getting ready on stage...

BoognishMang · #1 06-22-2002, 06:48 AM

Last night I went with my g/f to see some bands.
For the most of it, all the bands were really good.

What was annoying was how long one of the bands, especially the bass player, took to set up. And they weren't the headliners.
I've seen the bass player before in another band, and my reaction was "oh...here we go again with this person".
I swear the bass player took 35 minutes setting up. 35 minutes to plug in the amp to the cab, and the bass into the amp, then tune...

Then came the sound check...

Apparently, they had gone from the effects loop or something to the cab, and no sound was coming out. I, and others, were getting frustrated. The bassist was standing on stage looking like a sad kid that dropped their ice cream.
So i ended up going on stage and helping out.
The amp was connected wrong up to the cab.

After fixing the solution, i got an applause from the audience.

Guess some people don't know their gear.

JoelEoM · #2 06-22-2002, 08:05 AM

eh, that would be annoying. ive seen plenty of guitarists do that before. maybe he picked the wrong instrument....i played in a 9 piece for 3 or 4 years, vocalist, 2 guitars, bass(me), drums, and 4 horns, and our setup/tear down times combined never exceeded 15 minutes. i just went to a show last sunday, and the one band tooke forever to set up. by the time they actually did get set up and start playing, i wasnt in the mood to even listen to see if they were good. long setup times look highly unprofessional and generally create audiences who wont ever like you. first impressions. one other thing is bands that like to talk between songs. people are there to see you play, not talk in between. the last band that played(coheed and cambria, go see them if you ever get a chance, you wont be disappointed, even if you dont like the music) said probably 3 sentences total their entire set. very professional. ok, rant over

BoognishMang · #3 06-22-2002, 08:14 AM

The Queers is a "no talk show".
they played something like 14 songs without even a break between songs!!!! Introduced the band then played like 12 more.

My g/f made the comment of her hardly seeing me tune my bass or geetar. I keep my bass in the case if i'm not playing it at all times. I've tuned my bass at home, then got to the gig, and was still intune after sitting on the stage for 15 minutes and then playing like 6 songs. anyways....

I frequent this club, so now I'll be know as the dude that fixed that other dudes rig...

JoelEoM · #4 06-22-2002, 10:04 AM

ah, props to you. now people will be coming up to you and asking if you want to be in their band. haha

LiquidMidnight · #5 06-22-2002, 12:35 PM

I know so many people who don't know how to use their gear properly. It jacks me off cause they usually have great basses/guitars/amps/PAs ect. but they sound like crap cause they don't know how to use that thing with the sliders and the knobs. I swear they just plug in their instruments and play.

I remember I was playing a benefit with a couple other bands once. Each band was going to have about an hour set. The only thing you had to bring was any effects, your guitars and the drummer was suppose to bring his own cymbols. Well, the band before us took 45 minutes to set up. Granted they did have a keyboardist, so that took some time, but my God, most bands who have a keyboardist plus have to set up their own amps, drums and Pa don't take that long to setup. Plus, their set lasted an hour and half. To top that off, they left after their set. (I highly doubt they had a gig anywhere else that night, for it was to late in the night to start another gig) They were a killer band, but still, I thought all of that was kind of rude.

pereek · #6 06-22-2002, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LiquidMidnight
I know so many people who don't know how to use their gear properly. It jacks me off cause they usually have great basses/guitars/amps/PAs ect. but they sound like crap cause they don't know how to use that thing with the sliders and the knobs. I swear they just plug in their instruments and play.

summed it up perfectly. We suported this band for our first gig. At this time i was using their bassist amp and my bass. We got up and played. Easy.
Bith guitarist and bassist of the suport band came on with these nice new guitars. The bassist was so dump he was trying to plug his lead in P-bass style when it was around the side. Dumb. Well they write their own songs and they are good, just would be tens times better with better tone etc.

sobie18 · #7 06-23-2002, 10:41 PM

Man, I hear ALL of ya's.........Ya gotta know your gear. Bottom line.

Bollocks to them!!! Then the next band has to suffer due to some folks who can't plug send/return amp-to-cab connections. Carry spare odds and ends and KNOW YOUR GEAR. Be good....

BigBohn · #8 06-26-2002, 07:08 AM

Umm...Did you all just hear what I heard from LiquidMidnight's last post?

Mindwolf · #9 06-26-2002, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JoelEoM
... one other thing is bands that like to talk between songs. people are there to see you play, not talk in between. the last band that played(coheed and cambria, go see them if you ever get a chance, you wont be disappointed, even if you dont like the music) said probably 3 sentences total their entire set. very professional. ok, rant over

I have to disagree with you on that. If a band just sits there and plays, well, alright, you know your music, but you don't know how to get the audience with you. Johnny Socko is the best band I have ever seen live, and they have a PERFECT stage show. Goofy, irreverent, and kick-ass music. By the end of the night, they are sweating harder than the audience, and are still having fun. THAT'S a band I like to see.

Brendan · #10 06-26-2002, 10:01 PM

I hate when bands take so long to set up. My band prides itself in taking 10 minutes or less to set up, tune up, and start. It's stacking up the amps and cabs, dropping the PA into place, tune, quick level check, and BAM kick the show off.

Jordan Luff · #11 06-30-2002, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BigBohn
Umm...Did you all just hear what I heard from LiquidMidnight's last post?

Yeah, I noticed that too, but wasn't going to say anything...you see, I was trying to be mature....damn that failed.

LiquidMidnight · #12 07-02-2002, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BigBohn
Umm...Did you all just hear what I heard from LiquidMidnight's last post?

You must be the one with the dirty mind though, if you picked up on that.

**Hategear** · #13 07-02-2002, 03:16 PM

We used to arrive at our gig several hours before the advertised start time and ended up doing our final sound check anywhere from half-an-hour to and hour before our scheduled start time. It's very unprofessional to be "working out the kinks" ten minutes before you're supposed to start playing.

As far as talking in between songs -- I don't mind it, as long as it's not too often and if it relates to what you're doing (I do hate it when a band announces every single song before playing it -- especially if it's a cover band).

BigBohn · #14 07-03-2002, 05:26 PM

lol, sorry guys, I couldn't resist it. It was just so vulnerable and out in the open for like 2 posts, I had to pounce on it.