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5 piece band + extremely small stage

spectorbass83

spectorbass83

Jun 6, 2005
1,594
50
canada
#1
In a couple of weeks my band will be playing at a strip club :D
Which happens to have an extremely small stage. We've played there several times before as a 4 piece, but have since added a 5th band member. It was hard enough with 4 people, but we got by.

On stage we will have -
2 PA speakers+ stands
1 Sub
2 monitors
Mixer+2 power amps
Two 1/2 stacks
2x12 Bass cab+head
3 mics+stands
3 guitars
2 pedal boards
Full drum set
5 people

I am trying to find a way to get the most space.
So far we've decided that my bass rig will go beside the drum kit, and I will stand right by the drummer's hi-hat. My drummer is suggesting putting my bass rig on top of the subwoofer.
Then we'll have a guitar player on each side of the stage and the singer in the middle...
I've suggested not bringing 1/2 stacks and instead bringing smaller amps and micing them, or have the guitars go direct. The band wouldn't go for it.

I've also suggested NOT renting a sub, but the drummer insists we need one for the kick. He's right, but man! We have no room!

Just to give you an idea, the stage is approximately 12' long and 9' deep. The capacity of this venue is approximately 120.

Suggestions?
 
#2
Sub and mains in front of stage, not on it.
Mixer on top of bass rig if you are mixing from stage.
Lose the floor tom.
If there is only one singer, use the second monitor kind of as a side fill to spray the across the back so the drummer gets one and it isn't on the floor out front where pedal board space is premium.
 
#8
SteveC said:
Yeah, dope slap the rest of the band. 120 person venue, limited space and the guitars still want their half stacks? Come on. We play venues that size all the time with no sub, 2-way 15's and a powered board - no problem.
Click to expand...

+1 million
 
#9
SteveC said:
Yeah, dope slap the rest of the band. 120 person venue, limited space and the guitars still want their half stacks? Come on. We play venues that size all the time with no sub, 2-way 15's and a powered board - no problem.
Click to expand...


+1

The other thing - get the bass rig over in the floor tom side of the kit and blow across him, maybe 45 degree angle towards the front. That was you can get as far as possible from your cab and might be able to hear something... It's a PITA but - from a monitoring perspective, the help outweighs the pain for me.
 
#10
you could also consider just taking a preamp/DI and putting the Bass through FOH and monitors...how many monitor mixes do you have? maybe you and the drummer could share a mix, and use ears (i really don't like in-ears, but for this type situation, they may work)...just a thought...
 
#11
Yep, sub on stage is almost a recipie for bad sound, let alone your space issues. To try and reach a compromise with your drummer hire a compressor instead of a sub. Turn on the high pass filter on the kick channel (maybe don't tell him you're doing that!) add a good bit of low end eq and gate/compress the jeebus out of it. With a bit of luck you'll get just enuff out front (or at least you'll avoid the sub issues;)). You've got a situation where compromises have to be made by everyone for the overall benefit of the band.
 
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#12
First question: How do you get 5 people in the band if you have 2 guitar players on each side, plus a drummer and a lead singer. =6? Doesn't it?

For 120 people, you can go with lower over all volume if the drummer controls his volume and plays to the room.

1) Bring 1 half-stack - have the guitars play through it (2 channels).

2) Push the drums(basic kit) out enough toward the front of the stage and put the speakers behind him, stacked if possible (for example, put the 2x12 on top of the 1/2 stack speaker cab or vice-versa, which ever is more stable). Make sure the drummer wears earplugs.

3)Set the heads on their sides, one on each side of the speaker boxes.

4) Put the PA speaker stands on the floor in front of the stage. Set them up higher than usual. If you can't do that, stack the P.A. cabs (lose the stands) on one side of the stage with each one pointing in opposite directions.

5) Lose the sub

6)The guitar players on one side of the drums. Put the singer and bass on the other side.
That's 5 people. I dont' know where the phantom goes.

Good luck.
 
#16
1) Bring 1 half-stack - have the guitars play through it (2 channels).

fishtx said:
never happen in a million years...LOL
Click to expand...

It's only one gig. If it becomes a regular gig, buy another 1/2 stack cab, wire 2 of the speakers to one jack and the other speakers to another jack...use one head for each pair of speakers.

Another idea, tape off the stage measurements in your garage and place all the equipment as if at the gig.
Or use graph paper and some scale templates of the equipment to see how it all works out (like they do for furniture placement in houses).
 
#17
Stumbo said:
1) Bring 1 half-stack - have the guitars play through it (2 channels).



It's only one gig. If it becomes a regular gig, buy another 1/2 stack cab, wire 2 of the speakers to one jack and the other speakers to another jack...use one head for each pair of speakers.

Another idea, tape off the stage measurements in your garage and place all the equipment as if at the gig.
Or use graph paper and some scale templates of the equipment to see how it all works out (like they do for furniture placement in houses).
Click to expand...

I'm not saying it wouldn't work...I'm saying we are dealing with guitar players here...the most self-important musicians on the planet...lol
 
#19
Stumbo said:
First question: How do you get 5 people in the band if you have 2 guitar players on each side, plus a drummer and a lead singer. =6? Doesn't it?

For 120 people, you can go with lower over all volume if the drummer controls his volume and plays to the room.

1) Bring 1 half-stack - have the guitars play through it (2 channels).

2) Push the drums(basic kit) out enough toward the front of the stage and put the speakers behind him, stacked if possible (for example, put the 2x12 on top of the 1/2 stack speaker cab or vice-versa, which ever is more stable). Make sure the drummer wears earplugs.

3)Set the heads on their sides, one on each side of the speaker boxes.

4) Put the PA speaker stands on the floor in front of the stage. Set them up higher than usual. If you can't do that, stack the P.A. cabs (lose the stands) on one side of the stage with each one pointing in opposite directions.

5) Lose the sub

6)The guitar players on one side of the drums. Put the singer and bass on the other side.
That's 5 people. I dont' know where the phantom goes.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Yeah I mean one guitar player on each side.
Corrected.
Thanks
 

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