Hey, How about some ideas on how you set up, who does what, etc. I've kinda fallen into being the 'leader'. I know how I'd like to do it, but most of the bands I was in it was a turf war.
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set up
- Thread starter bill7122
- Start date
Hey, How about some ideas on how you set up, who does what, etc. I've kinda fallen into being the 'leader'. I know how I'd like to do it, but most of the bands I was in it was a turf war.
1) Get to venue.
2) Singer talks to soundguy/promoter and asks general questions.
3) Load in where we are designated. Everybody helps until nothing is left in trailer/van.
4) 20 minutes before we go on, we have all amps dialed in, cymbals set up, etc.
5) Load up, plug in.
6) Play.
Fairly simple. Set-up shouldn't be some huge task. Have everything ready before hand. This is crucial for multi-band shows.
As a drummer, I have to suggest that your drummer set up his toms, cymbals, whatever else on their stands and have all stands with legs extended, boom arms in position, etc before you're set to play. That way, when you get on stage, its simply a matter of picking up the stands and moving them to where thye need to be.
Oh yeah, and once you've got your own instrument taken care of OR if it will only take you a minute to set yours up and youre standing around doing nothing, HELP THE DRUMMER OUT WITH HIS EQUIPMENT. It takes much longer when he/she has to do it themself.
Oh yeah, and once you've got your own instrument taken care of OR if it will only take you a minute to set yours up and youre standing around doing nothing, HELP THE DRUMMER OUT WITH HIS EQUIPMENT. It takes much longer when he/she has to do it themself.
yeah, we immediately grab the drums first and help our drummer get those setup. My bass rig is the last thing because I have a rack system and an Ampeg 810, so I have very minimal setup. Our guitar players and our singer usually do their own thing because they just take too long anyway, lol, plus our singer has to coordinate where he is going to hook up his wireless system with the sound guy.
If possible, we try to pre assemble the drums off stage as our drummer doesnt have a rack system yet. I am a stickler when it comes to loading gear because I hate it when bands take too long and cut into your set time, so I make sure that we get on and off stage faster than every other band we play with. My favorite saying that pisses my bandmates off when they are lollygagging after we play..."the f**king gear doesnt move itself!"...they understand that I am just looking out for the other bands and our reputation though
I mean, we are a fairly heavy band, and I move more than anyone else on stage, so I am pretty freakin tired after we play, but I still manage to bust my bum to get off stage as quickly as possible. There is no excuse why every band shouldnt do the same.
If possible, we try to pre assemble the drums off stage as our drummer doesnt have a rack system yet. I am a stickler when it comes to loading gear because I hate it when bands take too long and cut into your set time, so I make sure that we get on and off stage faster than every other band we play with. My favorite saying that pisses my bandmates off when they are lollygagging after we play..."the f**king gear doesnt move itself!"...they understand that I am just looking out for the other bands and our reputation though
I mean, we are a fairly heavy band, and I move more than anyone else on stage, so I am pretty freakin tired after we play, but I still manage to bust my bum to get off stage as quickly as possible. There is no excuse why every band shouldnt do the same.
My thoughts are this:
Work from back to front & everybody helps. Nothing goes on the stage area until it's time to set it. That way we aren't tripping over everything.
1)Decide PA placement & locate power. Place power strips. Speaker cables for the PA around the back of the stage, as well as mic cables, and ext cords for effects.
2)Set up back drop & lighting effects, set up monitors & PA speakers on the poles (we point monitors back at the band on poles like the mains, except backwards).
3)Everybody sets up their own backline gear (amps & drums)
4)Bring in the mics & stands.
Work from back to front & everybody helps. Nothing goes on the stage area until it's time to set it. That way we aren't tripping over everything.
1)Decide PA placement & locate power. Place power strips. Speaker cables for the PA around the back of the stage, as well as mic cables, and ext cords for effects.
2)Set up back drop & lighting effects, set up monitors & PA speakers on the poles (we point monitors back at the band on poles like the mains, except backwards).
