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[Jim Layton]

I just turned down a brew pub basement job because I discovered all gear gets carried down 12+ stairs. I consider this unsafe and back-breaking for me and the people who assist me. Most of my gear is on wheels and cased. How do you handle stairs? We can lift up and down a few stairs, but flights are not for me.

[Ivan Beaver]

We can lift up and down a few stairs, but flights are not for me.

Then don't do those gigs.

[Scott Helmke]

There would be an upcharge for additional delivery/loadin labor.

[Taylor Hall]

There would be an upcharge for additional delivery/loadin labor.

Basically this or turn down the gig if no amount of extra hands would make it safe/easy.

[Mal Brown]

I build it into my price but don’t call it out specifically.  Same with any odd ball delivery requirements like can you load in at 7 am to support an afternoon act so as not to interfere with other proceedings beginning at 10am.  Why certainly...  and bump the bill accordingly.

[Bob Faulkner]

We don't do anything over 2 or 3 steps. 

[frank kayser]

I haven't done (been offered) a job with a flight of stairs in a long time.  Nearly at a small gig/venue, but discovered at-grade entrance on the floor on which I was working.


I've cut he weight and volume of my gear over time, and have much of it on wheels.
I'm thinking not...

[Mark Cadwallader]

I won't do "unsafe".  Due to stairs or otherwise.

[Steve Litcher]

Then don't do those gigs.

I'm so insanely jealous of the markets where production companies have the luxury of turning down gigs. It's unfathomable to me. If we would've ever said "no," we would've had most (if not all) of our weekends free within a few short months...

Here in Madison, WI, there's a huge surplus of small companies and "sound guys" that will happily take basement bar gigs for $150 - $200 all day long. It's the primary reason I closed-up shop... tried to do things "right" but would continually lose bids because of it.

I can't begin to tell you how many of the 80+ gigs that we did last year where we had to deal with stairs, lack of adequate/safe municipal power, lack of proper stage/coverage, and the "we need you to load-in and set-up before 9am and then come back at 10pm for the gig" scenario...

We got surprised so many times that I lost count. Any suggestion of an upcharge or push back resulted in laughter, dismissal, or both.

Again... I wish I lived in one of the areas that everyone else seems to live in. :-)

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

I'm so insanely jealous of the markets where production companies have the luxury of turning down gigs. It's unfathomable to me. If we would've ever said "no," we would've had most (if not all) of our weekends free within a few short months...

Here in Madison, WI, there's a huge surplus of small companies and "sound guys" that will happily take basement bar gigs for $150 - $200 all day long. It's the primary reason I closed-up shop... tried to do things "right" but would continually lose bids because of it.

I can't begin to tell you how many of the 80+ gigs that we did last year where we had to deal with stairs, lack of adequate/safe municipal power, lack of proper stage/coverage, and the "we need you to load-in and set-up before 9am and then come back at 10pm for the gig" scenario...

We got surprised so many times that I lost count. Any suggestion of an upcharge or push back resulted in laughter, dismissal, or both.

Again... I wish I lived in one of the areas that everyone else seems to live in. :-)

The law of supply and demand has no mercy, unfortunately.  Here in Minneapolis the live music scene is almost non-existent - at least for paying gigs.  I have friends in Houston that do extremely well.

I have not had to do too many stairs gigs in recent memory, however I have had some that have had cruddy logistics of some kind - loading dock super far from the room, funny hours, etc. that gets built-in to the price for extra labor/hassle factor.   If the market can't bear what it costs to do the show, then I'll be out of the game, too.  It's no fun working for free.

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