Gig Etiquette

[HeavyJay]

I've just had a genius idea.

Some smart person needs to invent a small radio or remote controlled component to attach to your rig (or within it) that can cut the power or volume of your amp from afar if anyone breaks the ground rules for borrowing your amp.

If you see them straying from the good path and putting drinks on top or nudging the gain to dangerous levels then *click*.

Lend or don't lend, it's up to you of course but if one does lend and lay down ground rules then personally I'd love a way to enforce those rules from a bar stool!

[Les]

[quote name='HeavyJay' timestamp='1369840814' post='2093352']
personally I'd love a way to enforce those rules from a bar stool!
[/quote]

A rifle ?

[BassTractor]

[quote name='HeavyJay' timestamp='1369840814' post='2093352']
remote controlled component to attach to your rig (or within it) that can cut the power or volume of your amp
[/quote]

Many moons ago, I found a cheap pot motor that you could mount the (volume) pot in - space in amp permitting of course. Came with a remote, and could be bought in hobby shops.
Have no idea if this stuff is still marketed, but it should not be hard to source a brand name pot motor at a higher price.


best,
bert

[uncle psychosis]

[quote name='iceonaboy' timestamp='1369837515' post='2093293']
Our guitarist had someone by the throat who placed a pint on our powered desk a few years back.
[/quote]

Well at least he was able to deal with it maturely...

[discreet]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1369834042' post='2093212']
...it`s unlikely amps will blow at regular gig volumes, but having drinks placed on them is an accident waiting to happen.
[/quote]

That's right Lozz - there has been a disturbing increase in the incidence of liver disease among young people recently.

[SpaceChick]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1369859265' post='2093716']


That's right Lozz - there has been a disturbing increase in the incidence of liver disease among young people recently.
[/quote]

Lol!! Although liver disease is never a laughing matter!!

On the subject of pedal boards, anyone who attempted to use mine and change the settings would be submitted to a slow and painful death!!

[rOB]

In reference to the OP. Yes you definitely should have been consulted. Sounds like a lack of communication on the part of the promoter.

I play a fair few gigs with other bands on the bill, either us supporting them or the other way round. I will usually lend my gear if asked nicely and ahead of time to help the evening run quickly and smoothly. I'll give them a hand setting the amp and they are told not to change the settings once they're set.

If I don't get asked ahead of time and I didn't feel confident in lending my rig, I'd lend them a DI box so they can play through the PA. Having said that, no one has ever done anything that's made me uncomfortable.

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1369860360' post='2093736']
On the subject of pedal boards, anyone who attempted to use mine and change the settings would be submitted to a slow and painful death!!
[/quote]

I left mine unattended at home once and my 2 year old changed ALL the settings! That was a long evening!

[flyfisher]

[quote name='rOB' timestamp='1369860730' post='2093740']
I will usually lend my gear if asked nicely and ahead of time to help the evening run quickly and smoothly. I'll give them a hand setting the amp and they are told not to change the settings once they're set.
[/quote]

When I've lent my amp to someone, I just let them get on with it and sort out their own settings (unless they're really stumped of course). it's only a 5 second job for me to dial my own preferences back in and it seems a bit mean to lend someone your gear but insist they can't change anything to get their preferred tone.

[rOB]

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1369861222' post='2093751']
When I've lent my amp to someone, I just let them get on with it and sort out their own settings (unless they're really stumped of course). it's only a 5 second job for me to dial my own preferences back in and it seems a bit mean to lend someone your gear but insist they can't change anything to get their preferred tone.
[/quote]
Perhaps I wasn't clear. I'll often give a hand in getting a sound they're happy with.

Has the benefit of giving me an excuse to make sure they don't set it in a way that could possibly do any damage.

[SpaceChick]

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1369861183' post='2093749']


I left mine unattended at home once and my 2 year old changed ALL the settings! That was a long evening!
[/quote]

Ouch!!

Mine gets kept in its gig bag unless I'm using it, I am WAY too worried about anything going tits up on it.

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1369861533' post='2093762']
Mine gets kept in its gig bag unless I'm using it, I am WAY too worried about anything going tits up on it.
[/quote]

Ditto. I had to learn the hard way though haha!

[richardjmorgan]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1369846497' post='2093446']
Many moons ago, I found a cheap pot motor that you could mount the (volume) pot in - space in amp permitting of course. Came with a remote, and could be bought in hobby shops.
Have no idea if this stuff is still marketed, but it should not be hard to source a brand name pot motor at a higher price.


best,
bert
[/quote]
Oh man, I need to get one of them for the other guitarist in my band. Then mount a controller for it on my pedal board.

[CS2]

I personally suscribe to the 'my gear my rules' philosophy. If someone turns up without a bass amp they are assuming they are going to borrow one. Not wise. Now the anecdotes...

I did a two band gig years ago and my guitarist said that the other bassist had asked to use my amp. No. The message was sent and the guy approached me as asked direct. My question was in the vein of 'why would you turn up without an amp?'. It turned out that the guy had come to the gig straight from work and the deal was that his Dad met him at the venue with his gear, only to find he had brought his 15w practice combo (probably cos it was lighter). When I stopped laughing I let him borrow my amp.

I was once asked by a kid at a multi band gig if he could use my bass ( I had a Status in those days), the answer was no. I saw him use my mate's Westone and afterwards, spoke to their drummer. Turns out the kid had bought a bass, couldn't play it and someone had explained that it was a fretless, so he was borrowing fretted ones when he could. I did feel sorry for him.

