Tips for Being Organized and Prepared for Gigs

[matthewbrown]

I'm sure this has been covered like a million times, but I'm covering it again.

I like to think I'm fairly organized when it comes to gig preparedness, but at our last gig, I noticed some different approaches to organization and setup amongst the bands performing (and even in my own band ).

Today I sat in on an incredibly boring talk on "supply chain management" at work and the speaker defined logistics as "the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation". (I learned later he'd lifted that directly from Wikipedia, but that's not the point.)

I like to get all of my stuff organized in advance, keep my cables coiled, labeled, etc all the way down to having spare gig bags and printing off extra set lists.

What do you do to ensure all of your logistical needs are met in preparation for a show?

I'm a freelancer and a BL so I can only speak for myself. First, cables are kept in old socks, to avoid wasting time untangling them. Argyles for speaker cable, solids for instrument cable. Delicate items -- tuners, lights -- are kept in a box. Everything goes into a milk crate.

Okay, I was kidding about the argyles. I don't color code the socks.

 

[friskinator]

The guitarist in one of my previous bands used to keep a roll of toilet paper in his bag. I remember it being handy on a couple of dicey frat gigs.

 

[Pocket4]

One of the coolest accessories is a milspec foam padded case. I made cutouts for mic, tools, spare tuner pedal and di pedal. Large "well" to stack multiple cables, compartment for a class D head (Minimax) and side slots for stereo recorder and hearing protection. I just have to be on guard to be sure the gig case has a shoulder strap, I grab the extension power strip bag with a folding guitar stand, and pick up the mic stand. Cabs, head of choice and one bass too. Not perfect yet, but it helps.

 

[JoeWPgh]

I use a Surface tablet for the set list. I make an Excel file for the set list and link to the songs I'm not 100% sure about to a chart in the same spreadsheet. There are brackets to hold the tablet to a mic stand. I really like how that setup works.

 

[fdeck]

Here is side comment and interesting story (it may be an urban legend). During WWII a company was having problems with quality control of parachutes not properly deploying. The company tried everything to lower the failure rate and increase reliability. Finally they decided on surprise inspections in the form of having the parachute packers use a chute that they had just packed. Quality control shot through the roof with practically zero failures. The reason was that people were a lot more conscientious when their own lives were on the line. Those that did not care about quality were buried.

In a similar vein, during Colonial times, the owner of a gunpowder factory was required to live on the premises.

 

[fdeck]

True story, my recollection of a camping trip. At one end of the campground is a troop of Scouts. They are "prepared," i.e., a fully loaded SUV per scout, plus a couple of gear trailers. At the other end of the campground is a family of academics, who show up with a battered old Toyota sedan, barefoot children, and their stuff gets soaked in the first rainstorm. In between, another family, substitute beer for children.

Everybody had a great time.

Different people have their own comfort zone for what they need in order to be secure.

 

[garp]

Here is side comment and interesting story (it may be an urban legend). During WWII a company was having problems with quality control of parachutes not properly deploying. The company tried everything to lower the failure rate and increase reliability. Finally they decided on surprise inspections in the form of having the parachute packers use a chute that they had just packed. Quality control shot through the roof with practically zero failures. The reason was that people were a lot more conscientious when their own lives were on the line. Those that did not care about quality were buried.

I'd venture to guess that's a true story.

With the recent 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, I learned that NASA management frequently had astronauts in the Apollo program make visits to subcontractors' manufacturing facilities to do meet-and-greets on the factory floors. They found that QC improved dramatically when workers actually met the people whose lives were depending on good work.

 

[whero]

For me, being prepared is knowing what I need and making sure I have it in the gig bag. There's a DI box. Instrument, speaker and patch cables, with backups for each. Power supply for the effects with 9v batteries for backup. An extension cord and a multi-socket power strip. A box of picks. Spare strings. A basic tool kit with a few various screwdrivers, needle nose pliers with wire cutter built in, an adjustable spanner, a small soldering iron with a few inches of solder. Duct tape and insulating tape. And that all lives in the gig bag all the time, so when I'm heading out to play all I have to do is drop the effects pedals and amp head into the top of the bag, to minimise the chance of taking something out of the bag and forgetting to put it back.

As for the big stuff... I've never had a bass, amp or cabinet or effects unit fail at a gig. I take a spare bass anyway, when it's practical. I've been using a Zoom B1-on multi-effects unit for a while and I'm in the process of getting dedicated single effects and keeping the Zoom as an effects backup. The DI box is there as an amp backup if there's a decent PA available, but I'm thinking about getting a micro head unit, something like a Trace Elliot Elf or TC Electronic BH250, that would live permanently in the gig bag, but haven't got around to it yet.

 

[ak56]

Well I guess if you're prone to breaking strings...

Don't forget to bring a spare car in case you break down on the way

You've seen my car!

 

[chupacerveza]

Had a drummer show up to an out of town gig without the cymbal bag that he left in previous evening’s venue (in another town), fortunately the gig was hosted by a local radio station and one of the sound guys ran to his house for a set of cymbals... it is highly irregular to loan cymbals....

