Lending Gear at gigs

[urbanx]

Hey,
I know this has been bought up before, but it’s a re-occurring problem.
We have a gig on Sunday, four bands, we’re on third. I’ve been asked to bring all my gear to share, because [i]“One of the bands has a guitar amp” [/i]

WTF!! So among the other SIX guitarists, and THREE Bassists only ONE of them can bring their amp!!

How do they practise?

I have lent my amp out once before. And it got broken. Not dented or scratched. Fried. Not sure what they put in it, but it completely killed two Hartke 210XL’s and my Hartke HA3500 Head. I went out the next day and had to buy all of my gear again. £887.

I lent it to two bands, so first band said “It was working when we used it” and second band said “wasn’t working when we used it”. Thus both avoiding blame.

I really don’t want to bring my nice amp on Sunday now. But then again it kills me to have all this nice gear sitting at home, and here I am considering buying a crappy amp just to lend out at gigs.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I’m going out my mind here!

[yorick]

Cabs, yes... heads, NO.

[LukeFRC]

tell the promoter that your band doesn't lend out gear and last time you did it cost you £887. It's your stuff, put your foot down.

I personaly think it's different if each band approaches you individually with, 'do you mind if i use your amp as i dont have a car', as then you have a personal link with the other bass players. If the promotor is just trying to get someone to supply a house backline, just say no

[throwoff]

Tell them to shove it.
No Gear - No Band.

Simple.

[lemmywinks]

Don't do it if you don't want to. It's your choice, not an obligation.

As you've had almost a grand's worth of kit broken before it's pretty obvious why you're uncomfrotable and justifiably so.

Maybe drop the other bands an email explaining the situation and why you don't lend gear out, if they get shirty then they're d1cks

[oksocialbass]

Would you go golfing expecting to borrow clubs when you got there?

To work expecting to borrow a shirt, tie and tousers?

Don't lend it. If they want to call you and ar*e - let them, if everyone wants to think you're a tw@t - let them, at the end of the day, you're the one who can play the gig - not them.

I never let people use my stuff and if they ask me, I ask for £600 to hire it per hour - that goes for the venue and bands. I'm hated amongst most of the bands in our scene/area because of this and it actually makes me feel quite good to be honest - at least I don't do something I don't want to - plus all of those bands are a bunch of hippies/scenesters in my opinion, and i'm sticking it to 'em...

[OldGit]

I'd certainly be inclined to say no to sharing, especially as someone fried your amp before.

Depends on how important the gig is to you as, of course, this may mean the promoter refuses to let you play and your band may not appreciate that much.

[urbanx]

[quote name='oksocialbass' post='859763' date='Jun 7 2010, 12:39 PM']Would you go golfing expecting to borrow clubs when you got there?

To work expecting to borrow a shirt, tie and tousers?

Don't lend it. If they want to call you and ar*e - let them, if everyone wants to think you're a tw@t - let them, at the end of the day, you're the one who can play the gig - not them.

I never let people use my stuff and if they ask me, I ask for £600 to hire it per hour - that goes for the venue and bands. I'm hated amongst most of the bands in our scene/area because of this and it actually makes me feel quite good to be honest - at least I don't do something I don't want to - plus all of those bands are a bunch of hippies/scenesters in my opinion, and i'm sticking it to 'em...[/quote]

I may just laminate that answer and bring it on Sunday!
I mean I just don't get it, how do they normally play?

I'm just upset that I'm now contemplating leaving my stack at home, and buying a £30 combi to gig with.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='OldGit' post='859771' date='Jun 7 2010, 12:42 PM']I'd certainly be inclined to say no to sharing, especially as someone fried your amp before.

Depends on how important the gig is to you as, of course, this may mean the promoter refuses to let you play and your band may not appreciate that much.[/quote]

that makes little sense though, none of the other bands are expected to bring gear. What if you don't have space to bring it? or you the driver of the car you use to move it round in has to shoot out after your set so the last band cant use it? what will the promoter do then? Do you get paid more for supplying everyone elses backline?

