What's in your gig bag?

[guitars247]

Now that I am back in a band and will be playing out again (finally)...I am putting my duffel gig bag of goodies back together.

Got me to thinking, what if there was something that other folks can't live without that I hadn't ever thought of using?

So.....what are the tools/accessories/extras you have on hand for every gig?

It can be anything from extra strings and a battery powered screwdriver (which are in my toolbox in the gig bag), to extra capos and slides, a mic-stand pick holder........anything you can think of that you HAVE to bring to your gigs outside of guitar, amp and pedals.

What say you TFFers?

[boobtube21]

Extra pics
tuner
extra cable or two
6-outlet surge protector
10' extension cord
earplugs
glass slide (though I never use it)
extra set of strings
extra 9V battery
folding amp stand

If I'm playing steel as well, add to the above list an extra tone bar, extra finger pics, and a volume pedal.

I have a toolbox with all my guitar-related tools in it, and a small cardboard box with spare tubes, but I've only brought them a couple of times and never needed anything from them.

[Don]

Don't forget talcum powder for hot or sunny outdoor gigs. I use it on my hands so they don't grip the neck and fingerboard.

[buckaroo]

Spare tube(s), if needed, for your amp.

[FrankJohnson]

We did a thread like this a long while back - maybe 05-06 or so. I dont' know exactly - but wasn't gigging regularly yet.

Since then - I have done a few and maybe have a better idea of what works for me - with my eqpt, setup etc.

I ALWAYS have a leatherman type multi tool so that is No. 1

- Multi tool
- Tape - duct - gaffers, etc. Have SOMETHING - argue which is best in another thread
- Flashlight - have batteries for it when it gets turned on in the bag and they go dead - or have a backup flashlight.
- If it has fuses or tubes - have at least one of each type
- an extra power cable never hurts. Funny how many times guys forget one (plug into back of eqpt)
- if you use a cable - have at least one backup - two is better goes for speakon, 1/4", instrument, speaker, Y, insert, XLR
- Connector adapters - if you might need them - you should have them
- Spare strap
- Power Strips - with LONG cable
- DI - Priceless if you ever need it
- TUNER
- BATTERIES - If you use them - have them
- One spot
- Motrin - advil or similar - bandaids, etc
- Mic Clip - or .....see Duct tape
- spare mic - doesn't even have to be a good one - just have one - maybe with a cable?
- Mix CD or two that will work in most clubs
- Bungee cord or three
- Pad - paper - markers - pens
- strings (I carry a spare set of used bass, and new 9's and 10's - String sets - picks)
- Buisness cards
- Demo Cd or two
- Emergency phone numbers list - relatives, also other players it never hurts, expecially if any of your equipment dies, and you know someone who lives fairly close, if you are out of your area
- Vice grips - small to med set - have used them for A LOT of things!
- Nail file and clippers never hurts


I can honeslty say - I usuaully have all or most of this for most gigs. every now and then - I miss something.

I am sort of the manager/leader guy and as much as I hate saying it - most of what I have needed or used has been for the "other" guys.

I can also say that if it is on this list - most if not all of them have been used at least once, and many much more than that.

This is off the top of my head - so there may be a few other things.

[Rickenjangle]

Wow, Frank, you must be the most well-prepared bandleader in the history of gigging...at least in terms of bands who don't have roadies and a tour/road manager.

Here's a true story:The band I have that includes Offshore Angler and Mikey, Crossfyre, once did a show opening for Molly Hatchett. Well, this was one of the worst gigging experiences I've ever had, because of the weather and all of the waiting. It was rainy, outdoors (under a very large tent-stage, at least...but hanging around for hours while Molly Hatchett's horribly unprepared/hungover/corn-pone-idiotic crew slowly set up their gear while trying to keep our own gear safe from theft and dry sucked).

The chief holdup was that one of the Peavey amp heads (I think they were those VM/Triumph tube amp heads that used 6L6's) was DOA and they didn't have any replacement tubes. We were about 40 minutes west of the House of Guitars, the only place that they had a ghost of a chance of getting replacement tubes. The guitarist did not want to use his backup heads, I guess, so we had to delay our setup/soundcheck/set even longer so they could go into town and get the damn tubes.

Just goes to show...even the "pro's" (and in this case I use that term loosely) are caught with their pants down.

As for me, I used to always bring two amps to a gig and use 'em. If one goes down then I still have one.

For smaller venues, I always bring a DI solution just in case, and then use just one amp.

Just recently, I've taken to bringing an extra strap, just in case. I hate using one strap and swapping it between multiple guitars...and I ALWAYS bring 2-3 guitars on a job. But my boys have been playing my guitars at home and so the straps that I have tend to "migrate" - I had to do a practice one night sitting down because the guitar strap I thought was in the gig bag was at home on another guitar.

