| gaff | Verb: To gaff or to gaff something. Use of Gaffer's tape to attach, fix, secure, repair, waterproof, seal, rig, stabilize, stick, mummify, or generally make semi-permanent |
| gaff tape | Abbreviation: same as Gaffer's tape |
| gaffer's tape | Special kind of colored tape (usually matte black) similar to duct tape, but more expensive due to the non reflective surface and special adhesive that doesn't leave gummy reside behind. Used for everything from securing mic cables to the floor, to holding speakers in place on the stack. Roadies know that gaffer's tape can fix anything. >> submitted by ....well just about everyone |
| gack box | Case of miscellaneous stuff >> submitted by Greg Bass |
| gack (or kack) | Stuff that was perpetually in the way or just in the wrong place >> submitted by Matthew Tonjes |
| gak (or gack) | Slang: cocaine >> submitted by Matthew Tonjes |
| gakk (or gack) | Slang: cocaine >> submitted by Greg Bass |
| gain | Volume: the amount by which an amplifier circuit amplifies or attenuates a signal. Usually expressed in decibels >> submitted by Tony G RFL |
| "Galadriel" | Slang for lighting designer (Lord of the Rings - Lady of Light) >> submitted by Hobbit |
| gate (1) | Proceeds of ticket sales |
| gate (2) | Short for noise gate >> submitted by Gary |
| gel | Colored cellophane used to make stage lights produce various colors. A numbering system is used to identify them |
| Genie Lifter | Heavy duty lifting device lifted by a hand crank that resembles a huge car jack, typically used in pairs to lift trusses |
| Genie Tower | Pneumatic pole raised using compressed air used to elevate racks of lights to a pre-determined height |
| gerb | Gerbs are pyrotechnic tube devices which produce a dense plume of sparks with little or no fallout. Each is labeled according to color and performance. Each label gives two numbers, such as 10 x 12 or 8 x 8. The first number refers to the duration, or burn time, in seconds. The second number refers to the clearance height needed, in feet, when the device is fired vertically. |
| gerb fan | Gerb Fan Holder holds three Gerbs in a configuration that creates a ìfan patternî of sparks |
| Gerber | See: Leatherman |
| Germ | Slang: A fan or someone who meets you one time and is your "best" friend. The one who calls you when the Stones come to town, for tickets. >> submitted by Greg Wright |
| Get in | Denotes the time or timespace allowed by venue for loading, rigging and soundcheck before a gig. (an hour is usually regarded as plenty) >> submitted by Leisure Suit Larry |
| Get out | Denotes the time or timespace allowed by venue for packing it up and getting the hell out. (some places prefer you to rig down the morning after, which actually means MORNING >> submitted by Leisure Suit Larry |
| Gibson | Brand Name: Guitars and amplifiers |
| gig | Slang: same as show or performance |
| gig butt | That burning sensation caused by wearing your underwear way too long on the road |
| gig meat | Generic catering (cold cuts, bread, soda) >> submitted by Mike "The Tooth" O'Connell |
| gig turd | Small section of gaffer tape which attaches itself to your shoes at a gig >> submitted by Iain Baker |
| G.I.G.O | "Garbage In Garbage Out" - term used when confronted about the bad sound, blaming the band >> submitted by dwali A related saying goes "You can't make ice-cream outta sh*t" >> submitted by Tony G RFL |
| G.L.A.D. | Abbreviation: Generalized Loudmouth A$$hole Disorder..(see also LSD) >> submitted by Tom Hughes |
| Gladiators | The massive Gladiator III is the largest and most powerful spotlight in the entertainment industry. It is a must for larger venues and jobs requiring maximum performance. >> submitted by Darrell Brock |
| go | Start the gig "Five minutes till go" >> submitted by Tarrant Falcke |
| GOBO | Goes Before Optics. A template for a lighitng fixture >> submitted by Katy Ross |
| gonk | One who stands among men at work, without really working. Merely "posing" as a worker (common at most college gigs) (>> submitted by Craig) a.k.a "poser" |
| "GP" | GP stands for General Public. "Let in the GP" >> submitted by RezPhreak |
