Have you ever played a room with such bad acoustics that you didn't want the gig?

[BartmanPDX]

For the last few years, we've played for some club owners who have been very good to us. They've always hired us for a regular, two-night gig. Before it burned down late last year, their old club was our best booking.

But the new club they have is an terrible place, acoustically speaking. It's one large room on the corner of a city block. Two sides are the plate glass windows. The other two sides are concrete and the floor is tile. The ceilings are very high (20') and featureless. The decor is modern and sparse so there's not much of anything in the room to break up sound. Last night when I walked in there, just the noise of the conversation from the dozen or so people in the room made it hard to hear even before any music was playing.

They've booked us for the rest of the year but I really don't want to play there again. I hate giving up a regular two-night gig but I just don't feel like there's any way we can really sound good in that room (we've talked to the owners of the place about putting in some kind of decoration or doing something to improve the sound and they are not interested). If we can't sound good, I'd almost rather not do the gig.

So has anyone else here played a room so bad (acoustically) that you didn't want to play there again?

[HolmeBass]

Originally Posted by BartmanPDX

For the last few years, we've played for some club owners who have been very good to us. They've always hired us for a regular, two-night gig. Before it burned down late last year, their old club was our best booking.

But the new club they have is an terrible place, acoustically speaking. It's one large room on the corner of a city block. Two sides are the plate glass windows. The other two sides are concrete and the floor is tile. The ceilings are very high (20') and featureless. The decor is modern and sparse so there's not much of anything in the room to break up sound. Last night when I walked in there, just the noise of the conversation from the dozen or so people in the room made it hard to hear even before any music was playing.

They've booked us for the rest of the year but I really don't want to play there again. I hate giving up a regular two-night gig but I just don't feel like there's any way we can really sound good in that room (we've talked to the owners of the place about putting in some kind of decoration or doing something to improve the sound and they are not interested). If we can't sound good, I'd almost rather not do the gig.

So has anyone else here played a room so bad (acoustically) that you didn't want to play there again?

Absolutely. Rooms of all concrete, glass, and tile are just impossible to play. As you noted, the conversation of the patrons in a room like that sets the noise floor too high to do anything constructive. Just getting loud enough to compete with the crowd is likely to make it intolerable- of course they just start talking/yelling louder and louder. Just frustration, unless you can pack the room full with a standing crowd and really pump some volume, it won't sound good.

Another killer: lame load-ins. Who wants to schlep everything up a long flight of stairs, and then load out that way at the end of the night? (Especially when you know the venue has a freight elevator.) Unless the pay is higher to compensate for the lameness, eventually I feel it's better to just pass on gigs like that. And by "better to compensate" I mean 100% more than a gig that's easy to do- we don't get paid all that much anyway, so if it's an endless hassle then it really does take a significant amount more to compensate for it. Another $20 a man isn't going to cover it. Another $50 probably will. All IMHO of course.

[echoSE7EN]

The Grog and Tankard in Georgetown/D.C. It's basically a brick lined shoebox, w/ wood floors and a low ceiling. It was awful.

[prd004]

J.R. Phinicky's in Monroe, WA. Another decent Joint with nice owners and a courteous staff, but the stage area is surrounded by three walls of galvinized steel, floor to ceiling. The sound is so bad there it's almost impossible to play! Its a gigantic steel echo chamber, perhaps the worst stage acoustics I've ever encountered.

Hayley's in Everett. Notoriuous for ripping off bands anyways, but there is no parking. You have to load in the alley, down a narrow flight of stairs, through TWO doorways with automatic door closers on them and up a few stairs to get to the staging area. Then you have to find a place to park, two blocks away and then repeat the whole process for loadout. It blows!!!!!!!!!

[BartmanPDX]

The single worst room I ever played in was basically a concrete cube. I was just sitting in on two songs (it was before I replaced their departing bass player), but it was an absolute freaking misery. To top it off, there was one of those strength/punching bag game machines in the room, and every so often, at unpredictable times, the entire room would thunder with the crack of someone hitting it as hard as they could. It made you jump like a gunshot had gone off, right in the middle of a song.

I couldn't even bear to listen to the rest of the band's set. They never played there again.

And yes, lame load in/out situations really stink. That's one of the reasons I hate giving up this gig -- it's a really easy load in, and as a two-night gig we only have to set up and break down once for the weekend.

But I was hating the sound last night. Found myself wishing I was just sitting at home.

[Zooberwerx]

Let it be a challenge. Honestly, I've played some venues where the slap-back is so bad it's like competing with a copycat band at the other end of the hall.

Riis

[pasta4lnch]

played an indoor race track once that was basically curved glass . . . nightmare!

