Why so long to set up?

[Delberthot]

14 years in the same band gets us:

Me - set up my amp, cab, pedals, bass, music stand and a pair of iColour 4 lights with controller

Drummer - Drums, mic and monitor

Keyboard Player - 2 keyboards, vocal harmoniser, backline combo for bigger gigs, monitor

Guitarist - combo, 2 guitars, desk, connect the power amps to the desk

Whoever is finished their bit first will help run the leads to the subs and tops and help anyone else.

Then we all get changed.

Usually takes about 45 minutes. We're normally there an hour before we are due to start despite knowing that 99% of weddings run late by some degree.


Even playing in an unfamiliar band normally takes and hour tops.

If its new to you then it will take longer at first but you'll get quicker at it. If one of you has a garage, try practicing setting up to see what works best for you so that you all have something to do and aren't falling over each other.

I've based my entire setup on being to be able to get in and out quickly.

[farmer61]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1345519' date='Aug 19 2011, 02:58 PM']Unfortunately it doesn't always work like that. While everyone will probably still have a really
good night,they may not forget about your set up if you end up delaying things like
the cutting of the cake,or if no one can get in the room for hours.[/quote]
Well fortunately for me I've only ever played relaxed do's where the wedding party do really mind too much if things don't run like clockwork.

That's why proper function bands exist to play the weddings that do need strict timings adhered to.

[icastle]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1345538' date='Aug 19 2011, 03:14 PM']I've based my entire setup on being to be able to get in and out quickly.[/quote]

I've based my entire life on that...

[algmusic]

3 hours is a joke.

1hour should be fine, but we always tell the client 90mins incase we have any suprises. But you seriously could end up losing work that way. Sometimes we have to set up in front of the audience due to the design of the Venue. Also you're travelling far to the gig, you'll be getting up at 6am the rate you guys are going :-)

In one band, We all load everything from cars or the van, then you have me setting setting up my drums and mics and the bassist and guitar/singer setting up the PA. When I've finished my drums, I setup the lights while they are setting up their guitars and acoustic guitars, then usually we're ready for sound check. We DI everying as we use inears as it's less hassell than having wedges. Included in the set up we have: twin subs, 3 vocs, Kick + Snare mic'ed, Bass Di'd, guitar mic'ed & two acoustic guitars DI'd

I think you have one major issue and one smaller that would help..

[b]Big issue - your band is simply faffing around and need to see setting up as a military operation.[/b]

So get all your cables in order (folded in bag properly from last gig).
Only carry what you need and a few extra backup cables so you're not looking for a needle in haystack for one lead.
Speaker cables labelled and folded up neatly and were possible have the cable in the cover of the speaker or amp.
Tell the guitarist, to sort out his 'sound' at home
Tell the drummer to get markers on a drum mat so his stands and drums are quicker to set up
I usually find it's easier to get everyone to
Try to leave the mixer settings in a similar place, so you should be just tweeking the sound when you sound check
Tell the whole band to practice setting up at home to help with speed.
[b]Everyone[/b] should have a job setting up all the gear.

And NEVER STOP TO TALK, ALWAYS BE doing something.. It also looks very unprofessional to the client


[b]Smaller issue[/b]

We use Active speakers, so you don't have the amp to worry about, which is less to carry and less to cables to plug in. We all use inears, but that's not everyone's bag, but we have no monitors on stage and mean setup is quicker and sound check is easier


[b]Remember it's a job[/b]

[Happy Jack]

Now a 4-piece: 2 x guitar, 1 x bass, 1 x drums.

We play almost entirely pub gigs, usually in reasonably cramped situations, often with dodgy load-ins.

We allow one hour for set up, and one hour (including 20 minutes of faffing around and having a beer time) for break down.

Do NOT allow the drummer to set up first. Do the backdrop (if any), the lights (if any), and above all the PA first. Trying to route all those cables around the place, and get to the back of the PA to make sure the right things are plugged into the right places, while it's full of drums and cymbals is a nightmare.

Then the drummer can set up while everyone else deals with their own bits.

When breaking down, do NOT allow the drummer to break down first. He'll fill your limited working areas with huge drum cases and bitch at you if you dare to move anything before he's [s]had another fag and two pints of London Pride [/s]finished dismantling his kit and put it all away.

[Truckstop]

+1

I never understand why everyone worries about the drum kit. You can set up the stands away from the stage area while the PA/Backdrop/Groupies are being set up and if everyone helps out it only takes 5 minutes.

And yeah, it's a job here. If you had to make a presentation at a 'proper' job 2 hours late, or if you infringed upon the CEOs lunchtime/golftime, you'd be in trouble. That's why you practise. You should practice setting up and breaking down your stage as a matter of course, particularly if its a big band with lots of mics and sound checks etc.

