It doesn't hurt to ask... in fact, sometimes it hurts more if you don't...

ric stave · #1 12-29-2010, 06:03 AM

People are dumb. Well, maybe just sometimes ignorant...

A few weeks ago, one of my bands got booked for a large local event... we were told "Sound supplied"

I've learned to ALWAYS ask exactly what "sound supplied" means...

THIS time, 'sound supplied' meant they had a DJ set up next to the stage, who had some powered cabs... we 'could plug into his system'... hmmmmmmm.........

So.... 'sound supplied' meant that "oh, we've hired a sound system, so we want you to give us your price for not having to bring your own or hiring one.... all you need to bring is mics, cables, stands, a mixer, a monitor system, and cables to plug into my awesome DJ mixer".

LOL!

BTW, this show was in the middle of the local Convention Center on the 'main stage'.

Where's that face-palm emoticon when you need it?

Lazylion · #2 12-29-2010, 06:05 AM

Ha ha, yes, it's good to get all the details clear ahead of time!

jazzbo58 · #3 12-29-2010, 09:57 AM

Wow! I just played one of these type of shows. The "PA" actually fried out about halfway through our set. The system just sounded horrible.

Cheers,
Jim

Ripley · #4 12-29-2010, 09:57 AM

"Sweet, that'll leave more room in the van for our Suck pedals!"

"Your whatnow?"

"Our Suck pedals. It's hard to get a nice, crappy sound out the average DJ set up, but I think we'll have it covered this time. How many pee breaks do we get?"

bassteban · #5 12-29-2010, 10:07 AM

It is amazing how completely ignorant of the technical side of things ~~many~~ most promoters are. How many of us are no longer surprised when we're allotted a space the size of a CD to stand/play in? Shoot, my band members often seem to think I am the size of a Barbie doll when it comes to divvying up stage real estate.

shadow_FIX · #6 12-31-2010, 07:43 AM

Yes ALWAYS ask about that!

My last band played a show last summer about 2 1/2 hours away from home, assuming there would be a PA (I didn't set up the gig, not my fault ultimately) but we get there and they have a board, and a decent speaker setup, but no mics, no cables, and nobody who knew anything about sound. They were actually really nervous when we asked to use the board after we called everyone we knew in town and located some mics and cables. Uhh, you have a system to sit there and look good and create the illusion that you have a venue, or what?

addylewis · #7 12-31-2010, 08:27 AM

This is ONE reason I like to take my good ol' Line 6 Pod...weather it acts as a GENUINE D.I. or not I can't remember - but so long as I get a decent sound I don't really care...I'm not paying if THEY'RE ill-equipped for a band and it all goes tits-up for them

Febs · #8 12-31-2010, 08:45 AM

This is why it's a good idea to have a contract/rider/stage plot showing exactly what your sound requirements are if the venue is providing sound.

nsmar4211 · #9 12-31-2010, 09:15 AM

"sound system provided".....for the dj maybe.......

Yep, always ask

PJSShearer · #10 12-31-2010, 09:43 AM

Rule one, no matter what you get told about what will and/or will not be supplied at the venue, trust me:

Always bring your full rig!!. (it can sit in the car if you don't need it)

Blaming the lousy sound system supplied will not cut any ice with the audience, the management or anyone else for that matter :-(.

rtslinger · #11 01-11-2011, 03:37 PM

We always travel with our sound system even if they say they have one or not. We were Burned! We asked and we were told something that was not true. Got to the gig and had to go back for our PA system and Keys Amp seems they only had a backline Drums, 2 guitar amps and a small bass amp (60 watts) and it was a big room. So now we trust nothing till we see it with our own two eyes!

Blah114 · #12 01-12-2011, 09:14 AM

I had a club, same thing.. tell me they had house sound.. I went there a week before the show and saw they had surround sound for the sporting events (TV).. that was "house sound" to them.. I still think to this day the manager was intentionally trying to have the band show up without sound.. was quite funny. I never argued or said a word. I have learned never to listen to managers/bartenders via phone.. I am sure we all have.

funkingroovin · #13 01-13-2011, 03:19 PM

Can't count how many times this type of crap has happened,which is why I always bring everything I could possibly need..except the time I forgot my guitar after loading the truck with "everything I could possibly need"..Doh!

rageatmachine14 · #14 01-13-2011, 03:29 PM

My band opened for a couple of other bands that were playing later that night, we were told the PA would be supplied and just bring our instruments, amp, and drum set. I luckily had a few mics and cables with me, no one else out of the 5 other bands playing had any mics....not to mention i had to run home before we went on to get a spare speaker cable since one of theres "was not long enough".....they didn't even know what type of cable ends they needed....

**Staccato** · #15 01-13-2011, 03:46 PM

There must be a couple of standard questions to ask over the phone that might get the guy on the other end looking like a deer in the headlights?

Something like, does the supplied 'sound system' have cables for a 3 people with guitars/basses, and also a keyboard player? And, what brand or type are the 5 microphones are supplied?

Vague answer = No Clue...

redwood · #16 01-14-2011, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ric stave

People are dumb. Well, maybe just sometimes ignorant...

A few weeks ago, one of my bands got booked for a large local event... we were told "Sound supplied"

I've learned to ALWAYS ask exactly what "sound supplied" means...

THIS time, 'sound supplied' meant they had a DJ set up next to the stage, who had some powered cabs... we 'could plug into his system'... hmmmmmmm.........

So.... 'sound supplied' meant that "oh, we've hired a sound system, so we want you to give us your price for not having to bring your own or hiring one.... all you need to bring is mics, cables, stands, a mixer, a monitor system, and cables to plug into my awesome DJ mixer".

LOL!

BTW, this show was in the middle of the local Convention Center on the 'main stage'.

Where's that face-palm emoticon when you need it?

That's what happens when you play disco.

ric stave · #17 01-14-2011, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redwood

That's what happens when you play disco.

LOL!

Yeah, I guess when it's a dance band, a DJ mixer is all you need!

bassbully · #18 01-14-2011, 07:21 AM

My band always asks and we are now asking more details on the system ,who runs it etc. If we dont get clear answer we bring our own in case and have just used our own over the house a few times just to make things go smooth for us.

One club said they had a great full house PA. This is a well known original music club in a major city north of us. We get there and nobody working knew anything about the board that had to be 30 years old. The mic cords were shot most had shorts and were missing connecting ends. One monitor of two worked and the mics themselves were covered in what looked like caked on vomit, beer, whatever and smelled like a wino's breath after he had been dead for a week..no thanks!

Richland123 · #19 01-14-2011, 12:20 PM

We always bring our gear just in case the "provided sound" is not really an adequate system or if something breaks to have back up. If we are doing a major event with a sound company, I usually know them or I call them. A D.J. system definitely won't cut it.

Lazylion · #20 01-14-2011, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbully

One club said they had a great full house PA. This is a well known original music club in a major city north of us. We get there and nobody working knew anything about the board that had to be 30 years old. The mic cords were shot most had shorts and were missing connecting ends. One monitor of two worked and the mics themselves were covered in what looked like caked on vomit, beer, whatever and smelled like a wino's breath after he had been dead for a week..no thanks!

And then the "sound man" comes in 5 minutes before start time and says "Yeah, I been meaning to fix that stuff... but I just got out of jail an hour ago..."