3)Everybody sets up their own backline gear (amps & drums)
4)Bring in the mics & stands.
1) Everyone loads everything in.
2) The drummer starts to set up his riser
3) FOH speakers are set up, and cables are run to the amp rack
4) Drummer wanders over to talk to the bar tender and get a drink, leaving the riser half set up.
5) Run snake to sound board, sound guy hooks up amp rack.
5a) get lights set up and ready to go. (May not be necessary at all venues.)
6) Set up mic stands, and run cables.
7) Drummer laughing loudly talking to someone at the bar
8) Everyone hooks up their own backline
9) Drummer comes back, and plays with setting up his riser
10) Get out guitars and tune up, make sure amps come on
11) Drummer finishes riser, go back to the bar for another cocktail
12) Make sure all mics are working
13) Drummer comes back to the stage and complains that he has the biggest job, and people should be helpping him
14) Ready for sound check?? (Nope, someone has to set up the drumset.)
15) Everything is all set and ready for sound check, but we were supposed to start playing 5 minutes ago.....
16) Start first set
17) Lead singer shows up, talks on cell phone while the band glares at him.
Thats a pretty typical set up for us.
2) The drummer starts to set up his riser
3) FOH speakers are set up, and cables are run to the amp rack
4) Drummer wanders over to talk to the bar tender and get a drink, leaving the riser half set up.
5) Run snake to sound board, sound guy hooks up amp rack.
5a) get lights set up and ready to go. (May not be necessary at all venues.)
6) Set up mic stands, and run cables.
7) Drummer laughing loudly talking to someone at the bar
8) Everyone hooks up their own backline
9) Drummer comes back, and plays with setting up his riser
10) Get out guitars and tune up, make sure amps come on
11) Drummer finishes riser, go back to the bar for another cocktail
12) Make sure all mics are working
13) Drummer comes back to the stage and complains that he has the biggest job, and people should be helpping him
14) Ready for sound check?? (Nope, someone has to set up the drumset.)
15) Everything is all set and ready for sound check, but we were supposed to start playing 5 minutes ago.....
16) Start first set
17) Lead singer shows up, talks on cell phone while the band glares at him.
Thats a pretty typical set up for us.
Here's my typical day for a Friday night gig:
1) take off from work
2) get to bar at 10:30 am
3) load everything in by myself!
4) set up FOH
5) run snake
6) set up mixing board, amp racks, and effect racks
7) set up monitors
8) run cd through monitors to make sure all 4 monitor mixes
are working, then crank it up through FOH
9) set up 20 lights and effects
10) run all vocal mic cables
11) tape all cables
12) set up bass cabinet (ampeg 810)
13) go home around 3pm
14) come back at 6:30 set up bass head, everyone else is now there setting up their stuff
15) soundcheck
16) start 1st set at 9pm
17) end at 1am
18) start packing everything up
19) listen to all the guys whining about we're bringing too much stuff--even though they didn't help load in!!
20) load trailer, and go home
21) get paid the same as everyone else!!
Basically, I tell everyone we get paid to load in and out, and we play for free
1) take off from work
2) get to bar at 10:30 am
3) load everything in by myself!
4) set up FOH
5) run snake
6) set up mixing board, amp racks, and effect racks
7) set up monitors
8) run cd through monitors to make sure all 4 monitor mixes
are working, then crank it up through FOH
9) set up 20 lights and effects
10) run all vocal mic cables
11) tape all cables
12) set up bass cabinet (ampeg 810)
13) go home around 3pm
14) come back at 6:30 set up bass head, everyone else is now there setting up their stuff
15) soundcheck
16) start 1st set at 9pm
17) end at 1am
18) start packing everything up
19) listen to all the guys whining about we're bringing too much stuff--even though they didn't help load in!!
20) load trailer, and go home
21) get paid the same as everyone else!!
Basically, I tell everyone we get paid to load in and out, and we play for free
I know that no one else will do it!! And like the old saying goes, if you want it done right, you have to do it yourself. Kinda sucks, but i've been doing it so long that i've just got used to it.
