Ugh.

[Mo Jiggity]

I am a guitard in a post-hardcore band... we're all around 19 years of age, and the signer and I go to the same college. We got drafted to play a benefit show at a nearby bar, and because we hadn't practiced in months since going off to school I was a bit apprehensive about our set and I started getting the whole "pre-stage fright" kinda thing. I managed to ward this off by telling myself that this show would be great because I wouldn't have to cover anybody's ass and worry about bad sound (how wrong I was) - something I had to do for the majority of our shows over the summer where our promoter guy's soundman would decide to randomly not show up, leaving me to deal with people who don't know jack about PA equipment AND play two sets a night in different bands.

Either way, after we sneak a quick low-volume set practice in we pack up and get to the venue 30 minutes before we have to play (we're first). I go to the corner where we are supposed to be setting up, and I spot two 12" monitor wedges and a black box the size of a VCR. My buddy's girlfriend is running the thing, and I ask her where the sound equipment is, and she tells me that it's all on stage. I look at the box - it's a 4-channel, 150 watt mixer. Becoming increasingly alarmed, I ask to see the soundman, only to find out that one of the acts decided to donate the PA for use that night. I asked him where the mains were, and he said that those WERE the mains... "We're just acoustic; we don't need anything bigger." When the organizers asked if they had a PA for everyone to use they obliged, clearly not having the foresight to realize that not everyone has such conservative volume requirements and that they, heaven forbid, might have a DRUMMER to overcome.

Being the frenetic jerk that I am I pretty much instantly go into "get-s#!*-done" mode and make a call to my buddy, who has a pair of QSC K12 1000-watt mains. In a frenzy I ask the organizers to put the acoustic act on, then I swing by his place and grab all his equipment. We start hauling it in while they're playing a set of covers (the first of TWO sets of theirs... they didn't want to "open" so they played covers initially and then played their own set later), and a bar patron tells me that "[i] picked the wrong time to bring that stuff in."

We take 30 minutes to set up the entire PA, our drummer's kit, my rig, etc, and finally get underway, after the crowd becomes a bit restless. I start teching sound for a few of the remaining bands, and my friend/owner of the PA shows up to take over on this count. Long story short he kept trying to leave, but every band after us wanted/needed a PA, and he ended up having to stay for TWO HOURS past the projected end of the event because every band played longer than their alloted set of 30 minutes with the exception of us and maybe one or two others. I then come to find out from my bass player that the acoustic duo who provided the original "PA" (if you can even call it that) was smack-talking me and my band, saying things like "Why does he need a big PA? Why did they even book a f*&#*ing screamo band anyway?!" And on top of this the bar refused to comp any of us any drinks, even sodas.

At the end of the night I then found a rather massive road case shoved in a corner with two monitors next to it... apparently the bar had a house system that they simply didn't bother to set up.

The upshot of the night, however, was that we did end up playing an extremely tight set, despite me being a sweaty wreck and my bassist being high on percosets from his wisdom teeth coming out (not to mention the other awesome acts that we played with).

I guess the point of this rant is that I find it appalling how my buddy and I essentially saved the entire night, got no compensation, and indeed actually got highly inconvenienced and insulted for our troubles. Life is so unfair... but at least I got to play guitar!

[Gearhead17]

I like the get s*** done attitude! Definitely must have learned that from a bassist . Sounds like a really unorganized event, can't believe you even got through it.

""I guess the point of this rant is that I find it appalling how my buddy and I essentially saved the entire night, got no compensation, and indeed actually got highly inconvenienced and insulted for our troubles. Life is so unfair... but at least I got to play guitar!""

+100

[godofthunder59]

A couple of years ago we did a outdoor gig. Nice covered stage facing out to natural ampitheater. Long story short the sound company never shows up. We canibalised my bass rig to put together a PA. They promoters were greatfull but the sound was terrible, we have since been book many times by these folks. My rig at the time.

[Winnb]

Welcome to every gig you will ever play. Nah I'm just kidding. Some will be much worse.

[Mo Jiggity]

Originally Posted by Gearhead17

I like the get s*** done attitude! Definitely must have learned that from a bassist . Sounds like a really unorganized event, can't believe you even got through it.

""I guess the point of this rant is that I find it appalling how my buddy and I essentially saved the entire night, got no compensation, and indeed actually got highly inconvenienced and insulted for our troubles. Life is so unfair... but at least I got to play guitar!""

+100

Haha, I want to find a band to play bass in because I have a six-banger and I've been playing it a whole lot. Some days I have guitar days, and some days I have bass days... bass is a lot more fun in some ways, because you can just lean back on the groove of the song and lock in with the drummer. Bass also has made my rhythm a LOT better since I started practicing it seriously a month and a half or so ago.

But yeah, the event was pretty well put-together with the exception of the whole PA fiasco and the fact that nobody bothered to tell people when to stop, but I place blame for both of these things mostly on the selfish toolbags who didn't bother to check out the other acts before saying they had a usable sound system.


As for the cobbled together bass/PA rig, I was going to have to do that if I couldn't get a PA. My rig is a guitar/bass processor into a power-amp into a single Yamaha 12" main speaker, and I was going to just run my singer through it in addition to my guitar and hope for the best.

[BryanC]

Originally Posted by Mo Jiggity

I am a guitard in a post-hardcore band...

No you are not. No guitard would have been able to pull that together.

With respect, you are a guitarist, sir.

[ric stave]

I'm not really sure WHY you needed so much more PA power when you OBVIOUSLY are a band that plays to deaf audiences.......

Originally Posted by Mo Jiggity

I am a guitard in a post-hardcore band... we're all around 19 years of age, and the signer and I go to the same college.

[pie_man_25]

you really don't need the PA, just yell louder!

no just kidding, you did yourself and your band, and the whole SHOW a solid, and they all owe you a good brew. emphasis on GOOd, none of that bud-lite w/ lime crap.

[Mo Jiggity]

Originally Posted by ric stave

I'm not really sure WHY you needed so much more PA power when you OBVIOUSLY are a band that plays to deaf audiences.......

You heard right... instead of playing deathcore we play deafcore.

/lamepun... Also we actually play "post-hardcore," not screamo or deathcore xD.

And thanks for the kind words. My maturity certainly wasn't visible that night since I was pretty fuming at the acoustic jerkoffs once I heard about their little name-calling session.

[NOAH_FX]

Originally Posted by Mo Jiggity

You heard right... instead of playing deathcore we play deafcore.

/lamepun... Also we actually play "post-hardcore," not screamo or deathcore xD.

And thanks for the kind words. My maturity certainly wasn't visible that night since I was pretty fuming at the acoustic jerkoffs once I heard about their little name-calling session.

Being pissed off about people being Jerk's is a little different from being immature :P, you didn't take a swing right? Better than me at 19!!!! Good on yeah man, way to man up and help the night go along smoothly.