Bands who don't bring any backline...

[JimBobTTD]

[quote name='Stan_da_man' post='765415' date='Mar 5 2010, 06:20 PM']I can relate to that a lot - I usually never ask about if there will be an amp at the venue anymore because there always is an amp.[/quote]

...other than when, 22 hours before you are due on, you hear from the headliners that you now need to bring your bass amp with you. I suspect the headliners' bassist will want to use it too.

[CyberBass]

I must admit in the past I didn't mind kit sharing, but have stopped kit sharing having got fed up with f**k w**s who don't give a damn about the kit they borrow.

Example 1: We headlined a local show and agreed to share our backline with the promoter for ease of change over timings etc, now I had golden rules for people who kit shared had to adhere too, that being respect the kit your using as if you probrably couldn't afford to replace it if you wreck it, secondly no drinks to be placed on top of the equipment and finally you plug and play, no adjusting any setting. Well, you can imagine how I felt when the support bands bassist after one number had a swig of his beer and then placed the beer on top of my amp!! Unfortunately for the support band the remainder of the show had a bassist miming to their music after I jumped onto the stage unplugged my amp, took his beer offstage and politely told him to go forth and multiply.

Example 2: Another show, we supported a band from Italy, they kit shared, the same golden rules applied and I went through it with the bassist who could speak fluent english and seamed to really appreciate me lending my gear to him. This was a big london venue, so full p.a. rig plus onstage monitoring etc, so my bass amp was d.i.'d into the p.a., well during the headline acts set the guy started to turn up my amp and started changing my settings, I sh*t myself as he had my rig so loud I thought the speakers were going to blow. I ran onto the stage turned it down, and had a right go at him, for gods sake why the hell didn't he ask the engineer to turn his monitoring up?!!

These are not uncommon occurrances and I bet it's happened to some of you guys, and thats why I won't lend my rig out. If a promoter insists then we don't play the show, simple as. Having said that most of our shows in the genre/scene we are in don't require kit share thankfully. The only time it tends to occurr is if we play local venues, which we don't often do.

[Doddy]

[quote name='Stan_da_man' post='765415' date='Mar 5 2010, 05:20 PM']I can relate to that a lot - I usually never ask about if there will be an amp at the venue anymore because there always is an amp.[/quote]

I've never played a gig where there is a guarantee of an amp. I only do multi band gigs like this
occasionally now,but even when I was doing quite a few I always had an amp with me.Even if I'm told
that an amp is being supplied,I always carry at least a combo amp and a DI box. I also expect other
bands to do the same. I don't understand why someone would turn up to any kind of gig without the
necessary equipment.

[Stan_da_man]

[quote name='Doddy' post='765774' date='Mar 6 2010, 01:21 AM']I've never played a gig where there is a guarantee of an amp. I only do multi band gigs like this
occasionally now,but even when I was doing quite a few I always had an amp with me.Even if I'm told
that an amp is being supplied,I always carry at least a combo amp and a DI box. I also expect other
bands to do the same. I don't understand why someone would turn up to any kind of gig without the
necessary equipment.[/quote]
Oh yeah, I always have a BDI21 in case there isn't an amp but out of the last 30 gigs or so I had to use it once.

[4 Strings]

[quote name='toneknob' post='764865' date='Mar 5 2010, 10:26 AM']If they do bring an amp and let me use it, they get beer and sweets.[/quote]


Surely this should be national principle for all bassists.

If you're using someone else's gear always be courteous enough to show them what you're going to be doing with it, no matter how obvious it is, and make sure you and anyone else who's using it buy the guy a beer.

(The down side might be that by the end of nights with 4-5 band the bass players of the headline bands are going to be half cut!)

Edited March 6, 2010 by 4 Strings

[Twigman]

[quote name='StevieC' post='758380' date='Feb 26 2010, 04:56 PM']Excuse the rant but what's with bands who turn up [b]without[/b] their own bass amps, guitar amps and drum kits???[/quote]

We always turn up without any backline.
Normally we've requested the promotor to supply a long list of specifics.....

Easyjet's excess baggage charges prohibit taking backline with us.