[DGBass]

[quote name='CS2' timestamp='1369905913' post='2094137']
I personally suscribe to the 'my gear my rules' philosophy. If someone turns up without a bass amp they are assuming they are going to borrow one.
[/quote] After playing local circuits with multiband nights for years I kinda subscribe to a my 'gear my rules' philosophy. I've been lucky in that I can only recall maybe one or two situations where my gear was mistreated. Contact with the other bands and the venue prior to the gig is always best to check if there is a gear share happening. I think when i was lugging a MK8 Peavey head, a 4x10 and 1x15 about i didn't care so much about sharing with anyone as that particular rig was nigh on indestructible. My gear now is a little more delicate and I would likely refuse to share if asked and have the confidence to stand by such a decision. I've never seen a gig cancelled because someone didn't want to share their bass gear with other bands for whatever reason. The DI box was always waiting in the wings.

[Jazzneck]

I must be an a*hole.
My gig = My rig ergo Your gig = Your rig.

I experienced this one.....

Local young band had been booked to play the village pub (50 people max in the bar) about 100yds up the lane from our house.
Publicity had been done and ads out 4 weeks before the event, so they all knew.
8pm on said night there's a knock on my front door - guitard and bass man from said band standing there spaced out and twitching telling me that they had "fogotten" to bring their bass rig (they live 3 miles up the road) and asking could they borrow mine.
Even though this wrankled a bit I told them "OK, just this once" and dragged my Ampeg HPT115 combo to the door for them.
"Ah" says the bassman "I'd prefer to use your V4 head and 4x10 cab - that things too small"
"F*ck Off, you ungrateful bustud" was my reply.
They played the gig - started at 8.40pm - at pretty high volume.
I wandered down to see how they were doing it and discovered that the bassmans Laney combo had miraculousily appeared in time as if by magic.

[TomWIC]

I've got no issue with lending out my gear at gigs, if people ask me in advance, or even on the night. But the last time I did, I got off stage after soundcheck, the next band (the bassist of which had asked to borrow my rig) went on and did their soundcheck. I went back on stage after they were done to move my rig for the next band who were using their own gear, only to find a soggy straw had been inserted into one of the inputs.

"Oh yeah, sorry mate, I was only mucking about, heh heh heh."

Suffice to say, the twat didn't have a rig to use after that. Maybe harsh of me, but I've always believed if you use someone else's gear, you treat it with the upmost care and respect.

[mcnach]

[quote name='TomWIC' timestamp='1370340933' post='2099247']
Suffice to say, the twat didn't have a rig to use after that. Maybe harsh of me, but I've always believed if you use someone else's gear, you treat it with the upmost care and respect.
[/quote]

Harsh of you?

Not one bit! They should count themselves lucky they had a bass player at all after that!

[TomWIC]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1370341984' post='2099273']
Harsh of you?

Not one bit! They should count themselves lucky they had a bass player at all after that!
[/quote]

Admittedly, I wanted to give him a smack, but I calmed down when the sound engineer overheard what was going on, laughed, and told the offending bassist he was f**ked. Luckily, there was no damage caused to my amp. If there had been, I would've walked out with his bass held as ransom until he covered the cost of repair/new amp.

[BassTractor]

Reading how people lend out or don't lend out, I'm wondering whether there's anybody here who's on the borrowing end and who shows no respect for the borrowed gear.
Tmust be me, as I seem the only one who has not posted yet.
Sadly though, if I borrow something, I treat it with the utmost care.


As to lending out, I'm the sucker who can't say no.
Also, I sooo want others to experience the same joy I have with the gear, especially if they're young and unexperienced, that I almost push it.
Yes, I'm a lost case.
On the other hand, before last year, I'd never owned my own amp, and always rented or borrowed. Someone must have lent it out to me.

best,
bert

[Jazzneck]

Willie Shakespeare said it all, IMHO.

[b]Polonius:[/b]
Neither a borrower nor a lender be,
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.[url="http://www.enotes.com/hamlet-text/act-i-scene-iii#ham-1-3-79"]Hamlet Act 1, scene 3, 75–77[/url]

Edited June 4, 2013 by Jazzneck

[tonyquipment]

[quote name='TomWIC' timestamp='1370347565' post='2099399']


Admittedly, I wanted to give him a smack, but I calmed down when the sound engineer overheard what was going on, laughed, and told the offending bassist he was f**ked. Luckily, there was no damage caused to my amp. If there had been, I would've walked out with his bass held as ransom until he covered the cost of repair/new amp.
[/quote]

He would have been wearing his bass as a hat had it been my amp!

Lots of horror stories makes me lol

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1370370236' post='2099893']
Willie Shakespeare said it all, IMHO.

[b]Polonius:[/b]
Neither a borrower nor a lender be,
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.[url="http://www.enotes.com/hamlet-text/act-i-scene-iii#ham-1-3-79"]Hamlet Act 1, scene 3, 75–77[/url]
[/quote]

Yeah, but he got stabbed behind a curtain, and had a name that sounds like a nasty STD. I always felt bad for him and his miserable daughter.

[Stan_da_man]

Bumping this thread.

I've got a gig in a few hours but am in a dicey situation. We're first on and then the 'headline' band. The headline band are providing the drum kit which we've been told about. The amp situation though... I've been told 'Bring guitar amps and bass amp'. This makes it sound like we're providing all the amps unless I'm just being paranoid.

I haven't been asked by the other band or promoter if I'm okay about lending my gear out. I really don't want to feel like an arse and tell them sod off because no prior arrangement was made. Would it be worth taking a chance and just bring my DI box in case this happens? The venue has a great FOH and good monitors. Thanks.

[seashell]

Perhaps they're bringing their own gear but they don't want you to use it? Hence you've been asked to bring your own?