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"your rig or the gig is cancelled"

groooooove

groooooove

Supporting Member
Dec 17, 2008
9,046
6,893
Long Island, NY
#1
thats right. was asked to do a local bar gig with 5 or so acts. was asked if they could all use my amp (brickhouse cabinets and markbass heads. not an inexpensive rig.) i politely replied that im sorry, but nobody but me uses my rig.

i was then brigaded with rude text messages about how far the one band has to drive to get to the gig, and how if i don't let them use my rig the gig is off.

i've gotten heat for my "my amp = just me" policy over the years, but this is by far the worst.

looks like i dont have a gig that night..
 
#6
I can understand your feelings. I also sometimes shy away from letting others use my amp, but in my case it's only because I don't want to feel obligated to hang around all night! In one case where it was clearly a condition of the gig I said yes, but only if the bands chipped in and gave me a rental fee. Worked for me! If your concern is wear and tear I can dig it, but for me the money in my pocket was worth it.
 
#7
Yep, no gig.

After many requests like this I started telling people it required a $2000 cash deposit, refundable after said rig was given a clean bill of health by a (insert manufacturers name here) authorized service/repair center the cost of which would be deducted from their deposit.

The requests stopped.

What kind of band travels with no gear?
 
#8
Mirios said:
Who is running the show? Would seem they should be providing backline.
Click to expand...

the guitarist of the NJ based band..

i get what theyre saying and all, but whats worse- me not budging - or them taking an out of state gig and not being willing to bring an amp..

i have a feeling its not the band that said "we cant bring a rig." i think the guitarist whos a friend of mine was just trying to help them out and never even asked if they could bring an amp.
 
#14
What an odd thing to ask. I can't imagine hiring a band for a gig where either the band or the house doesn't provide all equipment needed. To ask another band which happens to be on the bill to provide backline for all of them?!?!?! Crazy.
 
#15
so i play jazz now which is pretty cool and adult like.... when i used to play funk.... id usually say something like "use my amp if I use your girlfriend/wife/sister". So never really had that issue.
 
#18
I like your non-budging-ness.

I could see helping out one dude if he went out of his way to talk to you about it personally. At least bring a head to the gig, cabs being cumbersome and all.

If you have to backline all 4 bands with some premium stuff to get a gig, someone is not negotiating well for you.
 
#20
its not through any sort of management.. were all "friends" to an extent- and the bar is not set up for live music. they have a portable 2 1x15" type of PA. and the owner (of the bar) who has nothing to do with any of this, is a close friend of mine and other people playing that night.

so its not a "real" gig. its sort of a friends jamming at a buddys bar. it's still ridiculous, though.
 

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