If you’re reading this blog, chances are you take music very seriously. Music is your craft, and the amount of money you invest into your instruments, sound and recording equipment is nothing compared to the time it takes to write, perform and earn a living. Still, music equipment can be expensive and taking the right precautions in order to protect that equipment is a necessary part of being a professional recording musician. Check out these tips to protect your equipment and stay safe between gigs.

Image via Flickr by JapanBlack

Invest in a Reliable Tour Vehicle

 Transportation can be one of the biggest headaches for gigging bands. Gas money, breakdowns, and damaged equipment are always a factor when on the road. Depending on the size of your band, you’ll need to acquire a vehicle that can haul all of your instruments and bandmates safely to each venue. While money is always a concern, consider spending a bit more money up front in purchasing a large van or SUV. Cramming yourselves and your equipment into a small car is not only a driving hazard, but it also can cause damage to your instruments. Smaller vehicles may also struggle to pull heavy trailers full of equipment. You should also have some sort of roadside assistance service. It could mean the difference of making a gig and getting paid for the night!

Avoid Theft

 It’s no secret that touring bands and musicians often leave themselves vulnerable to theft. Even legendary indie rockers Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. have been robbed or ripped off while on the road. Luckily there are some things you can do in order to minimize theft while on tour.

• Park your vehicle really close to a parked car overnight so thieves can’t get to your doors or windows
• Pony up the extra cash on insurance for your equipment
• Keep recording equipment safe at your home or studio with a reliable home security system
• Do all you can to keep your vehicle incognito (an example would be swapping those band stickers on your trailer for a pest control sign)
• Lock everything (padlocks, tirelocks, hitch locks etc.)
• Stay in hotels or houses located outside of the city
• Take any valuables (laptops, phones, etc.) with you when you leave your vehicle for the night

On-Stage Safety Measures

Once you’ve made it to your gig, it’s important to be aware of safety concerns for yourself, your band mates and your equipment. Although you should always have plenty of water on stage to keep yourself hydrated, you should never leave open containers on top of amps, combos or sound systems. Liquid and powerful electronic equipment is never a good mixture. You should also always check with the venue’s manager before plugging into any of the stage’s power supplies. You might accidentally plug your expensive keyboard or effects pedal into the stage lighting power and frying your stuff! You should also use heavy gaffer tape when taping down your cables in order to keep them firmly secure to the stage. Flimsy packing or masking tape simply will not do the job.

Whether you’re going on tour or just an open mic, bands and musicians should always take the necessary measures in order to keep their stuff safe between gigs.