NWB - Community Blog

Yeh, packing up is a bummer.. Saying that, if it's been a great gig, and I'm buzzin', I'd be chatting & packing as I go along..
.. Setting up is ok..Just wish the rest of the band arrived at the same time, so they could help me bring all the gear in and set the speakers up, aswell as my own stuff..AHEM!! (Any other band's members nodding?).. ;-)

i draw the short straw every gig, but the lads do ferry all the gear to my estate car at the end of the gig, i keep saying that they can be responsible for some extra kit besides there own gear, but mark on drums has his fair share of stuff, tony only has a small car and graham has enough kit, and bill the bass is allways late, back to square one. i am my own worst enemy, adding other lighting efects and desiding to play other instruments to add a bit of something different to the gig.

Setting up can be an arse if your having probs gettin a decent sound, but packin up is defo the worse for me, especially if some of the band have had some beers and stand round talking shite for hours atfer the gig, then a long drive home most of the time.All part of it tho eh.

We had a guitarist who did that all the time with a previous band.Weak bladder syndrome (ie. too much ale) Ha ha

Yeah, packing up's a hassle, but it usually goes OK and everyone always pitches in to get the gear down and out to the vehicles, so no one gets off lightly.
It's quite a change actually, 'cos the band I was in before kingpin (Freespirit, a 3 piece), the guitarist just used to pack his own gear up and then sit in his car until he got paid and then feck off! Mind you, he was a right miserable sod with no sense of humour.
And why is it that no matter how big the venue, and how many people are in there, atleast 4 people always stand IN the only doorway that you can get your gear out of?

packin up is the pits, and couple of our guys are masters at skivin after the gig!!!talkin to landlord/lady..someone wants us to play at birthday do..lost a plectrum down back of seating..too cool to help !!!!!!!!!

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# Posted by Twin Lizzy - 24/06/2009, 17:18 (GMT)

We had a guitarist who did that all the time with a previous band.Weak bladder syndrome (ie. too much ale) Ha ha"

Remember the blues jam we had to do at the LIMELIGHT?!?!?!?! lmao!

Stripping down has become a chore. Not because of the gear. Because of trying to herd the pissheads around so we can get ome before half past f*cking 4 in the morning.

amen !!!

but the very worst bit is when you do finally get home and then you have to unpack it again into your house or lock up !!

What a great subject Rob, It's so so true about the pissheads stood in the door, I think all our gear must have "hidden pisshead magnets" in them somewhere cause it always, always happens. And Mick, I do remember our extended blues jam at The Limelight, bless him.lmao

Posted by OUT ON BAIL - 24/06/2009, 18:07 (GMT)

but the very worst bit is when you do finally get home and then you have to unpack it again into your house or lock up !!

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Took the words right outa my mouth. Hate it!

ha ha packing up defo due to the piss heads! especially when piss heads want to help! its like noooo get off go away!! then they go and stand near the door so you cant get past!!!

Deffo packin up and loading out. I like to get there first and set up my gear and the PA and drum machine. I like to do it in sequence so Im not trippin over cases, cables and stuff then load the emptys back in the car. Then I wait for arrive set up his gear and reposition the speakers..lol. Breaking down is ok, it's carting all the gear back to the car that I hate.Youve done a great gig, the adrenaline has been pumping and now the playing is over and you are having a well deserved beer the tiredness is starting to kick in (..ok..maybe In getting too old..lol). Last thing I wanna do is load the car, and if the gear doesnt come out in the right order I get pissed. Then home and a bottle of red before bedtime..ahhhh..bliss ! :0)

oops..missed Daves name out..lol

The whole thing is a pleasure folks!!!!! First hello to last goodbye! Unless your heart ain't in it I guess.

I hate both. That's the bit I feel I am paid for.

I always say that "packing up is what we get paid for, the rest is fun".

packing up is the worst, cos when setting up you're looking forward to the gig

Packing up is worse but it's not too bad if you're really buzzing from a great gig. The worse thing for me is driving home late and starting to feel like I might nod off, especially after a treck back from the North East or other long distance gigs.

setting up i dont mind, i have a van full of my own gear, icarry my own pa for the drums, and have a large(ish) kit, venue dependant, so is about 8 trips to and fro from the van and takes me about 1hour to set up and sound check, packing up, im usually knackered thats why i hate it, but on average i can be set down and loaded within 30mins if im rushing ! (and dodging the doorway pissheads !)

We put everthing into a box trailer, unhitch and lock it in the garage when we get home, its all there when we go out next, takes minutes rather than half an hour lugging back into the house, then out again for a gig. works for us