[alanbass1]

[quote name='Twigman' post='767695' date='Mar 8 2010, 10:38 AM']We always turn up without any backline.
Normally we've requested the promotor to supply a long list of specifics.....

Easyjet's excess baggage charges prohibit taking backline with us.[/quote]

When touring abroad we had always specified the backline requirements to the promoter and expected it to be there. That is very different from expecting other bands to provide the use of their equipment. Gigging in the UK I have always brought my own backline, mainly because I've played in bands with just one other guitarist and it is important that I get the sound I need to fill out the sound of the band. I have done a few gigs that, after turning up, I have been asked whether the other band's bassist can go through my rig and I have not been precious about it as I can get to my settings pretty much without thinking. On all these occassions it's not been because the other bass player did not bring his own equipment, but generally a request from the soundguy or the fact that the other bass player liked what he heard and wanted to 'try it out'. Amps and cabs (used sensibly) are so reliable nowdays that I don't think it an issue - for me anyway.

[WonderHorse]

I always take my own backline whether I'm asked to or not - just in case.

I remember one gig I did with my old band. We were asked to fill a support slot a few days prior to the gig as a band had pulled out, we were told we could use the supports bands backline.

I turned up and asked the bassists and he knew nothing about it. Thankfully he let me use it. But the organiser f*cked up that night.

I didn't really like using somebody elses 8x10 full Ampeg rig anyway - too scared of breaking it.

[Bankai]

Good shout. Might get me one of those.

Edited March 8, 2010 by Bankai

[Doddy]

[quote name='Stan_da_man' post='765854' date='Mar 6 2010, 09:33 AM']Oh yeah, I always have a BDI21 in case there isn't an amp but out of the last 30 gigs or so I had to use it once.[/quote]

Whereas,in the last 10 years,I can count on both hands the number of times I didn't use my own
amp-foreign work excluded.

[thisnameistaken]

Headline band we played with tonight used my bass rig, they were lovely chaps and I didn't mind a bit. Although I probably would've left earlier if they weren't using my gear but then I would've missed them, and they were actually pretty good, so swings n' roundabouts.

I think it's been about 10 years since I last came across a band so unutterably obnoxious that I wouldn't have pissed on them if they were on fire (and indeed on that occasion their singer went on stage with two black eyes). The scene seems to be getting friendlier all the time.

[whimsy23]

Most of it's been said but yeah, it's sh*t when people just turn up expecting to use your stuff and, even worse, just using it without asking.

Another thing that annoys me incredibly, is, after you generously allow someone to use your expensive guitar head, they go and stick a pint on top of it whilst they're playing. I'm no expert, but some people are infuriatingly clueless (and usually talentless).

When I started gigging with my new band, I'll be taking my beat up Laney cab rather than my nice Ashdown ones. The Laney's quite cumbersome, but it's done 100s of gigs and been thrown around all over the shop but is still going strong and sounds fantastic. However, we won't ever be headlining, so it's unlikely I'll be needing it anyway, but it's always good to have something as backup in case of either breakage or there being no cab when you get there.

When I was promoting shows, and usually when arranging shows for my old band, I would always email/call the promoter (or headline band) to sort out backline beforehand. It's not hard, just costs a few minutes of your time.

[thepurpleblob]

I was in the Chinese takeaway the other night across the road from a local "live bands" venue (the sort of place that puts on half a dozen bands a night) and a bunch of young lads came in with their guitars. They didn't even have cases or gig-bags. I suppose you have to start somewhere!!

[Telebass]

Gigging overseas aside, not taking your own kit to a gig is simply lazy. I wouldn't let anyone use my rig, and no-one ever gets near my bass. And there are and always will be, no exceptions to that. A band with no gear is no band. My experience on asking these folks where their gig money gets spent is normally fags/booze/women. Try spending it on kit and some wheels. You might actually get somewhere that way...
As you can tell, this is a subject that bugs me royally...

Edited March 11, 2010 by Telebass

[Low End Bee]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='770817' date='Mar 10 2010, 07:25 PM']I was in the Chinese takeaway the other night across the road from a local "live bands" venue (the sort of place that puts on half a dozen bands a night) and a bunch of young lads came in with their guitars. They didn't even have cases or gig-bags. I suppose you have to start somewhere!![/quote]

A friend of mine was in a working band of 15 year olds in the late 60s. They had converted prams and had to load all their gear in them and push them to gigs as they weren't old enough to drive and couldn't take them on public transport.
They walked all over West London for over a year doing this.
They got signed to Vertigo when they were 17 so I guess it was worth it.

