Quilly Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 2 hours ago, EliasMooseblaster said: Ain't that the truth! There are a lot of musicians in my office, and they'd been putting on a few regular music nights long before I started in the job. After getting to know people I was invited to come and play at one of these nights. I arrived while they were setting up in a nearby pub, and they seemed to be having some difficulty getting the PA to play nicely. I don't know how they got the impression that I might know what I was doing...I think a few of them had checked out Cherry White online, been impressed, and somehow put two and two together to get five, with the non-sequituur that I must therefore know how to operate a 16-channel mixing desk. Working it out was a mixed blessing - on the plus side, I got a decent sound out of it all, and the gig went well. On the downside, they now expect me to function as sound engineer at all subsequent nights. As the saying goes, in the land of the needy, the man too polite to say "no" is at risk of becoming the band's b**ch. I don't intend being that b1tch ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaytonaRik Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 (edited) I am obviously blessed - or enough penance has been served with previous outfits. New guys don't noodle, don't play overly loud, give each other stage space, have impeccable gear, guitars stay in cases until it's soundcheck...which takes a verse and half of something outside the set. Luckily all the bands I've played in have always helped tear down/load out but these take it a step above - even making sure cables are coiled, velcro tied, counted, in the right pile etc. The completely non-tech vocalist acts as a stage hand and will run around grabbing things as we need then - nothing is too much trouble for her. I don't know how they put up with me as apparently I'm a terrible band mate and previous bands are much better/happier without me! 😉 Edited June 18, 2018 by DaytonaRik 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilly Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 (edited) General preciousness with some band members, especially when you're playing in a pub covers band. 😣 Edited June 19, 2018 by Quilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontregartha Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 A venue insisting you PAT test all of your gear then give you an untested death trap extension cable to run part of the gear off! We worked around that and went to the wall sockets with our cables - it was the DJ that said "where can I plug into" and I said - you can use that - it's not one of ours it has no sticker on it! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 1 hour ago, dontregartha said: A venue insisting you PAT test all of your gear then give you an untested death trap extension cable to run part of the gear off! We had that with a festival, ended up trying to get FX board power supplies tested and all sorts of ridiculousness. Got there and not only did nobody check they just looked at us blankly when we asked who needs to see the PAT testing stuff... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 14 hours ago, dontregartha said: A venue insisting you PAT test all of your gear then give you an untested death trap extension cable to run part of the gear off! We worked around that and went to the wall sockets with our cables - it was the DJ that said "where can I plug into" and I said - you can use that - it's not one of ours it has no sticker on it! I can particularly relate to this with the one very specific example of a venue that insisted we use the house backline because our own amps hadn't recently PAT tested. Then, as the gig drew nearer, I chanced across something on Facetube to the effect that their house PA had given up the ghost earlier in the week. I got in touch with the guy to ask, was this going to be a problem for our gig? Should I arrange to bring our PA to the venue? No no, he said, there was a problem, but we'll have it sorted. Not exactly reassured by all that I'd heard so far, I reiterated my offer to bring our PA, if he could let us know ASAP. On the night of the gig, I arrived at the venue first to find them frantically trying to get a new desk to work. Unsurprisingly, it didn't. The guy suggested, well the other night we just put the vocal mic through a spare guitar amp, it worked fine. Not when at least two of the bands have backing vocals, it chuffing won't. I 'phoned the others to say, turn the car around, we're going to need the chuffing PA after all. Was he concerned about whether our PA was PAT tested before we set it up, about an hour before doors? Was he c**k. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 (edited) 1. Guitarists who make miniscule, imperceptible adjustments to their sound in between songs, delaying the start of the next song and killing any momentum (and emptying the dancefloor in process). 2. Members who have a long list of reasons why they can't possibly drive or help bring any gear to the next gig, because they're drinking/meeting friends there etc - so can you take all their stuff instead? 3. Alternative to 2, "So can i borrow your guitar/amp/PA etc instead for the gig?" 4. In the case of 3, then won't lift a finger to help you set up the gear that's for them, or pack it down or load it out afterwards. 