Obviously a cautionary tale and not advice.

 

[guitarflinger]

Gaffer's tape - for covering cable runs where people need to walk. It is black and looks better on the floor than duct tape

 

[Tnavis]

My gear bag/rig is a constantly evolving project. Since I primarily play multi-band, 30-45 minute sets, the goal is for very fast setup and teardown, and with the idea all repairs need to happen at home, as there simply isn't enough time to do anything of substance during the set, and if i discover a major issue 10 minutes before we go on stage.... then I really screwed up during my "pre-flight check" the day of/day before the gig when I packed my gear. Also, in these multi-band shows space is at a premium, so I don't have a lot of room for spare stuff.

I'll bring a backup bass, because swapping basses is quicker than changing a string. I'll bring spare 9-volts, because they're small. I carry a very small "medical pack", which has bandaids, ibuprofen, and spare ear plugs. I bring an extra cable. That's about it.

The handy thing about playing these multi-band shows is that, with three or four other bassists around.... you've got a whole bunch of spare gear if things go south. I've shared my amp head several times at shows, or let a guy borrow a cable, and vice versa.

 

[chupacerveza]

Also, gaffers tape is not duct tape, get gaffers tape. Main difference is that it leaves very little if any residue... and costs four times as much.

 

[phillipkregg]

Have a backup of everything possible. And be rehearsed as possible so the music just plays itself.

I also carry extra drum key, guitar strings, strap, in addition to the usual extra bass, cables, bass strings, etc. I always have a DI box (Noble) and where possible, an extra amp head.

But do you bring an extra car in case you break down on the way to the gig?

 

[MobileHolmes]

Pretty much this. I bring backups for almost everything. Two basses, additional strings, wireless system and cables, i bring a sans amp or darkglass pedal pre as a backup for the amp.

One tip that’s been great for me is to use extra thick speaker cables with speakon connectors that are only as long as needed. Once you go to a certain thickness you don’t gain anything sonically but what’s great about short fat speaker cables is they never become a tangled up mess. Another is since I started using them I’ve never had a speaker cable go bad. Speakon connectors because my first 810 cab (peavey) back in the day only had a 1/4” jack and I was onstage at a gig and anytime I slapped the low B string the cable would get pushed out of the jack on the cab because the jack had gotten worn out and the air pressure was pushing the cable out. I got through the gig by taping the cable to cab, had a speakon jack installed on that cab that week and never went back to 1/4” for speaker cables.

Yeah, I think mine are like a 3 foot and a 6. Just enough to hook up the cabs without too much slack

 

[red_rhino]

Let's see:

• Duct tape
• Zip ties
• Shovel
• Flashlight
• Large plastic tarp
• Latex gloves
• Bleach
• Cash
• Fake Passport
• Burner phone
• Extra clip

Oops, wrong list.

 

[mrjim123]

Aside from speaker cabs and my bass (usually) I have at least one backup for every piece of gear I might use - amp, cables, cords, plus extra batteries, and a small pharmacy (in case of headache, diarrhea, etc.). I always have at least one band member phone number in case something bad happens on the way to the gig (I probably just jinxed myself).

 

[DanAdams]

I'm fine, but I pack 9volt batteries, guitar strings, a notebook and marker even though I don't use them.
The drummers I know are fine too. In my world it's the guitarists who don't pack supplies.
On a separate but related note, my suit has a pocket full of safety pins. It makes me the hero on every wedding dance floor. Those dresses... so fragile.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Twice, I forgot my special Banana plug to Speakon speaker cable (1999 Eden WT500/800 bridged at 800-watts into my 2015 DNS-410 cab) I was close enough to home to run back and get it before the gig, but I had to set my amp up on the pavement of the parking lot off the back of the stage about 3-feet behind the 12" tall stage when I got back.

Rather than be bummed out I thought, "oh boy! I can turn my master up to 10 o'clock or maybe 10:30!" So I set the master at 10:30, played one song, and was asked to turn down. Turned it down to 10 o'clock and still got asked to turn down again. Finally put it at 9:30, which is where I normally put it for inside gigs and that was OK...remember my amp and cab were behind and slightly below the stage on this outside gig.

Next time was when we were playing for a Wings and Wheels fundraiser for the Special Olympics. Rather than go home, the sound crew made a new one up for me and then just kept that in their inventory in case they ever needed it again.

So now that speaker cable and the power cable for the amp are in their own pocket in my gig bag. Gig bags with zippers and internal pockets are wonderful things!

 

[DrThumpenstein]

I got a bag what I call "the bass survival bag" that has anything I might need at a gig. One side has pics, foam and string mute, an ebow, a small headphone amp w/ aux input, a sharpie, a small clip-on light, earplugs and condoms. The other side has a string winder/clipper, truss rod adjustment tools that cover every single bass I have, little allen wrenches for string height/intonation adjustment, a small screw driver. There might be a few other things I don't remember. I always have extra strings and cables. Depending on the gig I might have a backup bass.

Condoms! Kinda like the drum key, something the bass player really doesn't need for himself