Glossary › Backline
Backline
The band’s on-stage instruments and amps: drums, bass and guitar rigs, keyboards.
Backline is the musical equipment that sits on stage behind the vocal mics: drum kit, bass and guitar amps and cabinets, keyboards and stands. It's different from the PA and monitors, which belong to the sound system.
Bands either carry their own backline or rent it ("backline provided") from the venue, the festival or a rental company, which is common for fly-in shows and international dates. Festivals often ask bands to share a backline package to speed up changeovers.
Example
A fly-in festival show: the band brings guitars, snare, cymbals and pedalboards, and the advance confirms a rented kit (22" kick, 12" and 16" toms), a bass rig and two guitar amps from the festival's backline list.
Tips
List backline requirements precisely in the tech rider, with acceptable substitutes, and confirm exact models in the advance.