Load-out starts when the last note stops and ends with the van locked. How quickly it runs decides whether the crew sleeps.
The order
- Cases back to the stage, gear off, stage cleared
- Merch counted, packed and reconciled
- Settlement with the promoter while the crew works
- Bus call, then the drive
How long it takes
A club artist clears in 30 to 60 minutes. A production tour with trucks runs two to four hours. Most European venues want the stage empty the same night, because something else loads in the next morning.
What gets in the way
An audience still in the room, a set that ran late against the curfew, and a merch table still selling. Agree during advancing who helps, whether the house crew stays, and how late the loading bay is open. Anything left behind turns into a courier bill in another country.