| graphic | type of equalizer |
| graphic EQ | type of equalizer |
| green room | Aka dressing room, where the band (and sometimes roadies) hang out prior to the show. Sometimes they're even painted green |
| Gremlin (1) | A little nagging problem that keeps comming back. As in: We can't seem to get those damn gremlins out of the system." Ocassionally can be cured tempooralily by smacking or kicking the piece of a equipment. >> submitted by Jason Hopkins, RFL |
| Gremlin (2) | What a roadie might drive when he's not touring. >> submitted by Jason Hopkins, RFL |
| grid | what you hang your lighting from >> submitted by Gary |
| groupie | A girl (usually fairly young) that wants to "meet" the band. Sometimes will settle for a road manager or roadie. (The Most famous groupie is Sweet Connie from Little Rock AR, but that's a whole different story) |
| grunt | Slang: Roadie whose main job is to move things and not touch the electrical equipment >> submitted by Tarrant Falcke |
| Hammond B3 | Brand name model of organ. Distinctive sound caused by a spinning high frequency horn in speaker cabinet |
| H.A.M.S.T.E.R. | Hooker Actress Model Stripper Trainer Entertainer Runaway: Good looking female backstage looking to "hook up" with the lead singer.... "So, what do you do darlin'? ....I'm a ......Model, Actress, Personal Trainer, etc.... (yeah right) >> submitted by Dana G |
| Harpo | Old BBC slang for toolbox >> submitted by John Norris |
| hat | Slang: high hat cymbals |
| Head (1) | Marijuana smoker |
| head (2) | Membrane of a drum, frequently needs replacing during some shows |
| head (3) | amplifier part of a guitarist's amp/speaker combination (e.g. Marshall stack) >> submitted by Russ Jones |
| head (4) | Sometimes traded for back stage passes (see "groupie") |
| head (5) | What we all wish the tour manager would remove from his ass >> submitted by Mike "The Tooth" O'Connell |
| Headache Block | Weight on the end of a winch cable to keep some tension on it. Weights about 5-10lbs, or larger. Called one because if you wack it with your skull you get one. >> submitted by Jason Hopkins, RFL |
| headliner | Main performer of the show, usually controls the sound, lights, and staging decisions |
| headset | Headphones with a noise canceling mic, used as an intercom between roadies during the show |
| Helpenstiel | Brand name device attached inside a grand piano to pick up sound like a microphone |
| hi hat | Slang: high hat cymbals |
| high beams | Slang: Super Trouper >> submitted by John Norris |
| high impedance air gap (1) | ....uh, cable isn't plugged in >> submitted by Ken Horgan |
| high impedance air gap (2) | The resulting situation produced by a piece of equipment not being plugged in, as in, "Hey guys, I fixed the kick drum mic--it just had a high impedance air gap!" >> submitted by Andy Leviss |
| high steel | Usually refers to the main steel structures supporting smaller steel structures commonly rigged from >> submitted by Eric Weston |
| hit | Slang: The time the show begins. "Hey man what time do we hit?" Concatenation of "hit the stage" >> submitted by Robot Tekk |
| hoik | Move something, typically heavy "Hoik the speaker up here" >> submitted by Tarrant Falcke |
| hork | To steal (e.g."Someone horked my sharpie!") see also hoik >> submitted by BJbj |
| horns | Mid range or high frequency device used in sound reinforcement |
| HOTEL VW | Shotgun of the car on the way to the next days gig >> submitted by Mike O'Connell RFL |
| hot patch | Or "hot patching": Plugging in a electrified ("hot") power cord or cable to any unit, thus increasing the chances of "shorting out" the cable and/or the unit >> submitted by George Bond |
| hot spot (1) | Brand name: tiny little monitor speakers positioned close to drummer and keyboard player's ears. >> submitted by Russ Jones |
| hot spot (2) | Where two or more spotlight paths meet, creating a "brighter" light. >> submitted by Mike "The Tooth" O'Connell |
| hot swap | To replace a piece of equipment (head, delay, what have you) while everything is powered up, risking real problems. As in "go get me a newbie so I can blame him if this hot swap goes south" see also hot patch. >> submitted by BJ |
