If you add up all the possible points of failure that your equipment can have at gig, you'd probably attend every gig with 2 complete set-ups...but thats obviously not possible, unless you're Chris !!!

What would you recommend being an ideal item to include in a toolkit, or hidden in the boot/back of the van?

What larger items, say those costing more than £20 ($35 ish) would you suggest taking?

Here's some of the things in my "Just in case" case.

*) Spare 4 channel lighting controller

*) 4 x VERY LONG Spare Bulgin/lighting leads

*) 4 x VERY LONG speaker cables

(The idea with keeping the LONG leads as the spares is that a 40ft lead can replace a damaged 10ft lead, but not vice-versa)

*) My previous 4 channel mixer (whatever I upgraded from last time) currently a Citronic CDM-10:4, but soon to be a Stanton RM-100, when I upgrade my RM-100 to a new 4 channel after Plasa.

*) Spare short audio leads - XLR, 1/4inch Jack, Phono's.

*) Spare CD-deck controller lead.

*) numerous audio adaptors - so I can make almost any lead into any other lead.

*) Toolkit with screwdrivers, soldering iron.

*) Various fuses for each bit of kit, each type stored in 35mm camera film cases labeled with the name of the item they fit.

*) head-worn torch

*) Multi-tester

*) Spring loaded 13amp test plug... just poke the 3 wires into the 3 holes while holding the relvant button down, and you're connected. (not clever, but quick, until the end of the gig)

*) 2 x 4way adaptors with "OLD" 15AMP ROUND PIN Plug - I've done gigs at two venues in the last year, which have 15amp round pin sockets around the stage.

*) Safety pins... if you're not sure what these are for, you've never broken your zipper/fly just before having to walk around and talk to people with a radio mic... (EWW!)

*) Radio Mic batteries.

*) Corded Mic (in case Radio Mic packs up - but also handy so that Im not "mute" when someone has borrowed the radio mic for a raffle etc...)

*) CD-lense cleaning disc x 2

*) various bulbs for the lighting, including plain white household bulbs for the light screens - these have helped me several times when packing up from marquee gigs, when Im slower to pack away than the people who provided the background lighting in the marquee... if power is still on to the mains sockets...plug in a light screen/column and swap a bulb or two for plain white...

*) Asprins/paracetemol/Pro-plus - sometimes I go wrong too!



But what do you carry?, what would you "not leave the house without"?

Well gary you have been busy. theres not much let i can think of but if you can't take or have not got a spare cd player pre mix up a few sets so you can get buy with 1 cd player for a while till you correct the problem or buy a denon dn-s5000 then you can hot disk (take the cd out and the music keeps playing so you can put another cd in)

I have suggested several times over the last few years to make myself up a very special CD...now even more likely now that I can manipulate MP3's with great ease, live at gigs.

About once a year, I lose my voice completely. Sometimes its mid week for a couple of days, other times its co-insided with gigs, where I've sounded like some husky cowboy DJ, or something out of a Dr Who alien encounter...

So, my idea is an emergency "voice" CD...


OH HANG ON !!! This is worth being on its own topic/thread.

My 'first aid kit for discos' consisits of

A first Aid Kit
Vasoline !!
Wet Wipes
Anadin
Complete tool kit, hammer, saw etc
Soldering Iron
Spare corded mic
Spare Radio Mic
Spare mixer
2 x spare CD player (in fact both have never been used yet)
Spare leads for EVERYTHING
Spare bulbs fro EVERYTHING
Maglite
Spare box of CD's incase laptop fails
Extra smoke and haze fluid
15/32 and 64amp extension cables
13amp LONG extension cables

and the best but of spare kit I have is about £4 in loose change in the ashtray so I can always call somebody if my mobile is not in a service area, or buy some food/drink.

This is very helpful information to the newbie DJ!!!!!

Spares are just the tip of the Ice-Berg folks!

I usually carry spare leads, bulbs, assortment of tools and fuses.

I also tend to carry spare cd's - doubling-up in effect and weighty - but I was like that once upon a time with records when I had the old midi van!!! Hopefully, the addition of a laptop will save 'music' space, but I would like to invest in another as a spare!!!

If you have the room - the spare amp is an excellent back-up for functions - some agencies require you to carry this as standard practice. Trust me, if your main amp should suddenly play up - the 'spare' is there and at hand!!!

I suppose I could change the disco name to 'Noah's Disco' when I have the larger function, but for the last couple of years, I've condenced the equipment in size, which allows for spares for all sorts of eventualities.
All I need now is a spare 'inflatable roadie' and car!!!