How long does it take?

[maxrossell]

We're a four-piece (drums, two guitar, bass, two vocals), and it usually takes us about twenty minutes to load in and set up, and less than ten to soundcheck. We've learned from experience that the easier you make the job for the soundguy, the more likely he is to make you sound good. Plus we always find it really irritating when other bands take hours.

[stingrayfan]

[quote name='maxrossell' post='479751' date='May 5 2009, 11:19 AM']We're a four-piece (drums, two guitar, bass, two vocals), and it usually takes us about twenty minutes to load in and set up, and less than ten to soundcheck. We've learned from experience that the easier you make the job for the soundguy, the more likely he is to make you sound good. Plus we always find it really irritating when other bands take hours.[/quote]
I'm guessing you're an originals band! Try that with your own PA and add another 40 mins.

[stingrayfan]

[quote name='51m0n' post='479710' date='May 5 2009, 09:51 AM']Working out where everything goes is the biggest issue.[/quote]
It's the arse ache for cover bands that. Every venue is different and there's usually not enough space anyway, so you usually waste time scratching your head working out how the hell you're going to fit into the space, who's going where and then wiring it all up!

[largo]

Slightly different in that most gigs we play are weddings.
5-piece with PA & lights, all instruments through FOH and we expect to be setup, quick sound check & changed in the hour. Everyone pulls their weight !
Any longer and there's wedding guests starting to get impatient wondering why the bands not started.

[gary mac]

I just hate the set up these days.
Played an open air gig on saturday, just a town centre fun day.
The set up went on for about two hours, this was accompanied for the duration by one particular guitarist showing off his many riffs and solos and just generally annoying the hell out of punters and band members alike.

Guess I wouldn't mind the long set up too much if it made for a good sound, but the sound from fold back speakers was just terrible, which caused major problems for the drummer and myself once the singer ditched the set list and launched in to numbers that we hadn't even rehearsed.

Then for the last set a drunken trout from the audience was invited up to provide backing vocals. Of course we could hear her perfectly, the problem being, that although she thought she was a star, she actually made a noise like a cat having it's tail nailed to a tree. Oh joy.

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='bear-foot-bass' post='479455' date='May 4 2009, 09:56 PM']I play in a five piece pub / party classic rock type covers band. Drums, bass, 2 guitars, lead vocals also plays acoustic guitar as well sometimes. We have 4 vocal mikes, guitar cabs are miked, drums are miked. Because we like to put on a professional appearance we have lights that we use unless in the tiniest of pubs. We are lucky in that the PA is owned by the guitarists from previous bands they have been in and do we don't have to fund buying or renting one.
But the downside is that because they have a shedload of gear they insist on using it, and are wannebe sound engineers.
We need to arrive at least 2 hours before live time / end of sound check time to set up all the gear. The guys would really like to double this. I say life's too short and if we can't load in, set up and be ready to go in an hour - especially for a standard pub gig something should go. Should it be? Am I being unreasonable?

Would welcome your thoughts.......[/quote]

We don't have a big PA so about an hour does it. The previous band I was in had a big PA with everything going through it and we could set up in 1 hour at a mad stressful rush or 90 minutes or so at a more leisurely pace. I would say that in some situations setup time is really limited (some weddings spring to mind) so being able to set up in a timely manner and get it right is a good skill to cultivate. If you get to the point that you *need* four hours and the venue won't let you in until 45 minutes before the gig you're screwed!!

[lemmywinks]

An hour or thereabouts, that includes lights and full PA pluys the first round and cigarette.

We usually give ourselves an extra hour just incase an amp has failed, speaker is farting etc.

Being late is one thing, being unprepared is another!

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='gary mac' post='479810' date='May 5 2009, 12:31 PM']I just hate the set up these days.
Played an open air gig on saturday, just a town centre fun day.
The set up went on for about two hours, this was accompanied for the duration by one particular guitarist showing off his many riffs and solos and just generally annoying the hell out of punters and band members alike.[/quote]

I have a theory about this - the absolutely ideal personal "sound check" is to play one note. If it sounds good then shut the **** up!! If you need to do more then keep it to the absolute minimum. Showing off your licks while setting up should be a sackable offence !!

[51m0n]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='479840' date='May 5 2009, 12:57 PM']I have a theory about this - the absolutely ideal personal "sound check" is to play one note. If it sounds good then shut the **** up!! If you need to do more then keep it to the absolute minimum. [b]Showing off your licks while setting up should be a sackable offence[/b] !![/quote]

I helped run a big funk band in college. 18 or 19 piece. After one rehearsal that rule was laid down in stone. Next week we fired one person on the spot for the first transgression (the rule had been reiterated). Never got another unnecessary peep out of anyone for the following 4 months till we folded the band up.

