Anyone who likes gigging NOT loud?

[Groove Doctor]

I gig with a 1x10” AER combo. I they can’t hear me then THEY can turn down/ play quieter.

All band members esp singers appreciate my lower stage volume. Sound guys have really been blown away (no pun intended) by how we keep a low stage volume.

 

[gln1955]

The quietest we've ever played was for a bunch of bikers at a St Paddy's/customer appreciation event. It was inside a Harley dealership that had horrendous barn acoustics and we were background music for the day. It was a bit of a challenge with a full drum kit and two guitarists, but it worked and showed we can play at any volume the venue wants.

 

[Wesley R]

I love a positive MOB story.

There are so few.

Another positive MOB story: doing a wedding and the FOB is not happy with anything or anyone. He didn't want to pay us the remainder of the contract. The MOB loved us, and called the a cheap so and so and explained he was not only going to pay us and he was going to tip us a $100. I offered to get him a beer, and he said I paid for that too, but I walked him up to the bar and handed him a beer.

A few weeks later the MOB called me and offered us another wedding, she wanted $100 for her efforts, which was fine as she was quoting $200 more than were charging.

There are far more bad MOB stories, saw one start to hit a County Sheriff as he was arresting the groom.

 

[retslock]

But they really do have to be mic'd in most of those circumstances - if you put a mic in front of a horn player, and give them a bit of themselves in a wedge, delayed a tiny bit (it mimics a room reflection), they are happy, and will play normally. If you don't put a mic in front of them, they will play much louder, which can be a problem.

I've seen a perspex screen attached to the trumpet to bounce the sound back to the player when I worked with a large horn based band. I can't vouch for its effectiveness though. It's the only time I've seen one so maybe they don't work so well.

 

[micguy]

I've seen a perspex screen attached to the trumpet to bounce the sound back to the player when I worked with a large horn based band. I can't vouch for its effectiveness though. It's the only time I've seen one so maybe they don't work so well.

There are little plexiglas circles that get put around mics for the same purpose.

 

[Groove Doctor]

A mate had a backyard wedding reception with bonfire. Neighbours complained, Fire truck turned up, Bride made sure she got a bunch of selfies with the firefighters & the fire truck…. then they had to put the bonfire out.

There are far more bad MOB stories, saw one start to hit a County Sheriff as he was arresting the groom.

I’d love to hear more. Go on….

 

[DWBass]

Seems unavoidable. We were already off the rails but we have a new drummer who slams! I wear ear plugs. Positive is I don't have the usual after gig ringing in my ears. Stage is extremely loud. I have complained! Sound folks are partly to blame. Instrumets in the monitors are too loud. Can barely hear the vocals. It's a challenge.

Last night we had a discussion about stage volume. Also discussed with the sound person to keep all instruments low in the monitors and only boost the vocals. It worked until midway in the second set. I paused and put in my ear plugs. Were some other issues as well but that's for another thread.

 

[Drop1]

I prefer being slightly too loud to slightly too quiet, but there is a limit.
Being "too" quiet sucks.
Years ago we played 2 gigs on back to back nights in 2 different venues.
The first night was a very small bar, but packed with people from the start. We were very loud in there and it was wonderful. Everyone had a great time.
The next night we went out into the boonies and played for a small crowd in a larger venue. Less volume overall from the first night, but still too loud (asked to turn down in fact). This was the point I realized bodies in a room can matter more than the room and it's size. So can the crowds energy.

I wasn't playing bass in those 2 gigs. I was a dj adding to the band during a time when that was popular, so I had the opportunity to step off stage and watch during ceritan songs. Some songs just dont need scratching on top of them, in fact I'd almost consider it sacrilege to do so, but it gave me a Birdseye view of the band and things can absolutely get too loud if you let it. I was able to guide their volume down a bit more from off stage to comfortable levels.

The second bar also had an inferior pa. That band was fricken amazing (as good as any band I've ever seen live) and the pa the first night was very good. The second night the pa was barely tolerable and our sound guy was complaining about it the whole time. He brought his own board (he was tracking for a demo for us) but the speakers themselves weren't very good. I think the guys wound up mostly using their amps for sound and the sound guy just kissed it with a little PA to keep distortion down. Pretty sure the PA was mostly getting used to play to the outside patio by the end. At least that's what I saw on the board.

I miss that band. They gave me freedom to do whatever I wanted and trusted me to be appropriate. I've wandered off topic. Time to shut up.

 

[Marty Forrer]

I have three bands of my own, and play in one other. All four bands are comparatively quiet, and all four have quiet drummers (three of them are the same drummer). This makes it easy for me to keep the level down (I own and run the PA) to the stage where I can often use my Rumble 40 with a bit of top up in the PA. Until 1988 I played in loud bands and my tinnitus is the result. From then on I only played in bands that were quieter. From 1989 to 1996 I played in a fulltime professional band that was at a level where we had no monitors.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

Everyone seems to think less than a 200 watt head won’t be loud enough but that was the top of my range for most of my gigging life. My bands always played as if the pa was only vocals and played the room.

we were almost always quieter and better sounding that other bands on the bills we played.

 

[shoot-r]

I'm genuinely jealous of the players who play in gigging bands whose volume levels allow you to use a 112, 210 or 115 cabinet.

I've been in working bands for 50+ years and I honestly can't say I've "ever" been in a situation where a 112 or 210 would've been enough.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Being less than loud. This is the underlying principle, no matter what Keeping it down to an ungodly racket. We owe it to ourselves not to be self-destructive. And the audience comes along for the ride (the crash, the china, etc.) Sound wars are unsound.​

 

[Pocket Dave]

I'm genuinely jealous of the players who play in gigging bands whose volume levels allow you to use a 112, 210 or 115 cabinet.

I've been in working bands for 50+ years and I honestly can't say I've "ever" been in a situation where a 112 or 210 would've been enough.

These days I'm seeing more club owners insisting on less overall volume from guitarists and drummers, which means lower volume on bass.

Still, even on loud gigs, it depends on cabinet design, speaker sensitivity and power capacity. I was told there'd be house/FOH support on a sub gig so I packed my 600 watt rear ported 210.

Turns out the FOH was a pair of 12" speakers on stands, so bass support was pretty much non-existent.

Surprisingly, that 210 helped keep the dance floor full in a crowded 250-300 capacity venue.

 

[jeffb28451]

That would be me, but I'm old, so what so do I know??

 

[pepj]

Our gtr always keeps our sound lower, but we still punch it out at times but I never go home with my ears ringing.
I subbed last night and the drummer is a complete lunatic.
Can't tune his drums and has no clue about dynamics and plays ride on a crash.
Put plugs in before soundcheck and just prepared for him to trash the mix.
Band got told by the audience after 1st number they were too loud...but they didnt have a clue how to react to it.
After gigs txts were 'cr@p gig'... they still don't get it. You can't help some people, you have to let them drown in their own mistakes.