[cd_david]

From a front of house point of view there is nothing worse than a band turning up expecting all of their previously undisclosed requirements catered for

"we must have 13 separate monitor mixes and 41 DI's"

Tell me in advance and i can sort it and have you heard of sub mixing you lazy git.

or

"have you got any power mate"

ER no I run the PA and have enough sockets to run my gear you muppet, YOUR amp is YOUR responsibility!

Deep breaths and relax...................

[throwoff]

[quote name='cd_david' post='771431' date='Mar 11 2010, 12:42 PM']From a front of house point of view there is nothing worse than a band turning up expecting all of their previously undisclosed requirements catered for

"we must have 13 separate monitor mixes and 41 DI's"

Tell me in advance and i can sort it and have you heard of sub mixing you lazy git.

or

"have you got any power mate"[/quote]

God my teeth are grinding!
Worst example I ever had working FOH was a kid who turned up to play an acoustic set in a little pub I was regulaly working.
The promoter booked the most awful lineups for the venue but I was getting paid so I did it.

This kid had a Stagg electro acoustic bowlback thing. Unplugged didnt sound bad at all but very quiet. I plugged him in and got 20 minutes of 'it doesn't sound right' 'make it sound more like an acoustic' Which I did but still not good enough for him. I kept trying and in the end he sort of wandered off?!

So he quietens down then when he comes on to actually play he stops mid song and begins saying again it doesn't sound right he is a professional blah blah blah (what professional stops in the middle of a song or does not organise this properly in sound check?) He said again 'it doesn't sound right' SO I asked him well what do you want more hi mid or low? less hi mid low, less verb more verb WHAT DO YOU WANT! to which he replied 'I dont know the techncal terms'

I couldn't believe it what musician even a beginer does not understand hi mid or low???!?!?

[Ancient Mariner]

Right back at the beginning someone wondered why guitarists would still bring their own amps. It's mostly because you play the amp as well as the guitar more so than bass players seem to. I asked about pickup switches on basses and most people asked why? - well that's all part of playing a guitar. Plus they're often a bit smaller and lighter than bass rigs.

As for lending gear, like most here, I'd prefer not to, except if the person is either a friend or demonstrates an ability to understand how to use it properly.

[cd_david]

[quote name='throwoff' post='771467' date='Mar 11 2010, 12:13 PM']God my teeth are grinding!
Worst example I ever had working FOH was a kid who turned up to play an acoustic set in a little pub I was regulaly working.
The promoter booked the most awful lineups for the venue but I was getting paid so I did it.

This kid had a Stagg electro acoustic bowlback thing. Unplugged didnt sound bad at all but very quiet. I plugged him in and got 20 minutes of 'it doesn't sound right' 'make it sound more like an acoustic' Which I did but still not good enough for him. I kept trying and in the end he sort of wandered off?!

So he quietens down then when he comes on to actually play he stops mid song and begins saying again it doesn't sound right he is a professional blah blah blah (what professional stops in the middle of a song or does not organise this properly in sound check?) He said again 'it doesn't sound right' SO I asked him well what do you want more hi mid or low? less hi mid low, less verb more verb WHAT DO YOU WANT! to which he replied 'I dont know the techncal terms'

I couldn't believe it what musician even a beginer does not understand hi mid or low???!?!?[/quote]

Ha ha Classic,

I've had loads of "I cant hear myself i the monitors" you go and talk through the mic and its BLASTING through the monitors and they go back and whisper. One female vocalist was so quiet I pfl'd her to my headphones and i could hear the un mic'd bass louder through HER mic than her vocal.

I suppose its just a lack of experience, it only really irritates me when that is combined with arrogance and un professional behaviour.

[rasher80]

I was cajoled into letting a band use my MB CMD102P as they had decided they didn't want to bring their bass amp, even though they were supposed to be headlining and we were told that this would be the case - i brought mine cos i like to use my own wherever possible.

