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Smoke Machine

[skyraider]

[skyraider]

Gold Supporting Member
Nov 19, 2014
489
720
www.jbendavis.com
#1
I'm playing in a band where the lighting crew always sets up near my side of the stage. And every time they have a smoke machine set up, usually just a foot or two from my foot. All though the gig they are blasting that thing and I'm hating it. The thing irritates my eyes and throat--I have a scratchy throat for days after the gig.

Nearly 20 years ago I quit smoking for my health. I am a pretty serious bicyclist, usually riding over 80 miles a week.

No way am I risking my lungs for a cool lighting effect in some crappy club. I've told them that I'm not going to be on the same side of the stage as the smoke machine anymore. If they want the effect then the guitar player and lead singer can have as much as they want.

Anyone else have this experience with smoke machines? I think this is the reason I don't see them very often with other bands.
 
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#2
[skyraider] said:
I'm playing in a band where the lighting crew always sets up near my side of the stage. And every time they have a smoke machine set up, usually just a foot or two from my foot. All though the gig they are blasting that thing and I'm hating it. The thing irritates my eyes and throat--I have a scratchy throat for days after the gig.

Nearly 20 years ago I quit smoking for my health. I am a pretty serious bicyclist, usually riding over 80 miles a week.

No way am I risking my lungs for a cool lighting effect in some crappy club. I've told them that I'm not going to be on the same side of the stage as the smoke machine anymore. If they want the effect then the guitar player and lead singer can have as much as they want.

Anyone else have this experience with smoke machines? I think this is the reason I don't see them very often with other bands.
Click to expand...
Who's the BL? Who asked for the smoke effect?

Yeah, like you said, they can have smoke but not from your side of the stage.

Maybe there's a less irritating smoke material that can be used. I'd be curious about what exactly makes up the ingredients. What they're using sounds nasty.

Even if it is set up on the other side, it still may bother you. See how it goes.
 
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#4
There’s two kinds: the chiller type, which won’t thrash your lungs but has some serious risks, like asphyxiation (dry ice type) and the glycol type, which does trash your lungs and throat, but at least you won’t die from having all the oxygen in your vicinity replaced/depleted. My wife occasionally would use the glycol type for her dance productions and I’d invariably get sick afterward. Tell em to get rid of the damned thing.
 
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#5
Stumbo said:
Who's the BL? Who asked for the smoke effect?
Click to expand...

We don't really have a BL, it's more like a board of directors. No one asked for it. The lighting guys just brought it to a show and the band LOVED it. We got great photos and videos because of it, so the band (except me) was hooked. It does look cool, but not THAT cool.

The gig last Friday I saw the lead singer doubled-over coughing in the middle of a tune.
 
#6
[skyraider] said:
We don't really have a BL, it's more like a board of directors. No one asked for it. The lighting guys just brought it to a show and the band LOVED it. We got great photos and videos because of it, so the band (except me) was hooked. It does look cool, but not THAT cool.

The gig last Friday I saw the lead singer doubled-over coughing in the middle of a tune.
Click to expand...
Maybe some small fans near the band members can keep the smoke away from your noses and throats.
 
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#7
Not worth it. Get rid of it. Simply not worth your health. If it were me, it would be an ultimatum. Either the smoke goes or I goes.
Firefighters train with this stuff all the time, and while those actively participating in the training are normally wearing SCBA, often the trainers and evaluators observing are not.

Here is an excerpt from the link below:

Glycol-based smoke simulant. For the exercise involving only glycol-based simulant, exposure to diethylene glycol was above its exposure limit inside the room and outside with the door opened. These particles were also small enough to penetrate deeply into the lungs. Formaldehyde was found inside the room at concentrations above background levels but below its limit.
Short-term exposure to diethylene glycol may have adverse effects on the blood, liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. Short-term exposure to formaldehyde, acrolein, and crotonaldehyde may result in skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation, and inhaling high concentrations of these aldehydes may cause pulmonary edema. Short-term exposure to benzene may cause skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation as well as adverse effects on the central nervous system.
https://www.fireengineering.com/art...ures/simulated-smoke-real-health-effects.html
 
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#9
TWolf said:
Not worth it. Get rid of it. Simply not worth your health. If it were me, it would be an ultimatum. Either the smoke goes or I goes.
Firefighters train with this stuff all the time, and while those actively participating in the training are normally wearing SCBA, often the trainers and evaluators observing are not.

Here is an excerpt from the link below:

Glycol-based smoke simulant. For the exercise involving only glycol-based simulant, exposure to diethylene glycol was above its exposure limit inside the room and outside with the door opened. These particles were also small enough to penetrate deeply into the lungs. Formaldehyde was found inside the room at concentrations above background levels but below its limit.
Short-term exposure to diethylene glycol may have adverse effects on the blood, liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. Short-term exposure to formaldehyde, acrolein, and crotonaldehyde may result in skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation, and inhaling high concentrations of these aldehydes may cause pulmonary edema. Short-term exposure to benzene may cause skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation as well as adverse effects on the central nervous system.
https://www.fireengineering.com/art...ures/simulated-smoke-real-health-effects.html
Click to expand...

ABSOLUTELY FRIGGING CORRECT
 
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#12
Every time I turn on my humidifier (Cool steam) before I go to sleep, I feel like a rock star!!!

anigif_sub-buzz-30943-1484934799-2.gif
 
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#13
[skyraider] said:
I'm playing in a band where the lighting crew always sets up near my side of the stage. And every time they have a smoke machine set up, usually just a foot or two from my foot. All though the gig they are blasting that thing and I'm hating it. The thing irritates my eyes and throat--I have a scratchy throat for days after the gig.

Nearly 20 years ago I quit smoking for my health. I am a pretty serious bicyclist, usually riding over 80 miles a week.

No way am I risking my lungs for a cool lighting effect in some crappy club. I've told them that I'm not going to be on the same side of the stage as the smoke machine anymore. If they want the effect then the guitar player and lead singer can have as much as they want.

Anyone else have this experience with smoke machines? I think this is the reason I don't see them very often with other bands.
Click to expand...
Yes, but some don’t bother me at all. This clip is from this past Sunday. Tons of “smoke” but I didn’t really even notice that much while we were playing, guitar player was right next to the thing and he didn’t complain.

But we have played gigs where they were very annoying to the point of making us gag and where you could literally taste whatever chemicals were used. Not something I know a ton about but I’ve been around them enough and have noticed some do really bother me and some don’t phase me at all.
 
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