3 hours is a bit of a joke. If i'd hired a band and they took that long to sort themselves out, I'd be asking serious questions about how much these guys need to be paid. Setting up quickly and in a rehearsed manner oozes professionalism.

Truckstop

[algmusic]

I must admit, I have the rule to it quickly. On bass, if i'm just playing with a band. I can be set in 5mins including settin up my mic stand and have my DI cable ready for the desk.. on drums, it's 20mins- 30mins with inears or electronics (tops)

Why waste time when you could be at home for an hour longer or at least doing something more interesting.. setting up is boring, playing is fun :-)

[MartyBRebelMC]

When i first started with the last band I was in the setup times were ridiculous...not quite 3 hrs but easily 2 and we came up with a plan of action for each band member based on there availability i.e. the drummer generally just looks after there own setup as it takes longer and they know just how they like it.. I would run power, others would run mic cables/foldback etc. we each knew what we were there to do and the whole thing got quicker.

It didn't however speed up the guitarists ability to plug in their 'infinite befuddlement midi controlled w@nkathon pedalboards' ...but don't get me started on why some guitarists 'need' a million programmable patches (none of which sounds any feckin' good or indeed different from one another) to do a few covers...

Anyway in response to you original post - we found good delegation helped speed the process up.

[Chris2112]

I am a huge fan of the 'finer detail' in getting your sound right. But is faffing around over the minutiae slowing you down? Sometimes it can pay to be objective and step back. Balancing the volume of the crash cymbal against the china cymbal might seem a worthwhile pursuit if your drummer fancies himself as Neil Peart but at your typical wedding or function band it's not the end of the world, especially as the acoustics of the room change once it's full of guests - sort out the minor details on the fly!

I also favour being out of the room prior to guests coming in if I can afford that. It looks a bit sloppy if guests come in for drinks and the band is still traipsing about the stage and wheeling kit in and around the room. A little bit of soundcheck theatre can be fun but you don't want the guests feeling like they've arrived early when these things should be happening behind the scenes.

[Mikeg]

At one of my gigs at the youth centre it took us 3 hours to set up, but we did have to fix the lights. And I had to run back to my house to get some leads because my guitarist's broke

[Blademan_98]

At my daughters 18th the band were all friends of mine. They did the gig for free (well beer and food )

Very professional, 5 piece band who set up in an hour and then settled down to enjoy the evening before performing two 1 hour sets.

They were out in 30 minutes at the end of the evening.

I'm in an acoustic duo so I'm set up in 20 minutes (PA / Bass Amp / 4 guitars / 2 stools) back out in 10 minutes!

Practise makes for a quick setup / break down

Edited August 19, 2011 by Blademan_98

[markstuk]

Unless there are serious gear issues about an hour to set up and 30 mins to break down seems sensible... Practice and a routine of who does what help immensely..

[quote name='Blademan_98' post='1345584' date='Aug 19 2011, 04:00 PM']At my daughters 18th the band were all friends of mine. They did the gig for free (well beer and food )

Very professional, 5 piece band who set up in an hour and then settled down to enjoy the evening before performing two 1 hour sets.

They were out in 30 minutes at the end of the evening.

I'm in an acoustic duo so I'm set up in 20 minutes (PA / Bass Amp / 4 guitars / 2 stools) back out in 10 minutes!

Practise makes for a quick setup / break down [/quote]

[nottswarwick]

Too long.

We are drums, bass, lead gtr, and 2 front men who alternately play gtr and or sing, so basically 3 gtr amps in total.

Often we have a full lights truss and backdrop.

So everyone has a job.

I and one other put the truss up. Then he puts lights and backdrop on while I rig the Pa and monitors and desk. Meanwhile drummer sets his sh*t up, lead does his and other singer does power, mic leads and stands.

Drummer then puts his mics into desk and I throw my rig up in 5 mins and di.

At this point final touches are being put to the lights and if we are providing the DJ too this is plugged in. I am at this point line checking the Pa and then off we go quick soundcheck I go out front and tweak desk.

An hour to hour and a half once loaded in.

We are a pretty well oiled machine to be fair but it comes with practice. We accept that some of the band do less and know less and we get on with it without standing about chatting.

[Thurbs]

Thanks for the replies.

I think you are echoing what I originally thought...

1. Everyone should have separate responsibilities.
2. Don't mess about but get on with it.
3. Only take the gear you need.
4. Mark up levels for the next time.

Regarding breakdown, that is never an issue and we are usually gone in 40 minutes.

[LiamPodmore]

We can do an hour for load in, setup and soudncheck pretty easily if we want to. Depending on the gig we normally give ourselves 90 minutes to do it all, so it's pretty relaxed (Only pub gigs btw) and we get it done easily. We have a powered mixer, 4 cabs that are daisy chained in pairs, 2 vocal mics, 2 guitar amps (Guitarists are simple, both have combos, one has a distortion pedal, other has a 1 button footswitch and occasionally a wah, no pedalboards whatsoever) bass amp, and the drum kit. No mics on guitar, bass or drums. Some gigs we have given ourselves 2 and a half to 3 hours, but those we had us on, another band, and an acoustic act opening, so more amps and gear to setup, and more soundchecks to do, even then it only took 2 hours from load in.

