Amp borrowing update

[LLroomtempJ]

I got to the show and as things would turn out, the guys from my school's AV department ("professional" sound guys) planned on selecting the best equipment and making it house equipment so that the night would flow smoothly.

 

There was an old peavey bass amp there when we got there. So i decided my amp would be mine and the peavey 15" would be house.

 

The peavey was not meant for a venue that large...it was incapable of cutting through and the house speakers weren't too good either. So bass for the night wasn't too clear, but it was good enough.

 

After our soundcheck...some guy plugged himself into my amp and automatically turned all the volumes up to 90%. I was happy that i stopped him before he played a single note.

 

There was a band there from a another fraternity with this really pretentious guitarist. I mean.....we always make fun of them on the forum...but i didn't know that they really existed. During his solo, after he did his whole tapping thing, he then proceeded to throw his guitar behind his neck to continue his jack black-school of rock style face melting guitar solo. My band shared a good laugh both during their sound check as well as during their set.

 

jason

 

P.S. the sound guys sucked. They turned our guitarist down before his solo. They did so b/c he turned himself up before his solo. They keyboardists' volume fluctuated throughout the song. But cosmic girl by jamiroqui is rhythm section heavy so the drummer and i held things tight despite the short comings of the sound guys.

[getz out]

Originally posted by Gospel StreisandInConcert string:

[QB]P.S. the sound guys sucked. They turned our guitarist down before his solo. They did so b/c he turned himself up before his solo.[QB]

Sucked? Sounds like they did their job.

[g.]

When you are on stage you won't really have a clue about how good the sound guys are, usually, with FOH. Other than the monitor mix(es), which you are almost sure to be predijuced about anyway ; }

 

Inexperienced bands are often a pain in the ass to get right with volume fluctations, poor entrances and cues for solos, etc. Couldn't believe this bluegrass band I worked with a couple years ago. Everybody was over thirty but acted like they'd never been to a place that had electricity before. It was impossible to support them with a PA. They weren't on-mic most of the time, their instruments fed back at the drop of a hat - or were played with such varying dynamics that you had to ride gain on like 5 people at the same time... it was HELL.

 

Getting your own PA and running it for awhile (and STUDYING what SR is all about) is a real good experience for a band, in that it prepares them for what will follow.

[moot]

I'm glad to hear your rig didn't get fried anyway. Sounds like it was a close one though!

 

I have a close friend who is a DJ/Soundman and he's pretty good. When we do a larger venue or festival we often take him along - for an equal cut of course. He knows our stuff and it takes the worry away. Not to mention we don't have to haul our PA. Even at local clubs he'll happen by and tweak our board for us. Great guy.

 

I was being courted by this 6 piece R&B band one time and went to see them play a couple clubs. I've always wanted to play R&B but it was obvious from the git that there was a big-time volume war on stage. Now, I'm all for having guitars in the main mix. I think a smattering is crucial but in this case the guitars (2) kept getting louder and louder until they were drowning out vocals and keys. Next thing you know, the keyboardist is fiddling with his amp and by the first break there are no vocals, no dynamics and the sound has turned to mud. During the break I watched the guitarists and keyboard player gather around the board and bicker about volumes. I told the singer what I thought but it was obvious that she had little influence.

BTW, the bass player was not involved, even before the break. Nice guy but pretty much just adequate. Too stoned to care I think.

Anyway, they sounded like crud even though they have a load of talent. The second time I showed up at about midnight. It was the same - lotsa guitar and very little else. The singer called a couple days later and I told her I thought the guitarists were rediculous and told her I wanted to bring a sound man with me as a 7th member. They decided against it and I decided not to join.

All that to say, sound is everything. The line between a good mix and crud is thin enough without bulging egos thrown into the mix. Not to mention, the older I get the less I want to mess with stuff other than my rig. A good soundman is worth his wieght and I never mind giving up a cut for him.

[LLroomtempJ]

OH!!! That thing that people say about one gig being an audition for the next is really true.

 

This dude from my school who was on american idol has a band but a steady bass player he does not.

 

He knew that i played bass but he also knew that i was relatively new to the instrument so he never asked me. But after seeing me playing he wants me to be a regular for him.

 

If i have time outside of my church worship team rehearsal and school work i'll def hop on.

 

If any of you guys are wondering what guy from MIT was on american idol...he's an asian guy named Chris Vu. To look at him, the last thing that you would expect to come out of him would be a voice like as rich as his, but he gladly breaks down stereotypes every time he opens his mouth. He does a few original tunes and some covers (including this one funky cover of a stevie song that whose name escapes me)

 

jason atkins

[g.]

Here's hoping you have some fun with this one, Gospel 5string!