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GMC Forum _ CHILL OUT _ How Do You Go To Gigs?
Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 16 2013, 02:39 AM
Hey guys! A Cirse's fan created this pic and I find it really cool! It's our combi compared to the ones of those amazing classic bands!
If you are already playing live with a band, how do you go to the gigs?
Posted by: klasaine May 16 2013, 06:01 AM
Cool Gab!
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu May 16 2013, 08:37 AM
We usually drive there with our personal cars - two guys in my band have spacy cars and we can load everything there - heads, guitars, cabs, pedalboards, the few needed drum elements and luggage.
We can always rent a van for 50 euro/ day but that happens only when we have to carry the whole drum set with us.
Posted by: Darius Wave May 16 2013, 02:58 PM
In my case it depends on situation. Sometimes I have to drive alone with my gear cause it's occasonal playing and each member ofthe band is from different places in Poland. Other times with my regular bands we just rent a driver with a bus. Also it it's ac acoustic show or just a family "4 people band" we usually take our car cause the gear set up is very tiny 
Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 16 2013, 03:10 PM
We can always rent a van for 50 euro/ day but that happens only when we have to carry the whole drum set with us.
Does the van include a driver? or you just rent it and drive it by yourself?
Posted by: Sensible Jones May 16 2013, 08:07 PM
We used to have a Combi as well!!!
Posted by: bleez May 16 2013, 10:07 PM
Love the van, gab
when my old band had gigs the drummer would drive himself with his kit in the back of his car and the rest of us and our gear would pile into a rented van.
I remember one time we were coming home late from a gig one night after stopping at McD's drive thru, the other guitarist was driving the van down the motorway with a cheeseburger in one hand and a big cup of coke ( the drink! ) in his other hand...... steering with his knees
Posted by: klasaine May 17 2013, 02:17 AM
I lot of guys I work with live in the same general area. We try to go together whenever possible.
Here's my Ford loaded up.
I can't remember the exact gig but since there's a banjo case and a 12 watt amp I'm assuming it was a rec session and not a live gig.
I do a fair amount of weekend 'fly away' gigs. I carry on a strat or tele (and a little messenger bag). And I check a large pedalboard case. I put a 'small' board in there and I have room enough for a change of clothes and some other stuff.
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu May 17 2013, 08:50 AM
Usually, the van we can rent is driven by one of our technicians - it's the sort of dude that can make a stage appear out of nowhere
knows how everything connects to everything, takes care that we never miss anything on stage and so on. And he is also driving
Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 17 2013, 05:17 PM
knows how everything connects to everything, takes care that we never miss anything on stage and so on. And he is also driving hehehe yeah! Those guys are priceless!
Posted by: AK Rich May 18 2013, 09:59 AM
We used to rent a U-Haul van similar to this one just for the initial setup and at the end of the job for breakdown in the last couple bands I was in almost 20 years ago, which was pretty much the same group of guys in both bands for the most part.
We needed a big van like this because most of the clubs we played at, we had to use our own PA system which consisted of bass bins with 18" subs and then cabs with 12's and horn speakers on top of those as well as floor monitors, and a couple of racks with all the power amps and effects, eq's, crossover etc etc.
Also a big old 32 channel mixing console and 100 foot snake. Also we had all of our own lights and rigging for those with lots of big and small light cans and lots of specials,spots, programmable light controller, fog machine etc.(Also stepladders and handtrucks and tools to set up light rigging and move gear easier) A monster drum kit and his rack depending on if he used his acoustic or electronic kit. Two guitar players kits. Both of us used half stacks and each of us had our own amp and effects racks as well as multiple guitars (I used 3). The bass players kit which was a big old ampeg cab and his rack. A big old crate full of instrument cables, patch and mic cables, Mic's and stands for vocals and drum and instrument mics. And a sequencing keyboard. We would usually play at any given club for a month, 5 nights a week, with four to five 45 minute sets a night depending on if we were playing in Anchorage or the valley. Valley bars stay open later. It really was quite the production and moving all the gear, setting up, and soundcheck usually took all day and alot of times we had to come early the day of the first show to put the final touches on dialing in the PA. It was alot of work but at the same time alot of fun, and the pay back then was pretty good. Most of the clubs we played payed $500 to $600 ($100 to $120 apiece) each night for our 5 member band ,then we would each chip in to pay our sound and light man.(We made it so he got the same amount of cash as we did 
)That was before DJ's really came on the scene and messed it up. 
Ahh those were the days! 
[attachment=31894:20Large.png]
Posted by: Darius Wave May 18 2013, 10:01 AM
Technicians are great where Your beer is ending and You there no way You could get to the bar while playing
Posted by: AK Rich May 18 2013, 10:06 AM
Thats when having a wireless guitar and headset mic comes in handy, also its fun to roam around the club while playing a song
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu May 18 2013, 12:06 PM
Or You can have this:
Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 18 2013, 07:07 PM
We needed a big van like this because most of the clubs we played at, we had to use our own PA system which consisted of bass bins with 18" subs and then cabs with 12's and horn speakers on top of those as well as floor monitors, and a couple of racks with all the power amps and effects, eq's, crossover etc etc.
Also a big old 32 channel mixing console and 100 foot snake. Also we had all of our own lights and rigging for those with lots of big and small light cans and lots of specials,spots, programmable light controller, fog machine etc.(Also stepladders and handtrucks and tools to set up light rigging and move gear easier) A monster drum kit and his rack depending on if he used his acoustic or electronic kit. Two guitar players kits. Both of us used half stacks and each of us had our own amp and effects racks as well as multiple guitars (I used 3). The bass players kit which was a big old ampeg cab and his rack. A big old crate full of instrument cables, patch and mic cables, Mic's and stands for vocals and drum and instrument mics. And a sequencing keyboard. We would usually play at any given club for a month, 5 nights a week, with four to five 45 minute sets a night depending on if we were playing in Anchorage or the valley. Valley bars stay open later.
It really was quite the production and moving all the gear, setting up, and soundcheck usually took all day and alot of times we had to come early the day of the first show to put the final touches on dialing in the PA. It was alot of work but at the same time alot of fun, and the pay back then was pretty good. Most of the clubs we played payed $500 to $600 ($100 to $120 apiece) each night for our 5 member band ,then we would each chip in to pay our sound and light man.(We made it so he got the same amount of cash as we did )That was before DJ's really came on the scene and messed it up. Ahh those were the days!
[attachment=31894:20Large.png]
wou! that Van looks great man! i'm sorry to hear that nowadays this gigs aren't possible nowadays...
Posted by: AK Rich May 19 2013, 06:32 PM
Well they are still possible , but there are less venues to play at, not sure about the pay since I have been out of the loop for quite some time.
But I don't think it is as good as it used to be.
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