pfretrock Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Even the mop tops could not work it out. They should have known better. [url="https://twitter.com/historicalpics/status/413651192720658432"]https://twitter.com/...651192720658432[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 [quote name='gapiro' timestamp='1442320964' post='2866004'] But did you have music stands? [/quote] I was going to say 'no' but then I remembered that (for the first time ever) the singer brought along one of those things you can fasten to a mic stand with a holder in it for an ipad/tablet type thing. Not sure if it qualifies as a music stand. Anyhow here we are in our unrefined glory. The stage would have been tidier than this but we were asked to go on ahead of schedule. [URL=http://s30.photobucket.com/user/KevB64/media/shed_zpswv9gkvms.jpg.html][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c307/KevB64/shed_zpswv9gkvms.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 That's not bad. Add 4 par cans, a laser and a smoke machine with footswitch and it becomes more of a nightmare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1442312712' post='2865911']I suggest a couple of rugs to lay over the mess on stage... [/quote] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt016gTNp_k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1442325993' post='2866048'] That's not bad. Add 4 par cans, a laser and a smoke machine with footswitch and it becomes more of a nightmare. [/quote] We did actually have 2 laser lights pointing at the ceiling and a small KAM bar with 4 LED's pointing at us from offstage, but they were all plugged into one of the white 4-ways Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stylon Pilson Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 This whole white 4-way thing - it's something that never even occurred to me before. I feel deeply ashamed, on behalf of my white 4-way. S.P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 (edited) I think it's a theatre thing. In theatre everything that's not a prop that is backstage is black. Crew wear black. Just depends if you're putting on a show or just playing music. Back line and leads are all black. Instruments and performers are colourful. (Unless you're in a metal band) Edited September 15, 2015 by TimR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Haven't done it for a few years now but I was a complete control freak when setting up - I would never let anybody else near it! Main mics, stage monitors, etc. all across the front, everything else behind the drummer - all going to a 16-way snake (for big venues with a remote mixer setup I had a 24-way drum with some sockets wired for stage return routing to monitors and (active) speakers). Just enough gaffa to hold it down otherwise leads get unpleasantly sticky pretty quickly. Even for small gigs we had our own sound man out front. Imagine a space going full width of the stage between the mic stands and the backline. I'd aim to have nothing in that space except humans if at all possible. Wireless if you can handle it, otherwise a maximum of one lead per player to their amp, stretched straight and gaffa'd down. Any more and sod's law will most assuredly have it's way at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 And here I was thinking 'Black Spaghetti On Stage' was some obscure 70s live album... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 It was, one of those 'contractual obligation' releases recorded on the tour to support the 'White Fourway Mains Splitter' album of the previous year. We won't see the likes of Black Spaghetti again. I think Tony Goggle might have been in one lineup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybertect Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 (edited) Curious how the 'cable nazis' deal with a half hour slot on a bill with a load of other bands and you have about two minutes at each end of the slot to set up and break down while another band is doing the reverse on stage at the same time... Do you still take precious minutes out of your performance time to get your cables just so, or do you simply not play these kinds of gigs? Edited September 15, 2015 by cybertect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 [quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1442336151' post='2866175'] Do you still take precious minutes out of your performance time to get your cables just so, or do you simply not play these kinds of gigs? [/quote] I can only speak for myself, but if we were gigging then we were on our own or (very occasionally) working with a hired PA crew and did what we were told. At other times I hired my PA out for events of one sort or another, which meant I had a large chunk of the day to set it all up; and bands were given clear instructions on how to use it. If they chose to ignore my instructions or were too stupid to get themselves on and off in time then that was their problem. Anybody overrunning their slot by more than about 5 minutes ran the risk of having the plug pulled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 (edited) Guitarist and I both use pedal snakes now which tidies things up considerably. One cable runs from amp to pedal board and as it carries the power in 9v and 12v form it means there's never more than 12v at my feet if someone kicks a beer over. Just added a wireless receiver to the board too which of course means one less lead on stage. Edited September 15, 2015 by mrtcat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 [quote name='Conan' timestamp='1442327016' post='2866057'] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt016gTNp_k [/quote] Don't polish the stage before the gig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 [quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1442336151' post='2866175'] Curious how the 'cable nazis' deal with a half hour slot on a bill with a load of other bands and you have about two minutes at each end of the slot to set up and break down while another band is doing the reverse on stage at the same time... Do you still take precious minutes out of your performance time to get your cables just so, or do you simply not play these kinds of gigs? [/quote] Don't do them...but on the rare occasion we'd share...the amps are sorted and the band briing a lead... but sure it the stage manager lets it go, it all goes silly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 [quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1442336151' post='2866175']...or do you simply not play these kinds of gigs? [/quote] This ^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 [quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1442336151' post='2866175'] Curious how the 'cable nazis' deal with a half hour slot on a bill with a load of other bands and you have about two minutes at each end of the slot to set up and break down while another band is doing the reverse on stage at the same time... Do you still take precious minutes out of your performance time to get your cables just so, or do you simply not play these kinds of gigs? [/quote] This is really a question for those regularly gigging bands that carry their own PA. As someone who used to organise the sort of gig you refer to I found fixing everything down was essential to a quick handover. All the leads were colour coded to so if one of the bands swapped a mic or a lead I could spot it from FOH. Fortunately I've never had to play at this sort of event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybertect Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 [quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1442340774' post='2866245']This is really a question for those regularly gigging bands that carry their own PA.