Liam

[Marvin]

[quote name='Dave Vader' post='1345495' date='Aug 19 2011, 02:43 PM']4HOURS!?!?!?!? In the Pig?!?!?!
Are you bringing the gear in one lead at a time, on foot, from bideford?
I still think turning up 2 and a half hours early to allow time for our 45 minute set up and soundcheck to go horribly wrong is too much. But it makes us more relaxed when everything does go wrong as *I* have time to fix it.

Yes vocal PA and backline will do, maybe stick the bass drum in the PA as well, that should do it for most pub gigs round here. (and don't let my drummer and guitar player tell you otherwise, their channels are often muted, and only plugged in to make them feel better)[/quote]

We had a guy on 'the desk' last time He asked me to turn my amp down as it was louder than I was through the PA. Solution of course would be TO PULL THE PLUG AND I WON'T GO THROUGH THE PA. Enough to make you pull ya hair out.

[quote name='Johnston' post='1345507' date='Aug 19 2011, 02:51 PM']4 Hours Are you sure no one was being a bit thick and carrying the stuff back out to the cars as yous were bringing it in!!![/quote]

[JTUK]

That is not a complicated rig so 30 mins minimum at comfort speed and 1 hr absolutely tops in a lazy mood.

People need to delegate certain parts and all pitch in.

I do bass and P.A cable run and lights..and anything else that needs doing, for example. Nobody is standing around but we aren't rushing either.

[nottswarwick]

Actually it is worth saying that during break down take time to put it all back properly, coil leads nicely etc, take out any leads that don't work for repair etc. This I reckon saves alot of time next time you set up.

[risingson]

3 hours is insane, as quite a few people have pointed out! We've got a bigger setup to do with our band and we're pretty much always done within half an hour to 45 minutes, leaving 10 minutes to soundcheck. You need to get priorities in order and stop with the egos, you're not being paid to take that long to set up either so it's not at all in your interest to take that long! Be the one who gets things done and inspire the rest of them.

[Ross]

3-4 hours.
I've set up sound and lights for a large concert hall in an hour and a half with the help of 1 other person before, just thought it all out carefully and got it right the first time. Then probably 20 minutes to soundcheck, easy job.
Stop having so many tea breaks you pansys...

[stingrayPete1977]

Nothing empties a pub quicker than two guitarists messing around with their amps for an hour before the gig starts, Beleive me I have been in those bands, the punters think you are about to start if they hear noise too. Pubs wont re book you and it looks bad at a weddings/functions infact as many of you know often there is no sound check at weddings so it just has to be done during the first song on the fly, we used to choose a good song so as the singer was free to fiddle a bit as we went.

[Marvin]

[quote name='Johnston' post='1345646' date='Aug 19 2011, 05:13 PM']I'm sorry but I just have visions of a Laurel and Hardy style film. One of yous going around putting stuff up and someone else taking it down thinking it belongs to someone else [/quote]
You were at our last gig weren't you

[Marvin]

[quote name='Johnston' post='1345703' date='Aug 19 2011, 06:11 PM']the Benny Hill theme was a nice touch [/quote]
I insisted on including it, it's got a nice basslline

[ThomBassmonkey]

How long does it take you to set up amps and cymbals? Because if it's more than 10 minutes, you just ruled yourself out of playing any festivals. If it takes you 2 hours and 50 minutes to set up drum shells and a PA, you're definitely doing something wrong.

My band can generally set up full back line, PA and soundcheck in an hour or so if we're on the ball.

The key IMO is making sure you're not getting in each others' ways. I make sure that I stack my amp straight away and my basses are left off stage until I'm ready for them. Leads go into amp and the laptop case I keep my head in gets put off stage and my basses come out, get tuned and one stays out while the other goes back in the case. The drummer usually sets up his stands off stage while I set up my amp then when I'm tuning, he's putting up his kit. Guitarist uses a small combo so he works around us. If we're using our PA, that goes up last around whatever we're using for back line.

[Merton]

Re the OP set up, that sounds small compared to our rig so I gotta say 3 hours is a lot! We can do one hour at a push but like and hour and a half:

Powered Mackie tops and bins
Full lighting rig including truss with star cloth and 8 various lights, plus 2 other stands of lights, all DMX'd
3 vox
2 guitars, one mic'd one DI'd
Bass DI'd
Drums all individually mic'd plus an overhead
3 separate monitor mixes

Thing is we all know certain parts of the set up so just get in with our bit whilst mercilessly ripping the piss out if each other