Touchy…
I haven’t worked in that capacity for a while, so it was some years ago. They were a pretty big band in terms of sales but they didn’t have much more kit than any other band. It was a matter of numbers of bits of kit, not excess kit. So filling i in was the same as for another smaller band, just larger numbers in the bit where you put the numbers.
god, trying to explain a carnet to someone who’s never done one!
Filling in the carnet is something that everyone who works with bands knows about, regardless of how big or small they are. From the manager down to the driver and merch seller, everyone will have some connection with the carnet, even if it’s only knowing that it needs to be checked and having to sit around while it’s done at the border. Which itself can be an issue if someone is jonesing or being a general pain in the balls for some other reason. Everyone in the background knows it’s a big thing that is an unavoidable hassle. The TM/driver will need to keep it to hand and in good order ( damage will invalidate it). The band need to keep the carnet filler-inner updated on their kit (try getting detailed information out of the doomy bass player who’s breaking up with his gf…). The carnet filler-inner needs to hassle the drummer to make sure nothing has been left off. If it’s the drummer who is the filler-inner, they can be really OCD and insist on coming over. If it’s the singer (“you’ve got less kit so it’s less of a hassle for you….”… yeah right…) that can throw up a different set of issues.
Carnet for small bands is still a fucking hassle.