Pet Peeve - loading in/loading out

[honeyiscool]

It's a classic!!

One of our singers always say that we (guitar and bass players) are attached too much to our gear and there's no reason to load heavy/big/expensive gear to the gigs..

We're planning (in secret) to play a rehearsal with our bedroom practice combos just to shut his mouth up...

That’ll be hilarious when it backfires and you actually sound really good because the singer is actually right.

I have a very simple stage setup. Nobody needs to help me carry anything because my gear is my responsibility. The only person who can even reasonably expect any help carrying my gear in my bands is the drummer because they can’t really make the choice to truly go minimal.

 

[Bipslapper]

This is very common for many of my gigs as well...dinner crowd needs to thin out before we can even set up. Then, after you wait to set up and try to do it as fast and professionally as possible, often the customers that were causing the majority of the delay leave anyway and take a good portion of the audience with them!

Unrealistic setup expectations. One club we play does a big dinner business. They want us to hit at 9 pm, but they don't want to let us start setting up until 8:30! (They have to remove tables to create a dance floor.) So no matter what, it's always chaotic. We used to try to sequence things: drum kit first, PA next, then amps. Somehow it didn't really improve things, so now we all just wade in and say "excuse me" a lot (expletives are often employed).

 

[JRA]

any band member who behaves as though their equipment/setup/teardown is the priority while conveniently ignoring the fact that others have much more gear/PA to deal with...

those same folks are 'offended' when asked/told to move something "about a foot" to accommodate the gear which is shared in common and which will make them sound good.

 

[dragon68]

Well-meaning bandmates who don't know how to over-under cables.

Seriously, what do you mean “over-under”?

 

[HardNHeavy]

Folks wanting to strike up a deep conversation with you or your band mates while you’re trying to set up or tear down.

Folks who stand in the doorway chatting, blocking the only way in or out while we’re trying to move gear.

lol so true..it's like " i got a show here you know"..dont mind chatting after but c'mon.......My old band played CBGB's a few times, and if you know that old club now gone, there was no load-in entrance and people were crowding the floor before some of the bands even got in the door..It was constantly saying "watch your back, gear coming thru"...truly annoying..But to play CB's was the ultimate!

 

[Dynomuttasaurus]

I'm normally the venue, not the band. We host 100+ bands each year onsite - some contracted by the venue and other contracted by a private party for a private party. And here's my list of pet peeves.

• Zero communication from the band about their needs (stage size, plot, power, equipment storage, merchandising, etc) despite numerous attempts from the venue. Band arrives and has a beef with the setup we had to guess at.
• The band wants to setup after the room is already full (e.g., during dinner hour) and/or the band doesn't tear down immediately (e.g., would rather have a drink after than break down). The first is inconsiderate to the audience, the second is inconsiderate to the venue and its employees.
• Bands that think the venue is responsible for fulfilling their riders when the venue is simply that. Whomever signed the contract -- that's the party responsible. If that's me, great. But, if it's the client for a private party, go talk to them.
• Bands that cannot stick to a contracted timeline.
• Bands that show up with faulty equipment and have to use the house backup system - and complain about it. I recently had to have a co-worker run out to buy a drummer a kick pedal because he forgot his. He then complained it wasn't up to his liking.

I will say, the bigger the band, the less hassle we usually have. It's the up-and-coming bands that aren't professional and yet expect to have their every ego-driven whim catered to last minute.

 

[red_rhino]

One of our singers always say that we (guitar and bass players) are attached too much to our gear and there's no reason to load heavy/big/expensive gear to the gigs..

Next gig, tell him you didn't bring the big, heavy PA gear because he's too attached to it, and he'll just have to sing a bit louder to be heard over the Marshall stacks.

 

[punchdrunk]

My pet peeve is at the end of the 3rd set on a long night, the other guys in the band guys wanna sit around chatting with the various patrons, etc instead of getting the gear packed up. I keep a motto that I repeat to them, “get the work done, then have fun”.

 

[Wisebass]

I don't do drums...

I do!!! I even mic the drums and tune them when it 's necessary
As long as the drummer takes my cabs (one under each arm ),
and helps me with my amp.

some drummers are cool!

Wise(b)ass

 

[dheafey]

Seriously, what do you mean “over-under”?