Good rule to work with. And to lay down at any audition.

[spike]

My 9 piece band normally sets up in about 90 minutes.

That's 45 minutes to set up the PA, lights, backline and do a line check.

20 minutes waiting for the singers to arrive.

10 minutes to go and find the horn section who have got bored waiting for the singers to arrive and have wandered off.

12 minutes for singers to check their makeup and do any last minute important text messaging.

3 minutes for soundcheck.

[Thunderthumbs]

We're a five piece functions band.......bass (two cabs + amp), guitar (generally a 4 x 12 cab + amp, but sometimes an AC30 too), keys (2 of), drums (4 piece + kit), vocals/acoustic guitar, PA (4 x bass bins, 2 x tops), lights. I take 2 bass guitars, guitarist uses 3, vocalist has acoustic, three of us singing, everything goes through the desk for the majority of gigs.

The only time we'd expect to take longer than an hour is an upstairs venue. Anything other than that is excessive IMO.

We find half the trouble is handling things more than once. For example, if someone carries by bass cabs in, I'd expect them to be put where I'm going to set up, as I would with anyone else's equipment. Putting stuff all over a dance floor is just time wasting unless it's stuff such as the lighting cables, etc.

It also helps that everyone gets in and gets their job done, then helps out in other areas that take longer. I generally set my gear up, then do monitors. The drummer does his kit then lighting. The guitarist helps lift the PA tops (as they're weighty) and then sets his own gear up. It's all about teamwork.

I know it sounds regimented, but it works.

If the guys asked me to turn up 4 hours early, I think I'd be looking for another band.

[WalMan]

The OP sounds like my lot at times, but theres no way I would be getting there before 7 (what we normally aim for) and its then about 1 1/2 hours to get the PA ready - everyone sorts their own gear and leaves the PA to the vocalist, soundguy & part time PA roadie

Perhaps you have to do what our drummer does & hide round the corner until the PA's all been carried in - at least that's what I reckon he does.

[quote name='51m0n' post='479710' date='May 5 2009, 09:51 AM']Soundcheck is a luxury we never seem to get to, which annoys me, since usually we dont get a soundcheck as we end up waiting for someone to turn up who wasnt involved with the heavy gear.

On the other hand if I'm depping I can be there from car to stage and ready to go in 10 to 15 minutes tops...[/quote]
+ 1 to both of those. The only good thing is the soundguy has a Yamaha digital desk so the basic settings are stored for the regular gigs and for those of us using IEM's we deal with our own stage mixes.

Did have to have a sit down with the sound guy a few months back as the rig seemed to be expanding & changing all the time. Following that it has pretty much stopped and we had a big technical rehearsal with the PA to set & store a basic sound set for everyone

[quote name='gary mac' post='479810' date='May 5 2009, 12:31 PM']Then for the last set a drunken trout from the audience was invited up to provide backing vocals. Of course we could hear her perfectly, the problem being, that although she thought she was a star, she actually made a noise like a cat having it's tail nailed to a tree. Oh joy.[/quote]
The joy of the toneless drunken bint where the only pluss might be a nice @rse to get distracted by Thankfully with the sound guy he can mute such problems and we then just have split the view between watching the writhing, and him listening to gher soloed on 'phones & p155ing himself laughing.

As for 4 hours.I rather think not, though sometimes it can get tight to start time with the PA and certain member dream of a vocal PA on a couple ot tripods set up in 0 sec flat

[thepurpleblob]

Actually, the only thing that annoys me more than mucking around setting up is mucking around taking it down. The, "oh we'll just go for a smoke", "we'll just go and talk to our mates" etc. effect. No you won't. Take it down, put it in the van, I'll go home and you can do whatever you like

Edited May 5, 2009 by thepurpleblob

[Thunderthumbs]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='479913' date='May 5 2009, 02:05 PM']Actually, the only thing that annoys me more than mucking around setting up is mucking around taking it down. The, "oh we'll just go for a smoke", "we'll just go and talk to our mates" etc. effect. No you won't. Take it down, put it in the van, I'll go home and you can do whatever you like [/quote]
Amen brother

[51m0n]

I 'kin [b]HATE[/b] tear down

I've been in bands where I ran the PA and was bass bod. I'd end up tearing down with my girlfriend (nothing to do with the band other than wanting to get home) whilst every other b@5t@rd in the band got the beers in and had a chit chat with their mates. I was livid!

Nowadays it should be better, but again the vox and keys typically have to get going the moment they come off stage, and we're left doing the hard work. Drives me right up the wall!!!

