Hiring Gear For Gigs Potentially Just Got Much Easier & More Affordable

Regardless of what the government thinks, making music for a living is not usually the most lucrative of pursuits. Taking into consideration necessities such as recording and touring — and all the additional expenses those activities incur — it's little surprise that most midcard musos struggle to make ends meet.

Melbourne musicians Kate Bradley (aka Ramona Moore of Dark Fair), Liz Thomas (Ouch My Face, The Loveless) and Martin MacDonald (Son Of Sea) know this all too well, which is why, "tired of paying a fortune to hire gear", the trio of tune-smiths has banded together to launch Everywhere Roadie, an equipment-rental service for average musicians designed to source amps, drum kits and the like when they're on the road, without busting the bank.

"We thought about all the unused kits and amps that must be sitting in garages across the country and how we could connect the people who own this gear with the people who need it," the founders wrote in a statement on their website.

With interests in Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the US and Canada, Everywhere Roadie has swiftly eked out a presence for itself in several key live music markets in a relatively short time. The platform connects musicians with musicians, enabling not only low-cost rental of equipment and gear but the opportunity to act as a renter and make some money on the side by lending out your own stuff to peers in need. In addition to enjoying reduced costs, you could find an obscure instrument you've been chasing, meet an engineer in a town you've never visited, and generally pad out that all-important personal network you've spent so long cultivating.

In fact, it's not just physical equipment being traded by Everywhere Roadie; the platform makes it possible for guitar techs, engineers, roadies and so on to list themselves as available for gigs, providing industry workers with another chance to find employment.

In case you're worried about the safety of your gear, as an emergent entity Everywhere Roadie can't cover it for you, but recommends you source insurance as well as taking precautions such as obtaining identification and/or bond money from the borrower when lending out the equipment. Either way, it's good enough for the folks at Poison City Records.

It's all connected by Paypal, so an account there will be necessary, but all sign-ups are free. Any other questions you have are likely covered by Everywhere Roadie's FAQ.

For further details, see the company's Facebook page and website.