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05-30-2010, 10:48 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Madison WI | | | Playing a Gig in the Rain
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we're playing a week from today at a huge outdoor festival. i've played this stage before which is basically an open trailerbed without any walls, just some overhead coverage. This is a rain or shine event and the weather calls for Thundershowers.
what should i do to prepare my gear for such an event? i assume no one wants to be out there anyway so i'd hope they'd cancel but i guess not if it's rain or shine
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Fender-DOD-Mesa-Fearful
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05-30-2010, 10:51 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Madison WI | | |
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Fender-DOD-Mesa-Fearful
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05-30-2010, 10:59 PM
| | | | DI box to the house, wireless for your bass, and bring your least nice, least collectible/valuable bass. |
05-30-2010, 11:02 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: O'Fallon, IL | | | Those awnings won't protect you or your equipment from lightning. If there are thunderstorms in the area while you're playing, stop immediately, turn off your power supplies, unplug your amps, etc. Personally, I'd get off the stage. I'd rather get wet than be more elevated and more exposed on stage. |
05-30-2010, 11:06 PM
|  | Hip No Ties | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: New York, NY | | Call me a pansy, but no way will I ever play in the rain. Period.
If the venue can't provide a safe, dry performance area in which I can be assured that my gear and I will be protected from the elements, then I won't do it. This is non-negotiable... 
MM
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Truly knowledge is power. And knowledge of spiritual things is spiritual power.
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05-30-2010, 11:24 PM
| | Registered User
Endorsing: Ampeg | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Apopka, FL | | Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticMichael  Call me a pansy, but no way will I ever play in the rain. Period.
If the venue can't provide a safe, dry performance area in which I can be assured that my gear and I will be protected from the elements, then I won't do it. This is non-negotiable...
MM | i've done it, pansy  bring your cheapest and smallest rig, and use either a wireless or an active bass that doesn't have the strings and bridge grounded to the electronics. and if there's lightning, shut down immediately until it passes.
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05-31-2010, 07:59 AM
|  | Keepin' the Groove Alive ! | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Stax 1966 | | Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyM i've done it, pansy bring your cheapest and smallest rig, and use either a wireless or an active bass that doesn't have the strings and bridge grounded to the electronics. and if there's lightning, shut down immediately until it passes. | +1, and I used to bring a jumbo plastic garbage bag that I could immediately cover my rig with to keep it dry.
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05-31-2010, 08:04 AM
|  | Making short stories long since 1977©. | | Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Loxahatchee, Fl | | | Wireless, clear bags for pedals, large bags to cover your rig, something to weigh the bottom down to keep the wind from blowing up the bag or water, and a your cheap bass. You can still run DI or mics under the bags.
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05-31-2010, 08:08 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Detroitish | | | How many people will you be playing to if it rains? I'd just DI it. |
05-31-2010, 06:36 PM
|  | Fingers, pick, and a little bit of slap | | Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Terrapin country (Crofton, MD) | | Quote:
Originally Posted by jnewmark +1, and I used to bring a jumbo plastic garbage bag that I could immediately cover my rig with to keep it dry. | That's what I did when I played an outdoor gig with threat of rain. I wound up using those bags! |
05-31-2010, 07:06 PM
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If my equipment, or myself is getting wet, I stop.
I've played gigs where I've covered my rig with a plastic bag.
But, If I'm getting poured on, I stop. TJM. |
05-31-2010, 07:13 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Virginia | | Rain makes the amps and basses sound better. Bring the Trace Elliot stack and your custom Ken Smith. If lighting starts, hold the bass high over your head and run for the tallest tree. 
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What we know as modern music is the noise made by deluded speculators picking through the slagpile.--Henry Pleasants
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05-31-2010, 07:16 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Detroit area, Troy, MI | | | As long as it's not raining too hard....
Randy
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Last edited by steveksux : 10-24-2010 at 05:03 PM.
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05-31-2010, 08:09 PM
| | Fingers, pick, and a little bit of slap | | Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Terrapin country (Crofton, MD) | | Just remembered I had some pix from one rainy gig. The rain was steady for awhile, but there wasn't much wind.
