Aaaaargh!!! "All gear - no ear" - Mini rant & video

Andy

Honorary Member
Frustration doesn't come close to describing my day yesterday. We were booked to play the main / last slot at a big bike rally on a racecourse. Guru Drums also sponsored the rear line gear. It's a typical trailer gig - no issues there, but due to delays, we ended up playing to an audience that had mostly gone home.

The day started badly too. I was there early to set up. PA company all ready to go when I arrived. Now, the sound man is a really nice guy, but has almost no idea how to run sound, & by his own admission, partially deaf. He's running sound from INSIDE the back of a van, has no monitor mic for stage communication, & using a digital desk. On setting up the drum sound, we started with bass drum (another drummer at the helm). After 10 seconds, he's waving his arms to ask the drummer to "just go round the kit". The bass drum sounds like crap. I swap out mic's to my own batter & reso set, & we start again. Much better, but still needs work. As we're pushed for time, I ask him to just run the kit flat, but we need to do something with that bass drum. I suggest -3db 125Hz - +2db 40Hz on the batter mic & run the reso mic flat then blend to taste. It turns out he "doesn't usually use EQ", so spends forever working out how to call up the EQ section. Eventually we get somewhere close.

No line check on anything else, no monitor balance, just straight into the first band's opening number. Well, it's a mess, & the next 6 songs are consumed with band members asking for "more of this / less of that please", & copious quantities of audience cringing feedback.

Eventually, it's our turn. We spend forever trying to get keyboards in the keyboard monitor, then on the opening number, the keyboards are literally cutting my head off in the drum monitor. I get through the opening set piece & first number, but then break my usual protocol & get on the main vocal mic to get rid of the blistering keyboards. Rather than confuse him with a level request, I simply ask him to turn the monitor off (I tried unplugging the damn thing myself first).

TBH, I let it get to me, & finished the next number in an overly aggressive style, but the audience seemed to like it. I don't usually use double pedal, but it was there for the other drummers, so decided to give it a good thumping.

Anyhow, here's a video clip of my frustrations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nKYB8cuKo0&feature=youtu.be

Warning - expletives right from the get go:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just ridiculous all around. If the guy can't run a PA then what the Hell is he doing there? It's not difficult exactly and you can even get around a bit of deafness if you know how to compensate for it.

The aggression helps. Your face when that keyboard kicked off was utterly priceless...
 
There were times that I wanted to get up and walk out in the middle of a gig. Sometimes I just play a really simple groove that others can follow and hope it ends soon.
 
TBH, I let it get to me, & finished the next number in an overly aggressive style, but the audience seemed to like it. I don't usually use double pedal, but it was there for the other drummers, so decided to give it a good thumping.

Agreed with Duncan, your reaction is priceless and suitably appropriate.

You had to vent your frustrations, so good on you for the aggressive ending, you reminded me of my double bass drums days endings... except I was doing the exact same thing even when I was happy.

Hell, even the Zoom recorder seemed to like it, it was dancing to your beating :)
 
He doesn't usually use EQ. Lol.

That could be the most pathetic thing I've ever heard from a sound dude.

Honestly, I just don't understand how someone would A. hire him to do sound, and B. show up to work with no real skills to offer.

Sound is so important, it's make or break.

Nice guy or not, I think I would have called his boss to vent a little.
 
If it's any consolation, your profane outburst at the beginning is so awesome that it made my day. I can't stop smiling.

You sound great, by the way, Andy. Your fine playing is a big part of why your band is so successful.
 
If it's any consolation, your profane outburst at the beginning is so awesome that it made my day. I can't stop smiling.

You sound great, by the way, Andy.

Exactly what I was going to say. Talk about straight from the heart!

Is that the maple Tour?
 
Frustration doesn't come close to describing my day yesterday. We were booked to play the main / last slot at a big bike rally on a racecourse. Guru Drums also sponsored the rear line gear. It's a typical trailer gig - no issues there, but due to delays, we ended up playing to an audience that had mostly gone home.

The day started badly too. I was there early to set up. PA company all ready to go when I arrived. Now, the sound man is a really nice guy, but has almost no idea how to run sound, & by his own admission, partially deaf. He's running sound from INSIDE the back of a van, has no monitor mic for stage communication, & using a digital desk. On setting up the drum sound, we started with bass drum (another drummer at the helm). After 10 seconds, he's waving his arms to ask the drummer to "just go round the kit". The bass drum sounds like crap. I swap out mic's to my own batter & reso set, & we start again. Much better, but still needs work. As we're pushed for time, I ask him to just run the kit flat, but we need to do something with that bass drum. I suggest -3db 125Hz - +2db 40Hz on the batter mic & run the reso mic flat then blend to taste. It turns out he "doesn't usually use EQ", so spends forever working out how to call up the EQ section. Eventually we get somewhere close.

