Idiot Check

maltingsaudio

Another gig another guitar stand and Tambourine to add to the pile of stuff bands leave behind after gigs.

ive been gathering expressions for what we call the Twat Check, the last look around the venue to make sure you haven’t left anything.

So far:

Twat check

idiot check ( for those who take offence at twat)

kill the stage , apparently the Swedish expression 

A nervous , from TV and film production 

Any more?

Grangousier

Everywhere I've been it was called an Idiot Check. It seems more like an idiot thing than a twat thing, though as I'm bang in the middle of the idiot/twat Venn diagram I can't tell. What I can say, though, is that it's something that's come in very useful to me when I'm leaving hotel rooms (along with other things I learned loading in and out). 

Grangousier

Oh, and as I'm sure is common experience, the best thing is to have a non-idiot or someone who's prepared to pretend not to be an idiot for five minutes, to do it. 

digitalscream

Yep, it's "idiot check" in both my bands. "Twat" is reserved for "Twat of the match", ie the one who properly fucks up on stage, to the point where the song unravels.

Legionreturns

Idiot check for me too. 

Although I keep leaving capos behind 

ChrisCox1994

idiot check, twat is for the drunk guy asking for a song you've already told him twice you dont play.

ICBM

Didn't know it was a named thing, but I always do it...

p90fool

Yep, I'm always the one who goes back in after all the other band members claim there's nothing left.

It's usually just personal effects like scarves or whatnot from the girls in the band, but occasionally it's equipment too. 

HAL9000

DCDC (David Cameron Daughter Check)

newi123

Idiot check.

Mandatory that someone says 'have you done the idiot check?' and someone else says 'he's already in his car.....' 

RedRabbit

Didn't know it had any sort of name but it's something I've always done.  I've had to collect various things once everyone has finished packing up - mainly small items but I've had a drummer leave his snare on the stage before.

Left the job to the bass player once and he had to go back to the venue the next day for his music stand which, last time I saw it, was stood in the middle of the stage.

John_P

Never given it a name but it amazes me how many bands don’t do it.  

Most weeks I’m running the sound at gigs and regularly pickup something a band has left.   Even worse are the multi band days when I’ll often have everlasting power supplies, cables, picks and various stands left behind.     We’ll message bands but they often can’t be bothered to collect so I donate to the school I teach at.  

PolarityMan

Idiot check

Rowby1

Idiot Check.

Two weeks ago, I did the check and found our bass player had left...

his bass!!!

Danny1969

Just about every band I've worked with calls it an idiot check on the way out, the other one on the way into the venue is "lets have a reccy " meaning lets do a  reconnaissance mission before unloading to work out where the bands playing, what doors are best for the load in etc

mike257

Yep. Nob'ead check. Impossible to be announced without someone counting all the band/crew members in the immediate vicinity and saying "yep, all here". 

axisus

Saw a band play last week, they are on tour. The guitarist/singer said "This is the point that I would get the Mandolin out but someone left it at yesterdays gig!"

ICBM

axisus said:

Saw a band play last week, they are on tour. The guitarist/singer said "This is the point that I would get the Mandolin out but someone left it at yesterdays gig!"

On purpose?

ESBlonde

Idiot check. When I used to provide sound and light it was amazing how many times I won gear!
Don't forget dressing rooms or toilets too for shoes, phones, coats etc. Much 9f my stuff is marked with name and phone number just in case. I once got a call from a bloke walking his dog. We'd left a small black carry case with a pair of cheap condenser mica on the empty barrels outside a club in the dark. Not overly valuable but s#it happens even when you've searched inside!

Trude

I once completed an idiot check, but still managed to leave a '71 Tele in its case under the stage.  Luckily it was still there the next day and the venue held on to it for me.  So, there's idiots and then total F***ING idiots!

Trude

ICBM said:

axisus said:

Saw a band play last week, they are on tour. The guitarist/singer said "This is the point that I would get the Mandolin out but someone left it at yesterdays gig!"

On purpose?

Oh yeah, I also did literally that once.  I loaded what I thought was my mando into the car, but it turned out to be a viola (the cases looked identical).  This was at a London venue, so I had to get it shipped back to me.  Rather stressful.

(The viola did also belong to our band, by the way - otherwise I'd probably have kept it instead and sold it on for a massive profit...)