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='51m0n' post='479937' date='May 5 2009, 02:22 PM']I 'kin [b]HATE[/b] tear down

I've been in bands where I ran the PA and was bass bod. I'd end up tearing down with my girlfriend (nothing to do with the band other than wanting to get home) whilst every other b@5t@rd in the band got the beers in and had a chit chat with their mates. I was livid!

Nowadays it should be better, but again the vox and keys typically have to get going the moment they come off stage, and we're left doing the hard work. Drives me right up the wall!!![/quote]

I've got into screaming fights over this and I'm not really the screaming and fighting type. It just comes down to what sort of person you are. For me 1am is well past my bed time and I want to get out of there. For others it's just the beginning of the night and there's no rush. However, at 1am don't expect me to be remotely reasonable about it

[risingson]

45 minutes would be fair, but if we're using the bigger P.A then a bit longer. We all know by now not to be leisurely with setting up, especially not at weddings where we're working to a timescale.

[OldGit]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='479913' date='May 5 2009, 02:05 PM']Actually, the only thing that annoys me more than mucking around setting up is mucking around taking it down. The, "oh we'll just go for a smoke", "we'll just go and talk to our mates" etc. effect. No you won't. Take it down, put it in the van, I'll go home and you can do whatever you like [/quote]


As the official "punter relations" guy I absolutely hate it when our drummer plays his last crash and then goes looking for the stage striplights as fast as he can, and get the hump if people don't strip their gear down as fast as possible.

That first 15 minutes after we've finished I go schmoozing the crowd and punters and staff of the venue and it can get us loads of future bookings .. so that's a lot more important than getting home 15 minutes early.

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='OldGit' post='479987' date='May 5 2009, 03:26 PM']As the official "punter relations" guy I absolutely hate it when our drummer plays his last crash and then goes looking for the stage striplights as fast as he can, and get the hump if people don't strip their gear down as fast as possible.

That first 15 minutes after we've finished I go schmoozing the crowd and punters and staff of the venue and it can get us loads of future bookings .. so that's a lot more important than getting home 15 minutes early.[/quote]

I don't disagree, but as long as that's agreed and cool with everyone. It's when the 15 minutes turns into an hour and the guy who has work tomorrow is now blazing mad that it becomes an issue.

[maxrossell]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='479754' date='May 5 2009, 11:21 AM']I'm guessing you're an originals band! Try that with your own PA and add another 40 mins. [/quote]

Yeah, pretty much. We've done gigs with PA hire too, and it does tack on another forty easy, if not more.

[Shaggy]

Band no 1: 2.5 kW PA, crossover, everything down to the cow-bell miked, multicore cable 5 miles long and the width of Dirk Diggler's ----, 2 guitar full stacks (even though they’re miked), huge drum kit, (bass DI & small head/2x10 monitor): 1 hr setting up plus 1 hr fannying about with the sound. Packing up seems even worse.

Band no 2: basic PA, 2 guitar combos, 2 mikes, drum machine (big bass rig backline only). 20 minutes max, soundcheck is the first song.

The best thing about being famous must be having roadies / sound crew, forget the groupies……

[TimR]

45mins.

1K PA, Lights, bass drum miked, vocals, backing vocals, guitar DI'd, keyboards and sax.

Could be quicker but drummer has to tune his kit every gig

The keyboard player and I own the PA. We take an extra cut for storing, maintaining, transporting and setting it up. We also dismatle and pack it (carefully) but everyone helps with load in and load out.

What are they going to pay you for those extra 3 hours? If they're going to add £75 to your pay, I'd agree.

[Telebass]

1 hour tops with the usual kit. 2 hrs tops otherwise. 4 hours? How would anyone fit that in on a Friday if you've a day job?
For something like the Tavy Summer Solstice festival, it's wait your turn, set up in 20 mins, 10 min sound check, go for it!
Forgot to add 5 for hoiking the (inevitable) rain of the top of the stage canvas...

[xzodar]

14 piece covers band with decent PA and lighting rig. Normally myself and the sound engineer load in and set up the PA and lights which at a steady pace takes an hour (by which time everything is running and all mics line checked etc).

Following that, it's time to get the talent in and set up which can usually be completed in about 30 minutes followed by a sound check. So 2 hours max. This generally get's complicated by people not turning up at the time that they are asked to

We can be loaded out and in the cars on the way home about 1 hour after the gig finishes.

[mike257]

I always try and learn how to set up everyone else's gear too, because mine's only a 2 minute job. I can do the drummer's kit just as quick as him now, and the guitar stuff is a breeze to do. It brings the set-up time right down, and saves the day if there's any problems or one person is held up. Well worth doing.