How are you managing the PA topic in your band?

[2tallmusic]

I know some of you guys are as well dealing with PA gear to support gigging with the own band. Thirst of all I have the feeling it is always guitarists or drummers who expand their gear-hoarding expertise towards the PA topic. Barely I have seen a singer or keyboarder providing that kind of service to a band. But that’s just a side note. My main observation is, once you start providing the PA, there is a lot room for conflict as typically it manifests an imbalance of contributions what rarely works out on the long run.

What I am interested in is - how you guys manage to balance the contributions within your band? In case you are bringing the PA, are you getting a fair share of the compensation in case your gigs are paid? Or, are your band members providing other contributions like booking, driving, creating flyers and advertisement, etc.? Or do you just let the bad tempers grow in case the others don’t contribute as much as you do?

For me it is not really a topic of bad tempers (yet) but I am sure this could change in case the gig frequency would significantly grow. Sometimes I am stressed, especially when I am hardly making it to set up my guitar properly as I am too busy with light and foh sound.

I know there is always the discussion about renting but the reality is, out of the last 5 gigs 3 would not have happened without me bringing the PA and I would not have wanted to miss any of these events. So at the end of the day I think once you start the PA thing you are somewhat trapped :-)

What’s your take on the topic, how are you managing it in your band?

[facefirst]

I just dropped $10K on a band PA. I made it clear that EVERYONE is a roadie in this band and that no one is rolling in ten minutes before we hit the stage. Everyone will learn how to set up before the gig and strike the stage after otherwise I’m going to be taking at least 50% of the money for gigs.

I built this PA out of necessity and really didn’t want to have to do it, but if I’m putting this kind of investment in then I expect everybody to help.

And NEVER let bad shit fester. It’ll eventually be too big to handle. Just lay out your expectations right from the start. Be firm and matter of fact about it. You just need it to be clear what is expected and that the band is a group effort.

[Guitarbilly]

90% of the places we play have their own P.A. but the few times we had to bring one, it was my QSCs and my mixer.
We're a trio and 2/3 of the band consists of my wife and I, so we're in a different situation than most bands.

But when we have to bring a P.A I'm the one who carries it, set it up, soundcheck and tear it down. Honestly, I prefer it that way, that gear is expensive and I don't want people messing with it. We recently played a 4 band bill in an art gallery in Falls Church and I made very clear to all involved that I was the only person touching that P.A.

Obviously if I had to bring a P.A more often or if we had more band members, I'd probably have a different attitude towards it, but in my current situation, it's my gear and I'm doing all of it.

Same thing when I provided a backline. I don't mind people using my cabs or even my amp, but don't go plugging/unplugging anything without my consent and supervision.

[broslinger]

I stopped doing paid gigs. It solves everything.

I bring everything, then we play what i want to play.

[Vladimir Putin]

I just bought a PA and stopped playing in bands.

[greatmutah]

What’s a band? I haven’t been in one in… six years now.

[2tallmusic]

I just dropped $10K on a band PA. I made it clear that EVERYONE is a roadie in this band and that no one is rolling in ten minutes before we hit the stage. Everyone will learn how to set up before the gig and strike the stage after otherwise I’m going to be taking at least 50% of the money for gigs.

You have a point there. I am typically more like Billy described it with a kind of "if I do it myself I know it is done right" attitude. But I believe on the long run your approach is the right thing to do and healthier for everybody involved

The learning part will be hard. I am always amazed how people struggle to consistently roll some cables just the way they fit back into the case ...

I stopped doing paid gigs. It solves everything.

I bring everything, then we play what i want to play.

Doing favor and charity gigs is one reason we often rely on my gear and why renting is not always an option. I am not complaining - so far these were always nice crowds and good parties.

[screamingdaisy]

I built the PA with the band's money, so we all own it.

I'm the most technical in the band, so we discuss what we want and I tell them how much that'll cost and we make a decision.

When we started out I did most of the setup, but I taught others how to do the grunt work as I went. After I taught them a couple times, I just flat out refused to do it from that point forward and they got the hint.

If this were my PA, the PA would get an equal cut.... so a 5 man band would split 6 ways, and I'd get my own share plus the PA's share. If anyone complains, they can go buy their own PA.

[Guitarbilly]

I stopped doing paid gigs. It solves everything.

I bring everything, then we play what i want to play.

We do originals so unpaid goes without saying.

[facefirst]

I built the PA with the band's money, so we all own it.

I'm the most technical in the band, so we discuss what we want and I tell them how much that'll cost and we make a decision.

When we started out I did most of the setup, but I taught others how to do the grunt work as I went. After I taught them a couple times, I just flat out refused to do it from that point forward and they got the hint.

If this were my PA, the PA would get an equal cut.... so a 5 man band would split 6 ways, and I'd get my own share plus the PA's share. If anyone complains, they can go buy their own PA.

That’s not a half bad idea.