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Nightmare gig

S

Stormer

Guest
Jul 24, 2012
216
32
#1
So.... we arrive at the venue, unload and set up the gear. when it's time for sound check, the lead guitarist seems to have major issues with his pedal board. No sound at all and it take approximately 30 mins of plugging and unplugging patch cables before we are good to go. This leaves us no time to do a proper sound check and we only get to play 1 song.

No one was very happy with the stage sound, guitarists couldn't hear each other, I could only hear the drums and the drummer couldn't hear anything. These issues were brought to the attention of the sound guy who said it would be ok, the FOH sound was great and he could easily sort out the monitors. (this should have set the alarm bells ringing because we played this place before and had similar issues but it turned out to be a good night.)

When we begin our set everything seems ok until we end the first song, sound guy shouts for me to turn the bass down as it is the only thing can be heard out front....all my settings were exactly the same as sound check! As the sound guy, is the FOH sound not your responsibility?

The remainder of the set goes ok until we are asked to do an encore. The rhythm guitarist needed to re-tune after the previous tunes but completely dropped the ball and so decided to just not play which would be ok if is part wasn't integral and the sound tech didn't bother to turn the levels back up until a third of the way into the tune.

Anyway, as we are packing up the drummer grabs his gear and storms out, the guitarists follow with their gear, jump in a taxi and go home.

I have a feeling this could be the end, which would be a shame as we have some pretty high profile gigs lined up and have had some interest from labels. I have told the guitarists to just laugh it off as these things happen but the drummer has switched his phone off and no-one can get a hold of him.

Anyway.....sorry for the epic tale but I am sure others have been in this situation and I would like to know what you did and how things worked out in the end.
 
#2
That's just one of those times that $hi# happens. Yes, the guitarists should have had their pedal boards and tuning issues taken care of, but even guitards are human and make mistakes. The problem isn't the band, it's bad sound that was the problem. No reason for a band to break up, especially if you have some high profile gigs coming up. It seems to me from your story that no member of your band was acting like an ass during the gig. However a few of them are now. Keep trying to get a hold of them, encourage them to shake it off as just a bad night and move forward. I've had MUCH worse things happen during a gig and we've managed to stick together. Good luck!
 
#4
Thanks for the replies.

I hope things work out, it would be a shame if it all came to an end as we have put a lot of work into our material and things certainly seem to be happening for us.
 
#6
Hi,

Is the drummer really upset with the guitarist? Does the guitarist always have equipment trouble?

I can't tell you how many nights when there has been technical difficulties and/or we've gone on with no sound check at all. You just deal with it and put on the show. Yes, we all need to constantly check and maintain our gear so that chances of failure are minimized but poo poo occurs. ;)

I hope everyone just learns from the experience, it's called "paying your dues", and then settles down so you all can get back to work. I wish you luck.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
#7
If you're dealing with a reasonably mature and together bunch of guys, it doesn't sound like this should be the end of the road for the band. If it is, then there were problems already.

I don't get how the guitarist could not tune his instrument and then decided to sit out the song? ***?

As for the pedal board problems, clearly there needs to be a Plan B. He can't spend 30 minutes trouble shooting his effects on the band's time. Has he ever heard of plugging straight into the amp? Believe it or not, there are guitarists who actually do that.
 
#8
A lot worse can happen, & usually will if you keep at it long enough. Everybody has to learn to let it roll off their backs & slog on with the show sometimes. Some of the best stories started out looking like disasters. Learn from it & grow.
 
#9
the guys usually have a good attitude so I don't know why the toys were thrown out of the pram.

after speaking with the lead guitarist today, I learned that the drummer had a bit of an argument with the sound guy prior to us going on stage, so I think the gig was doomed from the start.

Everything seems to be ok now though (thank God).
 
#10
Robus said:
As for the pedal board problems, clearly there needs to be a Plan B. He can't spend 30 minutes trouble shooting his effects on the band's time. Has he ever heard of plugging straight into the amp? Believe it or not, there are guitarists who actually do that.
Click to expand...

The sound guy should have continued without him and not waited for him to get his toys working. Wasting a sound check on 1 guitar's problem is ridiculous.
 
#11
Stormer said:
...

When we begin our set everything seems ok until we end the first song, sound guy shouts for me to turn the bass down as it is the only thing can be heard out front....all my settings were exactly the same as sound check! As the sound guy, is the FOH sound not your responsibility?

...
Click to expand...

Were you going DI? If you stage amp was too loud, how’s the sound guy supposed to fix that at the board?
 
#15
i try not to be a purist about these things, but man...pedalboards are ultimately more trouble than they're worth.

either:
get a one-stop multieffects unit
run 2-3 pedals, tops
if you have $$$, get Bob Bradshaw to do your rig

otherwise, at least be inventive enough to be able to pull your set off with the guitar going straight into the amp, if your board decides to take a dump at the gig. if you can't do that, you've got no business taking it to the stage.

between a practice for a recent gig and the gig itself, my guitar playing pal spent more time messing around with his malfunctioning bells and whistles pedalboard as opposed to worrying about playing the actual guitar. :mad:
 
#18
Stormer said:
....the lead guitarist seems to have major issues with his pedal board. No sound at all and it take approximately 30 mins of plugging and unplugging patch cables before we are good to go.
Click to expand...

I'd just have the guitarist pick out a couple of his main pedals, plug them in and go. No sense wasting 30 minutes fixing his entire pedal board.

$#!+ happens. Your band mates need to grow up and deal with these kind of things, in the band and in their non-band life. Is this how they deal with all their problems? How old are these guys?
 
#19
You know what a nightmare gig is? Playing in a mediocre band at a relatively small party and no one cares (because the music is ****) but the "singer/guitarist" gets all uppity about it and screams into the mic for people to shut up and listen (most of which were his "friends). Most embarrassing gig ever.

Moral of the story: Don't play at parties (especially originals...especially not if they're like bad angry/arty songs that wouldn't get anyone wanting to party) and don't be in a **** band.

I haven't done either since (that was like 10 years ago)


P.S: Are you Stormer from Jem and the Holograms?
 

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