bands I was ever in could get set up in 10 minutes or less. And we could get our gear off a stage in uner five.
It got even more annoying when the “manager” of the band after us (another nobody band just like ours) came over and insisted we give up our slot so his band could play a full set because they had “family” at the show.
I don’t get it. All the bands I was ever in could get set up in 10 minutes or less. And we could get our gear off a stage in uner five.
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Happens to us frequently too.
That was one of the main reasons we switched to the single mic and bass DI setup for our outdoor spots.
Guy setting up while you play is unacceptable, but in a tight bill it may be ok to start setting up while the other band is tearing down. Especially when the other group had no idea how to efficiently get the heck off stage
I was on Beale Street watching a band. While they were in the middle of playing the next band (I think all of them were rolling their stuff on stage.
Our two secret weapons were: our drummer having a kit that had a quick setup feature that worked something like a locking nut. Once he got his setup adjusted the way he liked everything locked down. After that it just sorta snapped together. The other was we rehearsed our set ups and pack outs so they went super smoothly.
Our two secret weapons were: our drummer having a kit that had a quick setup feature that worked something like a locking nut. Once he got his setup adjusted the way he liked everything locked down. After that it just sorta snapped together. The other was we rehearsed our set ups and pack outs so they went super smoothly.
Ideally, the bands all arrive early enough to stage their gear at the back or the edges of the stage, so all that has to happen when one band finishes is for them to clear their stuff off and the next band to do a quick setup. I realize this isn't always feasible and sometimes we just have to work around each other's tight schedules.
At the very least though, if you feel a need to be on the stage while another band is setting up or tearing down, the least you can do is ask permission and make sure you aren't interfering. I still think there's no good excuse to be doing that while someone else is performing though. Unless you're part of the act, don't be on the stage.
"Bass Solo"? Umm.....do you mean when everyone else in the band takes a cigarette break mid song?
This something that many bandleaders add into their sets (particularly longer ones) to give the audience a change to go for a bathroom break or to refill their beverage.
I see.... I bet that the sudden dip in volume also makes it easier to order drinks. How very savvy of them.
