TimR

They're selling the whole warehouse by the sounds of it. The gear has to be picked up by date A. The racking by date B. The forklifts by date C. Anything not picked up by those dates will be forefitted.

I sometime wonder what the people who start these petitions are thinking. There's a big difference between a band in a pub and a stadium rock event. If bands are unable to recognise this then they're going to lose venues to play in. We play in a couple of venues where the landlord has had complaints and knows how loud we can play before causing a nuisance in neighbouring properties. Generally if bands refuse to turn down they're not asked back. Bands are getting louder and louder.

I would avoid fixing lights to speakers. Lights need to face across into the band. Speakers need to be positioned to face out to the audience while being out of the way. I had this argument with a drummer for many years as he kept saying we should fit the lights to the speakers to save on stage space. When I left the band I heard one of the first things he did was fix the lights to the speakers. They lasted one gig when he found. a. The lights didn't point in the right direction. b. The venue ceiling was too low to have the speakers at ear level with enough space on top for the lights. We have 4led pars and two TBars. In the old band we had a DMX programmable mixer but we did functions. In my current band I just let them do their own thing. .

No Basschatters in Merseyside to give you a hand?

Those box things were fairly standard in the late 90s. Don't know if they still are. I'm guessing fader style mixers are cheaper now. Peavey, yamaha, phonic, behringer etc. All did pretty much the same thing.

Probably something in your subconscious links the sound of the guitar to a song you've heard or a style of music. Something similar happens to me if I plug my bass into a multi FX unit and run through the different FX.

[quote name='gadgie' timestamp='1416487983' post='2610709'] We have an old PV copy powered mixer...(a "pod" or something) ... [/quote] Phonic Powerpod.

Check you're in tune with the guitarist Does it wobble when you play on your own? Move the cab so its back is flat against the wall and if possible in a corner. .

I had the same thing with a guitarist using a flanger on a band I was running the PA for.

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Parametric EQ is a difficult beast to master. Set all level dials to their '0' position ie no cut or boost. Then set one to full cut and while letting a note ring, slowly sweep It's frequency dial from low to high. Then repeat with full boost. Then set the cut/boost back to '0'. Repeat with all four frequency ranges. At the end of the process you should have a good idea of what each frequency range sounds like. You can use eq for two reasons. Cut problem frequencies in certain environments Shape the sound. Don't get the two confused. Try not to cut or boost any frequency by more than 3-6dB. Hope I'm not teaching you to suck eggs.

There are some English guys at the musicplayer.com keys section.

[quote name='Adrenochrome' timestamp='1416408332' post='2609890'] I'm sure the pros are. For us pub players we barely break even when all costs are taken into account. [/quote] That's exactly my point. If your costs are £50 and you're getting paid £50 that £50 is actually closer to £80 as that's how much you would have to earn before tax in your day job to get £50 cash in your pocket.

Not many businesses own their properties. Most rent. Businesses don't last 25 years+. Pubs may have several different landlords over the years. The change of use is relatively easy to get. All you have to do is show that the pub has been on the market for a couple of years with no takers. Immediate neighbours will usually be for a change of use so the planning doesn't get much resistance.

The pubcos own the pubs. So unless the landlord can afford to buy the pub (very unlikely), the pub will be sold off for flats or housing.

Landlords to be allowed to buy their drinks on the open market. http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30110742

One point that's probably slightly overlooked is this money is all cash. Erm. Obviously we're all declaring any profits we happen to have made by the end of the year. However, for me to pay for a set of £25 strings (legitimate expenses) I would have to earn getting on for £45 in my day job... Legitimately that money you get paid is worth 30-60% more in real terms depending on your tax position.

I think part of the problem with getting people into pubs and getting pubs to put bands on is appropriate volume. I've seen some ridiculously loud bands in what is essentially someone's front room. A lot of Pizza Expresses do live music.

