Gig Packing Strategies

Every seasoned musician has learned by trial and error how to plan and pack for a gig. On the surface, one might incorrectly assume it’s a simple repetitive task. But the seasoned musician knows how to plan ahead. 

Much of the preparation of packing is done by researching the gig. Here are some important questions to ask yourself before you plan on packing. If you don’t know the answers, then it is important to find them.

1. If you’re not familiar with the venue, ask the following questions.

• Does the venue have a sound system? When was it last used? Is it in good working order? Often a venue won’t volunteer this information. So, you’ll have to ask. This will determine if you need to bring your own sound system. That has a big impact on what you pack for the gig. If you are told the venue has a sound system, ask if there is a staff member that can assist in setup. If you are not provided assistance, you may want to bring a friend along to help if you are only familiar with your own system. Also, it is a good idea to drop in on a performance to hear the sound system and even talk to the band that is playing. They may have vital information about the system the venue didn’t tell you. Over the years this author has encountered the following at various venues: Bad channels on the mixer, bad cables, broken mic stands, broken microphones, blown speakers, ungrounded gear which caused electric shocks when touching microphones and overall, just bad sounding old gear. Bring your own system if room at the venue permits if you encounter any issues with a venue’s system.
• How many people can the venue hold? This will help determine the size of sound system and power needed for proper coverage.
• Will you be playing indoors or outdoors? Some venues have both indoor and outdoor live music. Your audience size and outdoor setup may be different than the indoor setup. For instance, is there a stage vs no stage. If there is no stage are you playing on a solid floor? Is there a carpet? Putting monitors on bare concrete outside may not be too much of a problem, but when you are indoors, the low frequencies can reflect off the hard concrete and cause low frequency feedback. It would be beneficial to pack a few small throw rugs or one large rug. Either will help decouple the monitors from the floor and provide some sound absorbing of the low frequencies. This is especially helpful if the venue has low ceilings, and no curtains or soft sound absorbing surfaces on the wall behind the band.
• Power is always the last consideration when venues start to host live music. Find out how many individual power outlets are available for the stage and where they are located. The lack of power outlets will require you to pack power strips and extension cables beyond the quantity you would normally pack. This author recently played a brewery with a decent size stage and a nice neon sign above the stage with the brewery logo. Unfortunately, that sign utilized one of only 2 power outlets at the back of the stage. This provided ONE power outlet, one single plug, to power the pedals, amps, powered speakers, mixer etc!
• One final question you should ask the venue is if they have a way to feed sound through their regular “house music system”. Some venues play radio or streaming music over smaller mounted or in-ceiling speakers located throughout the venue. Some of those systems can connect to your sound system to feed your performance through the house system. Know ahead of time if this is expected as it may require a mixer with enough outputs to handle this and may require you to pack dedicated cables or adapters.

2. Once you have all of the above information, you can gather the gear, place the gear in cases or gig bags, and ask yourself these questions before loading the gear into your vehicle.

• What is the parking and load-in, load out situation? Some popular venues are located in busy downtown areas where parking is not easy. Find out if there is parking close to the venue. Maybe the venue has reserved parking spots for loading/unloading. If you are required to pay for public parking, be prepared. Many pay-to-park meters are not accepting coins or cash these days.
• How is the location? If you are unloading in a busy area, you may want to consider packing a less valuable instrument if you feel theft may be an issue. Have band members or friends meet you at the venue to either help unload or simply stand guard at your vehicle.
• If you are unable to secure nearby parking, consider packing a hand truck dolly or dolly boards. You don’t want to be carrying heavy speaker cabinets a great distance.

Now that you have all the details, here are some tips on packing and unpacking once you have selected gear for the gig.

• Pack the heavy and large items first. Then you can put lighter weight items on top such as acoustic guitars and pedal bags.
• If you are short on space, allow for extra time to pack. Sometimes you may need to unpack and repack to get everything to fit. Pack your sound system and electronics first when you have daylight. Leave your guitars last by the door and pack those just before you leave. You don’t want them sitting in a hot vehicle.
• When you arrive at the venue, you may want to check in with the staff, so be sure to lock your vehicle. If you are in an open bed truck, have someone with you stay with the vehicle.
•  As instruments were loaded last, they are likely to be the first items to be unloaded. If you feel uneasy about leaving your instruments in the venue as you unload speakers etc., lock them in the front seat of your vehicle. Use a dark blanket to cover them. Unload the instruments last to keep them in sight at all times.

Knowing an abundance of details about the individual venues can and will change what and how you pack for your gigs. Keep notes on your phone or somewhere as it can help if you plan when you return to play that venue again.

Also in Audio Info & Education