[bass_lord_mutha]

Yeah, I played an acoustic gig with my guitar player last night, playing my upright in a Mexican restaurant, and the room we were in was probably 30'x30'x30' with stone floors and pillars and stucco walls and it was so boomy I probably could've gotten away without having to play through my amp. I essentially just used my amp to dial in some good highs and mids and add no bass. Sounded alright, but man I hate playing places like that.

[TimmyP]

I mix at such a place on a regular basis. I hate it, but someone has to do it. (I sure hope it's earning me some good Karma.)

[staindbass]

wow, that must sound horrid ! i wouldent blame you. just the 2 walls of windows alone would be painful lol. johnny a staind

[Matthijs]

I've done several gigs in medieval churches. Those are built for maximal echo's and are absolutely the worst. You can hear yourself and every one else in the band 4 times over. It's like the whole band is on a digital delay.

[pasta4lnch]

I'll add all giant spaces are not the same - just did a gig a week ago in this HUGE room that was pretty empty (unfortunately both furniture AND people ) but oddly it was an incredible experience. I heard every everything crystal clear. was one of the best sounding places I ever played . . .

[heavyfunkmachin]

Well, here's some creative thinking:

Change you music to fit the venue!

Long reverbs? bouncing sounds? no problem... Just go post-rock!!



really, play with what you have, groups like the velvet underground were famous for getting their sound even in the worst places... you might have to let go "tightness" but you might win something in the trade...

I'm with 3 bands right now, and one of them (very experimental, very much instrumental) has this kind of sound, we can play ANYWERE and sound good (or at least as good as we can... )

[RustyAxe]

Yes. A local cafe is in a log cabin style building, all knotty pine interior (walls, floors and ceiling). High cathedral ceiling, with a loft area in the back. Tiny corner stage. Everything sounds like crap in there.

[Doctor Dirt]

Set up in a semi-circle (U-shape) keep the amps on the floor and no angles up. Instead of flying your mains on poles or stands put them at chair level height. Don't mic up gear, play dry. Go to the gig with the frame of mind that its a paid rehearsal, try to limit volumes and start using extreme dynamics to help control the rooms dynamics. People (bodies) are the best sound proofing but if their not there to assist a lower volume with get you by. The only problem with a softer approach is that mistakes or poor tones will stand out very noticably hahahaha!!! so the mind set of a paid rehearsal is a good thing. Take a negative and turn it into a positive.
Theres inexpensive solutions or helpfull ways to attack a crap room.
Behind the band is very important with if its not possible then the semi-circle will help. Owners who are not open minded to acoustic tyles or barriers might be swayed with a colorfull parachute draping down from the ceiling!!!! Sounds pretty radical but I've used it before and the look is actually attractive and works as a sound proofing.
Ofcourse clients telling them how great the band sounded in the old room compared to the terrible NEW room might help push them to talk with you and a sound proofing salesman who will have a ton of suggestions. Make it work! Show them you care and appreciate the gig. Doc

[MrTAteMyBalls]

yep, there is a local venue that I refuse to play. Played it a few times, terrible sound each time. They have lined the walls and ceiling around and behind the stage with acoustic foam. It doesn't matter what you have in your monitors, you can't hear ANYTHING. Standing right by the drumset and i still cant hear it. Mains are way underpowered and always tinny with little to no bass content. It's a big sized club, but I can't think of any reason to ever play there.

[pasta4lnch]

great stories - I also did a show at this odd club where the stage was in an old oven i.e. a semi circular brick alcove. horrible sound . . .


circular surfaces are the worst. sound seems, not only to sustain, but to gain steam. anyone ever been to the Christian Science globe in Boston? Giant spherical room - we could be on opposite sides and whisper and it'll feel like I was right up against your ear. . .

[BartmanPDX]

Thanks for all the responses!

We played an outdoor fundraiser gig yesterday at a golf course under heavy cloud and even some light mist (aka "Oregon sunshine") and I was reminded why I like gigging so much. It was fantastic to have great sound again after the cacophony of the previous nights' gigs.

[MNAirHead]

I was hired by a venue to manage the sound sytem... biggest reason was that I committed that "there has to be a way"

I took me about 6 months of trial and thinking.. I now have it dialed in.. it's on autopilot -- including the direct deposit check.


-------

I'd keep it...

Then figure out how to run better sound... this may include non traditional things like ONLY running vocals through the mains.. pushing them up in the air... then everyone else turn down.

-----

I play a horrid room... we moved to IEM for this one.. we do our best.. hvae repeat bookings.

IEM would be my first step (even hard wired)

[Kaleidescapist]

I played a gig on an ice-skating rink once. Not AT the rink, ON the rink. They put my entire orchestra right in there with the skaters, nothing but folding chairs between us and the ice. That was my worst gig ever in so many ways, but the acoustics were even worse than our frozen fingers and the impossibility of keeping the brass instruments in tune when it was so cold.

I've also played a gig or two in venues with such good acoustics that I would play there again for free, just for the privilege of hearing myself sound that nice.