| house | Where the audience sits (even at an outdoor show) |
| house lights | Lights in the audience |
| house sound | The music played over the PA before and after the show and during crossovers >> submitted by J Rit |
| "Hum Head" | Slang: Sound Roadie >> submitted by Tim |
| Humpers | Slang: the folks supplied by, or union mandated to carry gear in and out, usually with knuckles dragging on the floor and "Born to hump" tattooed on their foreheads >> submitted by Andrew Murdock |
| Hz | Hertz (cycles per second) a measurement of sound frequency |
| "I tried to fix it" | A complete lie which usually means "It wasn't working, I got p*ssed off at it and threw it at the wall, thus breaking it into the five pieces you see before you" >> submitted by Tarrant Falcke |
| I.A.T.S.E. | The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada, AFL-CIO, CLC (Union) |
| I.A.T.S.E. (2) | Inefficiency At The Show's Expense |
| I.A.T.S.E. (3) | "I Always Take Something Extra." Mark D |
| I.A.T.S.E. (4) | "Is all this Shit Essential?" Mark D |
| I.A.T.S.E. (5) | "I Ain't The Show Electrician." Mark D |
| I.A.T.S.E. (6) | "I Ain't Touchin S**t Ever!" >> submitted by A, Nonymous |
| I.A.T.S.E. (7) | "I Aim To Steal Everything" >> submitted by Keith Sherrill |
| I.A.T.S.E. (8) | "In All Things Stagehands Excel" >> submitted by John IATSE Local 204 Little Rock, Arkansas |
| Ibanez | Brand Name: Guitars |
| idiot check | After everything has been loaded out, you go back ONE MORE TIME to make sure NOTHING is left behind >> submitted by George |
| idiot proof | No such thing |
| IEM | See "in ears" |
| in-ears | In-ear monitors: earpiece based monitors that are becoming increasingly common for bands to use. They act both as monitors and to reduce external volume, requiring different mixing techniques. Particularly deaf bands are known to use both in-ears and regular monitors together. >> submitted by Joe Schottman |
| Input List | A theory of what should show up where in the mixing console.. see also Tech Rider >> submitted by Mike "The Tooth" O'Connell |
| intelligent lighting (1) | An oxymoron >> submitted by Mike "The Tooth" O'Connell |
| intelligent lighting (2) | Programmable lights, also known as wiggles or movers, such as Vari-Lites, Studio Colors, Techno-Beams or Martins >> submitted by Mike "The Tooth" O'Connell |
| Intern (1) | Free Labor >> submitted by Mike "The Tooth" O'Connell |
| Intern (2) | Presidential Groupie |
| Iron Bitch | Slang: Barricade >> submitted by "lawgiver" |
| Iwo Jima | Slang: Raising a truss (or other behemoth) to the vertical position from a horizontal position. Several hands are usually required to do this sometimes resulting in gravity rearing its ugly head. Taken from famous flag-raising picture submitted by Neil Seigenthaler |
| jack | Standard 1/4" (6.3mm) audio connector, often used on line-level and instrument cables. Just be damned sure you buy good ones - to spare expense here is to buy trouble >> submitted by Tony G RFL |
| JBL | Brand Name: Speakers |
| junk bunk | It is when you actually have an EXTRA bunk left on the bus to put crap (dirty cloths, bags ect...) Carlos Gutierrez |
| kak | Slang: general equipment or gear. Used in a derogatory way as an alternative to calling the gear "Sh*t". For instance, "Hurry up, let's get this 'kak' off of the truck so we can start setting up." >> submitted by John |
| karabiner | See "carabiner" |
| Kel-light | Brand Name: Aluminum flashlight favored by roadies. Sometimes used alternately a an impromptu weapon (originally designed for police use) See also "Mag-Lite" |
| kick | Slang: for bass drum |
| kife | Pronounced "knife" without the "n": Small items that clutter working areas or have no use anywhere but must be kept for no apparent reason. Stuff that builds up in stage cases. I.E. guitar or pyro tech's cases. >> submitted by Bruce Johnson |
| King of feedback | Slang: Sound guy >> submitted by Tarrant Falcke |
| kit | Slang: for drum kit |
| Kluge | Slang: (pronounced kloog) The act of making a perfectly godd piece of gear and making it do what it shouldn't. Usually involves a lot of gaffer tape >> submitted by Steve Farmer |