Is that a 200mile round trip? I suppose I'm quite lucky living 25 miles from London but North London is about my limit for a pub gig and only because the pay is better and the pub we play is well known for music and good bands. The other pubs we play are 20minute drive tops. That means I can leave home at 7pm and be home around 1am. It takes about 40mins to set up and same to pack down. Even for £40 it works out £10 for each hour of 'work' and travel. We do a minimum of £160 as there are 4 of us but some pubs pay more.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1416259170' post='2608470'] That's what truly professional musician do though, isn't it? They sell their skills. I really can't see any line that is crossed and it suddenly becomes a 'sell out too far' I suppose there might be some bricklayers who refuse to work on anything other than neo-gothic revival architecture, but in the main they just lay bricks in accordance to the drawings for whoever is paying them. Pro musicians are the same aren't they? Especially the ones who read music and are paid to play the exact notes put in front of them. [/quote] You have lost complete control over what you play. If you join the Royal Philharmonic, you turn up in the morning and are given the day's music. That's what you're going to be playing. No choice. As you say. That's what you're paid to do. This is where the balance comes in. That's where the totally sold out part is. Play in a covers band for less than professional wages but get some 'creative' input. Even if it's just a say in what goes in the setlist. Maybe even a sneaky run or gliss. .

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1416256359' post='2608424'] What does "selling out" really mean though? ... [/quote] I think the comment was a "sell out too far". I've seen those plastic bands. I saw a 'rock band' in a club at Butlins. Playing GNR, Nirvana, etc. Something was just wrong with the picture I was looking at. Then it twigged. The music was perfect. It was being played by trained musicians. And none of them had tattoos either. Just felt wrong to me. The crowd loved it. The next night they were in the ballroom wearing suits backing some singer from the 70s. Classic. .

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1416253317' post='2608381'] Can't see the logic there. Youngish bands playing newish songs to youngish audiences, fine. Middle aged blokes playing 70s blues rock to older audiences, fine. Both playing to their own segments. What are the middle aged rock star wannabes supposed to do to 'up their game'. One Direction covers? I thought that was the function band domain There is no single formula. As for dreams of being a rock star, I kicked that into touch before leaving school when I realised it was never going to happen and got myself a proper job instead. Now I can afford to buy decent gear and play purely for fun without all the crap that clearly goes on when trying to scrap by on crap gig earnings. Horses for courses. [/quote] No. These are middle age guys. Good players who've looked at the market and know what people want to hear. If you go into a music pub and count the heads and there are twenty to thirty people wanting to hear 70s music then that's a big audience. Go into an O'Neils pub and you're looking at 200-300 people of all ages up to maybe mid 40s. Play some oasis, blur, Robbie Williams, I'm not talking last 5 years, I'm talking 20years. You'll bring the house down. If you want to be popular and get paid well you have to play what people want to hear, not what you want to play.

It's always good when you find a keys player who can play in the pocket. I'm not fussy what with though, his car keys or loose change, just as long as he keeps his left hand in his pocket.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1416248225' post='2608317'] Well I hardly ever went into a pub before the smoking ban. I wasn't gigging in those days but would have prevented me from doing so, so the smoking ban is no loss to me. I can't believe I'm unique in that regards. Numerous requests as long as someone else foots the bill? Not prepared to pay for the band themselves? If a band playing for free is deemed to be no good, what about a band that no one is willing to pay to hear? [/quote] Yes. I'm not sure how much longer the smoking ban can be blamed. It's been over 7 years now. From my point of view the pubs seem to have enough entertainment budget to spend several hundred pounds a month on Sky. I walk past any pub with Sky banners on it. IMO That's what's ripping the soul out of the pubs. The bands I've seen doing the best are playing to young audiences (non smokers?) and playing music from the last 20years. These bands are packing the big O'Neils pubs regularly and getting paid pretty well for doing it. Bands will continue to be paid badly while there are middle aged blokes willing to subsidise their dream of being a rock star at the weekend. To get paid more you need to up your game and do something different.

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1416245197' post='2608261'] ... He can't sub that out of the takings because it's not his money. ... [/quote] A very strong point. Although I think there are more and more pubs being run as part tied pub.