Bus call is a hard time, not a suggestion. The bus leaves then, and anyone who misses it finds their own way to the next city at their own cost.
How it is set
The driver's legal rest and the next day's load-in decide it. Under EU rules a driver may drive nine hours in a day and needs a full rest period between shifts, so a late load-out pushes bus call later and the next arrival later still.
What it means in practice
- Called at the venue, printed on the day sheet, and repeated after the show
- Usually 30 to 60 minutes after load-out
- Bunks made and bags stowed before the call, not after
- Anyone staying out tells the tour manager in person
The same idea in a hotel
Lobby call is bus call with luggage: the time everybody stands downstairs, packed. Both are set by the tour manager, stated once, and not renegotiated in the corridor at midnight.