Industry news & advice blog

This blog is contributed by Insure4Music, a specialist music insurance provider offering policies that have been built with the needs of groups, bands and artists in mind. We’ll keep you playing with our pitch perfect cover, whenever, wherever you perform.

Are you an up and coming band? Maybe you’ve played a few gigs. Maybe you have a regular spot at your local. Whatever your situation, we all know there are certain gig essentials that sometimes slip your mind. Here at Insure4Music, we’ve collected them into one handy list for you! Next time you’re gigging, be sure to check these out. 
 

1. Instruments
You think we’re kidding, don’t you? Believe it or not, musicians forgetting their instruments happens more often than you would think. With the added stress of getting to the show in time for soundcheck, the sheer amount of total equipment and the nerves of the gig itself - sometimes means things just get missed. So first and foremost, make sure you’ve got your instrument before you go anywhere. 
 

2. Mains Adapter
We’ve learnt the hard way that many smaller gig venues or pubs often suffer from the same problem, namely not enough power sockets or main extensions. If you carry one with you, you’ll never be caught out – and getting one with surge protectors is never a bad idea.
 

3. Gaffer Tape
It’s a universal rule that gaffer tape fixes everything. Whether it’s marking your instrument positions on stage, fixing an unruly microphone stand or taping your setlist in front of the drummer so he doesn’t forget (again) – there are a million and one uses for gaffer tape. Found some that even we haven’t thought of? Share them with us @Insure4Music!
 

4. Pen & Paper
You know that setlist we talked about before? Let’s be honest, if you’ve got more tracks than your set length - most of us decide which songs to play and what order about an hour before the gig starts. If you’ve got a pen and paper handy, you can jot it down and make sure everyone starts off on the same note. A little bit of pre-planning goes a long way! 
 

5. Tuner
There are some people than can tune by ear. We, unfortunately, are not one of them. It’s far easier and quicker to use an electronic tuner. If you’re a guitarist or bassist – chuck one in your case and be in tune whenever and wherever you go. It’s just a shame it doesn’t work on the singer!
 

6. Earplugs
No matter what instrument you play, a stage can be an extremely noisy place – particularly in the smaller venues where the constrained acoustics mean you have to play louder. So, don’t risk deafness or permanent tinnitus in your later years – get some earplugs in your ears. With modern technology, they still allow you to hear everything going on anyway. If Metallica drummer, Lars Ulrich can get hearing damage, anyone can. Be sensible and look after your hearing.
 

7. Merchandise
Even the biggest of up-and-coming bands only make enough to get by for ages. Want to pocket a bit extra to put towards recording that EP? The secret is merchandise. With music piracy at an all-time high, it’s the easiest way for fans to support your band directly. There are plenty of places to get your merchandise produced quickly and cheaply – so agree where to put it with the venue organiser and hopefully you can make some fans very happy and spread the word!
 

8. Insurance
Ask any small band what the most important part of their gig set up is and we guarantee the majority of them will say ‘insurance’. We appreciate that up-and-coming bands are scraping by at the best of times, so why take the risk of having to fork out if your equipment gets stolen, damaged or lost. Not to mention the potential court costs of someone tripping over your speaker amp and breaking something. 

With so many potential hazards awaiting you at home, on the road and every time you step on stage, it makes perfect sense to remove the worry and focus on playing your very best gig with a Specialist Music Insurance policy from Insure4Music. 

Your policy can be completely tailored around you and your band – so you only ever pay for the cover you need.  To see how affordable peace of mind can be, head over to Insure4Music and get an instant quote TODAY!

 
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