Was our 'gig etiquette' really that bad?

[witterth]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='643245' date='Nov 2 2009, 11:12 AM']I went to a jam night the other week in Croydon. After I had been with my lot, I put my bass in the gigbag. The jam night organiser came up to me a bit later and told me there was someone that wanted to play bass with the next band up, but he didn't have a bass so could he borrow mine?

I felt a bit of a ar5e saying no, but I didn't know this bloke from Adam, so I wasn't going to trust a total stranger not to scratch up my pride & joy. Perhaps people assume that my CIJ mustang is some kind of cheapo bass as its not as big as a 'proper bass'. Of course it isn't - the current RRP for a new one is £739.99. I almost feel like in future I should not go to jam nights as getting the skunkeye from this chap's bandmates put a bit of a dampener on the evening for me. Or maybe I should make a point of taking one of my weird little Ashborys instead.[/quote]
No you're not an ar5e. you're in the right!
sod him, the lazy geyt, and the horse his "mates" rode in on!!!!

[TimR]

I'm happy to lend my bass to someone who is just passing sees its a jam night and pops in. As soon as they pick it up you can tell if they know what they are dong. If in doubt ask them to show you some licks before agreeing to let them use it for a song.

The same goes for my amp.

I've lent both out for one or two songs but none of my gear would be lent to someone to take out of my sight unless I knew them or trusted them very well. Other members of this forum have played my gear and I've offered my amp for one of them to borrow for a gig.

I've used other people's amps at charity gigs where I had turned up having been told that I could but I had to trust the guy who told me there would be gear there.

If I asked to borrow equipment from a stranger at an event. I'd first introduce myself tell them how long and in what contexts I'd been playing and I would preface it with something like "I understand if you say no but..."

I certainly wouldn't feel guilty about not lending someone my bass just becuase they expected it.

In one of the bands I played with one of the other musicians was supposed to be a good drummer, bass player and guitarist. He picked up my bass without asking one practice and demonstrated that he couldn't actaully play bass. I didn't let him do that again, my ears are more valuable than my bass.

[witterth]

"I get Especially riled up when a headlining band bring nothing to the show, thats the real joke."

mmm... I don't know about that one,cos If I'm in the support turn,I've usually Fu@ked off with my stuff when the "headliners" are on!

Edited November 2, 2009 by witterth

[longtimefred]

i think the OP and a few others have different idea's of what "backline" entitles.

My band have done more shows than i can count where backline has been shared between bands. Most of these done with contracts drawn up etc etc as a lot have been abroad, and everytime and everywhere we have been, backline has always been "cabs n drum shells".

I think i would be having rather strong words with anyone who decided to just go and plug into my amp. that kind of thing really gets me wound up and its just damn rude.

So to the OP - Haul your own gear, just in case. If you had come up to me saying "can i use yours? i didnt want to lug my stuff up the stairs" i would be marching you back down to get it! and if it doubt, just ask someone from the band who's equipment it belongs to, do NOT just assume its cool.

[BassCat]

A couple of months ago my band were support gig for one of the big covers band in Norwich, and as there had been delivery problems with my new cab I was short of gear for the gig. So I obtained the bassists phone number & called him a couple of days beforehand, explained the situation & asked if he would mind me using his rig with promise of beer, and he was perfectly fine with this.

I think the basic point is if you want to borrow something of someone else, ask them (and offer beer).

Of course, I did then blow the other bassists rig up half way through our first song, but that's a different story........

[WalMan]

[quote name='Adrenochrome' post='641890' date='Oct 31 2009, 02:11 PM']Amp heads are backline, so it looks there were mistakes all round, with the gig promoter/organiser especially not doing their job.[/quote]


[quote name='umph' post='641966' date='Oct 31 2009, 04:12 PM']backline has always been cabs and drum skeleton, heads and breakables should be supplied by the other bands.[/quote]

Says it all really. Yes they are / no they aren't. Best to check with the other bands well in advance what [i][u]they[/u][/i] understand it to mean

[maxrossell]

Exactly.

The reason why I always assume that backline means guitar amp cabs and NOT guitar amp heads is the same reason you don't show up at a jazz gig carrying a BC Rich Warlock. I bring my own amp head even if someone else is supplying the backline because there's a good chance that they'll have an amp there that will be totally different from mine. I don't mean to sound like a snob, but I play a single-channel Marshall VM head, so if the backline is a solid-state Crate or something that's no good to me at all - and similarly, my amp is going to be all but useless to a guitarist who needs a three-channel high-gain monster.

Furthermore I don't trust anyone but the other bands when it comes to deciding who is bringing what and what they are okay to share, and it's just common courtesy to thank someone if you used their gear, even if you just borrowed a power lead.

Anyone who's played a few gigs will have at some point experienced the sh*thead band who turn up with their 10w practice amps and their beat-up ASDA guitars, and decide they'd like to have a go at playing through the other bands' expensive gear. The key is that you never want to BE that sh*thead band, so always plan tightly, communicate well and be courteous with people who lend you their stuff - or don't be surprised when they tell you to piss off. My guitar player has a Mesa Dual Rectifier, and he gets asked every other gig if he'll lend his head, usually to some fifteen-year-old who showed up with a Marshall MG combo. I used to, for the sake of organisation, allow dumb kids to use my stuff, but a few bits of busted expensive kit cured me of that fairly sharpish. I'll be generous up to a point, but not when it means that my amp could end up in the repair shop for six weeks.

[bassbloke]

If venue are providing backline they I assume that they mean everything. If I hear that bands are sharing backline, I assume they only mean cabs and to be honest, I prefer it that way.

I'm happy to share cab and if people are really stuck will reluctantly allow use of my head, but I do get the hump if people don't ask to borrow my gear.

Finally, soundmen can be awfully presumptuous, but then they're focussed on making things as easy and smooth as possible and a shared backline is great for them.