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"your rig or the gig is cancelled"

#161
you are not a backline company and unless being offered payment and a deposit, for guaranteeing a no risk solution for you, I would shoot down that rude demand immediately.

I think you are better off not playing a gig whose organizers act with such a high dose of douchebaggery and posses the nerve to submit mental violence on you to fill up for their short handed management of the gig.
 
#165
I walked into a cafe gig where a jazz trio was closing up and they asked me if I wanted to use the bass combo- I told them "No. I have my own gear" and they seemed somewhat relieved and put off at the same time.

I always carry my own gear and use it. If I had given in to the trio and used their gear I feel it would set a precedent for them to ask me to use my stuff if we ran first - just leave it for them, etc.

To the OP - I'd not even answer the question and I'd just take my toys and leave the whole place instantly.

I don't put up with that sortta garbage and then to tell me the whole show is based on whether I loan or not - I'd tell them the place is gonna echo as I slam the door.

What gombies to make such a threat and I'd never play with that group or any of his managed groups ever again.

I'm setting up as a house band bass substitute (if I actually feel like it) for a new restaurant one town over from where I live and you better bet that on open mic night, my gear is gonna be gone!
 
#166
This thread has convinced me of two things:

1) As much as I think a lot of the places I play are criminally effed up and depressing, I think they must be 1000 times cooler than these horror-story situations y'all seem to frequent.

2) I am really lucky to almost always share the bill with bands who have a lot of class and respect for their fellow musicians (and their gear).

I am really glad to know how lucky I am!
 
#171
Marko5657 said:
I like the old saying...

“Poor planning on your part does not constitute and emergency on my part.”

:)
Click to expand...

I agree.

I've lent my rig as backline before, but it's always been to people who I know to be professionals with reputations that they value. Guess I've been pretty lucky myself, no one has ever tried to pull a bush-league stunt like the OP's situation on me before. If someone's in a bind for a legit reason though, I'm pretty generous - I've been saved a couple times by generous friends.
 
#172
Dan Knowlton said:
Looks like it - and that is a GOOD thing! As the saying goes - "with friends like that, who needs enemas!"

Dan K.
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ZachM said:
I agree.

I've lent my rig as backline before, but it's always been to people who I know to be professionals with reputations that they value. Guess I've been pretty lucky myself, no one has ever tried to pull a bush-league stunt like the OP's situation on me before. If someone's in a bind for a legit reason though, I'm pretty generous - I've been saved a couple times by generous friends.
Click to expand...

I totally get that.
IF there is a legit reason beside that you're a lazy moron, then I'm gonna hook you up.

Don't get me wrong, I'll pretty much let anyone use my rig, but if you're a jackwagon about it, you may end up relying on monitors for your set.
And if you are gonna use my gear, you pretty much better at least strike up a conversation with me. If you don't, again, I hope the monitors sound good to you.

I've had band leaders walk up and ask if their bass player could use my rig. Usually I'll be OK, but I always ask them if their bass player has some kind of speech problem or something and why they couldn't walk up and ask themselves.

You better ask me first- not just expect it, and you better not be a cocky jerk.

I ALWAYS when using someone elses gear make a point of talking to the other bass player, buying them a drink and go as far as I can to play as quietly as I can and try not to touch their EQ. Just out of respect.

But these days with amps being as small as they are, I pretty much take my GB Streamliner to gigs where they supply a backline and use my own amp through the provided cab.
All you have to do is bring a 4 pound amp, not a 4 space rack these days.
 
#173
I don't like using other's gear (even backlines) and I don't like other's using my gear.
BUT, a few years ago we had a headlining gig at the Whisky, Saturday night, summer......seemed like our big moment had arrived. Unfortunately we had recently needed to replace our drummer and this was his first gig with us. While the band before us was on stage our drummer informed us that he did not bring his drum kit to the gig!!!!!
He said, very casually, "Don't worry, I've got a wad of cash in my pocket and I'll just ask the drummer of the band on stage if I can use his kit."
Long story short, about 10 minutes before we were to start the other drummer finally agreed to lend out his kit for $500.
Based on that little stunt, and the fact that he got wasted and played like doo-doo on our big night, we fired that drummer immediately after we were done playing.
 
#174
Never had a problem letting others use my gear, but I totally understand guys that do have a problem..

Until 2 months ago I was gigging with no amp of my own, as a result of sad things that happened for me which dragged 2 years of financial difficulties.. And my amp being 5k miles away from me... Never mind.

If we did gigs with other bands, we would kindly ask if we could use the bass player's rig. If they said yes, I said thanks and rocked on. If not, I said thanks, used the house DI and stage monitor and rocked on. Totally understood the bass player not wanting to let me use his rig, and didn't even think about ruining the friendly vibe between the bands. I see that this is not the case here.

The problem is not them asking you if they can use your rig, but is them not accepting "no" as an answer...
 
#175
groooooove said:
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..
Click to expand...

I'm sure you'll find something else to do.:)
 
#176
The OP's situation has never happened to me.
I'm in the "I don't mind if the context is right and if asked politetly" bandwagon.

The fact that I use a very particular setup (active powered monitors) probably helps the fact that nobody ever asked to borrow my kit. :smug:
 
#177
I occasionally allow people I know and trust to use my bass and/or amp. The single exception was at a bar gig where a keyboard player friend of mine asked if his bass player friend could sit in on a song or two. Since he vouched for him I said yes.

The guy comes up, picks up my bass (doesn't say a word), and gets ready to play the next song. I'm at the back of the bar when the song starts--the bass was so loud and distorted that people all over the bar were covering their ears and yelling for the ******* to turn down. Halfway through the song the bass rig just quit. The ******* just lays down the bass, walks off stage, comes up to me and says "Hey, man, your amp blew up," and walks out of the bar. That was the sum total of our "conversation." I ended up playing the rest of the gig through the mains.

The amp in question was a new Walter Woods Ultra running through two Acme 2x10's. I sent it to Walter, who called me and said "I don't know what happened to this thing, but I cannot fix it." (!!) Walter, God bless him, sent me a cashier's check for the full purchase price (2,400 at the time).

I guess my point is that this jerk would have cost me 2400 dollars if it hadn't been for the sainted Walter Woods.

Never again.
 
#178
I don't let anyone use my gear. Then again, I don't do gigs with multiple bands playing either.

As of late, the only thing I've been bringing to gigs is my GT10B & bass. So even if I did play multi-band shows, someone wanted to use my amp, they'd be SOL.
 
#179
Sufenta said:
While the band before us was on stage our drummer informed us that he did not bring his drum kit to the gig!!!!!
He said, very casually, "Don't worry, I've got a wad of cash in my pocket and I'll just ask the drummer of the band on stage if I can use his kit."
Long story short, about 10 minutes before we were to start the other drummer finally agreed to lend out his kit for $500.
Click to expand...

It's just stunning to me that someone would rather pay 500 bucks to use someone else's gear than get over the bare minimum of effort it takes to bring your own stuff to your own gig. Wouldn't you rather spend that money on a new instrument, or a vacation maybe?
 

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