5. Musicians who pick songs for the band to do 'because they are easy' rather than 'because they are good.' Edited June 20, 2018 by bassbiscuits 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicbassman Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 2 hours ago, bassbiscuits said: 1. Guitarists who make miniscule, imperceptible adjustments to their sound in between songs, delaying the start of the next song and killing any momentum (and emptying the dancefloor in process). This, absolutely. Drives me crazy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 On 07/04/2018 at 12:50, spectoremg said: I'm not currently gigging and haven't done so for some time because you can guarantee that 1-7 will be at the rehearsal plus uk_lefty's great guitard who's a s..t singer and the inevitable rubbish drummer. Oi! I'm a drummer - we're not *all* stinky poo you know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 3 minutes ago, lowdowner said: Oi! I'm a drummer - we're not *all* stinky poo you know! This site edited my 'S H I T E' to 'stinky poo!' - I've been censored! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontregartha Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Random road closures after the gig when you just want to get home 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Just now, dontregartha said: Random road closures after the gig when you just want to get home been there - makes a 2am return home into a 4am return... annoys the hell out of the other half! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Noise limiters. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontregartha Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 especially when they shut roads you've sat navved to in the middle of nowhere and you have no bloomin idea where you are 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Gigs where the organiser/agent etc has made a big deal about you turning up early, and youve left work early/rushed to be there. Only to find the event is running late and you end up sitting round for hours doing nothing. (ie every wedding gig I've ever done!) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Singer turning up 10 mins before gig starts and making a fuss over setting up their gear i.e. one mic stand... Breaking a stick in the most important break of the set Someone coming up to you at the bar at the end of a gig and asking "So, have you seen this band before?" (yes, it's happened!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Punters who try to start a conversation or ask if you know a tune when you're still in the middle of playing/singing the previous one and can't hear a word they're saying anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontregartha Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 (edited) 7 minutes ago, bassbiscuits said: Punters who try to start a conversation or ask if you know a tune when you're still in the middle of playing/singing the previous one and can't hear a word they're saying anyway. That's a good one... they just wander over and start yattering "can you play xxx?" I just nod and say - yeah - later... as if, we're not the friggin' jukebox! Or another variant is the 'I'll just leave my drink here - and put it down on the singers' lyric sheet I've started building walls of gear to push the buggers back, fed up of kicked over drinks (theirs - we keep ours well away) singers having their teeth knocked by stupid tw4ts knocking the stands - our band has two girl singers and we do a motown set which involves a it of co-ordinated movement -so they can't hold the mike stand when 'that bloke' gets up and starts. Edited June 20, 2018 by dontregartha 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 7 minutes ago, dontregartha said: That's a good one... they just wander over and start yattering "can you play xxx?" I just nod and say - yeah - later... as if, we're not the friggin' jukebox! Or another variant is the 'I'll just leave my drink here - and put it down on the singers' lyric sheet I've started building walls of gear to push the buggers back, fed up of kicked over drinks (theirs - we keep ours well away) singers having their teeth knocked by stupid tw4ts knocking the stands - our band has two girl singers and we do a motown set which involves a it of co-ordinated movement -so they can't hold the mike stand when 'that bloke' gets up and starts. Ah yes - being smacked in the teeth by a mic when a drunk person dances into the stand. Always goes down well. Its about as funny as people who shout "three!" when you are soundchecking the PA. Comedy gold that is. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilly Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 15 hours ago, bassbiscuits said: 1. Guitarists who make miniscule, imperceptible adjustments to their sound in between songs, delaying the start of the next song and killing any momentum (and emptying the dancefloor in process). 2. Members who have a long list of reasons why they can't possibly drive or help bring any gear to the next gig, because they're drinking/meeting friends there etc - so can you take all their stuff instead? 3. Alternative to 2, "So can i borrow your guitar/amp/PA etc instead for the gig?" 4. In the case of 3, then won't lift a finger to help you set up the gear that's for them, or pack it down or load it out afterwards. 