Quickest setup time for a gig!

Marc Friedland · From: Fort Collins, CO

I definitely don’t expect my recent experience to be the “winner,” but I thought this might make an interesting post.
This past weekend after traveling a long distance to get to the gig, the Mapquest directions were wrong, and it ended up taking me an extra half hour to get there.
The bottom line:
I arrived at the club at 8:45 and start time was scheduled for 9:00.
I was not familiar with the load-in logistics or the layout of the stage, etc.
The band started a 12 bar blues sound check tune at 9:00 and before the tune was complete, I had tuned up my Carter S10 3 & 5, electric guitar, and had sound checked all of my equipment.
Please note:
It was not only a pedal steel guitar setup I had to be ready with.
There was also an electronic keyboard, 6-string guitar, stands, effects pedals, etc.
This was the fastest I’ve ever set up all of my gear, and hopefully I won’t ever have to repeat it.
Admittedly:
I did have help loading the gear from my car to the stage, and
the lead singer actually put my pac-a-seat together.

OK,
Anyone have their own interesting story –

Marc

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

My quickest set-up time was around 3 minutes flat.

The band leader would time me, occasionally. (Sort of a game, but I knew his real motive was to see me bust my buns!) From the time I trudged in and sat my gear on the stage, to having it unpacked, set up, hooked up, with cases stowed, and be seated and playing...was 3-4 minutes.

Tuning, you ask? I always fine-tuned after playing a few songs, or at the end of the first set.

I wouldn't gig with a guitar that wouldn't hold it's tuning well enough that I couldn't just take out of the case and start playing.

Billy Webb · From: Oroville, Cal. USA

Man you guys are pretty swift.I was building a trailer for my band getting ready to go on a tour, thinking I had plenty of time, when my agent called and said he needed me to fill in a Fri.&Sat.night at the Fabulous Mizpaugh hotel in down town Tonopah Nevada. I tried to explain that I wasnt ready to leave and that I was in the middle Of construction on my trailer, but he said He was really in a jam and was afraid he would lose the acount. Well being young and dumm I consented to do the gig, and go on the tour from their.I never went to bed for three days and nights trying to finish that trailer. When we got it loaded and pulled out of the drive way, the paint was still wet, I had it finished enough to at least get down the road, and it was Fri.afternoon. We pulled into the hotel fifteen minuts before show time. We were about five minuts late in getting started, and I only lasted that first set,I put the chick singer on Base, and the base player on lead guitar, and went to the room, and on top of that I had a new drummer. The room was right above the band stand and I could hear every thing going on, as sick as I was I couldn't help but laugh. Needless to say the chick singer was no Base player, and the base player was no lead guitar player, but every one in lounge had a good time and they made it OK. Good or bad, I dont know, but what a heck of a ride. Thats one of my stories Mark and im stiken to it. Billy Webb Movin on to ARKANSAS ( GETTIN CLOSER )

Damien Odell · From: Springwood, New South Wales, Australia

Marc, I hear you!!

There is nothing worse than that sort of thing. I had a gig in sydney in Jan this yr, it was one of those things where there were a whole bunch of bands playing, and the people running it had only allowed about 10 mins for one band to clear the stage, then the other to get set up. I had the steel, effects board, acoustic guitar and electric guitar - plus the A/B switch etc to get up and running.
By the time I sat down to play I didn't know what was going on, no time to sound check the acoustic DI or anything.....just start playing and hope for the best...
Wouldn't it be nice to be the Eagles or some other high profile band, you are driven to the show, given the meal of your choice, then wander to the stage to be handed your guitar for each song, your in-ear monitor is ready to go........I could handle that.

Damien

Frank Parish · From: Nashville,Tn. USA

3 or 4 minutes huh? I don't see how you can do it. I used to drive downtown with my guitar already set up laying down in the van and just jump out and set it where it went but I still had to haul in the amp and seat and tune it. Maybe ten minutes tops. I did play a gig once with that nut that wrote I'm From the Country and we had five minutes to set up after the first band. I set up an Emmons p/p in the kitchen of this place and tuned it right there. The place was so crowded, two of us carried the guitar by the legs while somebody else cleared the way. I used the amp that was on stage. When I plugged in my volume pedal I heard 3-4 and we were off and running.

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

I don't know about setup time, but my record for clearing my gear off stage once was a minute and a half after a great big bar room brawl broke out. My ShoBud was in its case and broken down before you could say Jack Robinson!

