In the old days, when I hauled all the PA and my own gear in a trailer, it was about an hour to set up as long as I had one member of the band who would help - that would be Dale, my keyboard player. The drummer and bass player always used to show up just AFTER Dale and I had everything inside and roughly in place. I think they hid out in the parking lot and watched.

Tearing down generally took about half an hour, again just me and Dale, the other two a-holes would be belly up to the bar getting their last load of liquor for the drive home while Dale and I were sweating. I always took 10% off the top for the PA.

Nowadays I still allow an hour to load in and set up, but I generally have 20 minutes to relax before I start to play. 20 minutes after I'm done, I'm on the road, providing I don't have to wait for my pay.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

then ya just drag them back in by the tail.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

I've never had it that bad, but I've been in bands where guys don't pull their weight. Singers are the #1 offenders. They usually have to be taught how to wind up cords and put their mics away. In the band I'm with now, we all take care of our stuff and as soon as we're done with our own we help someone else who isn't done yet. Same thing setting up, if someone is done they'll help whoever isn't. That's how we can set up and tear down so quickly. Our singer is usually excused from tear down duty because people come up to her and want to talk to her right after the show, get our web information and things like that. So we usually help her out when that happens since she is technically doing something which still benefits the band.

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Website: http://www.rebeccalaird.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccalairdmusic
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Weekly church bassist. 241 Masses and services, to date, plus "more" practices than that.

'Bought an amp which is kept there and needs to be hauled about 30 feet out of storage to musicians' area.

Unloading, setting up (no mic) music stand, music, running cable (minimal for Fender, more for Line 6), slinging on, tuning...

...more or less about 10 minutes each, up and down.

And whoa, that is SO true about the vocalists!

we all set up our own stuff then help the drummer. then we ll set up the pa. as far as tearing down, everything is the same except the bass player is usually dragging his rear end a bit.
overall, it's a team effort and usually a few folks actually give us a hand and we really appreciate that.

I've been in two bands with female front-people (P.C.), and they both were right there with the rest of us when it came to set-up and tear-down. No prima-donnas!
As for me (guitarist) personally, I've been doing one-nighters so long, I've got it down to a science. If it's more than one night at the same venue, I take everything except A.C. power stuff home with me. Got ripped off one time; never again! Set-up in 15 minutes, tear down the same. My basic rig goes in and out in one trip, no cart needed. Guitar in a gig bag over my right shoulder, ex-projector carry-bag for A.C. strip & extension cord, cables, amp mic, vocal mic, power supplies, gaff tape and a Leslie simulator on my left shoulder, pedal board in a briefcase in one hand, Super Champ (or Dlx Rev) in the other. A small amp with a mic on it can be as loud as you want it to be on stage, and if you point it at yourself you'll hear it fine. The bonus is you will actually be in the mix, and soundmen will love you!
For charted gigs I bring along a music stand that collapses and fits easily on the bag, and I have a small two-wheel cart with a folding tongue, bungees and collapsing handle for the times I take my small Leslie, and it all still goes out in one trip. I drive a station wagon so I don't have to lift/bend over/lower stuff into a trunk because I still don't have a personal chiropractor.

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"There's an arse for every chair"

5 guitars
7 amps
4 dogs

Wise words indeed!

Don't end up like me -- knees shot and disc collapse at L5-L6.

But do sooooo love my Fender Twins with JBL's though.

(nobody to blame except myself)



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Sounds like wee have all had some kind of experionce with the guys wanting someone else to do all the work. I never would stand for it. yours is yours, and mine is mine. the same guys will stand there and let you pay the bill. That is one good reason why some bands dont stay togather.