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What do you take to a performance ?

Stuff I usually have with me

In The Car:
  • Lots of Spare Change... some of the places we play, we gotta load up the meter its cheaper than paying the guy $8 to park downtown.
  • Flashlights

Gear Bag:
  • Extra Cables (3-4 usually)
  • Extra Power Cables
  • Extra Surge Protector/Power Strip
  • Extra strap with straplocks
  • Extra strap without straplocks
  • Amp Footswitch
  • Extra set of used strings
  • Bottle of Fingerboard Cleaner
  • Bottle of Fingerboard Oil
  • Bottle of String Cleaner
  • Bottle of Guitar Polish
  • A rag or two
  • Rodie Wrench
  • Tool Kit (including needle nose and flat nose pliers, angle wire cutters, and ratchet screwdriver).
  • Compact Guitar Stand (just in case I forget my nice one)
  • Permanant Marker
  • Non-Permanant Marker (Whiteboard marker)
  • Bottle of water (depends on if I have any or remember to bring one)
  • Some kind of bug repellant (just in case for the outdoor gigs)
  • Earplugs (Never had to use them, but just in case)
  • Small LED Flashlight

Pocket:
  • Picks (never know when the guitarist is gonna lose theirs or you might feel like pulling one out)

In Hand:
  • Bass Stand
  • Basses in cases
  • Amp
 
Besides all of the obvious extra strings, wire cutter, etc. I always bring my Craftsman Hand Drill. It is lightweight and can fit into your case of back pack. If you have to open up your cabinet or tighten strap buttons, or anything like that, it keeps my hands from getting cramped up from unscrewing and screwing in 20 screws. I also always bring towel. There is nothing worse than being covered in sweat before the show even starts from a very hot load in.
 
One or two basses with straps (fretted and fretless). Eden WTX-260 or WT550 head. Spare fuses in the 550 bag. One or two Eden D112XLT cabs. Cables for the cabs.

Gig Bag: 15- and 4-foot instrument cables, Peterson StroboStomp tuner, SM58 and cable, folding bass stand, 10ft power strip, outlet tester, clamp-on music stand (clamps to mic stand), music light, 9v batteries, wiping cloths, water bottle.

Extras: Red and blue clamp-on spotlights, clamp-on 5x7 "card" holder, second folding bass stand, extra instrument cables.
 
For tomorrow's outdoor gig in unfamiliar territory I have the following belt-n-suspenders stuff, since I'm often the first one to arrive:

- two milkcrates, loaded with 12-guage extension cords
- two Furmans, one for PA, one for stage amps
- two Fender 1270 co-ax monitors (lifesavers if space is tight)
- extra speaker cables for PA
- quarters for parking meters
- extra IEC power cables,
- extra guitar strap (no straplocks)
- straplock parts, + bamboo sticks to repair button pull-out
- spare car keys (on wife's keyring)
- fluids, immodium, gum, and hand towels
- leatherman tool and flashlight
- clip-on music stand
- folding two-wheeler
- felt pad to keep rack case from sliding off speaker cabs

Before leaving I'll google-map the nearest hardware store, Radio Shack, restaurants (for food or restroom needs).

For tomorrow's outdoor gig I pulled an aerial map and county assessor's photo of the property so we know where to set up and park before getting there.

This is travelling light for me.
 
I'm quite a light traveller.

1 or 2 basses, depending upon circumstances. Never fewer.
Amp (+power lead)
2 instrument leads (a long one, and a shorter one as a spare)
Tuner (+short instrument lead)
2 spare 9V batteries (one for me, one for the guitarist)
1 strap
Shure SM58 (+lead +stand)
Notebook + pen
Stand (if the mood takes me)

Things that I should probably carry with me, but never do:

Spare power lead for amp
More instrument leads
Power strip
Screwdriver
Torch
Spare strap
Ear plugs (my current band is not loud, so I don't need them yet)

S.P.
 
2 basses
1 or 2 Avatar b210's depending on gig.
2 4-space soft racks
big duggle bag of cords, batteries, floor pedal, foot switches, tools, etc.
2 bass stand

or the variant:
2 basses
1 Avatar b210
1 4-space soft rack
Line6 x3 Live
big duggle bag of cords, batteries, floor pedal, foot switches, tools, etc.
2 bass stand
 
Most gigs:

1) Swr 'Mo bass head (Not the "pre-amp" only version)
2) Ampeg classic 8-10
3) Sure ULX wireless
4) Sans amp programmable DI (also used in the event that cab or amp fails (FOH).
5) 2 basses.
6) Backpack with extra cables,tuner, tools and emergency 800mg ibuprofen.
7) 1 guitar stand.
8) Earplugs

No other gig has required me to use more than that, for now at least.
 
I always take everything in the world I could need, plus everything the guitarists could need, plus extra strings, leads, picks, etc. I have even taken an extra Strat when I suspected they would not take a spare guitar. I take extra drum sticks, batteries for guitar effects, water for everyone, pedal connectors, you name it.

It is easier just to take it than to get into a thing about not having it there.
 