5. Musicians who pick songs for the band to do 'because they are easy' rather than 'because they are good.' Too many changes of electric guitars, then having to fiddle with his amp to get the desired tome. While I appreciate different guitars sound differently (i.e. Strat v Les Paul) there has to be a degree of practicality to keep the momentum going (I.e. chose a guitar that has both SS and HH pickups if you must). Our rhythm guitarist just uses a tele all the way through the gig and its sounds great. I usually being 2 basses to a gig but what ever I decide to play, that's it for the gig unless i have a catastrophic failure or unless a song 'really really' needs a fretless or upright bass, and I've never had this situation. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 12 minutes ago, Quilly said: Too many changes of electric guitars, then having to fiddle with his amp to get the desired tome. While I appreciate different guitars sound differently (i.e. Strat v Les Paul) there has to be a degree of practicality to keep the momentum going (I.e. chose a guitar that has both SS and HH pickups if you must). Our rhythm guitarist just uses a tele all the way through the gig and its sounds great. I usually being 2 basses to a gig but what ever I decide to play, that's it for the gig unless i have a catastrophic failure or unless a song 'really really' needs a fretless or upright bass, and I've never had this situation. I sometimes change bass in the half time, just so I can try different ones. Too much of a faff changing. Although with the delay for tuning between songs it wouldn't be so hard. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 25 minutes ago, Quilly said: Too many changes of electric guitars, then having to fiddle with his amp to get the desired tome. While I appreciate different guitars sound differently (i.e. Strat v Les Paul) there has to be a degree of practicality to keep the momentum going (I.e. chose a guitar that has both SS and HH pickups if you must). Our rhythm guitarist just uses a tele all the way through the gig and its sounds great. I usually being 2 basses to a gig but what ever I decide to play, that's it for the gig unless i have a catastrophic failure or unless a song 'really really' needs a fretless or upright bass, and I've never had this situation. I've always felt that an audience appreciates a good gig with real momentum and excitement, more than they give a monkey's about tiny differences in tone. Maybe it's because i play bass and acoustic guitar, both of which involve just one sound thru the whole gig (fingers/pick and tone control etc doing the rest of the variation). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 17 hours ago, bassbiscuits said: 1. Guitarists who make miniscule, imperceptible adjustments to their sound in between songs, delaying the start of the next song and killing any momentum (and emptying the dancefloor in process). Not this so much, but the guitarist in my old band ran a 20 year old Les Paul into a 30 year old Peavey; soundwise he'd be on the money, but not before spending an age knob-tweaking to actually get there. I could never understand how he would sound brilliant on a Friday gig and so utterly shite 24 hours later. And yes, tweaking happened between songs. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Steve Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 19 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said: Not this so much, but the guitarist in my old band ran a 20 year old Les Paul into a 30 year old Peavey; soundwise he'd be on the money, but not before spending an age knob-tweaking to actually get there. I could never understand how he would sound brilliant on a Friday gig and so utterly shite 24 hours later. And yes, tweaking happened between songs. Oh God, yes, this. Did a gig once where we brought the backline and the guitarist from the support band, having turned up late to do their soundcheck in the first place spent literally three quarters of an hour endlessly tweaking the amp, his pedals, his guitar, etc, before insisting that they play the whole of three different songs which have different guitar sounds in them so that he could be sure that he was happy. the rest of his band were mortified, and apologetically explained to us that while he's a great guitarist, there is something of the OCD/autistic spectrum about him and they just have to let him get on with things. And then having completed their soundcheck they put down their instruments, to be told to pick them back up again as it was time for the show to start. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 28 minutes ago, Monkey Steve said: The rest of his band...apologetically explained to us that while he's a great guitarist, there is something of the OCD/autistic spectrum about him and they just have to let him get on with things. Blimey...are you sure you didn't gig with us? LOL His wife said he was borderline autistic as well. If anyone had to use his gear all he would do was complain they'd changed all his settings (even though the settings were done ad hoc every time) and it was murder if he had to use someone else's amp. I could never understand why he didn't put any stickers/marks around the knobs on his gear to put him in his desired ballpark or at the very least remember his settings; I mean, it's not like he wasn't familiar with his amp. But no, twiddle twiddle moan twiddle. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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