PA covered, mostly 
Volunteer road crew helping to get the drums away from a gap between the tarp and the back fence 
Stupid rain... 
So, there's my stuff. My bass cases were already sitting in a trash bag (far right) to protect them from wet pavement. The rain delay went on for awhile, so I wound up putting my rack lids on, my basses in their cases, and I covered the cases with a trash bag on top. A pedalboard and a couple of guitars (including the acoustic) got a little wet, but when the sun came out we finished the gig, no probs  |
05-31-2010, 08:10 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Olivette, Missouri | | | Don't
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bjazzman we're playing a week from today at a huge outdoor festival. i've played this stage before which is basically an open trailerbed without any walls, just some overhead coverage. This is a rain or shine event and the weather calls for Thundershowers.
what should i do to prepare my gear for such an event? i assume no one wants to be out there anyway so i'd hope they'd cancel but i guess not if it's rain or shine | Bjazzman,
I once played a wedding inside a tent during a torrential downpour in St. Louis. The next day the neck on my DB detached from the body. Not fun.
Ric |
05-31-2010, 08:17 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Madison WI | | | thanks for all the help guys! i keep checking the weather for sunday. that's a long way off still and it's changed from T-storms to Few showers so i wont freak out til sunday. But i will definitely bring a tarp. Really want to rock my rig but depending on the downpour might just use their DI. Last year when we played this very event, my Mesa Carbine decided to crap out and i just used the DI anyway. It actually wasn't bad and i could hear the bass and all but it's nothing like having my rig there
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Fender-DOD-Mesa-Fearful
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05-31-2010, 08:18 PM
|  | The Funkfather
Endorsing Artist: Kohlman Bassworks | | Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Hampton Roads, Virginia | | | Rain or shine using my amp and cabs? No sir! No way I'm using MY equipment in the rain! Either they have backline or I DI into a supplied PA. |
05-31-2010, 09:13 PM
| | Hip No Ties | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: New York, NY | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuzzbass A pedalboard and a couple of guitars (including the acoustic) got a little wet... | Quote:
Originally Posted by Ric Vice I once played a wedding inside a tent during a torrential downpour in St. Louis. The next day the neck on my DB detached from the body. | Quote:
Originally Posted by DWBass Rain or shine using my amp and cabs? No sir! No way I'm using MY equipment in the rain! Either they have backline or I DI into a supplied PA. | My point precisely...
Maybe I'm missing something here, but the risk/reward ratio just doesn't seem to compute. Considering the thousands of dollars of pro gear, most of which is highly vulnerable to moisture, the high probability of exposing said equipment to this moisture, and the very substantial damages potentially involved should this occur, it's hard to see what kind of reward would justify this degree of risk.
Given the circumstances, it doesn't seem unreasonable to ask the venue management to provide a safe, dry environment in which performers can in fact perform - without risking damage to their gear - or potential injury to themselves personally. 
Is that really too much to ask?
MM
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Truly knowledge is power. And knowledge of spiritual things is spiritual power.
Last edited by MysticMichael : 05-31-2010 at 09:15 PM.
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06-01-2010, 12:55 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2006 Location: austin,tx | | | On any outdoor gig I carry a backpack with enough tarps/big trashbags to cover up/wrap over anything that may get damaged.
Good cords can get wet along the length of the cords and be just fine, you need to keep the connections at either end dry.
Direct contact with electricity is never fun, make a judgement call. |
06-01-2010, 01:08 AM
|  | Total Hyper-Elite Member | | Join Date: May 2000 Location: Groom Lake, NV | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Bjazzman we're playing a week from today at a huge outdoor festival. i've played this stage before which is basically an open trailerbed without any walls, just some overhead coverage. This is a rain or shine event and the weather calls for Thundershowers.
what should i do to prepare my gear for such an event? i assume no one wants to be out there anyway so i'd hope they'd cancel but i guess not if it's rain or shine | Bring plenty of large plastic trash bags.
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