Venue-provided backline

[asingardenof]

Hi all, our band has been approached to play a gig at a fairly new venue towards the end of the year, c. 500 capacity, all good. The only thing is the venue is apparently insisting on us using their own backline. Our guitarist is a bit iffy about this as she has a Boss Katana modelling amp and uses her footswitch to change modes during our set, but I'm guessing for bass gear they're likely to have something fairly standard like a Fender, Ampeg, etc., and obviously I can use my pedalboard, so I'm not overly worried. I'm just wondering what others' experiences of such arrangements have been, if there are any pitfalls to this approach, any etiquette I need to be aware of, etc.

Edited January 16, 2023 by asingardenof

[gjones]

I play various venues where backline is provided and the guitarists in my band usually bring their own head and use the cabs provided. Bass players are not usually so bothered by what amp they're playing through, as they know they're going to be DI'd and put straight through the desk anyway.

 

One of the venues I play has an Orange bass head, which is really bassy even through the DI, so I bring my own little Gallien-Krueger head and play through their cab. The sound I get onstage and out front is much clearer and the sound engineer doesn't mind.

 

I'm sure the sound engineer won't have a problem if your guitarist brings her own combo.

[la bam]

It's probably just to stop the endless faff the venue might get. (Swap this here, swap that there, put this into that...... let's be honest - all guitarist issues....).

 

Just ask them what kit is supplied.

 

Unless it's terrible just go with it.

 

You can always plug pedal boards into their amps etc in so shouldnt be any issues.

 

If it's done properly the sound guy will be used to the equipment and get a good sound for you.

[Bassfinger]

And ask to see their PAT test certs for the gear.

[Lfalex v1.1]

For what it's worth,  both the best and worst on-stage sounds I've had were using venue- supplied backline.

 

One was Ashdown, one was Hartke and another one was Gallien Kruger/ Ampeg.

 

Nothing  to say you and the guitarist/s can't put some of your kit in front of the house gear in the signal chain. Unless you're using valve amps or something with a power stage that won't play nicely while running with no load.

[Lozz196]

If the use of the Katana is essential to the bands sound and the venue are insistent on only their gear being used pull the gig.
 

I’ve been in this situation a good few years back, provided gear that had to be used at a festival, rotten sounds, not powerful enough. We didn’t sound anything like how we usually did, none of us enjoyed the gig.

[Phil Starr]

If this is a multi-band event you may have to go with it. It won't be a matter of just parking your stuff on stage and playing. There's going to have to be connections to the PA and a balance to set, potentially cabs to mic up and they won't know what standard of care you've taken over your gear and what might not be working as a consequence. Then you've got to take all your stuff down at the end and the next band have to wait whilst you are moving out. It can easily suck up half an hour of everyone's time to change over between two bands.

 

There is no harm in asking though, and if you are the only band it isn't very reasonable.  If it's one of those events where they give each band half an hour then you'll probably have to roll with it or politely turn the gig down.

 

If you go ahead it might be worth chucking your gear in the van anyway. The sound engineers may be a lot more flexible than the promoter (or not)

[PaulThePlug]

Does the Katana have a Simulated Speaker Line Out or DI?... If they don't wish to mike... If thats the only real issue, as mentioned, buddy the sound person.

Edited January 16, 2023 by PaulThePlug