1. 4x10 Bass Cab
2. 3 Space Anvil case containing:
SVT3 Pro
Rack tuner
3. Anvil case containing:
2 Instrument cables
1 speaker cable
2 Power cables
4 Mic Cables
1 Microphone
Tools (screwdriver, allen, etc)
Batteries
Extra strings
DI Box (you never know when you'll need it)
Foot switch for ampeg
Fold up guitar stand
(^ Yes, it all fits and it's a small case!)
4. Bass Guitar Case

I can set up and tune in less than 5 minutes.
 
I carry a spare of everything-save Amp/cabs!!! 2 basses, all sort of connectors(XLR-jack, RCA-Jack etc.. U never know) Spare leads- inst.& spkr. Mic leads & clips, gtr stands, DI, tuner, leads, gaffa tape, batteries(9v), spare power adaptors, Gtr straps, strings,fuses..........list goes ON...... BUT I don't take a spare set of tubes(pre OR power) in my 30 yrs gigging I've NEVER needed 'em - so IF this happened, it's be a case of bringing out my BDDI21 DI unit & go straight into PA.
 
I'm psyched to see a lot of fans!! Everyone always pokes fun at me (at least until they step in front of it, then it's; where did I get it and how much was it?:spit:)

the gig:
fan (1st thing plugged in, last thing broken down!)
1 bass/amp
1 tuner pedal/power supply
cables - 1 extra
1 set extra strings
extra strap
extension cord
Purell
towel
stand
dolly
book of charts

the car:
extra stand
lots of clothes (for some reason i'm paranoid about having extra clothes)
extension chords
tools
 
Where to start... LOL.

I bring a bass bag that holds two basses, an aluminum briefcase that with foam cut-outs, a cloth cable-bag, and a duffle bag.

Here's an itemized list. I bring two of each of these:

- Bass (both in double bass bag)
- Strap (in the bass bag)
- Cable (in a cable bag)
- 9V battery (package in briefcase)
- Flashlight (one in my pocket - Streamlight MicroStream, one in the briefcase - Surefire EB-1)
- Leatherman Wave (one in my pocket; one in the briefcase)
- Black Sharpie (I like the retractable ones, one in my pocket; one in the briefcase)
- Silver Sharpie (both in the briefcase)
- Ballpoint pen (one in my pocket, one in the briefcase)
- Roll of gaff tape (both in duffle bag)
- Tuner (one's built into my Line6 Bass POD xt Live, one in the cable bag)
- Ear plugs (one pair in my pocket, one in the briefcase)
- Quadbox (both in duffle bag)
- Set of strings (backup set for each bass, both in briefcase)
- Hand towel (cable bag)
- Wrist sweatband (one on my wrist, one in the cable bag)
- DI (Line6 Bass POD xt Live and cheapie Rolls $70 active DI, former loose and latter in briefcase)
- XLR cable for DI (both in cable bag)
- Grounded-to-groundless outlet adaptor (both in cable bag)

I also carry four 3' cables.

I bring one of each of these:

- Stick of deodorant (briefcase)
- Rubbers (briefcase)
- Guitar stand (my guitarist & I share one, when closed it looks like a tweed Fender case, and when open, holds 7 guitars/basses)
- Extra t-shirt (duffle bag)
- Bottle of Tylenol (briefcase)
- Package of Gas-X chewables (briefcase)
- Package of Lactaid pills (briefcase - I'm lactose intolerant and our riders are not always followed)
- Transformer (cable bag)
- Gender bender (cable bag)
- Cable tester (cable bag)
- Battery tester (cable bag)
- Set of Allen wrenches (briefcase)
- Superglue (briefcase)

Other misc:

- Zipstrips
- Zoom H2 (we record every show)
- Audio-Technica Pro24 stereo mic (for the H2)
- 9' boom stand (for the Audio-Technica)
- 2x goosenecks
- Canon S3 IS digital camera with wide-angle adaptor & lens
- A couple spare SD cards (for both camera & Zoom H2)
- A few packages of AA lithium batteries (for both camera and Zoom H2)
- Business cards
- CDs to sell
- "The CD Seller" with attached mic stand ( http://www.thecdseller.com - I *love* this thing)
- Set lists (6 copies - one for each of the guys in my trio, one for the soundguy, 2 spares)
- Input list (3 copies - one for the soundguy, one for the monitor guy, 1 spare)
- Calling cards (like business cards, but with all 3 of the guys' in my band's personal cell numbers, for the soundguy, in case we wander off to eat before the show and he needs us for anything - we do not give these out to the public)
- 4x Motorola walkie-talkies (for bigger outdoor shows)
- Laminates with lanyards (if needed)
- Keys to the van!
- Drum key (briefcase)
- I'm sure I'm forgetting a dozen other things, but that's a pretty good start...
 
In my bass case:
my bass
extra strings
extra 9v battery
picks
crown bag w/tools, pliers, allen wrench, etc
beer koozie
brass knuckles

In my rack case:
power amp
preamp, pedals, tuner
guitar stand
power strip
cables

+ my cabinet. so I have 3 things t keep up with, 4 if I bring my backup bass