Pet Peeve - loading in/loading out

[InhumanResource]

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?

The same guitarist playing random progressions and licks with the VOLUME UP while setup is still happening and guests are in the establishment/venue.

 

[PauFerro]

I show up 2 hours early, get the PA and my own gear setup 45 minutes before the down note, or earlier. guitar player shows up 10 minutes before the down note. I have to scramble to get his gear and help him get set up fast without attracting the attention of the client.

 

[10cc]

I have only one.
Band members (or anybody else for that matter) that are worried about what others are doing.

Like most everybody here after years of being the "go getter" of the bunch, wrangling gigs, posters, product, hauling all the equipment, hanging lights, loading up and unloading most all of the gear, replacing cables, sticks, heads, batteries, mics, getting paid, distributing money, tipping bar tenders etc. etc.

Nowadays I show up when I feel like it. Never late though. In and out with one trip and usually in the truck headed home shortly after the last song (unless there is some music I wanna see). Pay me later at practice. It is what it is. Take it or leave it.

 

[4SG]

(1) When the following band--inevitably a power trio--blocks narrow backstage exit to parking lot with 15 road cases and enough drum crap for Neal Peart.
(2) When I and my drummer (who have the least and most gear, respectively) do all the heavy lifting in breaking down the PA.

 

[RichardW]

1) Stairs
2) Not enough plugs or inconveniently placed plugs
3) Stairs
4) Did I mention stairs?

 

[dheafey]

1) Stairs
2) Not enough plugs or inconveniently placed plugs
3) Stairs
4) Did I mention stairs?

I've added stairs because I didn't see it on your list.

 

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

Toilets without paper towels, just those stupid wind machines.

 

[SteveHeissner]

Load in: Female vocalist stands in the door talking to patrons while band is trying to carry equipment in. Doesn't hold door or move out of the way.

Load out: Drunk female vocalist and patrons stumble around door while band is trying to carry equipment out after bar is closed.

 

[dragon68]

1) Stairs
2) Not enough plugs or inconveniently placed plugs
3) Stairs
4) Did I mention stairs?

You forgot to mention 2a) Inconveniently placed stairs.

 

[tekhedd]

Drummer who stages/leaves all of his cases and bags in the bass area, who always arrives early/first, so I don't have a place to set my cases when I load in. Somehow it's always in my part of the stage, which also coincidentally always the smallest part of the stage.

Keyboard player who sings lead on 3-4 songs, who finally (after many years) got his own mic stand and DI box but still does not own a microphone. or XLR cables. or know where to plug them in if he did.

Guy who owns a ton of awesome sound/light gear and totally does more than his part on the load-in load-out, but wants show up 3-4 hours before downbeat to load it in and set it up, and it's still feeding back 10 minutes after the show starts.

People who like to hang out and socialize after the gig is over instead of putting stuff into boxes and, you know, leaving. You want help loading this stuff or what? Because I'm outta here in 15 minutes.

Helpful people who can't (or won't!) over-under cables and stand there arguing with you that it's not the best way. Helpful people who can over-under cables but don't anchor the ends with the velcro wrap properly so it ends up in a knot anyway. Helpful people who tell you how much they hate velcro wraps.

 

[dheafey]

Helpful people who can't (or won't!) over-under cables and stand there arguing with you that it's not the best way. Helpful people who can over-under cables but don't anchor the ends with the velcro wrap properly so it ends up in a knot anyway. Helpful people who tell you how much they hate velcro wraps.

I've started using these instead of velcro - Nite Ize. My life has completely changed.

 

[Treadstone71]

Not sure if anyone else said this (tl;dr), but venues with the stage at the rear AND without a rear entrance...basically having to load everything through the front door, then through the crowds, and past the bar to get to the stage. Nothing more fun than weaving a bass rig through a crowded bar or restaurant, and getting eyeballed like you're inconveniencing people for the fun of it or something.