[RussFM]

Answer is always no when I'm asked. I used to lend my amp and cabs, then I changed again and just lent cabs, but I just won't lend this rig.

If you haven't got the gear, you're not ready to gig. If the issue is transport, you should be able to sort it out between band members, it's in your interest to help your band members get their gear there.

[throwoff]

[quote name='oksocialbass' post='859763' date='Jun 7 2010, 11:39 AM']I never let people use my stuff and if they ask me, I ask for £600 to hire it per hour - that goes for the venue and bands.[/quote]

Love this, you sir have my admiration.

I NEVER lend gear.
Someone asked to borrow my pedal board once....
I said to them sorry mate no f***in way. They said they only needed a tuner (clearly a lie as he had been chatting about wanting a Bass blogger all night..)
So I opened my gig bag and threw my emergency qwiktune at them.

Jokers out there!

Honestly if you have no gear you're not a band. You're not a football team if you dont all have boots, you're not a racing team if none of you have a car.

The ONLY thing I let people touch at gigs is my bass when I am with them, that's only because I am a lefty and if another lefty ask's they can by all means have a blast. I know how hard it is to find my basses to try out so they are welcome to.

Edited June 7, 2010 by throwoff

[chris_b]

Never lend your gear... NEVER!

[cetera]

I NEVER lend my gear. Only exception would be a friend who I knew & trusted implicitly.

[OldGit]

Laminate this ....
[attachment=51597:Borrow.jpg]

[JTUK]

You feel very uncomfortable about this so it would have to be a firm 'NO'

It isn't your problem that others have gear problems or transport problems or whatever...but you need to upfront about this and not let it carry into the gig.
Tell the guy who asked you AND the promoter, that you have had these problems in the past and you don't want them again.

The only LAST ditch way you will do this...is if there is a garaunteed bond put up against damage, but even then I wouldn't walk head first into that one.

What are these people on..they take on a gig....get some other poor guy to transport and lug it all over the place and they expect a nice rig to play through...

WTF..!!!

You can honour your part of the bargain ..which is to turn up and play with the required kit...they can't..their problem..

Even if you were of a disposition to help out...my sympathy would evaporate pretty damn quick after they pull this stroke..

[RhysP]

I'd never lend any gear out in that situation, or most situations actually.
I lent my Trace Elliot stuff to somebody once for a showcase gig they had in London. Luckily it didn't get damaged but came back to me minus all the covers with not even a "Sorry" or "We'll buy you some new ones".

[Musicman20]

Just say no. I have before. I will lend cabinets to people I trust, but thats about it. They would have to help me out.

[molan]

last time I was asked to lend something I simply said it was fine so long as I got 100% of the value as a deposit in cash before it was used and that I reserved the right to retain any part of this if any of my gear was damaged in the slightest way.

Obviously difficult to prove at times and damage could, theoretically, appear at a later date. However in this instance it wasn't an issue because the band in question immediately 'found' their own gear. . .

I have offered to lend stuff to friends I've made here on BC several times though and would absolutely try to help out if someone had an important gig or session etc.

[51m0n]

Find out the cost of replacing every single item of gear you will take. Plus P&P etc. Factor in the cost of your time to replace your kit, and say 15% more for the frustration, damage to your practice routine etc etc.

Add it all up.

Tell them that that is the cost of hiring your kit for the night, in cash, up front. Or no dice.

Find out where the nearest hirer of kit to the venue is, and send them the address, and a link to a cheap rubbish practice amp on ebay and explain that those are other options they have if they want to play music in a band at a gig.

I could not give a damn what the sob story is, if they dont own kit they cant play so they can f*** right off. NEver lend gear ever ever ever ever. As you already know.

[dan670844]

[quote name='urbanx' post='859745' date='Jun 7 2010, 12:29 PM']Hey,
I know this has been bought up before, but it’s a re-occurring problem.
We have a gig on Sunday, four bands, we’re on third. I’ve been asked to bring all my gear to share, because [i]“One of the bands has a guitar amp” [/i]

WTF!! So among the other SIX guitarists, and THREE Bassists only ONE of them can bring their amp!!

