You’ve recorded the demo, promoted it ruthlessly, and it paid off with a booking. Unless this is your first show ever, you know how frustrating it can be to forget something essential, and carting all that stuff around can be almost as annoying. The fine line between these two extremes can be walked; no matter what instrument you play. And, newbie or veteran performer, it should come as no surprise that the key is in the planning.
The VERY First Thing You Should Do
The first thing that needs to go right is the formation of your strategy. You should know by now that when it is possible to think of everything, not much room is left to think about anything else.
Two useful concepts for getting around this conundrum are “listing” and “automation,” and both concepts should figure prominently in your “battle plan.” Other elements you will want to look at are interior packing area, shipping organization, and arranging both in such a way that it minimizes the time and effort required to set up and tear down.
That’s a lot of elements, and it hasn’t even broached the umbrella subject of “things that could go wrong,” so the best place to begin is by listing all the various lists you will need to factor in. Obvious? Of course. But remember: Automation is a very useful concept!A useful index would include the following lists:
Instruments/ Cases: (Would include guitars, keyboards, drums, mics, etc., as well as cases for all instruments.). Its also a good idea to list the exterior dimensions of your cases for when its time to pack the truck.
Peripherals/ Cases: Could range anywhere from a guitarist’s single “stomp box” to the laptop you have all your light settings and MIDI commands stored in. Again, anytime you move a device from one location to another, it’s a good idea to transport it in a case of some sort. Guitarists: Don’t forget to list strings and guitar picks!
Support Gear: Every single mixer, amplifier, main speaker, monitor, lighting device, compressor… Essentially, all the gear used to present the group.
Hardware: Should include drum stands for each percussion device, a surface for each keyboard, guitar stands, amp stands, mic stands, sheet music stands, stools or chairs, and a hand truck to make moving it around easier.
Power/Continuity: For an individual, this should include at least one: extension cord, powerstrip (with surge protection, if possible), any necessary adaptors and/or batteries, and a sub-list of every single cable used between the power source and the input to the main mixer! After that, it’s someone else’s problem. Unless it’s not…
Power/Continuity: I highly recommend keeping a separate list for adequate power and continuity for the support gear, including a ballast resistor, (if you’re running a lot of amplification or lights), speaker cables,(as differentiated from conventional “patch cords”), power conditioner, etc.