Checklist for the perfect concert!
The organization before a concert is a very important thing and not to be underestimated, just think about it: often, before preparing a suitcase for a long journey, we make sure a thousand times that we have taken all the essentials and we mentally repeat, or we write, all of the things we have to take. This list of things is much easier to follow if you can see it somewhere physically: at a glance you can immediately see what you are forgetting. Strangely, however, this organization is not applied to other things, perhaps because they seem less important or because there is actually no time to draw up a list for everything you do in life.
Clearly some things come only from the experience of doing live concerts, but looking back at the past I think a guide to preparing for a live would have been useful. You may not follow some points, and they may not all be extremely necessary either, however I will try to keep this list up to date and as complete as possible. Below you will find some points that in my opinion are very important and to keep in mind in order to better prepare before a live, Come back to this article when you're preparing for a live!
Check, or even better change, all the strings of the guitar, making sure they keep the pitch, I suggest you do it a few days before, it is not very professional to find yourself on stage with a broken string, or to have the guitar out of tune in between one song and the other. In any case it would be better to change the strings of the guitar every 1/2 months to get a nice sound and keep the fretboard clean.
Make sure you have spare 9V batteries for any pedal, (or if you have active pickups) and / or power cables for the pedals.
Cables, cables and more cables. Someone will surely need it, you can't always trust the organization of your band mates and it's always better to have one more in your bag. I strongly advise you to find a way to distinguish your cables, perhaps with a piece of colored tape (so as not to confuse the cables of others).
A tuner, and I'm not talking about a pedal (such as the well-known "chromatic tuner" from BOSS), since you don't always have a lot of time before a soundcheck, or during the soundcheck, and in that case you have to hurry up and be tuned without wasting time. Precisely for this reason I find it very convenient to have a small clamp tuner.
Get some straplocks so you can move freely on stage without fear of your guitar falling out, personally without them I don't trust myself to move even a little.
Always take extra picks with you, especially if you happen to lose it often while playing.
You don't want to place it on the floor or inclined over the cabinet do you? Bring a folding stand with you
Screwdriver, imbus wrenches and universal pliers, you never know what can happen to you, and which screws you will need to tighten. The universal pliers, on the other hand, in addition to being practical for replacing strings, are often useful for tightening or loosening some screws / bolts if you can't in other ways.
A power strip, an adapter and an extension cable/cable reel coil, especially if you play abroad remember to look for the adapter suitable for the country you are in (or a shuko adapter), the latter saved me before a concert in Germany.
Adhesive tape: to repair cables, to attach the setlist or to repair and attach anything in case of extreme urgency. And while you're at it, grab a marker to mark some things, or last-minute changes in the setlist.
Do you use a lectern? don't forget to take some quick clips too (in case of wind)
In addition to cleaning the guitar before the concert, I recommend bringing a rag to clean the guitar from sweat, you may need to dry it during the concert and even after it is finished, to avoid the appearance of rust on the strings.
Deodorant, a fresh t-shirt and towel are optional extras that might also be useful (and a water bottle too).
Earplugs, there are also plugs created specifically for musicians, useful both on stage and in the rehearsal room (if needed).
If you have it available and it doesn't cause you any problems, take another guitar with you, in case something doesn't work. It's a very quick change, and it might even save you the gig.
A clock. Absolutely avoid keeping your phone in your pocket! Having a small watch perhaps next to the amplifier or the pedals can be very convenient to understand where you are in the concert. All you need is a small watch, to know if you need to hurry or if you have time for an encore.
Do you have any Merchandising? Do not forget it! you may also need a small crate or hangers to expose t-shirts (possibly).
Finally I advise you to organize all the material on the floor and take a photo to be really sure, once the concert is over, that you have taken up all your material.
I hope this checklist will help you, and if you think I missed something important, feel free to write me in the comments or privately and I will update the article.