It's Only A Flesh Wound...

Most of us are at a performing level where we're still handling our own gear.  Some of you may have a small crew that handles the PA and lights, but there ain't many of us on the club circuit that have our own instrument techs.  Yeah, wouldn't it be wonderful to just show up for sound check with your tech waiting to hand you your guitar as you walk on to a 60' x 40' custom stage. 

OK...wake up.  It's time to load in.

This week, I want to talk about personal safety for musicians that handle their own gear before and after a show.

As a musician that's moving equipment in the afternoon and then performing at night, you want to make sure that you protect your hands and limbs, your back, and then everything else. 

You're In Good Hands...
Let's start with the hands.  Unless you're a vocals-only front person you're going to need your fingers to play your instrument.  Moving cases, handling cables, and everything else that goes into building a production has the potential of doing damage.  So to that end, get yourself a pair of good quality well fitted gloves...and wear 'em!  My favorites are Setwear Pro Leather gloves.  They'll set you back about $40, but they typically last a few years for me.  If that's too rich for your blood, then get a set of mechanic's gloves (about $15 at auto parts and home improvement stores).

Whatever you get, make sure they fit snug.  Gloves that are too large for your hands will just frustrate you, and you'll likely not wear them.

Fingerless gloves have their place, but not moving equipment.  Back in the days when we were carrying lighting truss, I had a pair that I used for just that task.  I could thread the hardware easily, and my palms were still protected.  But other than that and weight lifting...they really don't do much for a rock-n-roll show (unless you're a lead singer in an 80's tribute band...then knock yourself out).

That's How We Roll
Never carry something that you can roll.  If you've got a road case with good casters and it's not ridiculously heavy put a small container or two on it when you get it out of the truck/trailer...then head for the stage area.  As a bonus, you can save yourself a few trips to back and forth if you watch what you're doing.

If you don't own a good hand truck, you're working way too hard.  I don't like wheels on a PA or sub cabinet (unless they're removable).  So if they're not in a case or on a dolly board then put those bad boys on a hand truck and off you go.  If you're carrying them by hand, you're straining yourself.  If they're big enough for two people to carry....we'll, you're tying up two people when one person and a hand truck could do the work.

If you do outdoor gigs where you have to go over rough terrain, then get a hand truck with pneumatic tires.  But, that does mean you will need to air them up periodically so you better have a tire pressure gauge and air compressor.  The solid-wheel versions are fine until you have to go over soft ground.

One of my hand trucks is a convertible type, where you can make it a 4 wheeler to carry more gear.  That configuration is OK if you're on smooth asphalt, concrete, or flooring.  But honestly, almost everything we have has casters on it, so we don't use that option very often.

A good hand truck will run you around $60.  Again, the home improvement stores (Home Depot, Lowe's, etc) will have 'em.  I bought my workhorse at U-Haul for under $50 (they will deal a little on the price if you're nice about it or a regular customer). 

Now, if you're a drummer, keyboardist, or anyone else with a lot of bulky (but not overly heavy) cases, then you owe it to yourself to check out Rock N Roller carts and hand trucks.  I know two drummers that have these, and they're great.  They don't seem that heavy, but they can take a beating.  There are a bunch of different configurations and options for them (some of them a bit overpriced, but whatever).  But think about this...instead of four or five trips to the truck, you load up and bring everything in with one trip!  Think about how much time you've saved.

Back Up Against The Wall
I'm a text book example of back problems.  Between falling out of trees when I was a kid, and then breaking my back about 10 years ago...yeah, I've got issues.  There's no substitute for being careful, but if you've got a history of back trouble, are over 40, have a lot of heavy stuff (or in my case, all of the above), then get yourself a back brace to wear while moving things around.  I got mine at Home Depot for less than $15...and that's less than half of my deductible for one chiropractic treatment! 

I like the braces with the shoulder straps so I can loosen it when I'm not lifting things, but it's right there when someone asks for a hand with something.  It's not the coolest or sexist thing you'll buy, but this is all about you and being able to play later.

And Then There's That Gravity Thing
If you're working outside and especially on uneven surfaces, beware of cases that decide to start rolling on their own.  That happened to us last weekend on a concrete patio we were playing.  A Mesa Boogie guitar amp took a spill (but survived)...but that could have been bad.  If you've got good casters and they don't have brakes then make sure to block the case so it can't go anywhere.

If You Want Blood...
With all the care in the world, accidents still happen.  I got the end of my fretting hand index finger sliced right before a gig a few weeks ago.  If I had still had my gloves on, it wouldn't have happened.  But it did, and so I had to fix myself up. 

I keep of bottle of what I call "skin fix-it" in my work box.  It's marketed under the name New Skin or Liquid Bandage, but it's all the same.  It's basically a medical grade Super Glue with an antiseptic in it.  I buy it at CVS Pharmacy.  Unless you're a total klutz, a bottle will last you for years.  It works best on clean cuts.  Take your time and build up several layers of the stuff and you can get through a gig.  A puncture wound, though, it ain't gonna help.  The only thing you can do for that is Neosporin, a bandage, and a shot of Patron.

You know those rustic looking stages finished in rough cedar that are a main stay at Country Western clubs and upscale venues?  Any club owner that puts those in needs to be thrown into a cage with pissed off porcupines.  Those things are splinter bombs just waiting to go off.  I got one over an inch long under a fingernail about 5 minutes before a very high profile show.  That was a long 3 sets.  Now I keep a set of fine point tweezers in my gig bag, along with fingernail clippers and a file.  Hang nails and guitar playing don't work.  (And no...I quit carrying the black nail polish a long time ago).

Don't Start Killing Brain Cells Early...
I have a personal rule when setting up a show.  I don't have that first beer until everything is unpacked, stacked, and hooked up...especially the power hook ups.  You get hurt when you're not aware of what's going on around you. 

For the next couple of weeks, I want to talk about the actual load in and striking the show.  It amazes me how many bands create multiple obstacles for themselves when they're moving gear in and out of a venue.  I've got a couple of full production shows with The Rhythm Dawgs over the next couple of weeks, so this is a good time to share some of the things I've learned over the years.

Until then...keep the meters out of the red (especially if the red is blood).

Ken

 

Ken Carver has been a musician and performer since the early 70's, and involved with live music production since the mid 70's. He worked for 15 years as a broadcast engineer, building numerous studios and transmitter sites around Texas. He's also worked in Critical Care Communications for the medical industry, R&D for an automated lighting manufacturer, and owned Project Lighting & Sound in the 80's. He currently heads up an R&D Hardware Technician Team at National Instruments in Austin, and still performs on the weekends in the Central Texas area. You can reach Ken at itsjustlogistics@gmail.com