Pet Peeve - loading in/loading out

[samson3382]

I think someone mentioned it, but multi band affairs where the following band is putting gear on the stage as the last note is still ringing.
Please, I’ll be quick. Let me get myself and my gear out of your way first.

 

[lbbc]

When the guitarist actually shows up early to set up but spreads his crap all over the stage.... hindering the rest to be able to set up in a timely manner.

 

[sean_on_bass]

People who don't know how to setup their own station and use their own gear. Like, you don't even know which output to run a line to the PA out of?

 

[Wisebass]

The beer truck...

Do I have to say more?


Wise(b)ass

 

[lbbc]

Or no help loading out at the end of the night because band mates are talking to their friends.

 

[Low Key]

When you're the opening band, and members of the headlining band show-up 5 minutes before you are to start playing and start setting up their stuff on stage, all over the place, in places where people stand. Also, when they act COMPLETELY annoyed that the opening band had the gall to setup and soundcheck in order to start on time (instead of just stand there and wait?).

 

[Dluxe]

We had a singer who after most gigs said that he was going to move his car. He never came back. Didn't last long in the band.

 

[Dluxe]

The load in/out at the Houstonian Hotel is right by the dumpsters. Not a pleasant smell at 3 a.m.

 

[lordradish]

My big one is when the guy in the band responsible for getting the band paid decides to socialize and do everything but, while the rest of the band is packed up and ready to leave.

 

[pb9717]

One time I was doing a wedding showcase. The Sax player for the band following us puts his $5000 soprano sax on a little stand that holds it upright, on the front of the stage 6 inches from the 2 foot drop. Our showcase set ends and my keyboard player gets up to start to breakdown his gear. One of his cables hits the stupidly Place saprano sax, and knocks it offstage. Immediately the oncoming sax player runs over yelling at him. Complaining he wasn’t looking where he was going and yelling how his fancy expensive Kenny G. Muthabuckin’ saprano sax is now busted because of him. I witness the whole thing and tell the keyboardist, that the sax players a schmuck, and I got your back if anything goes down.

Well, fast forward a few weeks later and my keyboard player bud, gets sued for property damage, and has to go to civil court. I go with him and explain to the judge my version. Well judge finds both At fault and my friend has to incur half the cost of repair for the piece of crap sax.....like $500 bucks. Insane.

Now if some idiot puts his gear on my stage before I’m down, I tell em I’m gonna smash his stuff rolling my cabinet over it if they don’t move it.

 

[PaulJSmith]

Drummers. They come in and drop all there stuff right in front of the stage, right in everyone else's way. Same with tear-down, cases and lids everywhere. Every. Time.

 

[Luciferiad]

So a 3X10 cab would be what 12 ohms ? Assuming you originally had 4 8 ohm drivers in series parallel? SMH

dude, that's a good question. I never even stopped to consider how that'd affect impedance. I just saw a hole where the speaker should be and noped right on out of there, went back to my car, and loaded my rig in.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

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?

I’m usually the first one at a gig, thanks to Lombardi Time. My pet peeves?

Loud, bad, habitually late, and unprepared musicians.

 

[juancaminos]

I bring the entire PA (speakers, monitors, amps board, etc) and my bass rig. I get a little 4 foot patch of stage to stack everything. I've already replaced the wheels on my 4X10 cabinet and I have added a piece of wood in the bottom port to keep it from collapsing due to the weight. If I'm lucky there is a place adjacent to the stage for the pa gear. The singer/harmonica player gets the entire center stage. While I do get help to place pa items they all sit around watching me hook it all up or the guitar player noodles with his sound while the drummer does the same. By play time I plug in my bass, flip the switch and play there's no time for a bass sound check or noodling (I don't need one anyway).

I (kind of) accept some of this as the price I pay to have a pa/monitor sound that I control. I make it my job to watch and listen to other bands. IMHO most have terrible pa sound. I'd say that 80% of the bar bands do. It's either heavy mid's, heavy low's, distorted, too loud, too low...and no one cares. It's just beyond me why people don't care. I tried going with another band where all I had to do is show up and play. But after a few gigs I just had to step in and take over the PA duties. As soon I did the rest of the band backed off in relief and it became 100% my problem again.

I also hate cheap gear...Cheap microphones are the worse. I CAN HEAR THE DIFFERENCE. People in the audience can too. They just don't know why one band out of ten sounds so much better than the others.

So I am my own pet peeve in a way, I'm cursed.

 

[Charley Umbria]

True story: while loading in for a gig in Atlanta, I had a frat boy pick up one of my snare drums (without its case) and roll it down the club’s back hallway like a bowling ball. He had me by about four inches and 100 pounds, but it was all my bandmates could do to keep me from climbing him like a spider monkey. What is it with people...?

 

[juancaminos]

People who don't know how to setup their own station and use their own gear. Like, you don't even know which output to run a line to the PA out of?

My guys have no idea idea either. Our singer constantly plugs his wireless into INSERT instead of LINE. The guitar player decided to hook up the lights. When they didn't work I investigated. He had the extension cord plugged back into it's own power strip. OMG!

 

[samson3382]

I once loaded my 115 into a bad dive bar for the first time ever playing there. The “sound guy” (DJ) freaked out on me and insisted I go direct (no di) into his board, which was hooked up to a couple medium sized home stereo speakers mounted to the back wall of the stage above our heads.
It was a long night.

 

[Steadfast]

Yes Hammonds with Leslie cabs Dragging them over snow banks in Newark.

 

[jchrisk1]

I played a festival a few years ago, that this guy in the band following us put his bass on the stage two feet behind me while I was playing. I turned around and told him to get it out of my way. When he got poopy with me about it, I made it easy for him. I told him he can move, it I will move it for him. And if I move it, I'm kicking it off the stage.

 

[mcnach]

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.

If you place a couple of big speakers next to them, pointing right at them, they tend to move pretty fast.