Last Saturday was my bands first gig at a somewhat popular family fun day event. It was my third gig ever but first in a few years and it's taken a couple days to be able to look back and chuckle about it. Still a relatively new project, our band jumped at the opportunity to test the waters and put our name out there for the first time.
We knew prior to booking that it was a very relaxed atmosphere and historically the event has never really been that well organised so I suppose you could say it's on us for booking it but we'll live and learn.
We were to be the second of three bands that evening and we're told that there would be a PA available to us so bringing our own wouldn't be necessary.
It's the day of the gig and we all get there in good time before the first band to talk to who we were told was the sound guy. At this point I'm a little worried because I can't see a PA set up yet. Almost immediately after introducing ourselves it was clear that he wasn't actually the sound guy but the guitarist of the band before us!
And the PA? ... Turns out it was a powered mixer going into two Peavy 412 guitar cabinets via INSTRUMENT cable that I'd completely overlooked in my search for a PA...
We chat, make sure we weren't playing duplicate songs etc. Band 1, a trio with a drum machine, start their set bang on time and the PA does sound incredibly muffled but nothing too woeful. Their set continues and continues, then continues some more. Our band was due on at 6:15 but it was now 6:20 and their set has run twenty minutes over and I see the manager of the pub walk over for a quick word in the singers ear, no idea what he said but I imagine he asked them to wrap it up because that song was their last.
My band (Band 2) and Band 3 (originals) are both 5 man bands with an acoustic drummer, we all know each other and arranged to use Band 3's drum kit ahead of time. We loiter around a little waiting for Band 1 to clear some of their stuff slightly, trying not to come across as pushy, to make way for the drums and extra band members but that doesn't happen until another ten minutes have passed and we mention that we kinda needed the space.
So Band 1 is loading gear out and included in that stuff is the PA! Turns out it actually belongs to them, which is more than fair enough. Do as you please with your own equipment but it seems that they either had a change of heart and were no longer willing to loan it out or there had been a mix up in communication. Perhaps they'd taken exception to us asking for the use of two marquees after they played under one? I didn't ask.
After all the cables has been packed away and half the PA (a 412) had already been carted away they told us that they were unwilling to loan out the PA because they were playing a wedding next week and had already got the EQ set... I wasn't around for the following conversation but between my band, Band 3 and the manager they eventually agreed to the use of their equipment.
We started our set nearly an hour later than planned by the time everything was smoothened out and set up again. Thankfully we were allowed to twiddle a few knobs and managed to dial in much clearer vocals with the minimal sound check time we had and absolutely rocked in fading light and a poor marquee setup. At least I think we did.
The drums are in an odd place due to time and space constraints, I'm 6ft3 so you can't really see me either but it's what was provided to us.
I'm playing through an Ibanez SRX 530 an MB800, and a cheap Gear4Music own brand 410, headphones recommended.
We knew prior to booking that it was a very relaxed atmosphere and historically the event has never really been that well organised so I suppose you could say it's on us for booking it but we'll live and learn.
We were to be the second of three bands that evening and we're told that there would be a PA available to us so bringing our own wouldn't be necessary.
It's the day of the gig and we all get there in good time before the first band to talk to who we were told was the sound guy. At this point I'm a little worried because I can't see a PA set up yet. Almost immediately after introducing ourselves it was clear that he wasn't actually the sound guy but the guitarist of the band before us!
And the PA? ... Turns out it was a powered mixer going into two Peavy 412 guitar cabinets via INSTRUMENT cable that I'd completely overlooked in my search for a PA...
We chat, make sure we weren't playing duplicate songs etc. Band 1, a trio with a drum machine, start their set bang on time and the PA does sound incredibly muffled but nothing too woeful. Their set continues and continues, then continues some more. Our band was due on at 6:15 but it was now 6:20 and their set has run twenty minutes over and I see the manager of the pub walk over for a quick word in the singers ear, no idea what he said but I imagine he asked them to wrap it up because that song was their last.
My band (Band 2) and Band 3 (originals) are both 5 man bands with an acoustic drummer, we all know each other and arranged to use Band 3's drum kit ahead of time. We loiter around a little waiting for Band 1 to clear some of their stuff slightly, trying not to come across as pushy, to make way for the drums and extra band members but that doesn't happen until another ten minutes have passed and we mention that we kinda needed the space.
So Band 1 is loading gear out and included in that stuff is the PA! Turns out it actually belongs to them, which is more than fair enough. Do as you please with your own equipment but it seems that they either had a change of heart and were no longer willing to loan it out or there had been a mix up in communication. Perhaps they'd taken exception to us asking for the use of two marquees after they played under one? I didn't ask.
After all the cables has been packed away and half the PA (a 412) had already been carted away they told us that they were unwilling to loan out the PA because they were playing a wedding next week and had already got the EQ set... I wasn't around for the following conversation but between my band, Band 3 and the manager they eventually agreed to the use of their equipment.
We started our set nearly an hour later than planned by the time everything was smoothened out and set up again. Thankfully we were allowed to twiddle a few knobs and managed to dial in much clearer vocals with the minimal sound check time we had and absolutely rocked in fading light and a poor marquee setup. At least I think we did.
The drums are in an odd place due to time and space constraints, I'm 6ft3 so you can't really see me either but it's what was provided to us.
I'm playing through an Ibanez SRX 530 an MB800, and a cheap Gear4Music own brand 410, headphones recommended.
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