J. Dan Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 It's been a long time since I've come home from a gig as pissed off as I am now. We played a regular place that is normally one of my favorite places to play. Hot chicks, good crowd, our guy we use for all our remotes has the sound, etc. Star the night off - the ONE crappy sound guy that works for him (out of 1/2 dozen sound guys that work ro him who are awesome) is there. BTW - last time we played this place is when I F'd up my hand -cast and pins come out Tues. Anyway - I had asked the sound co owner to never send this guy again after our last encounter with him.. So all night we sounded like "ooooooooooooooooooo" (that's feedback). When it wasn't feeding back, the waitresses said "tou guys don't sound right tonight - like it's coming out of a tin can or something." btw - for those of you who don't know, we are almost all direct, electric drums, and all IEM's. No F-ing excuse! I sent many text messages to the owner of the sound co who apologized profusely - didn't help the sound. OK, the DJ had told me that they've been dead the last few weeks. Our gigs have been great, so I'm thinking this will be great contrast - show 'em our crowd conpared to other bands. So you got the sound situation - you can see people backing up every time it feeds back. Then some douch bag drops these stink bombs. Are you familiar with these? I mean, how f-ing 7th grade? It's a strong sulfur odor - like a fart. Every time they'd drop one, the place would cleare out - it was horrible. We'd get the dance floor packed, they'd drop one, and it would clear out empty. Happened about 5 times throughout the night. BTW, if I find out it was another band, I'm going to F their world up - and I can! So the clincher, at the end of the night, we had gotten our contractually allowed free beers in a bucket at the beginning of the night.... but, unusually, we also ended up having 6 red bull and vodka shots (2 of which were for the waitress). Tab at the end of the night? $50! Are you F-ing kidding me? So for all the people who asked me if I was going to sue after I slipped and injured my hand last time I played there, when I responded :no way!", I'm starting to reconsider - screw me, I'll screw you! Sorry, just had to vent - just an all around bad night at what should have been one of our best gigs. Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Perhaps it's time to play places where the customers don't drop stink bombs. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyguy Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Well said, Dave... Jim Wells Tallahassee, FL www.pureplatinumband.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 So the clincher, at the end of the night, we had gotten our contractually allowed free beers in a bucket at the beginning of the night.... but, unusually, we also ended up having 6 red bull and vodka shots (2 of which were for the waitress). Tab at the end of the night? $50! Are you F-ing kidding me? So for all the people who asked me if I was going to sue after I slipped and injured my hand last time I played there, when I responded :no way!", I'm starting to reconsider - screw me, I'll screw you! Sue? ... beers in a bucket at the beginning of the job? What is this, The Blues Brothers, and you're playing behind chicken wire? No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogmonkey Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Man, that sounds terrible. Stink bombs? That is just bizarre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Summers Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 I've seen a few guns brandished during my Country-Western days, but never stink bombs! "Music should never be harmless." Robbie Robertson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawback Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 I'm wondering if you guys really need this gig? I'd pay a hundred bucks NOT to play there. ____________________________________ Rod Here for the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoahZark Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Stink bombs? Really?!?! Wowza. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 At first, I thought he meant farts, like maybe his singer was farting during the sets and they were stuck on stage with the smell. "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawback Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 I'd pay two hundred bucks to quit the band. ____________________________________ Rod Here for the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted September 19, 2009 Author Share Posted September 19, 2009 Never happened there before - I just takes one a-hole to completely ruin a night. Of course the sound sucking and the tab at the end of the night were icing on the cake. Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floyd Tatum Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Never happened there before - I just takes one a-hole to completely ruin a night. Of course the sound sucking and the tab at the end of the night were icing on the cake. Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I'm sure it didn't help that it's the same place you injured your hand. You mentioned that the stink bombs could be sabotoge by another band. Do you think that's a real possibility, or is it more likely that the guy that did it just some whacko a-hole? It's an interesting possibility, though, but you'd need real proof. What kind of place is it, does weird s**t like that happen regularly? I'd try not to blame it all on the venue, it sounds like just an accumulation of bad coincidences on the same night. I'd take a wait-and-see attitude, maybe things will be a lot better next time. Maybe you could have a friend with you next time you're there, to hang in the audience and keep an eye on the crowd just in case. It does seem odd that whoever did it managed to get away with it five times in the same night without being seen by someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 I've seen a few guns brandished during my Country-Western days, but never stink bombs! Same here. Knives, gunfire - seen it all. I remember one time when we all hit the stage floor due to bullets sprayed into a club from a drive-by. But stink bombs? That's the lowest. Seriously in over 35 years and thousands of gigs over that time, no one has ever thrown a stink bomb. That's never happened. Paying full price for any drinks after comps however - that always happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfD Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Sounds like that particular gig was just a "series of unfortunate events". Try not to read too much into it. Continue insisting on the best sound guy. Finding "better" gigs means negotiating with other venues and/or changing the product. Not always easy to do. PD "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 In all seriousness, the one concern I'd have about the stink bombs is the poor security at the venue. At a lot of places, someone might get away with that once. After that, between the crowd pointing the person out and the staff looking for him, he shouldn't have lasted that long. "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonysounds Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Everyone's a critic. Hitting "Play" does NOT constitute live performance. -Me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanS Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Perhaps it's time to play places where the customers don't drop stink bombs. :thu: What we record in life, echoes in eternity. MOXF8, Electro 6D, XK1c, Motif XSr, PEKPER, Voyager, Univox MiniKorg. https://www.abandoned-film.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maze Sound Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Where the hell was the club owner/manager?????? The drinks are your problem if its not agreed upon up front. Most places I book its well known that beer is on the house, anything else you pay for! SR guy thats finally decided to put his collection of toys to personal use (extremely G.A.S.'y) LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phred Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I am not sure why you would take these issues out on the club. Bad sound guy? I don't believe is the club's fault. Stink bombs... that is the weirdest thing ever. Maybe the club could have done more... Did the club security try to track down the guy and kick him out? Was is obvious who did it? Was it definatly stink bombs, or could it be a guy with bad gas. Tab at the end of the night? That's because you ordered drinks that were not comped. I remember one post a while back where you mentioned that your contract stated X number of beer a night (I forget the number but say X = 30). At the beginning of the night you guys get your 30 beer (opened i think ... right?) and have them up front and drink most of them. The rest ... what? Give them away? down the drain? I honestly think that doing that pushes the boundries of the terms of the contract. I am sure that the club does too, and any time you guys buy drinks beyond that, the club will charge you. If you just got beer when you were thirsty, those extra drinks (at least it's more likely that they) may have been treated as beer, and may have been free. My 2cents. I'm just saying', everyone that confuses correlation with causation eventually ends up dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKeys Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 As others have said it seems just an unfortunate series of events. Not that you can't vent here about it as I have many times for various gigs. On the tab part that is why my bands never run a BAND tab. You each pay your own way.... That way no one else is adding to your tab. I KNOW what I drink at a club and 3 beers is the limit. Jimmy Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others. Groucho NEW BAND CHECK THEM OUT www.steveowensandsummertime.com www.jimmyweaver.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 On the tab part that is why my bands never run a BAND tab.. I learned this lesson years ago the first time I was leader. Actually I think it was the first week of the first gig - trying to sort out who drank what and adjusting pay accordingly. It's been standard ever since - whether I'm leader or sideman - to take care of anything you eat or drink on your own. But I'm kind of getting the vibe that these guys were used to receiving drinks beyond their contract minimum for free too. Maybe that's why it is such a big deal. When I first started out, when things were more relaxed and before strict DUI laws, it was rare for a club to charge musicians for any drinks. Nowadays it's rare if they don't - beyond maybe an after shifter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonysounds Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 So the clincher, at the end of the night, we had gotten our contractually allowed free beers in a bucket at the beginning of the night.... but, unusually, we also ended up having 6 red bull and vodka shots (2 of which were for the waitress). Tab at the end of the night? $50! Are you F-ing kidding me? Unusual or not, those "red bull & vodka shots" were not part of your contract. Here in Chicago, those "red bull & vodka shots" are what's known as bombs (not shots as I've never known a cocktail made at a bar to use less than a shot of anything, so to have alcohol and chaser as one shot seems...unlikely), and "Bombs" go anywhere from $6-$8 (*bars will advertise $5 bombs as if that's a good deal, so use that as a guide). Whether your band drank those "red bull and vodka shots" or gave them to waitresses (when did waitresses start being able to drink on the gig???), the band still ordered them. That's $48 of liquor ordered above your contractually allowed free beers. The bar should eat that? Combine that with a steadily diminishing crowd (and steadily diminishing revenue) and a healthy salary guarantee for the band. Dan, this isn't your first rodeo. You know how the game/business works. When it comes to money and drinks, you obviously have a handle on things with 'contractually allowed free beers'. This went above and beyond your contract, and regardless of how well your band draws, business is business. As for the stink bombs, don't worry about it being some band trying to sabotage your gig and "f-ing their world up"; I really can't imagine another band going to such lengths to...what end exactly? It was more likely some nutrod who just happened to be at your gig; it was someone else's gig last time, and it'll be someone else's next time, at least until he gets caught. But I have a question: as I've never actually been exposed to a stink bomb, don't these things emanate some kind of smoke with the fumes? If so, how the hell did security not put an end to it, or you guys not point it out? Regardless, the offender really couldn't do it repeatedly without someone wondering what the hell he's doing with a lighter and some 'device' and then reporting him after the 'stink'. Sorry to hear you endured a hellish gig, but hey, we ALL get 'em! You gotta admit though....in a way it is kind of funny; or at least, once you settle down and put some time between you and that gig, you'll be able to laugh about it later. Hope this weekend went better. Hitting "Play" does NOT constitute live performance. -Me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrafon Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Any M80s in the toilets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Is there anyone here who doesn't drink on a job? I think I might have less respect for my doctor if she drank on the job, but that's just me. I used to when I was younger but not anymore. On those very rare occasions where I might have a drink, it's usually just one glass of wine at the end of the job. I can't play well and drink. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrokeys Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I'm with you on this one. Sodas or water on the gig and maybe, if it was rough on the voice, a brandy or something at the end the night. I just never could play, sing and drink all at the same time. Two out of three maybe but never tried that either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloodyMary Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 My band plays a show out of town next week. We're getting 5 free drinks, one for each band member. beyond that we're paying. Seems fair to me, since more than one drink might compromise one's ability to perform. Personally , I usually drink a 2-3 beers during the sound check & setup (that's 3 hours), and one after the show.Always beer only, though. Stronger drinks (incl. wine) will degrade my playing. Stage: MOX6, V-machine, and Roland AX7 Rolls PM351 for IEMs. Home/recording: Roland FP4, a few guitars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Is there anyone here who doesn't drink on a job? I think I might have less respect for my doctor if she drank on the job, but that's just me. I used to when I was younger but not anymore. On those very rare occasions where I might have a drink, it's usually just one glass of wine at the end of the job. I can't play well and drink. I don't drink on the job. Of course, that goes hand in hand with not drinking at all any more. Still - if you're getting paid, it's a job. You shouldn't be drinking when working... A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I actually never even think about opening a tab for "the band" - it's a group of individual musicians who are each responsible for themselves. I also don't drink on the job, or off. CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Iverson Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I can have one or two beers and play OK, if the music is simple. But I prefer to play sober. Of course, I mostly play churches, so drinking on the job might not be considered kosher.... I'm also not sure if I could play well if there were people setting off stink bombs, but so far that hasn't come up. I hesitate to mention it... don't want to give some of those kids any bad ideas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montunoman Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Yeah, I don't drink on gigs either. I'm not really against it but I know I don't play as well under the influence and it makes the tear down of equipment that much more of a drag... I've been doing some dou gigs with some differnt singers that drink and they all sound much worse as the night goes on. As far as the stink bombs, I would guess it was a random act of wierdness. Sorry to hear about that and I hope your next gig is better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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