It’s outdoor show season, and that means that drought stricken areas all over the country are planning elaborate and expensive outdoor events so they can make it rain.
It’s all but guaranteed that 30 minutes before the event is over, but well after dark, the bottom will drop out of the sky, promising a load out in the rain and a truck full of wet gear.
While the standard hardware store blue tarp is the industry standard for quick cover ups in the rain, they can really cause you some problems when the rain is accompanied by a stiff breeze.
A simple modification in a cheap tarp can make it many times more useful when the raindrops start falling.
Turn the tarp into a plastic bag.
Just take your tarps, fold them in half, and stitch up the edges. If you’re not handy with a sewing machine, gaffers tape or even a stapler will work almost as well.
Larger tarps can be turned into bags that will cover up your entire PA stacks, and you can make smaller bags for covering up things like monitors.
Since the tarps can be easily cut and normally do not unravel, you can take one large tarp and turn it into a lot of custom covers for things like your consoles and amp racks. No hemming necessary.
Since the tarps have grommets, you will have some tie down points, but you probably won’t even need them. Since wind can’t get inside the bag, the harder the wind blows, the firmer the bag stays in place.
Make sure you label each bag with a large label (try using a Sharpie marker directly on the bag) in letters large enough to be seen in the dark.
At the first mention of rough weather, place each bag close to the location where it will be needed and instruct stagehands or volunteers how they are used.
This might well be the best piece of sound equipment you ever buy.
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