Ok, well...California has about twleve distinct climate zones. Only a handful are desert.
And please don't call it "Cali."
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Playing in the Rain?
- Thread starter _Some Dude
- Start date
Ok, well...California has about twleve distinct climate zones. Only a handful are desert.
And please don't call it "Cali."
I live in the UK, and so playing in the rain is likely. I've only played once on a subsidiary stage at a festival where there wasn't a stage as such, just a tent and a muddy spot to stand. That concerned me as that's not much insulation between you and the ground should there be an electrical issue. All other times there has been a stage. Getting gear to the stage through a sea of mud has presented challenges in the past.
I believe Washington has several zones - wet, wetter, even wetter and wettest.
Not really, and remind me never to loan you any equipment. I'm not built for things like "I don't care I don't own the PA." Any equipment on the stage gets treated with the same care as my own equipment. To be fair, my "PA first" approach is because my personal equipment is already mostly protected. If I play outside, the stage is under roof. I can only think of one venue where I've broken that rule, and we had a couple easy-ups ready in case the weather changed.
I played a show recently where it rained lightly the last two songs. We were all wireless and it wasn't a big deal, and I didn't have to do anything special to take care of my Sadowsky. There was no lightning - that would have been a deal breaker. Loading out in the rain was miserable (I have loaded in/out in the rain more times than I can count), and I had to wait for a break in the rain because I was an hour from home and I was there in my Jeep with the top off. (I managed to keep the Jeep completely dry too!)
I once played at the opening of a festival in the rain. there was some kind of cover, but it was not really enough. I covered my pedalboard and decided that my bass will be okay. but if there was more my gear on stage (like some amps or speakers or a mixer), the first thing I'd do would be turning everything off and packing in a safe dry place.
oh, I have a video of our first song. and of course it was about a rain.
oh, I have a video of our first song. and of course it was about a rain.
I don't like being rained on when I'm not playing so I have very negative feelings about being connected to the power grid and getting wet at the same time. I gig with gear worth about $7k. That's not being damaged for anyone.
Ask the guy running the gig if he's insured for water damage to gear and death by electrocution?
Ask the guy running the gig if he's insured for water damage to gear and death by electrocution?
I was nearly electrocuted by an amp indoors, but it had been inundated a few days earlier when the bath in the room above overflowed. I thought it was fine after a few days drying out. Apparently not. Tube amp... many, many potential nasty volts. Magic smoke - dead amp. And it was a nice amp. But I did, at least, survive it.
I wouldn't choose to play in a muddy field in a rainstorm standing in a small puddle again. Not least because, due to there being a rainstorm, the audience was three miserable, damp people. I did see U2 in a thunderstorm outdoors, though. I was one of the few people who had read the weather report and took waterproof jacket, hat and trousers. I felt a bit of a lemon in all of that, but I was most concerned that the lemon or gherkin on stage was going to get hit by lightning and the band killed in a very rock-and-roll end. I may have been a lemon, but I was a dry lemon.
Wireless is your friend.
Great for preventing electrocution.
Great for preventing electrocution.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
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- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Most venues/stages/production in this region (known for its rain) have covered stages even down to the smaller shows. Production is also usually fairly well invested in plastic sheeting, large plastic bags for covering, tarps, etc.
Beyond that, we always carry a few tarps and plastic of our own for gear too. Occasionally you get caught out and have to spend some time drying out your gear, but overall that doesn't happen a whole ton.
Some venues may stipulate 'rain or shine' (New York State Fair, I'm lookin' at you)...but will cancel with thunder & lightning. We sat in the green room there for a few hours one night with our gear covered on stage only to be told "Something we very rarely have ever done...give someone a check for not playing."
Beyond that, we always carry a few tarps and plastic of our own for gear too. Occasionally you get caught out and have to spend some time drying out your gear, but overall that doesn't happen a whole ton.
Some venues may stipulate 'rain or shine' (New York State Fair, I'm lookin' at you)...but will cancel with thunder & lightning. We sat in the green room there for a few hours one night with our gear covered on stage only to be told "Something we very rarely have ever done...give someone a check for not playing."
I carry a couple contractor bags in my stage kit, just in case. They'll just fit over my Mesa Subway stack.
Yeah, I've used them a couple times...
Yeah, I've used them a couple times...
There's one way to survive this, especially if lightning is involved- ISOLATION. Wireless transmitter from the instruments and mics and never on a metal stage that has exposed bolt heads where people can stand on them- even rubber soles on wet shoes will become excellent conductors of lethal voltage.
Added item: I use EMG active pickups when I play outdoors, because in the typical EMG installation, they are not grounded to the bridge, so even if your wireless flakes, you can still play.
Unfortunately, rainy outdoor gigs are a thing and no two outdoor stages are exactly alike in terms of available shelter.
I've never lost a piece of equipment or a band mate to rain, yet. Had to cancel a few times and wished we'd canceled a few times.
The other day I was using my weather radar app to ascertain whether the thunder shower would continue all evening or clear up in an hour.
I've never lost a piece of equipment or a band mate to rain, yet. Had to cancel a few times and wished we'd canceled a few times.
The other day I was using my weather radar app to ascertain whether the thunder shower would continue all evening or clear up in an hour.
As a drummer I've never minded playing in the rain with my acrylic kit, but as a guitarist/bassist I won't play outdoors unless it's fully covered, and not by a pop-up/canopy, by a permanent structure designed for the job with professional wiring done to code with GFI outlets. Also thunder/lightning becomes an immediate dealbreaker.
One of my biggest pet peeves. I was born and raised in southern California, I have never called it "Cali" or "So-Cal" and have never heard anyone but tourists and newcomers do so. Also heard someone refer to San Diego as "S-D" the other day and physically cringed.
I have only ever been rained out twice in 25 years, and I live in Michigan which can be pretty rainy. One time we were able to bring everything under an awning very quickly with no equipment casualties.
Most recently, we were playing under a pop up tent, and it was about begin to rain buckets. Luckily, we had the heads up and were able to batten down the hatches before the torrent began.
I just slid my vinyl cabinet cover over my amp head and cab, and while the cover was wet, everything underneath was dry as a bone. All of my cables were sitting in water, but they all worked the next day after being left to dry on a rug.
Once I heard the tornado siren though, I was caring way less about whether any gear got wet or not.
If playing uncovered, I always keep an eye on the drum heads and cymbals to look for sprinkles.
I don’t really care if my basses get wet though.
Most recently, we were playing under a pop up tent, and it was about begin to rain buckets. Luckily, we had the heads up and were able to batten down the hatches before the torrent began.
I just slid my vinyl cabinet cover over my amp head and cab, and while the cover was wet, everything underneath was dry as a bone. All of my cables were sitting in water, but they all worked the next day after being left to dry on a rug.
Once I heard the tornado siren though, I was caring way less about whether any gear got wet or not.
If playing uncovered, I always keep an eye on the drum heads and cymbals to look for sprinkles.
I don’t really care if my basses get wet though.
Last time I looked there was a rain forest north of San Fransisco and, yes it does rain coyotes and bobcats down south in the Coachella Valley, typically in January/Feb and July/August. This time of the year we get water laden tropical storms that push up from the Sea of Cortez while we are having temps ranging from 105 to 120F.
clearly i was joking.... but also there is not way PA or Amps get taken care of before my bass. my main bass is more expensive than the PA and my amp combined. you play a sadowsky so why take care of that last? you are literaly wearing it. do you set it down in the rain for a PA? never in a million years. screw the PA
