![]() These are the speakers that provide the sound for the audience at a show. Mains: The main speakers for the front-of-house sound system. Load-out is the exact opposite, and was immortalized beautifully by Jackson Browne on his 1977 record Running on Empty. Load-in/Load-out: Load in is when you haul all your stuff from the van or the bus into the venue and on stage. The headlining act is generally the big draw for a show, gets paid the most, plays the longest, and plays last. A “guarantee-plus-percentage” deal offers the guarantee plus a percentage of sales from tickets or alcohol, for example. Guarantee: This is the amount of money that you are guaranteed to get paid for a gig, regardless of net income. This is often a good distance from the stage, usually close to the center of the room, where technicians can see and hear everything from the perspective of the audience. ![]() The DI box plugs into a mixing console, which sends a noiseless signal through the speakers.įront of House: The front of house (or FOH) is the area where the soundboard and lighting controls are located. An unbalanced output can pick up unwanted noise, ruining the sound, so if you have an instrument that emits an unbalanced output (usually a keyboard, synth, or guitar), you can plug it into a DI box, which balances the output. This system not only helps keep turnover tight, but also saves your precious snare from abuse by a rogue heavy-hitter.īuyer: Usually referred to as a talent buyer, this person negotiates on behalf of the venue or event to determine how much you’ll be paid, and works out any necessary contracts.ĭI (Direct Input) Box: A DI box creates a balanced signal. Shells refers to the other components of the kit-toms, kick drum, stands-that are often provided by the headliner. If you, as a drummer, are asked to bring only your breakables to a show, this is what they mean. Breakables are essentially the pricey or special parts of a drum kit-snare, cymbals, kick pedal, for example-that each drummer brings themselves. Acts will be broken down into tiers, the way you see it on a Coachella poster, for example.īreakables: Drummers on the same bill might share the bones of a kit, but they’ll rarely share the whole thing. And there’s festival billing, which happens when there’s a high volume of performances stretching over multiple days or at least multiple stages, with more than one headliner. ![]() Equal billing puts everyone on the same level. Headline billing refers to the situation where one act (the “headliner”) is the main feature of a show and is the reason why most people have showed up that band or artist will occupy the top slot of any advertising literature and is usually represented in larger type than the supporting acts. When that’s the case, the organizer should give you a rundown of what elements of the backline the venue will supply-gear brands, the size and power of amps, the number of pieces in the drum kit, and any other relevant details.īilling: The bill is the list of acts playing a show, and there are different kinds of billing. You’ll most often hear the term “backline” during logistics chats about a one-off festival date, where quick changes between acts are essential, so artists aren’t necessarily expected to have all their own gear with them. In many cases, depending on the gig and venue, it can also include instruments like drums (often minus the breakables) and keyboards. ![]() Here’s a breakdown of the terms you should know, whether you’re hitting the road for a cross-country tour or just rippin’ on down to your local dive bar.īackline: A backline usually refers to the non-instrumental sound-system equipment, like amps and speaker cabinets, that you need to play a gig. From the moment you look into booking a show to the workout you’ll get loading out of the venue, you’ll be navigating the language of promoters, bookers, talent buyers, sound techs, and-if you hit the big time (or just want to create the illusion of it)-roadies. Just like recording in the studio, playing live shows has a vocab that’s specific to its needs.
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