• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

i hate supplied backlines

#41
My band opened up for Slaughter quite a few years back and part of their rider was that the backline would be provided(my guitar player owned the nightclub)

I had just purchased a brand new Marshall DSL head and 4X12 cabinet so Blando was fine with that.

However, our bass player was a bit of a cheap ass, would play anything he could make a nights worth of money with. Unfortunately for Dana, it happened to be my old GK 800RB head into an ancient borrowed Peavey 4X12 cabinet, two of the speakers had been spray painted with blaze orange spray paint. It sounded horrible!!!!He was not a happy camper. :) bring your own stuff!!!!!! heh
 
#43
Bring IEMs, ask for a feed off the mains. I've got the M2 so I take a feed off the amp DI to get my signal to allow me to boost me in the mix if the mains isn't enough.

You mix the main signal, should have everything, and its the 1 mix the soundman is really going to fixate on, and can add more "me" if I need it.

Randy
 
#44
Welcome to the life of the bass player. We normally bring our own back line to gigs. We don't do jobs with multiple bands, etc. On the few occasions I've played with a supplied back line, it's almost always an Ampeg B115, which is how I directly know they are NOT gigworthy. One time, luckily at a semi local gig, they supplied a Hartke 12 inch combo. I say luckily because I was close enough to home to go get my own rig and tell them to save the Hartke. No slam on Hartke. If it would have been a Hydrive 410, I'd have been fine with it. However, a 112 low watt combo is not a gigging amp.
 
#45
I was playing a gig last night where the headline band supplied cabs for the other bands to use. Those were a Marshall 4x12, Blackstar 4x12 and an Ampeg SVT 810E. A few local festivals i've been to in my area have also stuff such as an Ashdown ABM410 combo and Hartke HA3500 into a HyDrive 810, so i think we get it good over here in the UK.

Liam
 
#46
My gig today had a Twin for the guitarist and an SVT-CL/410HE for me. Hey, not my 4 ohm tube amp being run at 8 ohms ;) Worked fine for me but I wish they'd bring the 810e. It's not THAT much harder to move.
 
#48
JimmyM said:
My gig today had a Twin for the guitarist and an SVT-CL/410HE for me. Hey, not my 4 ohm tube amp being run at 8 ohms ;) Worked fine for me but I wish they'd bring the 810e. It's not THAT much harder to move.
Click to expand...

Or 2 of the 410HE cabs! How hard is it to actually THINK about the bass???
Same with sound engineers, often they spend time getting the kick drum, or gtr JUST SO. Then get a SIGNAL for the bass.......
That's it.
Signal-yep, cool, next..... :-0
 
#49
Got lucky today, Rod. I love the soundmen who did my show today. They're one of the very few crews who gets what we do and mixes us accordingly rather than try to make us sound like what they like. And they not only rushed me, but they rushed everyone. But that's OK because they rock. Bill and Larry at Hershey Park. Talented crew there.

Now on Tuesday's gig, it's soundman roulette ;)
 
#50
Its seems that smaller london venues shaft me particularly hard with backline. One particular promotor does gigs for a few cool small venues (water rats, 229 club, underbelly) but their amps are ACTUALLY practice amps. Ive played two gigs for them through a 25w marshall practice amp and 3 through a broken down old behringer combo (tape over the input socket,missing knobs etc).

Having said that, theres no stipulation that i have to use there gear, unfortunately though driving and parking in london is usually more hassle than its really worth, especially when the crowd will probably only hear whats DI'd before the amp anyway (tech 21 I love you)
 
#52
I've never had a truly appalling rig provided for a festival gig; at worst I had a rig with Hartke aluminium cone speakers (I just don't get on with 'em). My SansAmp Bass Driver DI means I can always get at least an o.k. sound once I figure out how to set the supplied gear flat and clean.
 
#53
JimmyM said:
Got lucky today, Rod. I love the soundmen who did my show today. They're one of the very few crews who gets what we do and mixes us accordingly rather than try to make us sound like what they like. And they not only rushed me, but they rushed everyone. But that's OK because they rock. Bill and Larry at Hershey Park. Talented crew there.

Now on Tuesday's gig, it's soundman roulette ;)
Click to expand...

