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Obviously, this is an ongoing issue, so why does the country club still insist on playing outdoors when they have a perfectly good indoor venue that would eliminate the noise complaints. Doesn't make sense to me at all. This is the club's problem, not yours. drool
Probably to late for this gig, but consider going direct for future low volume gigs. My old blues band would (and still do after I left) and it opened up many gigs that normally wouldn't have more than acoustic acts. Tech 21 BDDI, Tech 21 flyrig and electronic drums. There are other DI options for guitar and bass, these are just the ones I own. That way everything is heard through the PA/monitors. Want to go even more next level, replace the monitors with in-ears....
Volume knobs do work in both directions last time I checked. I've never understood musicians who don't know how to turn down.
Bring/borrow smaller amps so you can cranked tone at lower volume.
When the club managers tell the band they are too loud, it becomes the bands problem. If the PD suts them down, they will be sent home, probably without full pay, depending on thier contract. The band needs to deal with this up front with the suggestions made in this thread so there is no problem later.
It also helps keep volume down if nobody in the band drinks any alcohol.
At a country club gig??? You're probably right but I couldn't do that **** sober.
Agreed. It's not hard to be pro and accommodate your customer. The band needs to do whatever it takes and check their egos and big rigs at the door so you can a) get paid and B) perhaps book again if the money is right.
I've played alot of low volume gigs. People have to want to do whatever it takes to do them well.
If the guys in the band can't tone it down to make it happen then they aren't as "PRO" as their egos may be telling them they are.
If it's close to home, can't you and your guitar player stick your smaller amps in a car and bring over so you can turn up AND be quieter?
Seems you want "the sound" of an amp turned up - so do it with smaller amps.
Yeah it's nice to just bring the truck, but if it's that close to home aren't you coming from home anyway? Surely you're not all meeting somewhere to get in the truck to drive8 miles.
In my experience it's the drums that cause the problem. If your drummer can't play quietly, the best solution is electronic drums. Drums with a volume knob. Since we've moved to electronic drums everything onstage has gotten quieter and easier to manage and we get asked back to every bar with our band volume being one of our assets.
We have gone to ampless onstage with IEMs for monitors. It's great for us. Once you get electronic drums it opens up all sorts of options for you. Lower stage volume and better PA control along with the option for a silent stage if you want to go that way.
I say electronic drums and a volume knob could make it a great gig that you get asked back to and possibly get more gigs from. Playing loud may get you blacklisted in the area. Is that worth it?
We have gone to ampless onstage with IEMs for monitors. It's great for us. Once you get electronic drums it opens up all sorts of options for you. Lower stage volume and better PA control along with the option for a silent stage if you want to go that way.
I say electronic drums and a volume knob could make it a great gig that you get asked back to and possibly get more gigs from. Playing loud may get you blacklisted in the area. Is that worth it?
They are paying for a low volume concert, it is your responsibility to deliver it. Technically there is not reason why you cannot play at low volume but if you think that this not fair or your band is not capable of doing it then you should decline and/or recommend another band.
Well - the music is beach boys if that helps, and while I take the point that we could play very quietly, some songs are just loud, and some can by comparison can be quieter. Sure - we can take our practice amps, but with all due respect to other people's opinions - then we would NOT sound like the Beach Boys. I probably need to qualify that - for some songs it would be fine, but others just have so much in them that the dynamics need a bit more oomph. Things like Good Vibrations that build up and up and up - It would sound pretty insipid if it didn't have the louder sections.
I'm really not sure that some styles of music can be played quietly - and it's got nothing to do with professionalism. I play a few acoustic jazz style gigs - just the singer with a mic. I play a different bass through a small combo and play very gently. This guitar is useless for the Beach Boys - it can't be played in the required style, if played quietly. I'm not talking about mega volume - although I use the 8x10" cab, this is really just so on a festival stage, I can turn it up loud enough for the two guys without IEMs to hear - I'm listening through my in-ears. I can't imagine a quiet Motorhead?
To keep this gig controlled - the drummer will probably play with those strange bunches of thin sticks - can't remember their name, and the Keys will be DI'd and probably not put through his amp. I guess the guitarist and keys will also bring out their little mic stand mounted hotspots - but playing at this level will be the musical version of when dancers mark through a dance. It's clearly not the same sound.
We don't have an option to cancel - it's contracted and that's the end of that - it's just the last minute drop in comment about the volume. Here's a show to do, with one arm tied behind your back. Lots of gigs we play and other bands we work with play can easily be made louder or quieter - BUT - there is a limit. We can go quieter, then perhaps a bit more - but once the backline stop coming through the system, we miss all the contribution the desk makes. In one song the intro has an effect on the snare - a kind of distorted blam sound. It triggers on the transient. No transient, no effect.
It sounds like I'm making excuses - but the people who book bands always make assumptions. Just annoying to make the assumption everyone can turn down. We can, but only to a degree.
I'm really not sure that some styles of music can be played quietly - and it's got nothing to do with professionalism. I play a few acoustic jazz style gigs - just the singer with a mic. I play a different bass through a small combo and play very gently. This guitar is useless for the Beach Boys - it can't be played in the required style, if played quietly. I'm not talking about mega volume - although I use the 8x10" cab, this is really just so on a festival stage, I can turn it up loud enough for the two guys without IEMs to hear - I'm listening through my in-ears. I can't imagine a quiet Motorhead?
To keep this gig controlled - the drummer will probably play with those strange bunches of thin sticks - can't remember their name, and the Keys will be DI'd and probably not put through his amp. I guess the guitarist and keys will also bring out their little mic stand mounted hotspots - but playing at this level will be the musical version of when dancers mark through a dance. It's clearly not the same sound.
We don't have an option to cancel - it's contracted and that's the end of that - it's just the last minute drop in comment about the volume. Here's a show to do, with one arm tied behind your back. Lots of gigs we play and other bands we work with play can easily be made louder or quieter - BUT - there is a limit. We can go quieter, then perhaps a bit more - but once the backline stop coming through the system, we miss all the contribution the desk makes. In one song the intro has an effect on the snare - a kind of distorted blam sound. It triggers on the transient. No transient, no effect.
It sounds like I'm making excuses - but the people who book bands always make assumptions. Just annoying to make the assumption everyone can turn down. We can, but only to a degree.
No disrespect intended towards the OP, but there are some people that spend their time figuring out why something can't or won't work and there are some people that spend their time figuring out how to make something work. Just me, but I would turn down and figure out how to make it work.
This post speaks volumes. I see no point in continuing.
You're in the UK so there is a very good chance that it will rain and the problem will go away.
If not turn everything down and reign the drummer in. If this is not possible pass the gig up.
If not turn everything down and reign the drummer in. If this is not possible pass the gig up.
