How to
Gear: Who owns what?
David Chislett | 1 Jul 2014 10:51 AM
When it comes to equipment, it is always good to be clear from the beginning about what equipment belongs to whom.
If a group decides to buy a PA out of band money, obviously every member has an equal share. But it is a very good idea to make sure this is clear to everyone from the word go and that only band money is invested in the purchase.
All instrumentalists will own their own gear: a DJ the turntables, the guitarist his guitar, amp and effects and so on. Difficulties can arise when the outfit wins gear as prizes or decides to fund the upgrade of any equipment out of band money.
The line is generally very clear as to who owns what. The trick is to make sure that this is well understood by all from the beginning and that consensus is obtained as to how communally-owned gear will be distributed should the lineup change or the outfit break up.
For example, if the outfit has won guitar amps and a drum kit in a competition and the bass player wants to leave, everyone needs to know if the bass player has a right to take an amplifier with him or needs to buy it from the band. This is a classic example of the kind of agreements all musical projects need to have in place as soon as the possibility of a situation arises, in order to avoid ugliness later.
Next week: Practice/rehearsal
Originally published in David Chislett's One, Two, One, Two: A Step By Step Guide To The South African Music Industry. Download a free copy of the book at www.davidchislett.co.za.
[David Chislett]
David Chislett is a multi-talented South African speaker and writer. He graduated to national radio in 1994 when Barney Simon used him as a live radio correspondent on 5FM from London. David delivers a key note address, “Unleash Your Inner Rockstar” with Martin Schofield which teaches the hidden secrets of success from the music industry to businesses.