There's a few other techniques that accomplish the same thing (coiling hand facing out), but that's the gist of it. The benefit is when you uncoil the cable, it's not a twisted mess and can be "thrown" without tangling. Of course, no one "throws" cables; that'd be cable abuse. ;-)

edit: it's also easier on the cables and tends to extend their life quite a bit.

 

[saltydude]

My pet peeve is at the nd of the 3rd set on a long night, the other guys I. The band guys wanna sit around chatting with the various patrons, etc instead of getting the gear packed up. I keep a motto that I repeat to them, “get the work done, then have fun”.

To play the Devils advocate for a second. Those “patrons” will either be gone or forced out by the time Your packed up. There’s only a small window at the end of the night.

 

[Kukulkan61]

Load in: when the guitarist lays his honking pedal board down before everyone else has brought their equipment on stage.

Load out: when said guitarist LEAVES pedal board on the floor while people are trying to get off the stage.

How about your pet peeves?

Next time he does this just accidentally drop something on his pedal board as your setting up or tearing down, (preferably tearing down because you still need to gig). If something breaks he’ll learn...

 

[trailer]

Horn players who put their horns and bags and bandstands on the stage, before drums and backline.

Horn players who set their stuff up in 15 minutes and then proceed to noodle for the next 2 hours while we're setting up. You know..."warming up the horn(s)".

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Both loading in and out... trying to walk through swarms of people at a bar who see you carrying large heavy objects and don't get out of the way... I'm not even asking for help, just don't stand in my way and ignore when I'm trying to lug a tube head into a small bar

When I'm coming in or out through a crowd with my two 2x10s I holler "Lady with a baby, coming through! Hot baby!" Some places there's an actual doorman, to whom I'll always say "This is the part we get paid for."

 

[Vic Winters]

Door thresholds and random carpet when pushing a cab with casters.

 

[knumbskull]

Did you have evidence of them teabagging your cymbals?

eeewwwwwww

 

[punchdrunk]

To play the Devils advocate for a second. Those “patrons” will either be gone or forced out by the time Your packed up. There’s only a small window at the end of the night.

this is where multitasking comes into play. Besides, it shouldn’t take more than 10-15 to pack up, but with the relaxed disposition (imposition) its takes about an hour. But, yeah, the patrons are usually run off by then.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I'm normally the venue, not the band. We host 100+ bands each year onsite - some contracted by the venue and other contracted by a private party for a private party. And here's my list of pet peeves.

• Zero communication from the band about their needs (stage size, plot, power, equipment storage, merchandising, etc) despite numerous attempts from the venue. Band arrives and has a beef with the setup we had to guess at.
• The band wants to setup after the room is already full (e.g., during dinner hour) and/or the band doesn't tear down immediately (e.g., would rather have a drink after than break down). The first is inconsiderate to the audience, the second is inconsiderate to the venue and its employees.
• Bands that think the venue is responsible for fulfilling their riders when the venue is simply that. Whomever signed the contract -- that's the party responsible. If that's me, great. But, if it's the client for a private party, go talk to them.
• Bands that cannot stick to a contracted timeline.
• Bands that show up with faulty equipment and have to use the house backup system - and complain about it. I recently had to have a co-worker run out to buy a drummer a kick pedal because he forgot his. He then complained it wasn't up to his liking.

I will say, the bigger the band, the less hassle we usually have. It's the up-and-coming bands that aren't professional and yet expect to have their every ego-driven whim catered to last minute.

This is why we always work on a handshake. And why our BL always works on having a good relationship with the booker (for us small-timers, usually the owner). We do our best to be good citizens, even when the venue only gives us a half-hour to set up. We live in a small world, central Connecticut, and everybody knows we are easy to work with. It is a factor, no doubt, in why we get as much work as we do.

 

[PJMustangFreak]

Being in a band with someone who does less work than I, but feels the need to direct/supervise me, and berate me for not doing it "how they would have," if they were doing whatever it is I just did.

Don't miss that.

Best comment here.

 

[Mike Sorr]

Singers who think because they bring nothing to a gig they don’t need to get off their lazy ass and help out the rest of the band.

Or don’t bother to show up until 5 minutes before the band takes the stage.