What's your system for not forgetting gear for or at a gig?

[Targalx]

As the question asks, do you have a system to ensure your car's packed with all the stuff you're bringing to a gig before you leave the house?

And, do you have system that also ensures you don't leave anything behind at the gig afterwards, when packing up the car to go back home?

I just do a count -- 12 items in the car always means I'm good to go (1=kick, 2=snare A, 3=snare B, 4=rack, 5=floor, 6=cymbal bag, 7=stick bag, 8=pedal bag, 9=hardware bag, 10=throne, 11=cart, 12=rug [this one is optional as most places I play have a decent rug on stage]).

Just curious!

 

[repete]

My drums all use the same hardware set up, I just leave my hardware bag in the trunk so I only need to really remember my drums and cymbal
bag. So far so good -

 

[Squirrel Man]

Use the other band's drums.

 

[Bun Carlos]

Before I leave I do a "dummy check". I walk on the stage to where I sat and look around.

 

[Deafmoon]

As the question asks, do you have a system to ensure your car's packed with all the stuff you're bringing to a gig before you leave the house?

And, do you have system that also ensures you don't leave anything behind at the gig afterwards, when packing up the car to go back home?

I just do a count -- 12 items in the car always means I'm good to go (1=kick, 2=snare A, 3=snare B, 4=rack, 5=floor, 6=cymbal bag, 7=stick bag, 8=pedal bag, 9=hardware bag, 10=throne, 11=cart, 12=rug [this one is optional as most places I play have a decent rug on stage]).

Just curious!

The count was my system for years. Write it down and check it off packing to go and packing it up.

 

[Deafmoon]

Use the other band's drums.

Oh man that’s dangerous. The last set I used at a club had heads on the drums from the 80’s. I could not tune the snare rods anymore cause the head was so old and stretched. It was awful. Same with the toms which had pinstripes. I did not even play the toms they were so awful. Thank God the bass drum was okay.

 

[Ptrick]

The solution for me is to have a gigging set of drums and hardware in the garage, in cases, ready to go at all times.

Only two things I have to actually “remember “ is my snare for the night and cymbals I want to use for the night. I even leave a snare case partially open on top of the bass drum case to remind me to put a snare in it, and if my cymbal bag doesn’t have I full set of cymbals in it, I leave the zippers open.

I know I have it all when the spot they inhabit in the garage is empty.

 

[hsosdrum]

When I pack up, I stage all of the bags/cases (all of them) together. After I load my vehicle I go back to the staging area and make sure I got everything. This works both at home and at the venue.

 

[CC Cirillo]

I’ve got an excellent roadie.













Me. I do a floor-up tally in my head as if setting up or tearing down: Rug? (check), pedal? (check), stands? (check), etc…..

 

[jptrickster]

The solution for me is to have a gigging set of drums and hardware in the garage, in cases, ready to go at all times.

Same. Right inside the garage/mudroom. Right there ready always. gig to gig. Everything has a place and a bag. This is why you need at least 10 kits and multiple everything.

 

[GiveMeYourSmallestSticks!]

I gauge based on the amount of space taken up in my Subaru. I know exactly where everything fits and what order I load it all in and out. If there's a gap or open space in the back I've forgotten something, but it hasn't happened yet. I'm a visual/spatial sort of person, and it's worked for me so far.

 

[jpalom01]

I'm visual/spatial as well, and I got cases in different color (gray) to be able to easily A/ count them for total drums (4,6,etc.) and B/ make sure that the count goes into and out of the venue with my eyes confirming it. Then I count them again in the car. Then I still worry I've left something and go back to double check everything from stage to transport area.

 

[TheBeachBoy]

I use the same hardware case, gear bag, cymbals bag, throne, and mixer/mic case for every kit. I mainly use one kit and that's really the only variable. Playing a four piece it's easy to remember everything.

edited to add: I have to Tetris everything into my car to fit, so it's really a muscle memory at this point.

 

[Heartbeat]

I have a checklist on my phone and I count cases. Always a dummy check, too.

 

[JimmyM]

System?

 

[Tornado]

My system is fear. I double and then triple check.

 

[DamnSingerAlsoDrums]

The ultimate?

Residency.

Short of that:

When on a touring cycle, on off nights the band's trailer might spend the night fully loaded in a cameras and security guards-equipped facility. It'll stay there, say when we have a few days off/ quick familly touch-base break in between stretches. So I don't really have to unload anything then.

When coming home for longer and I take my stuff back with me, and I lose the habit of constant mental check-listing, that's when the forgetfulness can and do happen.

On tour though, I will setup, and after each gig, I will take down my stuff myself, even though we DO have a roadie. Our guy is quite busy as it is with the amps, guitars, pedal boards, in-ears receivers and whatnot... He's quite happy to not have to take the drums down as well.

The venues and festivals we play provide a small crew of helpers but they are instructed to NOT take anything out of the cases before or take down anything after the gig if I'm not present. They are to leave all drums stuff in cases around the drums riser. I have a small-ish setup and it usually takes longer to explain folks how I like my stuff setup or how I tear it down than it takes me to actually do it, so there's that.

Before going, on any given night, at least 4 people from band/crew does a stupid check.

 

[Pat A Flafla]

I use different gear all the time so I have a checklist on my phone. Before I pull out of the driveway I'm supposed to give it a look.

I have plenty of sticks and heads under the seats of all my beater Toyotas. My truck also has an extra snare stand and a swiv-o-matic pedal in the "x-tra cab," under the 6x9s.

Loading out's pretty easy: is the stage clear, and were any suspicious characters hanging around? There's a 100% chance I'll be sober after the show, which I imagine is a contributing factor to all my stuff always getting home.

 

[paul]

I keep my gigging gear in the garage, so as part of my pre-leaving routine I check the storage shelves for anything I think I'll need on the gig. Many times I also stop about a mile down the road in a convenient church parking lot, open the back, and verify that I have everything.

Before leaving the gig, like others mentioned above, I do a dummy check of the stage.

 

[pwc1141]

These days I seem to playing more house kits with which I use my snare, cymbals and sticks/brushes. That's three bags only I need to check before and after the gig. When I do take my own kit, I have the same unpack and pack routine each time which helps plus a real time check at home before leaving and the same check of stage after the gig..