The band I am in currently has a great system.
Everybody loads all equipment in until it is ALL in.
Drummer starts immediately setting up drums.
Guitarists does lights
Guitar2 and myself stack the PA.
I run mic lines to snake and place monitors.
Guitar 2 hooks up board, amps and runs lines.
Anyone done helps those that aren't
Guitars/bass set up rigs.
sound check.....done.
Probably the BEST setup I have ever been a part of.
These are the most important parts:
Everybody loads all equipment in until it is ALL in.
Anyone done helps those that aren't.
Everybody loads all equipment in until it is ALL in.
Drummer starts immediately setting up drums.
Guitarists does lights
Guitar2 and myself stack the PA.
I run mic lines to snake and place monitors.
Guitar 2 hooks up board, amps and runs lines.
Anyone done helps those that aren't
Guitars/bass set up rigs.
sound check.....done.
Probably the BEST setup I have ever been a part of.
These are the most important parts:
Everybody loads all equipment in until it is ALL in.
Anyone done helps those that aren't.
I humbly propose 19a: tell complainers to STFU unless they want to show up at 10:30 am!
My band is similar, except for the complaining. In addition to doing all the booking, the bandleader hauls the trailer, which contains everything but guitars and drums (drummer hauls and sets up/tears down his kit & mikes, never touches anything else). He plays pedal steel, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar and a few other things. He likes to get to the venue early. Real early, like the day before, if possible. He's also longtime friends with his boss at his day job, so he is allowed any time off that he needs. As most of our gigs are far from my home, he doesn't usually call me to come help load in. He often does it alone. Of course we all (except the drummer) help load out.
You'd think this would ruin his morale, wouldn't you? I've suggested many times that he take a cut off the top of the money, but he refuses. I guess it's like Baldy said, he wants it done the way he likes. I've been in the band 6 years, and I hope we keep going for a long time to come!
In my band...it was usually:
1) Arrive - say hiya to the barstaff/owner and claim as much of the room as we can for the "Stage" leaving plenty of room for the P.A. and the "other crap" (cases/bags/coats/emergency instruments)
2) Load in (...SOMETIMES your helped by a random guy - but mostly its just the band, one member watching the gear AT ALL TIMES whilst the others get it inside...)
3) Set up (get your own gear in place and sort out speaker/P.A. placements - THEN help the drummer)
4) Plug in and soundcheck (doesn't take long once you've got everything plugged into at least 3 or 4 self supplied 4/6-way extensions all going from the SAME socket which used to have the fruit machine in it...)
5) Wait around for the audience!
6) Play
7) Get money
8) Tear down (setting up usually takes about an hour and a half, tearing down 30 mins at the most... - and arrange a return date for the next gig there whilst CHECKING AROUND to make sure you've got everything)
9) Get food (you could eat something whilst waiting for the audience, just don't try and shovel down that full pizza you waited 3/4 of an hour for 10 mins before you go onstage...)
10) Go home and sleep
1) Arrive - say hiya to the barstaff/owner and claim as much of the room as we can for the "Stage" leaving plenty of room for the P.A. and the "other crap" (cases/bags/coats/emergency instruments)
2) Load in (...SOMETIMES your helped by a random guy - but mostly its just the band, one member watching the gear AT ALL TIMES whilst the others get it inside...)
3) Set up (get your own gear in place and sort out speaker/P.A. placements - THEN help the drummer)
4) Plug in and soundcheck (doesn't take long once you've got everything plugged into at least 3 or 4 self supplied 4/6-way extensions all going from the SAME socket which used to have the fruit machine in it...)
5) Wait around for the audience!
6) Play
7) Get money
8) Tear down (setting up usually takes about an hour and a half, tearing down 30 mins at the most... - and arrange a return date for the next gig there whilst CHECKING AROUND to make sure you've got everything)
9) Get food (you could eat something whilst waiting for the audience, just don't try and shovel down that full pizza you waited 3/4 of an hour for 10 mins before you go onstage...)
10) Go home and sleep
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