[/quote] Point taken. While it wasn't perhaps entirely serious, I only asked because I seem to have played at quite a number of local festivals round South London this summer where the standard of stage management and available resources is a bit of a crapshoot. They seem to be usually best set up for singer-songwriters with just an acoustic guitar, although someone else has been booking bands like ours for the stage. I've become quite adept at getting the gear on and off stage in quick order; put my rig together before going and then just manhandle it to where it's needed in one piece. Bringing a couple of our own mics and stands with us has been useful on occasion, too. You just have to learn to live with less than optimal cable runs in these circumstances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 I laugh at your white four way mains, I use a white six way . . . ha! To be fair though I use one of those aluminium hop-up things to put my amp on, I put a black flag over it before the amp goes on and then tuck all power leads, cables etc underneath out of sight, even my pre amp pedal goes under with just the mute switch poking out so I can access it if needs be. All the audience sees is an amp with one cable coming from under it. I like to get pretty active on stage and cannot stand cables under my feet, when dragging a doublebass around you really don't need cables getting snagged on the endpin. All cables for the rest of the band are as others have said, behind the blackline, between mic stands and monitors at the front and up the sides, leaving a nice rectangle for performing in. I also can't stand all the cases being piled in a corner, GET RID OF THEM.... and breathe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1442328788' post='2866076'] I think it's a theatre thing. In theatre everything that's not a prop that is backstage is black. Crew wear black. Just depends if you're putting on a show or just playing music. Back line and leads are all black. Instruments and performers are colourful. (Unless you're in a metal band) [/quote] I use a 4-way and it's white, yup. It's rarely visible as it goes behind the backline, but it can occasionally be seen. I think it goes well with my red cabs (when I'm not using the orange/black one), and my instrument leads, an orange one from the bass to the pedalboard and the lead coming back to the amp would be, depending on the day and what shoes I'm wearing, pink, red or white. What I really want is an electric blue fluorescent 4-way. Oh yes. My bass? Natural ash/maple, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 [quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1442336151' post='2866175'] Curious how the 'cable nazis' deal with a half hour slot on a bill with a load of other bands and you have about two minutes at each end of the slot to set up and break down while another band is doing the reverse on stage at the same time... Do you still take precious minutes out of your performance time to get your cables just so, or do you simply not play these kinds of gigs? [/quote] Yep, it`s impossible on a three/four band bill to keep everything tidy, as usually the provided kits leads/mic-leads are slung all over the place. Just make do with what`s there. Luckily now being in a 3-piece it`s not too bad, but when I was in an 8-piece band on those gigs, well they were interesting...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 [quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1442342161' post='2866257'] Point taken. While it wasn't perhaps entirely serious, I only asked because I seem to have played at quite a number of local festivals round South London this summer where the standard of stage management and available resources is a bit of a crapshoot. They seem to be usually best set up for singer-songwriters with just an acoustic guitar, although someone else has been booking bands like ours for the stage. I've become quite adept at getting the gear on and off stage in quick order; put my rig together before going and then just manhandle it to where it's needed in one piece. Bringing a couple of our own mics and stands with us has been useful on occasion, too. You just have to learn to live with less than optimal cable runs in these circumstances. [/quote]Yeah it's tough, though it sounds like you are quite organised. Beware, that's the first step to cable nazi. If you care about the music and the audience though.... The nearest I get to this situation nowadays is at open mics where we play as a duo. I carry spare mics/leads/stands and a mains extension (white 4way) on top of bass and my little Hartke Kickback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeEvans Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 Another superb band name / thread name event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oopsdabassist Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 I'm def in the 'keep it tidy' camp, although last Sat, having wandered around the 'stage area' with my ORANGE gaffa tape (courtesy of our late lamented goat worrier) I still managed to get my left foot hooked around my own lead (wish I had used the smoothhound now) and commenced a slow left hand topple mid song. A swift twist of the shoulder meant the headstock avoided the wall, but 2 inches further back and I would have disappeared through an open door into a cupboard! Laugh it off and carry on...no one noticed I told myself...looked up straight into the drummers partners eyes who was killing herself laughing, along with about 6 of her mates...Damn!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 [quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1442306894' post='2865842'] All leads at the back of the stage go behind any backline and drums. All leads at the front of the stage run along the front and are taped down in front of the mics. All leads going front to back go along the sides of the stage and are taped down if needed. Any excess, which is normally front to back, is hidden behind the backline. All our leads are long enough for the largest stage we could possibly play so there is normally quite a lot of the leads left over but never seen and NEVER across the stage to trip over. [/quote] Exactly this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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