LukeFRC Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 [quote name='jono b' post='198174' date='May 13 2008, 06:54 PM']How about support bands that leave immediately after their set, taking all their gear with them that they'd told you and the promoter that you could borrow? It was only one guitar amp, and the sound man had a store room packed with tasty amps, but the band in question were meant to be headlining, turned up late for soundcheck and announced that they'd sold no tickets. And they'd sneaked all their gear out while the promoter was working her arse off trying to get stuff sorted out and not tell her that they were leaving. Unsurprisingly they were an arrogant bunch because they'd got to the quarter-finals of some Battle of the Bands.[/quote] scotland isnt that big, i'm wondering who this was..... From a PA side which i do from time to time.... [quote name='Ou7shined' post='197929' date='May 13 2008, 01:14 PM']What's with [b]line checks[/b]! I like a good old sound check to warm up with. ..... [b]Stage fountains[/b] : When you take the 1st gentle sip from your pre-positioned bottle of beer and it froths over......... you try and catch it by quickly stuffing it in your mouth but it exits all available orifices and you have to jump about like a pansy so it doesn't get into your bass then you put it down on your set list (coz you don't like to leave a mess) and the ink runs and you have to share someone else's and you loose concentration coz you've just waisted a couple of mls of beer and then you think of something witty that you should have done to turn it into a rock n roll wheeze instead of looking like a noob that can't handle his shandy but it's too late and everyone thinks your a git then you forget all about it until you're tidying up and you loop a sticky, gritty lead around you arm........... No?...... Just me then. Happens every time. [/quote] bands that want to use the sound check, you know the time when I try and make the best of a bad situation and make you sound good, and what do you want to do? Have a practice ses or warm up... practise before the gig, and take your spare bass to the dressing room ad warm up there.... do what i tell you and i can make you sound good.... numptys who coil wires around their arms. (or even worse tie a knot in it) Learn how to coil a wire properly, its not hard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono Bolton Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 [quote name='LukeFRC' post='198427' date='May 14 2008, 01:15 AM']scotland isnt that big, i'm wondering who this was.....[/quote] They were called Magnus Blaze. I have no problem with naming and shaming, they were C**** and treated the promoter (my friend) like crap. The worst thing is she totally runs herself into the ground putting on shows and gets really wound up about it, they didn't have to do much to make her night a little bit easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 On the subject of iffy venues, the best known one in Leicester, (which i have played well over a hundred time, possibly over 200 in various bands, filled over capacity etc etc) When i was in Doublecross who sold quite a few thousand albums, featured in rock mags across Europe, also full page ads in classic rock mag etc played with bands like Styx and Dokken at places like the Hammersmith Odeon, Glasgow SECC etc. I called the venue to do what was to be a small local gig by our standards, but just said the name of the band instead of saying, 'oh hi its Gaf from...(various local acts)' which would have been fine as i was known by name. After explaining about the fact that we were currently selling by the truckload and playing some big venues with some big names i was told: "Yeah well i aint heard of you, and if you're not big in Leicester then you're no-one!" This attitude may explain why said venue used to be a mainstay on the tour circuit and now goes largely ignored, this along with Leicesters famously apathetic 'hipper than thou' crowds and scene (Which i actually read an article all about in one of the music papers some years back so its not just me!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 [quote name='LukeFRC' post='198427' date='May 14 2008, 01:15 AM']scotland isnt that big, i'm wondering who this was..... From a PA side which i do from time to time.... bands that want to use the sound check, you know the time when I try and make the best of a bad situation and make you sound good, and what do you want to do? Have a practice ses or warm up... practise before the gig, and take your spare bass to the dressing room ad warm up there.... do what i tell you and i can make you sound good.... numptys who coil wires around their arms. (or even worse tie a knot in it) Learn how to coil a wire properly, its not hard![/quote] Did I just get told? There's so much you can gain from a sound check over a line check. Very important for me, you a chance to get a feel for the physical space, you get to tweak monitorage - including adjusting your own eq for on stage acoustics, you have an opportunity to get feedback from others that foh is way better than what you were getting on stage and for the more nervous band mates it expends a bit of that pre-gig adrenaline. As for using the time for practice, personally I don't need it that much but after gripping a steering wheel for 3hrs getting to the venue it sure is nice to uncrack your fingers with a mini workout (Dressing room? Oh right the toilets!). I guess what I'm trying to say is that a sound check is the foreplay that eases you into a venue but with line checks it feels like you just spit on it and stick it in. ...and I'll coil up my cables how I like thanks very much sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Booked a support band on a "sell tickets, keep £2 per ticket sold" basis. The guit@rse I was dealing with went home right after playing their set. Come pack up time for us his big burly bandmates are still there looking a bit perturbed .. Somewhere along the line it had got translated into " get paid £100 no matter that you didn't sell any tickets" and I was threatend with broken bits if I didn't pay up ... Thanks mate ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 [quote name='Ou7shined' post='198484' date='May 14 2008, 08:49 AM']Did I just get told? There's so much you can gain from a sound check over a line check.......[/quote] I can understand why you like to have a proper soundcheck, but when you're playing crap venues on 4 and 5 band nights and the soundguy doesn't turn up till 7.30 but the doors are at 8, it would be seriously frustrating if you were the headline act and insisted on a sound check. We have had this happen to us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 I did an early Heavy Metal gig and broke the A sring on my old Aria SB700. Now when that happens, something happens to the set up that renders teh D and G strings unusable so I had to do the last three songs in the set with only the E string. Tony Levin eat your heart out. Funny thing is, no-one noticed Never broken a string since! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 [quote name='bilbo230763' post='216816' date='Jun 11 2008, 01:10 PM']I did an early Heavy Metal gig and broke the A sring on my old Aria SB700. Now when that happens, something happens to the set up that renders teh D and G strings unusable so I had to do the last three songs in the set with only the E string. Tony Levin eat your heart out. Funny thing is, no-one noticed Never broken a string since![/quote] Broke a string....!! you musta been laying it down some bilbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Heh, Bilbo "throwing down some metal grrrrr". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowhand_mike Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 the solo in my generation, when i practice it at home, no trouble but as soon as i try and play at a gig it suddenly becomes impossible. people sitting down cos they basically cant be arsed to stand up and enjoy it (could try loosing all the chairs before a gig) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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