Glossary

Live music terms, defined

Gig advance

A gig advance is the process of confirming all the logistics of a show with the venue before the date — load-in and soundcheck times, set lengths, backline, hospitality, payment, bios, photos, and guest list.

Stage plot

A stage plot is a simple top-down diagram showing where each musician stands on stage and what equipment they need, sent to a venue before a show so the sound engineer can set the room up in advance.

Input list

An input list is a numbered list of every audio source a band needs at the mixing desk — each microphone, DI, and line — so the engineer knows exactly how many channels the act uses.

Tech rider

A tech rider is a document listing everything a band technically requires to perform — stage plot, input list, backline needs, monitor mixes, and power — attached to a booking so the venue can confirm it can host the act.

Backline

Backline is the larger onstage equipment used by the band — drum kit, bass and guitar amplifiers, keyboard stands and amps — as distinct from the PA and microphones the venue supplies for the front of house.

House band

A house band is a group of musicians who play regularly at a specific venue or event, backing whoever shows up to sing or sit in rather than performing their own set.

Open mic

An open mic is a recurring venue event where any performer can sign up for a short slot — typically two or three songs — and play their own material.

Open jam

An open jam is a recurring event where musicians who did not arrive together are grouped into ad-hoc lineups around shared songs, rather than each performing their own prepared set.

Sit in

To sit in is to join another act on stage for a song or two without being a member of that band — common at jams, residencies, and when a temporary band member is needed to cover.

Guest list

A guest list is the set of names a venue admits without charge for a show, usually allocated in a limited amount to each band on the bill and collected by the venue before doors open.

Advance sheet

An advance sheet is the single document summarizing everything agreed during a gig advance — times, contacts, technical needs, payment, and guest list — distributed to everyone working the show.

Transposition

Transposition is shifting every note and chord in a song up or down by the same interval, moving the song into a different key while keeping the relationships between the chords intact.