Glossary › Load-in
Load-in
The scheduled time the band and crew bring gear into the venue.
Load-in is the time the band and crew start moving gear from the van, truck or trailer into the venue. It is usually the first fixed time on a show day after venue access, and everything else in the schedule hangs off it.
The advance should confirm load-in time, where to park, which door to use, whether there's a ramp, elevator or stairs, and whether house stagehands or loaders are provided.
Example
Day sheet: "12:00 venue access · 1:00 load-in (rear dock, Elm St) · 4:00 soundcheck." The crew knows the dock is on Elm Street before they leave the hotel.
Tips
Arrive early enough to find parking without eating into load-in time, and load in in the same order every night so nothing gets left behind.