These local support bands kill me sometimes.  I get that they're excited to play a 25 minute opening slot, but man do they act like it's their show sometimes.  Needy as hell with every buddy of theirs showing up to act as some sort of "tech" or roadie or whatever.


I have twice as many people hanging out in the wings as I do in the actual band.  FFS, ask your girlfriend to hang out in the audience.  Can you see the band in the below pic?  Nether can I; they're blocked by people doing nothing.  Hope they don't need to signal me for anything.




I guess I could be all stage managery and do something about it, but that's just not how we roll.  Gonna have to be content to gripe on ARFCOM
















 

We don't have enough local support to have opening bands.



The guy who helped lug in the four hundred pounds of power amps under that board might actually be the drummer's guitar tech.

 
Nothing wrong with having a guy in your crew who can perform several tasks.


If opening bands want to bring along a sound guy, guitar tech, or loader it's fine by me.  If the loader doubles as a merch seller it's fine by me.


All I ask is that the people they bring along actually do some sort of necessary work, and don't just spend their time wandering on and off stage during the show.


If you're not doing anything it's best to buy a ticket, hang out in the audience and show your support that way.

Oh, and notice how the headliner's road case is being used as a sofa and table for purses, drinks, etc.

Totally uncouth

Security badges.

Did you op the SD9?

 
We allow a certain number of comps and supply them with wrist bands.  How they behave is up to them to a large extent.


The SD9 was operated by the headliner's monitor guy.  Right behind it is the Midas PRO2 that I use for house mons.

How do you like the Midas?

Besides how it might offend Thawntex's delicate soundguy sensibilities, it's bad business.  If you're a local opener band, you have a finite number of fans to begin with...and that fan base is usually at least initially comprised of your friends.  You should be working on your entire persona...i.e. your fans are your fans and you should appear as a rock god to them.  Not saying be a douchey diva, not at all...but when you have a significant portion of your fan base loading you in, hanging out by the stage, you aren't special...you're just their buddy.If you can't pull off acting as large as Gene Simmons to your friends who bought a ticket to come see you, you will never be able to convince a stranger that you are a rock god.  Hence, from the moment you leave the house to the moment you return, you should be a performer, and everyone else is either club staff or fans.  Load your own shit.  Treat the club staff great, because they are your co-workers for the night.  Perform as if you are headliner, and act accordingly.  Shout out the bands before and after you...plug the headliner hard.  Sell merch, sign autographs, then go to the afterparty at your guitar player's house and THEN you can be friends with your friends.

The stage is for performers.

IMHO if you're playing a small bar/club and you're in one of the bands and you aren't helping the other bands load and unload, you suck and should be shunned. Even Huntress and The Marshall Tucker Band helped us when we loaded and unloaded our gear.



But friends? Nah. They should be cheering for you when you are on stage and pretending to not know you very well when you are off stage.