Last night I played a gig in Buffalo with my ska band, Abominable Killer Snowmen. I was pumped for this show because I had to fill in on bass (I usually play trombone) and even though there weren't many there, I was still very excited 
There were five bands, and we were on third. The last two bands were signed bands, one being Manic Sewing Circle 
Needless to say I was excited for this as well.
After we went on, the other "signed" band's singer asked if his bass player could use my rig (now this is my beater rig, an old peavey head and a 4X10, but it gets the job done). I thought it was weird that his guitar player asked me, but being the nice guy that I am, I said "of course". I helped the guitar player carry it on stage out of my car and set it all up ( the bass player didn't lift a finger). I told them not to beat it down, because it isn't that powerful and the venue had PA support. He nodded and I let it go.
I was hungry and was gonna grab a bite, but I decided to wait around for the first song to see how they sounded. I was not a fan of the band, and I noticed that the clip light on my amp was on constantly throughout the first song. I ran up to the stage after the first song and told him to turn down a touch, and he did. Problem solved. So I left and got some pizza and much to my disgust when I got back, the light was on again! I asked an audience member, and he said that the band was getting enough bass through the monitor, so he just cranked the amp!
That was there last song after a 30 - 45 min set, where the amp was clipping nearly the entire time. I tried the amp this morning, and it is distorted at low volumes, and something just doesn't sound right. But that's a thread for a different forum.
Needless to say, my nice attitude bit me in the butt. I didn't think that a so called "professional" band would need to be told what a clip light is, but I guess ignorance runs rampant through every scene. I was genuinely upset, but there was nothing I could do. Whats the point in starting a fight? They wouldn't learn a lesson and the world would be a slightly more violent place.
All I know, is that I am never loaning my gear out to anyone again, unless I know and trust the user. Even if it means another band has to go without a bass player. I am not going to tolerate that.
Thanks for listening, the rant is done!
- Joe
There were five bands, and we were on third. The last two bands were signed bands, one being Manic Sewing Circle Needless to say I was excited for this as well. After we went on, the other "signed" band's singer asked if his bass player could use my rig (now this is my beater rig, an old peavey head and a 4X10, but it gets the job done). I thought it was weird that his guitar player asked me, but being the nice guy that I am, I said "of course". I helped the guitar player carry it on stage out of my car and set it all up ( the bass player didn't lift a finger). I told them not to beat it down, because it isn't that powerful and the venue had PA support. He nodded and I let it go.
I was hungry and was gonna grab a bite, but I decided to wait around for the first song to see how they sounded. I was not a fan of the band, and I noticed that the clip light on my amp was on constantly throughout the first song. I ran up to the stage after the first song and told him to turn down a touch, and he did. Problem solved. So I left and got some pizza and much to my disgust when I got back, the light was on again! I asked an audience member, and he said that the band was getting enough bass through the monitor, so he just cranked the amp!
That was there last song after a 30 - 45 min set, where the amp was clipping nearly the entire time. I tried the amp this morning, and it is distorted at low volumes, and something just doesn't sound right. But that's a thread for a different forum.
Needless to say, my nice attitude bit me in the butt. I didn't think that a so called "professional" band would need to be told what a clip light is, but I guess ignorance runs rampant through every scene. I was genuinely upset, but there was nothing I could do. Whats the point in starting a fight? They wouldn't learn a lesson and the world would be a slightly more violent place.
All I know, is that I am never loaning my gear out to anyone again, unless I know and trust the user. Even if it means another band has to go without a bass player. I am not going to tolerate that.
Thanks for listening, the rant is done!
- Joe