Good on ya. We're pretty lucky with em too really. We have our reg. guy who is really good, & when we play the main room at the Casino, Charlie has our settings stored!

So the only 'roulette's' are at the festivals-a few times/yr. Then it's either a SVT-VR/810, or, if we're REALLY unlucky, a Behringer 300w/410 :-/
But even that CAN sound ok, but I usually take my LMII & VT bass, so.....
 
#55
I'm lucky enough to be in a situation where we don't do anything without a contract and part of that contract is our tech rider, which clearly states what we require in terms of backline if we're not carrying our own. We have reasonable requirements and they're met 99% of the time. I advance all of our gigs to make sure the buyer understands what we require. It's a bit of leg work but it really helps the gig go smoothly. Every once in a while we end up doing something where our normal requirements can't be met. As an example we played way up north (Labrador) last summer and they just couldn't provide anything more than a BA115 for me and bringing my rig was out of the question as we flew in and out in a 10-seat prop plane, so I had to grin and bear it.

At the end of the day, no matter what level you're at and how bad the backline is, you eventually have to let it go and put on a good show.

And if you're provided a pro-level bass rig in good working order from any manufacturer and you can't manage to wrestle a workable tone out of it, the problem isn't with the gear.
 
#56
JimmyM said:
You wussies disgust me!

Not really...I just flew today, and I get cranky.

About 15-16 years ago, I did a gig where the bandleader told us not to bring anything but instruments because the backline was being supplied. I ended up doing that gig DI'd, and so did the guitarist and keyboard player. The drummer ended up playing two garbage cans. Not having done much backline-supplied work before that, it was on that gig I was first introduced to the concept of "advancing the gig."

Have ONE PERSON in your band get the numbers of the sound/light company and backline supplier. Call and find out what they're bringing. If it's inadequate, ask if they have something else. If they have nothing else, either you bring your stuff, or you do the best with what they have, or bail.

I have to use rented gear all the time because I fly, and on every gig, our drummer advances all that stuff. I may not get exactly what I want, but it usually works out to where it's enough to do the gig. Now and then a promoter really cheaps out and brings his son's band's stuff after agreeing to your backline rider, but you have to make do with it because nobody's giving up a payday because the bassist didn't get his SVT/810. If I get supplied a BA112, I still have to do the gig, and I'll make that little sucker rock ;)

Anyway, definitely start advancing gigs where gear is supplied.
Click to expand...

This is hugely important and always makes things go smoother. Often a 5 minute phone call to the buyer/venue/production company is all it takes so that everyone knows what to expect.

The other useful thing is to create a stage plot/input list for your band. It doesn't have to be fancy just a quick outline of where each member lives on the stage and what mics/DIs/XLR lines they require. I did ours in Word.
 
#58
staindbass said:
when you agree to do a backline gig, ask what you will have for an amplifier beforehand, and specify a minimum number of speakers and wattage. have the requirements put in the contract, so if they stiff you you have some leverage. probably better just to not take backline supplied gigs at all.
Click to expand...

JimmyM said:
Anyway, definitely start advancing gigs where gear is supplied.
Click to expand...

Joe Nerve said:
RULE 1: If there is a backline, inquire beforehand what that consists of.

RULE 2: Always bring your amp as a backup anyhow.
Click to expand...

This. I don't understand how anyone can show up to a gig without an amp without making some effort in advance to undertand what the backline will be.
 
#59
georgestrings said:
I'm no huge Ampeg fan, but I can do pretty well with a 4-Pro/fridge setup, as long as it's functioning properly...
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I can't...

I believe it has to do with the kind of bands or kind of music I play. It seems loud enough and good enough when I'm sound checking. Once the band starts playing I can't hear a single note. And I always try every EQ and every GAIN setting available. It's been just too many times so now when I see the Ampeg rig I'll just tell the soundman that I'll have my bass on the monitor.

Electricblue said:
Bring your own gear. If you don't, and you are forced to play through a small combo, well... that's your fault.
Click to expand...

If it's a professional show where the production hired a professional sound company that's supposed to bring a professional bass amp it's not your fault. There are a few large production bass amps that are standard of the industry, and none is a small combo.

You play in an 8 piece band. Once you arrive to the airport there's a Honda Civic to pick you up. Is this your fault?
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back