So i come back from the toilet and i can see the "clip" light flashing away, so i walked over, reached up and turned the gain down, got a funny look from the bassist but once i explained what was going on he was ok. I was more concerned he doesn't understand the concept of input/output levels which i thought was pretty fundamental!

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='cd_david' post='771431' date='Mar 11 2010, 11:42 AM']From a front of house point of view there is nothing worse than a band turning up expecting all of their previously undisclosed requirements catered for

"we must have 13 separate monitor mixes and 41 DI's"

Tell me in advance and i can sort it and have you heard of sub mixing you lazy git.[/quote]

We provided a list of tech requirements a month in advance to a venue we played last week. Got there to set up, sound guy miked every drum and soundchecked them all, then told us there were no mics for the brass and they'd be loud enough anyway...

We were all "We've got mics and stands with us, shall we go get them? Do you not have enough mics or stands or something?" but no he was just too lazy to set them up. After five minutes of arguing with him he set up two more mics.

Then he accused our string machine of causing popping noises, which it doesn't do. Anybody who hadn't already taken a dislike to the guy fell out with him when he started blaming the string machine for stuff - you don't diss the string machine!

Oh and when we went on, he was still using the mix from the solo guitarist singer guy who'd been on before, so none of our mics were on. He was too busy looking at Facebook to notice. We asked a member of the audience to poke him and tell him to sort it out.

Edited March 11, 2010 by thisnameistaken

[throwoff]

[quote name='cd_david' post='771505' date='Mar 11 2010, 01:40 PM']I've had loads of "I cant hear myself i the monitors" you go and talk through the mic and its BLASTING through the monitors and they go back and whisper.

I suppose its just a lack of experience, it only really irritates me when that is combined with arrogance and un professional behaviour.[/quote]

I hate monitors actually this is my pet peeve people who complain about them.

I have had an acoustic duo with one mic complaining about monitoring when they are sitting next to each other playing quietly in a pub.
I think a lot of bands dont actually know what monitors are meant to sound like. It does my head in. My new trick is once sound checks are finished to power down my tops and just talk into the mic with the monitors on same level they were in sound check. Usually the bands who were compaining look at me as if to say 'oh they are working' and walk off not mentioning it again through embaressment.

But then strangely I worked with two bands recently (one now signed and playing a BIG tour and being played regular on radio one but I wont name) both of whom were balls out rock playing in tiny venues. When I asked them about monitors they said 'we dont care, we know our songs' Went on and played brilliantly.

Loved them for that I really did!

Edited March 11, 2010 by throwoff

[cd_david]

[quote name='throwoff' post='771577' date='Mar 11 2010, 01:32 PM']When I asked them about monitors they said 'we dont care, we know our songs' Went on and played brilliantly.

Loved them for that I really did![/quote]

Its so refreshing when you get artists who are like that, knowing your material and stage levels. I've also had that acoustic duo scenario as well LOL

[Soloshchenko]

This stuff does my f***ing head in to be honest. I have a 200 watt Trace Elliot with a 1x15 cab. It's not hard to take to every gig we do. I never rely on anyone else for back line, I never let anyone use mine. Simple as that.

I've never actually been asked prior to arriving at the gig if a band can use my amp. It's always a case of f***ing idiots turning up and assuming they can use my gear and the predictably shocked and annoyed response when I give them a firm no.

[ThomBassmonkey]

[quote name='cd_david' post='771431' date='Mar 11 2010, 11:42 AM']"have you got any power mate"

ER no I run the PA and have enough sockets to run my gear you muppet, YOUR amp is YOUR responsibility![/quote]

While I agree with most of the stuff said on this thread, I don't see your point there. Do you expect bands to bring their own generator to gigs to power their amps or something?

I let someone use my GK at it's first gig last week (technically they gigged it before I even did since we were headlining). I kept a beady eye on it for soundcheck and the first 15 minutes of the set though. I said earlier in this thread I wouldn't let anyone use it but I'm just too soft. It's only gear at the end of the day, so long as I know what's happening with it, it's not worth spoiling someone else's gig by not letting them use it. I'd rather they asked before, but it's not worth becoming known as an awkward bastard, especially when you're in a medium-popular band.