No line check on anything else, no monitor balance, just straight into the first band's opening number. Well, it's a mess, & the next 6 songs are consumed with band members asking for "more of this / less of that please", & copious quantities of audience cringing feedback.

Eventually, it's our turn. We spend forever trying to get keyboards in the keyboard monitor, then on the opening number, the keyboards are literally cutting my head off in the drum monitor. I get through the opening set piece & first number, but then break my usual protocol & get on the main vocal mic to get rid of the blistering keyboards. Rather than confuse him with a level request, I simply ask him to turn the monitor off (I tried unplugging the damn thing myself first).

TBH, I let it get to me, & finished the next number in an overly aggressive style, but the audience seemed to like it. I don't usually use double pedal, but it was there for the other drummers, so decided to give it a good thumping.

Anyhow, here's a video clip of my frustrations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nKYB8cuKo0&feature=youtu.be

Warning - expletives right from the get go:

This is typical, or definitely not out of the norm for festivals on this level here in the states.

Here's another place IEM's (wired is fine, less hassle) for drummers is a plus.

Bring your box, pre set it- I multi clamp mine to my mic stand, flip the wedge, or turn it around, or even ask to have it unplugged. Ask for a monitor feed, or if you think the mix is a complete circus ask for, or set up your own ambient mic. Essentially bypass the sound person altogether.

Get a box with 2 channels, mic in and monitor in, if you don't sing you can have two mics set up, one for the drums and one for the band ambient.


As far as the line up is concerned, you need to know the event. If you have any choice for your bands place in the queue, research the event. You need to know when your age demographic will be there comfortably and (if you can) choose that position. The end/headliner slot isn't always the best option, every event is different too. Example: event start- 3:pm ends at 9:pm (50 min sets), your band plays older, classic rock, I'd be gunning for the 5, 6, or 7:pm slot.
 
Sorry I'm late replying, but I've been building since 7:00AM then straight to band rehearsal.

Thank you for all your kind words about playing & cymbal sounds, but I really wasn't playing well at all at that gig :(

Yes Madge, maple Tours.

Your face when that keyboard kicked off was utterly priceless...
The video doesn't capture just how loud that keyboard was through the monitors. It fair took my head off!

The end/headliner slot isn't always the best option, every event is different too. Example: event start- 3:pm ends at 9:pm (50 min sets), your band plays older, classic rock, I'd be gunning for the 5, 6, or 7:pm slot.
Agreed, but this lockup was due to severe delay, not scheduling.

After I asked for the monitor to be switched off, if you listen carefully, you can hear me say "and you can get rid of that feedback while you're at it". I was fairly annoyed at that point. It was so bad a mix, it was bordering on funny. I have got a few bits of roving camera footage from out front. I'll try to put some snippets up over the next day or so.
 
You may have scared your singer with that ending, also when you spoke I detected an accent, are you from Mississippi??
 
With a hopeless soundperson, IEMs are even worse. You get whatever strange balance they come up with and can't get away from it. Acoustically on stage you can try to move your head or tune things out.

A stick bag or jacket usually fixes a monitor that's way too hot. There's a place here that has blues jams in a pretty decent venue with multiple monitor sends off a digital desk. Invariably some guitar player will turn up an amp and when you're back there it's all you can hear as the clueless sound person turns down the FOH instead of the input trim. You can seldom get them to look up from their phone so I just toss my stick bag in front of it and listen to the live mix on the stage.
 
Andy, I feel your pain. I've been on stages that have sounded like a freight train was traveling behind them. The best a performer can do is pop in the heavy hearing protection, put on a fake smile, and deal with it till the set is done.

The other thing you can do is ping the management of the company that ran sound, and help them to make subsequent dealings a bit more pleasant.

If that fails, would you be opposed to wiping your ass with an SM58?
 
The crowd...kind of deflating when no one is really paying attention too.

Being deflated and pissed off, no wonder you didn't feel good about your playing.

Sounded fine though :)

You've upped your game to the point where even the bad days sound good.
 
Well, I thought it was pretty cool that you did The Cult cover of "She Sells Sanctuary"! Northern British post-punk rules. (Although I do prefer the music of the earlier incarnation of this band, The Southern Death Cult.)

At least you could hear yourself. My worst playing experience was doing a gig *years* ago in school, when no sound guy showed up and all we had were the guitar amps in a cafeteria-like building. The guitar sound literally vanished because my bandmates put the amps in front of, and not behind or near, my drums. I was terrified: playing without knowing if you're in sync with your bandmates. Worst show ever.
 
Back
Top