[Offshore Angler]

I guess it depends on your definition of "gig bag" really. My Gig bag has a couple sets of strings, some loose ones, a flashlight, an outlet tester and a spare cheapy tuner. Couple of cords and some band stickers and cards.

Our band gear on the other hand, has several crates of gear that falls into "use what you need for the venue" category.

[FrankJohnson]

RJ -
This is all in a gym bag that usually stays in the Scion. I don't carry tubes anymore, but if you notice, I said if it has em - you should have em. My rig and the PA is all solid state - I do have fuses.

OA -I guess my felix bag is a small scale version of the Crates. I carry the PA, Bass Rig, Mic/Spkr stands, monitors, lights, basses and when my buddy T Bone is around - sometimes bring My DRRI for him (he lives out of state now). thats a WHOLE lot in a small box!

This is actaully less weight/space than the same type of bag, which I use for speaker cables/power cables/strips for the PA etc.

By having it - I haven't had to worry about as much and can worry about other silly things - like getting paid, booking work, meeting folks in the crowd, etc.


Funny about the strap - thats why I have one in the bag - one of the guys would notoriously show up without one, or a tuner. Having it enabled him - and didn't make him use his own - but it DID help us stay on time, without delays, etc. thats the whole premise of being prepared i guess.

earlier in the band, the Drummer brought *his* PA.....
One show, he forgot the Mixer. THE MIXER! We plugged my Bass DI into one channel and my BBE Sonic stomp into the other - and controlled the Two singers vocals with it. He used a BIG rolling rack setup - and the mixer was two friggin stomp boxes. I was pissed, but glad I had them and the right cables to make it work. (xlr to 1/4 for a Harp player friend of mine who was supposed to come play with us that night).

[Rickenjangle]

Mikey's son, who is our bass player, has forgotten his bass before.

LOL his BASS!!

In fairness, it was at a time when he had a crapload of other stuff going on in his life...

[FrankJohnson]

I do this stupid mental checklist before I leave....

I point to each item as I rattle this off.....

I am playing my BASS
I plug my CABLE
into my AMP
with my SPEAKER CABLE -
into my CABINET
I use my MICS
and plug those CABLES into the PA HEAD
and run it to THE MONITORS
AND MAINS
with the SPEAKER CABLES
which are up on STANDS
so are the MICS

and so on

I Know - sounds stupid.
4 years - I forgot mic stands once - but had time to call other band guy to bring them.

There is more -
set lists, which BTW I keep old copies of - in case we forget - just to have songs in front of us - I have several different ones with different guys who have played with - in case they show up or are covering.

[rudutch]

lint

[Offshore Angler]

Mikey's son, who is our bass player, has forgotten his bass before.

LOL his BASS!!

In fairness, it was at a time when he had a crapload of other stuff going on in his life...

IIRC, that was the same job where a band member fell off the stage... man, there was magic in the air that night.

I still drive by that joint once in a while, it's boarded up and the roof is about done. I often muse that if I had the time I'd buy the place and fix it back up.

[Rickenjangle]

I was thinking about the downtown Canandaigua gazebo gig...but didn't he forget it twice? What was that place that's boarded up? The Brew Haus was the one where Mikey fell off the back of the stage, and that place is still open although I hate playing there because the money is NEVER right and the sound guy is always surly...

[Offshore Angler]

The old Honeoye Pub. Really, I'd love to fix that place back up.

[Rickenjangle]

That's right. Swanky stepped off the edge with one foot, realized he was falling, and jumped using his other foot OVER my tree of 3 guitars on that Hercules tri-stand...

He has the reflexes of a cat!

[boobtube21]

I do this stupid mental checklist before I leave....

I point to each item as I rattle this off.....

I am playing my BASS
I plug my CABLE
into my AMP
with my SPEAKER CABLE -
into my CABINET
I use my MICS
and plug those CABLES into the PA HEAD
and run it to THE MONITORS
AND MAINS
with the SPEAKER CABLES
which are up on STANDS
so are the MICS

Ha ha I do this exact same thing!!!!!

[jrgtr42]

I've only played a couple gigs, but when I do, my old POD (version2) with footboard gets thrown in the car.
If (Dog forbid) my amp goes out, and no resurrection works, I can at least plug into that thing with my preset sounds and get whatever I may need.

[FrankJohnson]

Doing a gig tonight - and glad I kept old set lists from others that have played with us - had a situation where one guys can't make it (as of last night) and the tonight set list was SO easy to put together with this old one.

I actually have entered them and saved for future ref. If I was smart enough I would do it as a spreadsheet and pull them up by player.