Our drummer smokes weed and has a drink after we play, but never before.
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Pet Peeve - loading in/loading out
- Thread starter dheafey
- Start date
As for my pet peeves having to do with load-in/load-out...
People who take up two full parking spaces. When the vocalist puts something in my van wrong and so I have to rearrange it. When the prior band takes forever and a day to get their stuff off the stage. When none of the other bands want to arrange a way for us to all share gear despite everyone using some variation of the same goddamn 4x12 cab, so there are a bajillion of them taking up space in the venue. When some dipstick has put a drink or something on something of mine. Other bands spilling their drinks on the stage, so now my cables are going to get wet and sticky and gross. Morons trying to drive down Hemlock Alley in SF while bands are loading out and honking their horns because their way is blocked, the idiots. People standing in the way when I'm carrying stuff or rolling my cab and amp. Etc.
People who take up two full parking spaces. When the vocalist puts something in my van wrong and so I have to rearrange it. When the prior band takes forever and a day to get their stuff off the stage. When none of the other bands want to arrange a way for us to all share gear despite everyone using some variation of the same goddamn 4x12 cab, so there are a bajillion of them taking up space in the venue. When some dipstick has put a drink or something on something of mine. Other bands spilling their drinks on the stage, so now my cables are going to get wet and sticky and gross. Morons trying to drive down Hemlock Alley in SF while bands are loading out and honking their horns because their way is blocked, the idiots. People standing in the way when I'm carrying stuff or rolling my cab and amp. Etc.
Drummers always carrying in a mountain of gear and cases making me wait to claim my 2x4 space for the night.
Until you learn how to coil cords using the over-under, please stay away from everyone's cables and cords. If you want to helpful show up early to a rehersal, and ask to be taught. Gig night is not the time to learn.
Over-under helps with improving cable and cord life. Fewer kinks
Our band uses fill in when we play. I help set up the backline run my cables against the wall and tie into the backline. Then the KB comes in unplugs my cords from my power strip and complains he does not have enough recpts for his equipment. He doesnt provide a power strip The BL asks me to move, so l move only place is next to food table. I end getting knocked around like a pin ball. Yes, I'm not playing then I hear I don't hear the bass.
I am vocal about lack of space, not loud, but not backing down.
The way I figure it, every is given one channel on the channel amp. Every one has to provide a DI equiv. BL has say on volume including any players
These rules are written. The BL is a dictator by our choice.
I am vocal about lack of space, not loud, but not backing down.
The way I figure it, every is given one channel on the channel amp. Every one has to provide a DI equiv. BL has say on volume including any players
These rules are written. The BL is a dictator by our choice.
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Spouse And I headed a fiesta where 5 groups were giving their Time, they were making money selling merch. The foh, who would be paid, the gentleman ran his snake right the middle of the dance floor. Additionly the fiesta staff had to move food through a pathway also blocked by the snake. When told the snake was tripping hazard, and the snake was subject to damage (being run over). The foh then said my contract says the fiesta is responsible, for damage. The foh was told to move the snake (this a couple hours before the first band is to play.) The foh threatened to bail. He was told he could go, but he would have to haul outside the pedestrian area. I told him, to expect a treble damage suit exposing him to a possible loss of 80,000.
The foh ran cable overhead out of harms way. A letter was sent to an organization that had oversight over the organization holding the fiesta. A letter was sent to the pbs station who had recommended the foh.
We even ran a special circuit so the foh could power his equipment.
Bottom line foh was there for our convience. We could operate without The foh. The bands could provide the equipment and the show. Would go on. (Most band's chose not to tie into the foh's system.
The foh ran cable overhead out of harms way. A letter was sent to an organization that had oversight over the organization holding the fiesta. A letter was sent to the pbs station who had recommended the foh.
We even ran a special circuit so the foh could power his equipment.
Bottom line foh was there for our convience. We could operate without The foh. The bands could provide the equipment and the show. Would go on. (Most band's chose not to tie into the foh's system.
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One of our guitarists is the first to complete his setup and decides to noodle for thirty minutes while the rest of the band bust their asses to setup the lighting and sound.
A drummer from a long ago band (and one of my TOP 5 faves to work in) was 6'7" and about 280 (a big, muscular guy) usually lead the way during load out, shouting, "Make a f***ing hole, NOW!"
Yup. Cleared the way quite effectively.
Never been in a band since that could load as fast as that one.
Add to that, sets his guitar case(s) down on the stage, in the only other spot that isn't taken up by the BHP (Big Honking Pedalboard)!
Pet Peeve?
1-How it always seems at least one if not two members lose all control of their arms when it's time to carry things in or out.
2-When every item is carried in and stacked right where you are supposed to set up. How can you set the drums up, place amps or mics, place monitors or set the mains when there's a stack of cases in the way? Sometimes it's not possible due to a dining room situation or whatever but 90% of the time that's common sense to me.
3-When another member lays their mic cables right through the area by my microphone, where I stand, in order to plug their stuff into the soundboard. I get it, I run the sound so they have to come to my side of the stage but I purposely purchase long enough cables to go around the "outside" of the area so I'm not walking on the cables all night. Or worse, tripping over them. Also you don't have to tape so much junk down.
1-How it always seems at least one if not two members lose all control of their arms when it's time to carry things in or out.
2-When every item is carried in and stacked right where you are supposed to set up. How can you set the drums up, place amps or mics, place monitors or set the mains when there's a stack of cases in the way? Sometimes it's not possible due to a dining room situation or whatever but 90% of the time that's common sense to me.
3-When another member lays their mic cables right through the area by my microphone, where I stand, in order to plug their stuff into the soundboard. I get it, I run the sound so they have to come to my side of the stage but I purposely purchase long enough cables to go around the "outside" of the area so I'm not walking on the cables all night. Or worse, tripping over them. Also you don't have to tape so much junk down.
jdthebassman
play to live live to play
when people approach me and ask do you like playing out I tell them that I get paid to move the gear in and out the playing is for fun
^^^^ THIS ^^^^ X10M!!
My "day" job is in TV, and I have had some -serious- convos with others about the efficacy of o&u, usually with >ahem< audio guys, many of whom have never had to deal with lengths longer than a few feet in corporate world - the utilities usually do it, and even they tend to be unskilled (a good, trained ute is worth every penny the prod. co. spends on them!).... In sports TV, some cable runs can be hundreds! of feet, and to NOT o&u is courting disaster. DAMHIK,IJK. Coiling triax, SMPTE, video and audio mults, power cables, etc., is easy enough to do o&u, and UNcoiling them for setup is easier and less prone to tangle if they have been coiled properly. I taught my bandmates this, and our cables are much happier now, as am I, LOL!
I saw a few people ask what is "over/under" cable wrapping, here's a short tutorial. This is the way I was taught to do it back in my college days when I worked at the campus TV and radio stations.
I've tried to teach my band mates, with very little success. Instead I've opted to everyone providing their own cables, color coded with tape. Wrap your own guarantees that my cables will be right, but I still get a bit shafted in that process because I own over half of our PA and the associated cables.
I've tried to teach my band mates, with very little success. Instead I've opted to everyone providing their own cables, color coded with tape. Wrap your own guarantees that my cables will be right, but I still get a bit shafted in that process because I own over half of our PA and the associated cables.
Good teaching video: not condescending at all, and very clear.