| laminate | Permanent plastic laminated stage pass given to road crew and band for an entire tour |
| lammy | Slang: see laminate |
| Lampy | Slang - Lighting crew member >> submitted by Mark East |
| lavaliere | Small microphone hung from the neck with a string |
| LB | 1st named after a grelco (15A 2-way adapter/splitter) but can be used for any 2-way splitters, because LB stands for Lucky Bastard (one male, two females) British origin >> submitted by Fraser 'Frank' Munro |
| L.B.L. Factor | Abbreviation: (Little Blinking Lights.) E.g. this spectrum analyzer has a high L.B.L Factor, which makes it look expensive and complicated. >> submitted by Shawn Langille |
| LD (1) | Abbreviation: Lighting Director (the person who controls the lighting for the show) |
| LD (2) | Also implies LITTLE DICK >> submitted by Mike "The Tooth" O'Connell |
| lead (1) | Wire or cable (imported term from UK) |
| Lead (2) | Guitarist with biggest ego >> submitted by Mike "The Tooth" O'Connell |
| Leatherman | Brand name of a type of tool with muliple functions. Usually has a pair of pliers, knife blade, screwdrivers (Philips & flat head), and a bottle opener. It's carried in a pich on the roadie's belt, and is responsable for helping save many a show. Has multiple uses, beside just the tools. Very rare to see a roadie without one. Commonly seen with a Mag-Lite >> submitted by Jason Hopkins, RFL |
| leko (1) | Traditional stage lighting instrument with lens and "shutters" for fine tuning >> submitted by Gary |
| leko (2) | Typical ERS lighting fixture named after Ed Kook and his partner Levey >> submitted by Katy Ross |
| Leslie | Organ speaker made by Hammond for it's B-3 and M-3 organs. Featured a whirling horn that is impossible to reproduce with synthesizers. >> submitted by Russ Jones |
| Lessie | Slang: Lesbian...true entertainment >> submitted by Mike "The Tooth" O'Connell |
| Liason Officer | Fancy name for the guy who tells the band that the equipment is broken, and then suffers the wrath >> submitted by Tarrant Falcke |
| Liger (1) | People who hang out backstage, act like they are best friends with the band, and eat and drink all the goodies >> submitted by ROTO |
| Ligger (2) | Same as Liger |
| Ligger (3) | Ligger - to add, usually former 'stars' e.g. former members of Whitesnake, god there's a lot of them, and the king ligger of all time - Lemmy (long may he destroy ear drums !) >> submitted by Andrew Murdock |
| light check | A fairly pointless exercise done by the lighting guy in order to make himself/herself seem as important as the sound guy >> submitted by Tarrant Falcke |
| Lighting Designer | Person who often never sees more than one show, and is sometimes exclusively the designer of the show. >> submitted by Dave B |
| Lighting Director | Person who runs and co-ordinates the various elements of a light show, frequently including controlling the lighting console. >> submitted by Dave B |
| Lighting Guy | Derogatory comment made usually by an audio engineer...can be replaced with: Filament Fag, Truss Tart, Gobo Geek, Focus Fairies, Squints, Par Pussies, and any combination of the above) >> submitted by Mike "The Tooth" O'Connell |
| "live(s)" | refers to where something will stay at. It's proper position. "Hey Jim, Where does this amp rack live at?" "That rack lives on stage right, over there" >> submitted by RezPhreak |
| load in | Unloading and set up of all equipment prior to sound check |
| load out | Packing up and loading in trucks all equipment after the conclusion of the show |
| locals | Crew hired in each town to help unload trucks and set up gear |
| loom | A bundle of cables that is usually threaded down a lighting truss. >> submitted by RezPhreak |
| Lot Lizard | A prostitute that works a truck-stop or rest-area parking lot >> submitted by George Perone RFL |
| L.S.D | Abbreviation: Lead Singer Disease..That pretty boy who thinks he's got Mariah Carey range..but makes Mark Slaughter look like Celion Dion (see also GLAD) |
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