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I carry my steel with legs and pedals attached, in the back of my mini-van. Time to set up depends mostly on how far my car is from the stage, and whether I have to move the car after unloading.

15 minutes would be comfortable. 5 is a bit rushed.

------------------

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Tim Sergent · From: Hendersonville, TN, USA

I was on a burning bus one time....so I know how fast you can unload all of the equipment if you really have to.

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

I heard that Tim, same thing happened to me on a trip to Twang Town to do a TNN TV show a few years back in a leased RV. Seems like we had that sucker unpacked in seconds.

Now that I am using a rack for my tuner and efx instead of a couple stomp boxes and an old Korg, my set up time is very quick. I can be good to go in less than 5 min. once my gear is inside. 3 wires and 2 outlets, 2 loops a half hitch and a hooey.. hands in the air, like a calf roper

[This message was edited by Bo Borland on 26 April 2006 at 07:33 PM.]

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

I'm with Donny - if you have to retune before every gig there's something wrong with your guitar.

Fastest setup ever for me was a bluegrass gig at the Palomino years ago. We were opening for Jerry Naylor. It was a rainy night, I was stuck in traffic - got to the club, walked in, opened my case at the edge of the stage, walked up to the mic and we hit the first song of a 40-minute set (obviously, the rest of the band was there and...hopefully...praying I would show up).

Total setup time - approximately 15 seconds.

The place was also packed with Japanese tourists who arrived on buses, all wearing cowboy hats and yelling "Duering Banjos, yes?"

It was a unique gig.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Jim:There's nothing wrong with my guitar...sometimes it's 20 below out and then you walk in a club that's about 85.

Marc Friedland · From: Fort Collins, CO

Thanks everyone for participating in this post. I knew there would be some cool stories. Keep em comin'.
To add some additional info about my scenario:
I also changed shoes before starting to play, because of my shoes being wet from it being rainy and icy outside.
When I arrived at the club, I first went to the front door, before learning I had to go all the way around back to load in.
Also, the legs of my psg had to be adjusted quite a bit, because of the extreme uneveness of the stage.
I can imagine it only taking 5 minutes if you travel with your steel already together, and running on to a stage where you know exactly where to set up, and only plugging in a chord to your one pedal and amp, trusting your previous tuning, and away you go. It wouldn't be easy, but obviously some of you have already done it.
My situation with the multiple instruments, etc., was quite different. I still think I did a pretty good job with the time and issues that I faced.
-- Marc

[This message was edited by Marc Friedland on 26 April 2006 at 09:56 PM.]

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Stu - Ahhh...I forget about temperature extremes. Never had that problem.

Michael Garnett · From: Seattle, WA

Rub it in, why don'tcha Jim!

Monday afternoon it was 95 degrees out here in West Texas. By midnight a front had blown through and it was 39.

Jerry Van Hoose · From: Wears Valley, Tennessee

In 2002, I drove all day and most of the night with Charlie Stepp to Dallas from Louisville for the TSGA Jamboree. We arrived at the Harvey around 3:00am but couldn't check in until 9:00 that morning.
Immediately after check in, we unloaded our van and had the Derby Steel display set up by 11:00. Still, no sleep. Charlie Norris came by and said, "Jerry we've got an empty slot, you're on next"! Say what, how, less than 5 minutes notice. Friday morning, great time slot, can't pass that up. I grabbed the closest Derby, just out of the case, hoping that it was my setup and in tune, it was! Walked directly to the stage, borrowed a seat along the way and began practically as soon as I sat down. It wasn't until after the first song that I actually had time to look around the stage in order to see who all was there with me. No sleep for over 30 hours, short notice, but I had the time of my life. Mitzi Grantham got some great photos of my performance that morning and thank you Charlie Norris for your kindness and consideration for allowing me to play.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Jim:I hope you never have to experience it.Sometimes you have to wear snow boots,and then change into other shoes at the gig.That takes at least five minutes.Hey good luck with that old Fender,it looks really cool,Stu

Bob Cox · From: Buckeye State

Posted below

[This message was edited by Bob Cox on 05 May 2006 at 07:09 PM.]

Bob Cox · From: Buckeye State

This would be a cool thing to do in St louis
this year.There could be a contest on stage,guitars in the case,five players,the first to start playing the steel guitar rag
wins.the others could join in after they got set up.Contestants could be picked out of a hat.d10s only

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