How do they practise?

I have lent my amp out once before. And it got broken. Not dented or scratched. Fried. Not sure what they put in it, but it completely killed two Hartke 210XL’s and my Hartke HA3500 Head. I went out the next day and had to buy all of my gear again. £887.

I lent it to two bands, so first band said “It was working when we used it” and second band said “wasn’t working when we used it”. Thus both avoiding blame.

I really don’t want to bring my nice amp on Sunday now. But then again it kills me to have all this nice gear sitting at home, and here I am considering buying a crappy amp just to lend out at gigs.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I’m going out my mind here![/quote]

Yes this really really annoys me................. Noobs turning up with either no amp, no guitar even, and assuming that they can just borrow / use anything. I don't let anyone use my gear at all anymore. The last P@@k who I let use my stuff didn't like it when I came on stage and adjusted his eq mid song. The t@@@@r boosted the lows i.e 20 - 50Hz right up by 12db and had the time honoured smiley face eq to such an extreme he cut all the mids out and prob wondered why he couldn't hear himself.
Just stand your ground and say no........ or to avoid bad feeling say you gotta run / leave and won't be coming back even if you don't (and you gotta take your amp) it always works, or C say its an endorsment rig and you are the only one aloud to use it hehehe!!!

[Hutton]

As this is indeed a recurring theme let's try to get something organised to stop this insipid habit of gear lending taking place. Perhaps if we all swear a solemn oath NEVER to lend our gear, and persuade our fellow bandmates to do the same then maybe, just maybe, other bands and promoters will get the message. I know that drummers are in a different situation and sharing of kits, apart from snare drum and cymbals, is often a necessity.

I've been to gigs where the promoter was well organised with paperwork prior to the gig which, amongst other things, recognised that bands had to bring there own gear. These were good gigs without the necessity of having to justify to a grumpy bassist that he couldn't use your gear.

So come on people. Let's be determined that nobody is using our gear. It costs us a lot to buy a rig and maintain it. Why should some eejit come along and expect to use our gear. Stick to your guns and politely tell them that your rig is for your use only. If they persist then forget politeness and give them whatever response you feel is adequate for the occasion. It's the only way that this thing is going to go away.

[Stylon Pilson]

[quote name='OldGit' post='859771' date='Jun 7 2010, 12:42 PM']Depends on how important the gig is to you as, of course, this may mean the promoter refuses to let you play and your band may not appreciate that much.[/quote]

Easy solution: "sorry, it's not my amp, I'm borrowing it from a friend, and he says that I'm not to lend it out."

S.P.

[ThomBassmonkey]

This has become something of a joke in my band. I've recently gone through a new rig and if I have both cabs I'll show them where the input volume and mute is, if I just have one with them or in reference to everything but the input volume, the line goes:

Touch it and they'll find your head on a stick outside the venue later.

Apparently it's quite believable when I say it, so no one's ever touched anything apart from the mute button haha.

[Happy Jack]

I'm perfectly happy to lend gear to people I know and trust, and it's usually me offering rather than them asking.

I've also been happy in the past to let others use my kit when I've been on house band duty at a jam, but only with me standing there watching exactly what's being plugged in, and preventing them from fiddling with the knobs.

I've lent my rig to another bassist at a gig because it made sense for us to share one rig rather than have to load on / load off between bands. That was by prior arrangement and after each of us had established that the other was not a dick-head.

Done carefully and with a bit of common sense, lending gear should not be a problem.

But on principle, I would never even consider lending my gear at a gig to another band because they didn't have their own.

And I wouldn't even TALK to a band who arrived at a gig simply [i][b]expecting [/b][/i]to borrow someone else's kit.

[garethox]

To quote the Grange Hill mob...

'Just say NO!'

No one has the right to tell you that your gear has to be used by other people. I'd rather lose a gig than do that.... it costs too much and there are lots of people who don't respect their own gear, let alone anyone elses.