 

[Plutonium244]

When one of the band members parks directly in front of the venue entry door (be it front or back/side) at a loading zone, and carries his gear in... and sets it up before moving his car. Unload, shuttle it in, move your car, set up.

People who don't bring enough extension cords for what you should reasonably expect. Corollary: Non-outlet-neutral players (they don't bring a strip etc-- there should be the same # of outlets, or more, available after you're done as before you plugged in). Counting on me to bring extra extensions/strip(s), since I bailed you out before, instead of coming prepared.

Not allowing enough space for bass player to stand given the headstock requires greater turn radius.

Cases left in the way of people setting up.

Cables right where I need to stand, which is generally a small enough place to begin with.

If I am bringing the PA even though I am not a singer, you'd better help set it up instead of sitting at the bar while I do.

Tables not moved in the location where the band is supposed to up, having to wait for dining patrons to finish their meal and conversation before band can set up, and little place to set the gear down to wait out the meal.

 

[acleex38]

I play almost exclusively in places where tables have to be moved to create "the stage." I'm mildly irked when there are still diners/drinkers at the table when we need to set up, but I can live with that. In these situations, the goal is "make the bar/restaurant money through sales" - these are paying customers and they win the priority-battle.

BUT - when they've paid the check, are done and still sit there, loitering for another hour (and past our start time for playing), we've blown past "mild irritation."

"Oh, a band! When do you start playing?"
"As soon as y'all clear the table so we can set up."

I've only skirted the edge of rudeness once, but I can get passive-aggressive with wheeling the gear in and waiting nearby.

 

[voodoobassist]

My current pet peeve is , guitarist who processes the living hell out of his signal, hence bringing waaayyyyyy to much gear to each gig, and ,...has a bad back, so he needs help with all this crap he lugs,......and it's now been compounded by the fact that I bought him a fairly nice pre/processor to replace all that junk with,...he was very appreciative,....I felt very smart, ......I had just saved myself having to help him haul all that excess crappy sounding gear,..............and now,...he still brings all his previous crap and runs it along with the pre/processor I got for him........somehow,...I'm no longer feeling very smart......so not sure if my pet peeve is him and his gear,..or me for not seeing where this was going to go.

 

[Low Key]

Sound guy who comes over and changes settings on my bass amp (EQ, etc.) without even talking to me. Before I'm plugged in, before he knows what kind of bass I have, before he knows anything about pedals, strings, setup, pickups, or 100 other variables in what will affect my signal to the board, he finds it necessary to start turning EQ knobs on my amp. Admittedly this only happened once. And admittedly, this and several other similar actions by this little dweeb almost landed a fist in his face, but this firmly counts as a pet peeve.

 

[Wisebass]

1) Stairs (inside)
2) Not enough plugs or inconveniently placed plugs
3) Stairs (outside)
4) Did I mention stairs (wet)?

I've added stairs (with snow) because I didn't see it on your list.

You forgot to mention 2a) Inconveniently placed stairs (with ice).

Load ins and outs can be a "Stairway to Hell"

Wise(b)ass

 

[Low Key]

Singers that come in with little or no gear, don't help move the PA/lights/band gear, put any case they might have directly in front of the only way onto the stage, then head directly over to grab a beer and socialize while we setup and trip over their stuff. It's CRAZY how common this type of behavior has been with otherwise sane people.

 

[Slough Feg Bass]

people who don't have wheels on their cabinets / road cases.

I set my stuff up off stage, so it's ready to roll out when the time comes.
other guys are like, "dude can you help me carry my cab?"

or the guys who have 18 space anvil rack with no wheels!!?!?!? really ?

drummer with 12 stands has a hardware case with no wheels ? what ??!?!?!?

 

[Gringo Basso]

• Preceding band that can’t clear the stage quickly.
• Following band that stages gear in front of your band’s cases.

"That" band that goes 10 minutes over and then lounges around talking to their Ho's rather than loading out.
I believe Hell would be following "that" band every night for eternity. Uncanny how many of "those" bands are out there.